St. Louis Conference: 2004
Table of Contents
Psalm 23
Reading
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We lie as we.
Call him.
Our snake hurry.
Raise light and try.
On there, Yeah, yeah.
Sports.
It is crap.
Surely, I swear.
Shall.
Measure.
All day.
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Is perhaps just for this reading meeting.
It's an unusual suggestion.
But in both the opening hymns of the of the prayer meeting this afternoon and the hymn we've just sang, we've had brought before us.
The Shepherd who cares for us. And as I say, this suggestion is really only just for this meeting and then see what the Spirit of God would have further. But I wondered if it would be an encouragement to consider the 23rd Psalm.
123.
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Just by way of introduction, before we take up these verses, it's helpful when we take up the Psalms to realize that the Psalms are Jewish and prophetic in their character and the songs are taken up in different ways. We know that many of the Psalms are the feelings and expressions of the Lord Jesus Christ as He passed through the circumstances of life as a man to as he took up the work of redemption, the work of the cross, and so on.
We have the 22nd Psalm, 69th Psalm, 102nd Psalm, 40th Psalm, so many psalms that we read on Lord's Day morning when we're together to remember the Lord Jesus, because those psalms bring before us in a very graphic way the innermost breathings and feelings of the Lord Jesus as a man, feelings and expressions that we don't get in the Gospels. We Get the facts in the Gospels.
Concerning his life and work. But in the Psalms we get the feelings. We know too, that many of these psalms are the expressions of the godly remnant in a coming day.
And I have no doubt that this very Psalm will have its fulfillment in that way. They're also the expressions of the Saints in any age. And that's why we go back and we appropriate and apply these to ourselves. In fact, I've been struck in visiting elderly ones, those who are shut in going through a circumstance, a difficult circumstance or a trial, often ask them what part of the word of God they'd like to share together. And I would say that more often than not, they want you to read a Psalm because these psalms are a comfort to us and we apply them.
To our own circumstances, these psalms too are the expressions of David, especially the psalms of David, the feelings and expressions of David as he as a man passed through the circumstances of life. And I sometimes have wished that the titles of these psalms were printed just a little bit bigger in our Bibles, because when we read these psalms, we often Passover the titles. But I would just say this too, that the titles of these psalms.
Were not added by the translators. They're part of the inspired Word of God.
And it tells us in Proverbs that every word of God is pure. And I believe we miss something if we miss the titles of these Psalms. Some of the Psalms have No title. Some of the Psalms have a more lengthy title. Some are very short. But there are quite a number of Psalms that are entitled a Psalm of David. And that was what I was particularly on my heart in suggesting this Psalm for this meeting. Because David as a man, when you trace his life.
He didn't have an easy life. It was a life full of ups and downs, full of sorrows and fears. He felt rejection even after he got his Kingdom. It was a Kingdom that was plagued by wars from his enemies, domestic problems, problems in his own family. He knew what it was to lose a child in death. All these things. And yet, when you come to the Psalms of David, well, there are times when it just seems as hard as going to fail him.
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Yet he always comes back to what he has in and of the Lord, and that was so much greater than the trial and the difficulty. And so as we look at this Psalm, brethren, let's realize that we have everything in and of the Lord. I know there's brethren here, your heart's burdened, there's sorrow, there's tears as we had this afternoon. But I believe, brethren, we can rejoice like David in the portion that we have in the Lord, and we have a far, far greater understanding.
In port of our portion.
The far greater portion than David ever had. We ought to be the happiest people on earth.
Let us mention you mentioned that.
Sing psalms and so on to understand what you mean by that expression. All of our blessings are in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and the worst that can happen to a believer, as we say, but hastens the journey that leads us home. I knew a man and he had a friend who was a taxi driver in London and somebody pulled a knife on him and the taxi driver said to the man, go ahead.
Send me straight to heaven. Well, the worst thing that could happen to him would bring him closer to home. And we often see older ones that are going through trials, and the trials are the very means of blessing. But to a Jew, every one of his blessings is here on this earth.
The physical possession of the land of Israel is required for the Jews blessing. We have mercies in this earth. We're enjoying mercies in this room. We enjoyed mercies going over good highways. These are mercies to believers. But the difficulties that you may have getting to a conference, the difficulties you may have in your home really will just bring out the blessings that God has in store for us. We know that from Romans. All things work together for good to them that love God and call according to His purpose, but to the Jew to possess the land, to possess wealth in this life.
To possess health in this life, that is his blessing. It is here. And so that helps us understand some of these expressions. The only way that the Jew is going to enjoy his inheritance, as if the enemy is driven out of his land now. Now he's trusting in horses and Chariots to do it, but they'll never really possess it until they trust the Lord for it. But that's what we mean by those expressions. So it helps us understand many of these expressions where they're crying for deliverance of from their enemies and so on.
And we can make spiritual application to those expressions, but our blessing does not depend on the eradication of our blood of our enemies here, but the Lord would deliver us from from evil. But I just mentioned that because often expressions are taken up in the Psalms, and we've often heard Christianity has been Judaized, meaning that it's all a matter of wealth and safety here on this earth and prominence of the nation and so on.
And those are all Jewish type of blessings. The blessing of the believer is.
Is in heavenly places I remember as a young boy attending a Sunday school where I had to memorize this 23rd Psalm and.
It never entered my mind, nor was I told by any teacher there that the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want the Lord is my shepherd. I just took that to mean God and never realized that that's.
The Lord Jesus, I did not know the Lord Jesus at the time, but to us who are Christians, and when we read a Psalm like this, we have an understanding that goes far beyond, you might say infinitely beyond, what the Jews understood by this Psalm. They, and especially a Jewish person today, they can read this Psalm and they don't understand it at all because they don't identify with the word Jehovah.
All capitals with the Lord Jesus and until you do that, you, you, you just miss it. You miss it and we, we are his sheep and it's very precious. This is just one of the words that you can prove the deity of Christ because it's when it says the Lord and it's all capitals in our King James, that means Jehovah and then the Lord Jesus in John 10, he says I am the Good Shepherd and, and I am the Good Shepherd and I give my life for the sheep. That's the first time he says it.
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And the next time he says I am a Good Shepherd, I and I know my sheep and am known of mine.
Is that not precious? We know as Christians we know who this shepherd is. They don't. They don't, and what a difference it makes.
Nice that we have the thought of Shepherd in the New Testament in three different ways.
That correspond to the Psalm 22, Psalm 23, and Psalm 24.
In the New Testament, in John 10, we're given the Lord Jesus. I am the Good Shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep. And in the 22nd Psalm we have that work of the Lord Jesus and the atoning work of the cross brought before us.
In the 24th Psalm he refers in verse 7.
And the King of glory shall come in. And the 24th Psalm looks on to millennial glory, in which the shepherd has his place over all the earth. And we see that referred to in Peter in the 5th chapter.
Where it speaks of the.
Chief Shepherd, I'll just read the verse and first Peter chapter five, I think it is.
First Peter 5.
And.
Verse four. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, that's his coming in glory, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And so it anticipates the time of the Millennium. But in Hebrews chapter 13.
We have that in the New Testament, which corresponds to this Psalm we're considering this hour.
And it's in verse 20, Hebrews 13, verse 20, and the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, who threw the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.
To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And so we have our Lord Jesus.
Who is presently the great Shepherd of the sheep. And it's brought before us an application here in Psalm 23. It's His present work for us as His chief. He's gone to the cross as a Good Shepherd and given His life for us. Now He lives, and He lives to shepherd us all the way through to the end of the journey until that day of His glorification.
Over the earth. It's very intimate here too, isn't it? Because in those verses you read, he's the shepherd, the Good Shepherd, He's the chief shepherd, He's the great shepherd, but he's not just the shepherd here, He's my shepherd. And this brings it down, brethren, to us individually. The Lord Jesus, as the shepherd has a vast flock of his own, but he treats each of us as an individual.
I think it's very precious to realize too, that He doesn't treat all the sheep the same. I'm just going to, we read it earlier, but I'm just going to reread the verse in Isaiah 40 that we read in the prayer meeting. Make this little application. Isaiah 40. And again, I know this is prophetic here, but we can apply it to ourselves today. Isaiah 40 and verse 11. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd.
He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. But I enjoy in this verse is that the Lord Jesus as the shepherd doesn't treat all the sheep the same. He realizes that there are lambs. There are those of us with families. There are those of us who are those who are here who are further along in the path of faith and service. Some of us need to be LED. Some of us need to be carried too.
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And the Lord Jesus is the shepherd. He knows how to feed us with food convenient for us. He knows how to carry us. He knows how to lead us. And so he takes up each sheep individually. You never get lost in the crowd with the Lord Jesus. And then that precious that the Lord Jesus is the shepherd, he looks down into this room and he's with us collectively, individually, and he knows every side.
He knows every burden. If anyone of us had a glimpse into every heart that was here this afternoon, it's something we couldn't stand even for a moment. The burdens and the size and the exercises and the needs of each one. But that divine Shepherd, then that divine heart knows it all, sympathizes with us. And not only is he my Shepherd, but he's able to provide everything that's needed so that I can say I shall not want.
To comment on that word, my shepherd.
There's a lot of young people here and you know, when we were children, we were strapped into the car seat. We were taken to meeting and we were told what we could do and what we couldn't do and so on. Another team came in our life when we were called teenagers. There came a time in the Lord's life when he was a teenager and he would came to meetings. You would say he went up to Jerusalem and his parents saw him sorrowing and he said, wish ye not that I be about my father's business. There was a direct relationship there between himself and his father and what he was doing.
And often when we were young people, we came to our parents and we asked them often knowing what they were going to answer and said, can we do this or can we do that? And you give them an answer and they say, oh, yeah. But the young people over there, they're allowed to do that. Or they do that down there in California. They do that in New Jersey or something else like that. But you know, there has to be a personal and a direct relationship like the Lord as he moved into those teenage years with ye. Not that I be about my father's business.
When you inquire of the Lord as to what the Lord would say about it and we can't simply like when we were children, get strapped in a car seat and get taken off to meeting. There was a time in our life for that. Our brother Jim referred to the different phases of life. But as we become teenagers, we need a direct exercise before the Lord and to know the Lord is our shepherd. And then there is a time in life when we start to set the pattern of our own life, when we're and we we have to apply things in a private circle of our life. And there was a time too in our life when a young man got to be 20 years old.
And he really made decisions for himself. And again, he was establishing his own household and so on, and he needed that. Well, there was a time then of public service when the Lord was 30 years old. And so there are different phases in life, but in each case there has to be a direct relationship. It's not good enough to just say, well, the brethren say this or they do that over there. There has to be that relationship. The Lord is my shepherd. And what is particularly characteristic of Christianity is.
That is, are many of the sons of God. They are led by the Spirit of God, but we know the Lord is our shepherd.
Thank you that since we're Speaking of the shepherd, we need to think of ourselves as the sheep. And it's interesting in Scripture that it's only a true believer who's referred to as a sheep of the Lord. I say that because in Isaiah 53, that verse we often use in the Gospel, it doesn't say we are sheep there. We're like sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way.
Because what he's bringing before us there is what we are by were by nature, that is.
As sheep likes to go its own way, and don't we have to admit that the natural man likes nothing more than to go better than to go his own way? Sin is lawlessness as you get in first, John. It's doing our own will in independence of God. It's going our own way. And so we're like sheep in that way. But when we get saved, we become a sheep of the Lord Jesus. And John 10 takes this up so very beautifully. And there are many things connected with sheep.
And I don't know anything about the care of sheep. I'm a city boy at heart and I have no understanding of the actual care of sheep. I'm talking in a natural way a shepherd and a flock of sheep on the farm or on the ranch. But I would just say this about sheep that I believe one reason.
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Believer is like an area is taken up as a sheep is because sheep are one of the few animals that follow. You drive cattle, you herd pigs in the islands. At sunset we see the little boys coming down the mountains and they've got some goats or some pigs and they're hurting them. They're behind them and they've got a switch and they're talking to them and they're driving them. Well, most animals you drive sheep are one of the few animals that you lead.
And so we get it in our chapter. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, and so on. And again in John 10, the Lord Jesus spoke of how His sheep follow. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. And they follow me, the Lord Jesus said.
And brethren, that's what He really wants in our lives. And if our hearts are attracted and attached to the Shepherd, it's not hard to follow where He leads. Where our hearts are, then our feet will follow. And so may we be so occupied with that Blessed One who goes before that we seek to follow. He doesn't want to have to drive His people. He wants them to follow out of a heart attracted to Himself.
He knows the Shepherd's voice.
And follows. But if he does get astray, and we have it in Luke 15, in Matthew 18, where the sheep has gone astray, then the shepherd seeks that sheep. We have a seeking God. He doesn't just say, well, he's gone his own way, I'll leave him alone. No, not at all. He comes after us and brings us back, doesn't He? We need shepherds probably more than anything else. Shepherds among God's people. You read Jeremiah 23 and you read Ezekiel.
34 I think, where God has a controversy with the shepherds, with the pastors.
A pastor means a shepherd and he has controversy with them and he, Jehovah says I am the shepherd. I will bring them into a place of blessing and minister to them and it's wonderful. I'm looking at Zechariah 13. I'll just read the verse seven awake, O Lord, O sword against my shepherd. Now the sound that we're looking at is the sheep is speaking and says the Lord is my shepherd. Now here, Jehovah God the Father.
Says my shepherd, I'm supplying to you, the one that supplies that shepherd is, is God the Father and he's your shepherd. And then it says, it says that he's going to die. Waco sword against my shepherd and noticed against the man that is my fellow. Now I'm reading the Old Testament. So even the Old Testament shows that this sheep that we're talking about in the 23rd Psalm was going to become a man, a man that is my fellow and he's one that was equal with God the Father. He's his fellow.
So we have the the truth of who He is, both on the divine side and also on the human side.
Very precious.
Yes, the shepherd. Yet Jehovah is that shepherdness. That's the Lord Jesus. You can. It's so beautiful. You can prove who he is even from the Old Testament.
To pin this 23rd song to the first thing you read of David is he keepeth the sheep and that lovely. When you read a Saul, he is lost that which was committed to him and that which was unclean. But when you read of David, he keepeth the sheep and the Lord passed him through circumstances to equip him to really pin these words. So the Spirit of God.
Chose David.
As it were to pen these words in Psalm 23. So lovely to speak of the shepherd.
I said that when he begins the Psalm, he does it with a conscious sense of his own relationship as a sheep to his shepherd. He had been a shepherd himself and he had sheep, and he knew that they knew him and he knew them and so on. And so he begins his, I'm going to call it a meditation with respect to himself and his shepherd, but to me it's very lovely that part way through the meditation in verse 4.
He changes from talking about him to talking to him, and so in the middle of the verse he says, Thou art with me.
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He's not saying about the shepherd anymore, but it's a conscious speaking to the Shepherd of his own heart. And I believe that's the desire of the Spirit of God here this afternoon with each one of us, as we, as you were, hear things about the shepherd and our relationship to the shepherd that there will be at some point, if you will, some sense of conscious relationship with us.
With himself, it's said that it's the purpose of ministry is to bring us into the presence of God.
And so the purpose of the Spirit of God in that way this afternoon is, is to bring us together in such a way that we're not just thinking about the Lord.
But we're thinking consciously of him directly, if you will, not just words.
But the thought of himself, so that we say in our hearts, Lord, thou art my shepherd, when was the last time?
You took a walk with the Lord Jesus and talked to Him.
Personally and listen to him talk to you.
We should, Mr. Darby writes in his writings, so we should never be satisfied with anything less than that.
This little expression in the first verse I shall not want is a simple little expression for very simple words in themselves, and yet we ought not to pass over them because they speak volumes to our heart. I shall not want. Now again, we want to be very careful in making these applications, because when we say the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. That doesn't mean that we're going to be provided with all the mercies and comforts at all times.
That we enjoy. I have been in parts of the world where our brethren are actually starving. They don't have the necessary food even for themselves and for their family. They subsist and eke out an existence from day-to-day. You say has this verse failed? Has God's promise failed? No, but in Christianity what we, and this is the way we apply this expression is that when we have a personal relationship with the shepherd.
Then the heart is satisfied. It's a question of what's inward, not outward. Because as we've often been reminded, and our brother Neil brought it before us at the beginning of the meeting, it's in Christianity. We may be poor as far as this world's goods go, but usually are. Often those who are in those circumstances are rich in faith. Their souls are satisfied. And I want to say this carefully, we don't ever want to despise the mercies.
That God gives us. I'm thankful for this facility this afternoon where we can in climate control and sit in peace and enjoy the word of God. At the end of this meeting, a brother is going to stand up and give thanks for the food that we're going to partake of for the evening meal. We don't want to despise those mercies, but I would say this, that sometimes an abundance of the temporal robs us of an enjoyment of what is really eternal and what really.
Satisfies the soul. It doesn't need to.
But often it gets in the way, and we don't enjoy what we have in Christ and in the Shepherd in the way that we should. If you'll allow me just to tell a little story for the sake of the boys and girls, I know it's a simple story, but I've read it a number of times and enjoyed it myself. In connection with this expression, I shall not want stories told of a little boy who went off to Sunday School, and at the end of the Sunday School term the teacher decided that she would.
Invite the parents in and that the boys and girls would sing some gospel choruses. They'd recite some of the gospel verses and scriptures that they had learned during the year and so on, just to get the gospel to the parents. And so this evening was arranged and each boy and girl was schooled very carefully in what they were going to say and do. And some were going to reach the site portions of the Word of God, others were going to sing and so on. I think there was going to be a little gospel message too.
But there was one little boy who was very small, and the teacher had carefully schooled him to stand up in front of the parents and say the first verse of Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Well, the evening came, and when the little boy stood up and looked into the faces of the parents, it just seemed like a sea of faces to him. And he got what we would call stage fright, I suppose. And so he took a deep breath and he said.
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The Lord is my shepherd. He just couldn't seem to remember the rest of the verse and.
So after some hesitation, he started again. The Lord is my shepherd. The rest of the verse just wouldn't come. Finally, in desperation, he said, the Lord is my shepherd, what more can I want? And he sat down and really, without knowing it, he really gave the essence of what this expression means. Brethren, what more could we want when we have a shepherd who gave his life for us?
Who's caring for us and providing for us every hour of every day? Who's going to be there in that day of glory as we had before us? If this is the one that's really satisfying our heart? Not again, that we despise outward or temporal mercies. But those things aren't going to have the same significance as they do otherwise. And what is really going to satisfy our hearts, brethren, is more of the Shepherd that cares for us.
And so I say with the little boy, the Lord is my shepherd. What more could I want?
Contrast.
And verse 17.
And this again is David speaking.
Now the first we just we're looking at in Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. We understand that means I will not need. It's not the not a matter of we're not wanting in the sense of needings of desiring something, but in the sense of needing something. And so we say the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not need anything. But here in Psalm 40, verse 17.
David says, But I am poor and needy.
Now why the difference?
Well, I think it's because.
In Psalm 23, David is looking at the Lord and he finds all his resources there. He says I don't need anything more. But in Psalm 40, verse 17, David is looking at himself, by them, at the direction of the Spirit of God, and he sees what he is in himself. And then he says I'm needy and we need this too. We need this side because the Lord reveals his sufficiency to us.
As we recognize our need of it.
I like what?
I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me.
God has his eye on David, and He delights to bring into David's life that which David needs.
He gives him his portion according to the wisdom.
And the power and the love of God.
There is rejoicing, shall we say, in in the knowledge that I'm needy, The Lord thinketh on me.
Yet the Lord thinketh upon me so God hasn't forgotten. He knows, He loves, He cares nothing. This truth condemned, He gives the very best to those who leave the choice with him.
You make it lie down in green pastures.
You know, Mr. Lundeen had some good advice when you said when young people would tell him they had trouble reading the Word of God, he said read it, read it and you'll develop an appetite for it. And that's more than going to Bible studies because you may hop from verse to verse all over the Bible and get little Nuggets from here and there. And there's a place for that. But there is no substitute for reading the Word of God. And I was glad her brother Don jumped ahead where he said he's about in the Psalm from talking about the Lord to talking to the Lord.
Because the Lord can't speak to us and there can be no proper intercourse or conversation between ourselves and the Lord unless we've been fed with the Word of God. They often meet Christians and they said, the Lord told me this and the Lord told me that, and the Lord told me this. And if you test those statements by the word of God, you find that these so-called directions from the Lord are absolutely contrary to the word of God. So he makes us to lie down in green pastures and then he leads us by the still waters. And I, I was thinking of that in connection with the refreshment of the soul.
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Is that sheep cannot drink in troubled waters.
And a brother made this comment, never bring anything into the assembly controversy into the assembly that is not necessary but to maintain the glory of the Lord. We bring up all kinds of issues. People get taken up with issues, but he leadeth me beside the still waters. And in connection with this, sometimes we come very dry in our souls in this expression that was brought out. The Lord thinketh on me. When you get down to pray and you say I just can't pray. We've all felt that way. I don't know what to pray.
And beside myself, I feel dry, I can't pray, I'm not enjoying the word. Just enjoy the fact that the Lord is praying for you and just enjoy the fact that there's a man in the glory thinking about you. Enjoy his love. Say, well, I have nothing to say to the Lord, I don't know what to say. But just enjoy the fact that He is praying for you, that He is thinking about you, and that He loves you and will be refreshed in our souls and will start to, instead of telling the Lord what we want, we'll start to hear what the Lord has to say to us.
And that is how we restore our soul. The Lord David Peter got away from the Lord because he was always saying not so Lord, not so Lord. He always knew what the Lord should be doing or shouldn't be doing. And we get away from the Lord that way, but he restores our soul when we start to listen to the Lord and instead of telling the Lord what he should be doing. So we need to then focus.
What the Lord is for us and for Him, what he's doing for us rather than what we're doing for Him. Because I think we can get pretty discouraged if we start thinking about.
Ourselves and what we're doing for the Lord. I mean, I think we should all be abounding in the work of the Lord, but I think we feel too, how we're unprofitable service.
But if we think about the Lord and focus on Him in all that He is for us.
It's so wonderful and I think, am I not right in thinking that when the Lord says.
David says I shall not want. It does refer to our needs. We know Paul said my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
But it does not also have to do with satisfying the desire of our souls.
I shall not want you know. He satisfies the longing soul, and he feels the hungry soul with goodness.
As we contemplate the love of this shepherd in giving his life for us.
Our hearts ought to rejoice in His love.
And satisfies our desires too. Doesn't have to. I think of another place. Psalm 37 Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
So needs and desires are met deep.
It's helpful because.
Just because we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior doesn't necessarily mean we don't have an empty, aching heart. You know, there are many believers in this world today who have empty, aching hearts. It's not that their eternal destiny isn't secure. They're safe in the hand of God and the Lord Jesus, and He's their Good Shepherd in that way. But I believe that our hearts are only fully satisfied.
In the measure in which we are feeding and drinking, in what he has provided for us.
And I was thinking it might be good to raise the question for each of our souls this afternoon, where are we feeding and where are we drinking? We're either feeding in the pastures of this world and from its springs that don't satisfy and fill our souls, or we are feeding from what he has, has and is supplying. Now let's just take up that that question, where are we feeding?
Are we feeding on the husks of this world?
You know, I realize it's hard even to drive down the freeway anymore without seeing something to feed our lusts, something to feed the flesh. You stand in the checkout counter and you try to keep your eyes away from that which feeds the flesh, feeds our lusts. And there's plenty of that on every hand, whether you go to school, whether you operate in your own neighborhood, whether you go to work, whatever sphere you operate in from day-to-day.
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There's plenty to feed the old, the flesh, but the question is, are we feeding in the green pastures that he has supplied? And what are those pastures? Well, I would suggest that a field or pasture in Scripture often speaks to us of personal communion. Now it's through the Word of God that we enjoy the person of Christ. But I think of Isaac, He went out into the field at eventide.
To meditate. When the day was done and responsibilities were over, Isaac went out into the field to meditate. Do we go out into the field to the green pastures when we have a few free moments or at the end of the day to meditate? I will go in and out and find pasture. Let's find our food there. But it's interesting, this expression in our Psalm. He maketh me. I want you to notice that.
He doesn't leave me there. He wants to, but sometimes he has to make me now. He leads me beside the Stillwater. He leads in the paths of righteousness. But isn't it interesting that when it comes to personal communion and feeding on himself, sometimes he has to lay his hand?
And make us I remember calling a brother one time, a brother who was active in the Lord's work and the Lord's service and had been used much of the Lord and the Lord had set him aside with health problems. And I knew when I called this brother, he was just pacing the floor on the phone and.
Not really content with his lot of having to slow down in his service for Christ. And I said to this brother, I said, you know, you and I are both of the temperament where we're driven. We like to be busy.
We like to fill a day and a schedule with lots of activity. But I said, and I said I haven't, can't say I've learned it from my own soul, but I said it does say in Psalm 23, He maketh me. And if I don't take that time to feed in the green pastures, if I don't take that time for personal communion and the development of that relationship with the Shepherd so that my soul will be satisfied. Sometimes I believe, brethren, He has to put His hand on us.
And he has to make us lie down. He has to set us aside, perhaps from our service or whatever it might be, so that we take that time. Well, if he does, don't shave under it, but learn to appreciate it and use that time for a deepening of the green pasture.
Said come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile. We need that a clean animal.
Was characterized by two things. It ruminated, that is, that it chewed the cot. It didn't just eat meditation, meditation and it had a cloven hook. It walked a separate pathway.
Separation. You know, it's interesting. I learned something interesting about a rabbit. A rabbit looks like it's ruminating, like it's chewing the cut, but it's eating its own excrement.
Pretty vile thing. And that relates to what our brother Jim said about what we're feeding on. And so there are animals that appear to walk a separate pathway. The pig eats as a cloven hoof that eats everything. Same thing as a cow, but it's not a ruminant. And so it's meditation that we need. It's not just reading, but it's considering the word of God.
I just say this, we talk often get ourselves occupied. He said he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And we're in a very self-centered society and we're always looking to solve our problems. But he leads us in such a way for his name's sake that we might be a testimony and in the paths of righteousness and when we're doing what is right, what is honest, what is good is for the Lord's namesake. It might cost us something.
You may go to work and suffer a demotion or be laughed at because you take a stand for the Lord, but you're being LED in the path of righteousness. But you're bearing testimony to the Lorde name. People will know that without you saying anything, will know that you're doing it for the Lord. But often we say, well, what is it in it for me? But he often leads us in a path for His namesake.
00:50:06
I noticed the margin in my Bible were being pastures.
Has.
Pastures of tender grass.
To me, that's a beautiful thought because we know if we sit down to a meal.
And we find that everything is coarse and tough. It's hard to chew. We're not too interested in eating that meal. But if things are tender and good, how we do enjoy it. And I believe that God gives to us.
That which is tender and good. He gives us food that is convenient for us and He doesn't want us to choke on it, but He wants us to enjoy what He has for us and He ministers to us on our level. He gives us what we need and the word in some.
34 and verse eight O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. The Lord is good, God is good.
How wonderful to have a God who knows our needs and will provide them and cause us to rejoice.
When you go to a Funeral Home, they have this song stamped on the little visitation card that you get there. And we think of this verse when a person is in dying. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but it's good to remember that we are all now in the valley of the shadow of death.
And we don't need to fear evil. I was struck coming home from brother Bill Wright's funeral that I stopped and saw man at the gas station. He had a daughter that was a dentist and a son that was a Doctor Who was not an intelligent man. But he said to me, he said, Osama bin Laden's done it for me. I'll never set foot on a plane again. Man's hearts are feeling them for fear. And we are in the valley of the shadow of death. And maybe the young people see a bright and a beautiful world before them.
But everything in this world bears death stamp, and we need to appreciate that fact that if you're six years old or four years old, you're and you know the Lord Jesus Christ is in your Savior, you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death. And we have nothing to fear as believers except to forget about the Lord.
His death is ours. That's right. You don't have to fear death.
That just ushers us into the Lord's presence, doesn't it? It's the door of entrance.
They passed from the land of the living into the land of the dying, into the land of the living.
I'd like to just go back to a comment that was made by a couple of brothers in connection with the Lord. As the shepherd feeding us with not doesn't feed us all with the same food. He realizes there are lambs and there are sheep and so on, and his individual care. And I'd like to just say something that ought to exercise any who take the responsibility in the local assembly or even on a broader sphere for the spiritual well-being and oversight of the people of God.
Those who seek to shepherd the people of God because a shepherd, as we've said already.
Seeks to discern the individual needs of the sheep, and that's what a shepherd amongst God's people seeks to discern to the individual needs. They don't deal with all the sheep the same. They don't deal with those who are young in the faith the way they deal with those who are mature.
And so I think it's a good exercise for everyone of us, really. But for those particularly who have that responsibility, it's good to recognize that God-given responsibility. Paul spoke to the Ephesians and said that the Holy Ghost had made them overseers. There are those that the Lord raises up as shepherds in the assembly, but they don't, they're not to rule with the rod. They're not to do it for their own gain, not for filthy lucre sake or to get something for themselves.
But to do it for the flock of God and for their well-being. So it exercises my soul. Brethren, I don't say I always discern how to deal with individual shape, but it is an exercise that ought to touch each of our hearts.
Statement. I believe it was made by my brother Norman Berry.
00:55:02
And I didn't forget it, he said that.
Good pasture.
Does more to keep the flock together than good fencing.
I think we know what he was driving at. Sometimes we tend to introduce rules and regulations and we fight and devour the sheep as it were, to try to get things the way we want them to be. But really I think if there is this ministry that you're speaking about, Brother Jim, and feeding the flock of God with that food, which they can appreciate.
And enjoy.
This, I believe, will help to keep the flock together.
Together, that's good pasture. If it's law, that's not good passion. And that's the difference, isn't it, between what you had in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it was a fold. It wasn't enclosure, it was a fence. It was rules and regulations. The law was given, the Mosaic Law was given, and so there were these regulations set down.
But it did nothing for the heart that wasn't touched by God himself. But in Christianity, it's a person. It's the shepherd. We follow the shepherd. And the closer we follow the shepherd, the closer we are to one another. And so if we're following the shepherd and your I'm following the shepherd, you're following the shepherd, there's a closeness, there's a fellowship that we can enjoy. The further away we get from the shepherd, the further away we get from one another. I'd like to just say this too, about what Wally mentioned earlier.
About the pasture, you remember when the Lord Jesus fed the multitude, it says that it was a desert place. And then there's a beautiful little comment made. And there was much grass in the place. Not beautiful. You don't think of a desert place as having much grass, but there was much grass. And as a result, He made them to sit down, and then he fed them with the loaves and the fishes. And brethren, we are in a spiritual wilderness. We're in a spiritual desert.
I believe the thought in a wilderness or desert in Scripture is that there's nothing to sustain life. As we said earlier, there's nothing to sustain the new man here in this world. Plenty to feed the flesh and our lusts, but nothing to sustain the new man. But isn't it beautiful and precious to realize that even in this spiritual desert and wilderness that we find ourselves in this afternoon, there is much grass in the place? Why? Because He has provided that food and for us.
Then in the reading meetings locally at home and there was much grass in the place and I just sat there and said oh this is precious, this is precious. And saw visitor was there and said do you always have good readings, meetings like that? I said, yeah, we do.
That's very precious.
It's nice to see in connection with verse 4 where he says thou art with me. Like to turn again to Hebrews chapter 13 where we have that same sense of it in the New Testament in Hebrews chapter 13.
And verse five it says.
Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Tremendous thing to enjoy in the soul, the fact that the Lord the Shepherd says I'm going to be with you.
He himself at the cross experienced what it was to be absolutely alone and forsaken.
And in one this instance, as it were, it's a promise he makes to us. He says you're on the journey, too.
But you will never have to experience what I went through. I promise you I will go with you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. And it's a tremendous thing that David appreciated that and his delight that he had in his own soul, that he said thou art with me. Moses had something of the same feeling when.
01:00:04
The children of Israel were at the.
Border of the desert if you will. And the whole they were had failed.
And the question of carrying them through the desert to the promised land was before them. And Moses says to the Lord, well, if you won't go with us, carry us not up. Hence there's somewhere Moses is saying, the Lord, Lord, if you're not going to go with us, I'm not going, I'm not going to take this people there. And the Lord responds, and he said, I'll be with you. And he was in the, in the.
Tabernacle, that was His presence among them and with them, and He was with them the whole way. And so we too can rest in the enjoyment that of His promise to us. As He says, I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you. It's very precious that our failures are brought out in the word. Take, for instance, when the disciples were talking among themselves. Who should be the greatest?
And the Lord says, what were you talking about along the way? He knew, of course, what they were talking about. And he sets children before them and says, if he don't become his little children, you can't enter the Kingdom of God. And the other instance comes to mind is in the on the in the ship. When the waves were about to overturn the ship, the Lord was asleep. He was right there with them and yet they were afraid that they were going to sink. Now we don't see him like they did, but he's right there with us the same way. And he says, how is it that she have no faith? He stands up and says, peace be still. And the troubles that how many times I've prayed.
Lord, when there's trouble in a meeting, Lord, stand up and say, peace be still, peace be still. He can do that. He can bring that down. And it's wonderful when we when we lean upon him and turn to him and ask Him to help us in our feebleness and our great need.
Always have a conscious sense of the Lord's presence with us. We get away. We allow things that that come between US and the Lord.
But I just want to re echo what Don and Chuck have said, because even when we don't appreciate or have a conscious sense that he's with us, the promise stands. I will never leave the nor for safety. Now let me just give you a couple of examples from Scripture of what we're saying. First of all, from the Old Testament when Jonah, who was a prophet of God and was really one of the Lord's own, when he got a Commission to go to Nineveh.
And to preach against the guilty city, it says he rose up to flee from the presence of the Lord. But you know, if you didn't read on, you might find that in contradiction to the verse that's been read and quoted in the book of Hebrews. But as you read the story, well, it's true. And I'll put it this way. Jonah got far away from the Lord. But the Lord didn't leave Jonah. And as you read down the 1St, as you find that the Lord was right there with Jonah, Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord.
But the Lord was right there and eventually woke Jonah up and had him go under those waters and then brought him back up, worked in his soul that he prayed in the fish's belly, brought him back up, and eventually used him in the salvation of that whole city of Nineveh. Imagine man preached in Nineveh, A failing servant who ran from the Lord eventually preached in Nineveh and the whole city got saved. But I just pointed out Jonah fled from the Lord, but the Lord didn't leave him, although he was not conscious at the beginning.
Because of his self will of the presence of the Lord. A New Testament example. When the two on the way to Emmaus were going from Jerusalem in discouragement, they ought not to have been leaving Jerusalem with discouraged hearts. And when the Lord Jesus spoke with them, they didn't understand who it was that was speaking to them along the road. But I love what it says. Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
There he was right with them, and he eventually again worked in their souls so that they eventually realized who it was that was with them.
And they returned to Jerusalem and there was great joy and so on. So I just point that out if there's someone here.
And you say, I just haven't enjoyed the presence of the Lord. I just haven't enjoyed the being with the Shepherd. Oh, he restores your soul. It's not that He's left you. He's there. The hindrance is never on his part. Brethren, if we don't enjoy His presence, it's not his fault. It's my fault. It's our fault. We've allowed something. I just want to say to cap my remarks, if you have allowed something to come between you and the Shepherd, get before him and confess it. Get into his, consciously into his presence.
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And enjoy the fact that He's with us every moment of every day. With that, I want to read a few verses in the 139th Psalm.
Verse 7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I send up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, that we hold our heart there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand bleed me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yeah, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. What a beautiful sound that is. We can't get away from God, and it's foolish to try. And who wants to try? We want to live our life in His presence. In his presence Now God sees me, sees everything we do, and knows every thought we have.
Hagar was laughing. Oh, it saw her. We usually apply that perhaps in the gospel and perhaps to our children to keep them from taking a cookie from the cookie jar or sneaking something they shouldn't, and that's okay. But in its, in its context, there in Genesis, Hagar was thankful. And would we want to Chuck, get away from the presence of the Lord? Would we want to be cast out of his sight? Not for one moment.
That's where comfort comes from. The rod may speak of correction.
And an uncorrected child is an unhappy child that you see little children around and they're happy and you know that they're corrected. And you see children that are running around doing what they want and they're unhappy, discontent. Whether they're in the meeting or in the grocery store or on the plane. There are children that are not corrected. And the staff speaks of guidance perhaps, but you've got to give the little darling everything he wants.
And so they comfort me and so that is what that is what will lead to the comfort. But it is it was good advice.
And these are practical things. Thy rod it is.
I was told don't discipline your children with your hand. Use an instrument. And we have to realize that it is an instrument. God may use an unpleasant instrument to discipline us, but it is in His hand. It is His rod. The Lord used the Chaldeans and He took up the issue to discipline His children, Israel as his rod in his hand. And they went far beyond what the Lord directed them to do. And He's going to take that issue up with them, but it is in His hand. And so if we see that.
If I feel the Lord is being particularly hard on me, there's a verse in Scripture to the forward. I will show myself forward.
That means to the unwilling, I will show myself unwilling. And if I get stubborn and I think, boy, the Lord is being stubborn with me, there's a reason.
But the comfort comes from realizing that what happens, it is thy rod and thy staff that speaks of guidance to guide us along. They maybe keeps us from not, it's not to whack us with the staff, but maybe just to keep us going off and something happens that we want to do and something comes in and limits our our activities. They they're a comfort to us. I'd like to just say I, I failed in my life in this very much, but it still needs to be said.
The most effective discipline is when it's administered and then finished. Take the child up in your arms and love them. Let them know that you're doing it for their good and need and you love them and not repel them. They need to be disciplined, yes, but.
No M246.
Call every.
Storm.
The greatest quiet.
01:10:00
Hours.
We dream.
Psalm 79, verse 13.
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture.
Will give thee thanks forever. We will show forth thy praise to all generations.
Thank you.
Psalm 23, Hebrews 13
Reading
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Lord, we shall see the.
World.
Shall swell.
Where we can share your thoughts of my joy. I have all this and I have to do it well.
He stated that he thought that we could be there for one meeting, and I just wondered if it would be profitable. Our brother Dawn referred to the parallel between the 23rd Psalm and the 13th of Hebrews and then referred to it again in the reading meeting further on. And I just wonder if it would be helpful to turn to the New Testament. I realized we didn't finish the 23rd Psalm, but to look.
At the 13th of Hebrews, I realize there's just two reading meetings and we won't cover it all, but if it would not be profitable to turn to the 13th chapter of Hebrews.
I'll suggest that we read the last two verses of Psalm 23 and the 13th chapter of Hebrews. Then we can sort of complete that and go on without feeling like we were spending a whole reading on it.
Psalm 23.
Thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
Let brotherly love continue.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels.
Unawares remember them that are in bonds as bound with them.
And then would suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body.
Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled. But ************ and adulterers, God will judge.
Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today, and forever be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meat which have not profited them which have been occupied therein. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp.
Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we 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.
00:05:27
But to do good and to communicate forget not, for 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, for we trust we have a good conscience in 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 in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I've written a letter on to 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.
We read these last two verses of the 23rd Psalm, and here we have brought before us first of all, the thought of a table. And perhaps a table would bring before us three things. It would bring before us provision for our needs. It would bring before us fellowship, and it would bring before us authority. This morning I sat down in the home of a brother and sister, and there was a table spread with good things to eat. We had fasted all night. We had in our.
Since yesterday. And so we were hungry.
We needed something to eat, something for our bodies, and there was plenty of provision. And later on in the Psalms, you have the children of Israel brought before us as murmuring and tempting God. And one of the ways they tempted God was, they said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? That's in the 78th Psalm. Well, God did provide for them in the wilderness everything that was needed. And brethren, God provides for us everything that's needed to fill and refresh our souls.
As we pass through this wilderness world. And then when I sat down at that table this morning with others, there was fellowship at that table.
Food or eating, I should say, in Scripture is always a sign of fellowship. And not only did we enjoy the food that the sister had provided, but we enjoyed fellowship together of the things of Christ. We read a portion together, we spoke of the precious things of Christ, some of the things we'd enjoyed in the meetings yesterday.
There was fellowship at that table, but there's also the thought of authority, brethren, which I think we sometimes overlook, especially in the day in which we live, when authority is undermined on every level. And that's why I believe in the New Testament, when it's a question of the Lord's Supper, it's to be eaten at the Lords Table, and the Lord's Table is brought before us in First Corinthians even before the Lord's Supper. Let me illustrate it this way if I sat down at the table this morning.
And acted in a way that was not in keeping with the conduct that the brother whose table it was felt was suitable conduct for his table and for his home. That brother had the authority to ask me to leave the table if I came in a way that was not in keeping with how he felt, felt he had authority. I didn't have authority at the table. It wasn't my table. It was his table. He had the the authority. And so, brethren, we need to keep this in mind.
And in every aspect of our lives, recognize the authority of the lordship of Christ in our lives. You know this, this Psalm began with the expression the Lord. I think that's a good expression for us to consider. I say authorities undermined on every level today. But there is one who has authority over our lives. And then when we come to the Lord's table, remember, it's not our table. We don't invite there. I had no authority to invite anybody to our brother's table this morning.
He had the authority to invite, and so it's the Lord's Table and His authority is to be honored and maintained at all times.
00:10:02
Was glad that Brother Dawn suggested we read these verses and there's an unmistakable connection between them and what we're going to see in Hebrews 13. But as you speak of authority, a man I worked with once said, he said, you know, he said I'm a Catholic. He said fundamentalists go by the Bible. He said, we don't go by the Bible, we go by what the Pope says, he said, But fundamentalists say they go by the Bible and they do whatever they want.
And I was a very searching thing for.
To realize that we are at the Lord's table where the Lord has authority. And so often the word of God has authority. And it is what is characteristic of the Lord's table is it is the word of God that decides matters, not us. It's not a place of if you go to a human society, whether it's the Qantas Club or the Odd Fellows Lodge or whatever it is, it's the consensus of men that decide things. But at the Lord's table it is the word of God.
That decides things. And so that is what we have, and it's a place we see. It's connected with blessing. In this Psalm. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Do we see this, that there's blessing as a result of being in a place where the Lord has authority? But we're reminded too, that that table is spread in the presence of our enemies. And David, as we know, was haunted not just by the Philistines, not just by the Amalekites, but by Saul, one of the House of Israel. He was haunted and chased.
And he was rejected. And we have to remind ourselves that we're at the Lord's table and we're living in a world where the Lord and the Lord's authority is rejected. The assembly is a pillar and ground of the truth. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. We have no quarrel with men in this world, but there's powers of darkness that are work at this world. And we're at a place where the Lord's authority and the word of God is maintained. And the world hates it. It despises it. It despises that one would simply.
Bow to the authority of God's Word.
Said, well, I don't do this because I want my kids to get good grades in school. They'd say, well that's good. But if you said I do this because I belong to the Lord, they'll despise you for it. And we're in this table is spread in the presence of enemies.
Jim, you mentioned that.
This Psalm begins with two words, the Lord. I find it striking that right in the very center of God's word we have those two words, The Lord. I believe that.
Psalm 118 verse eight is the center verse of the Bible where it says it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in.
Man and that verse has 13 words in it and so the middle 2 words of the verse are the Lord.
So I believe that God would have us to recognize that He is the Lord. And I find that often today references made to God leading one to do this or God doing this or that, and I never hear reference to the Lord.
His leading, His guides, Well, you know when we speak of the Lord, that really puts us in relationship with God as one to whom we are to be subject.
And.
It's not popular in the world, of course, to be subject.
To God or to the Lord? But I do believe as Christians, it's joy. It's liberty.
To be subject to him.
It's good, too, to see that it's a very personal thing.
Thou preparest before he was speaking about, as we've already said, and then in the previous verse, it becomes more individual and personal between them. And so for us today as well, it's it's an important thing to recognize the absolute authority of the Lord with us collectively as well as individually. But here thou preparest who invites me.
The Lord. Who do I sit down with? First and foremost, the Lord.
Who do I recognize as having authority? The Lord. And it's important for us not to connect it so much with other people or other souls, even souls with whom we are sitting at the same table with. But the important thing for us in our own souls is Thou preparest. He has prepared it. How could we sit down as we expect to do at the table of the Lord tomorrow?
00:15:11
If there couldn't be a loaf and a cup on the table, in one sense, who provides that loaf and cup and what it represents? He does. And then he says to us, as it were, I invite you, I desire of you.
And that invitation is a personal and individual one to each one of us. I have prepared this table. I have provided what's on it. And now I ask you with desire in my heart.
Sit down with me and let us partake together.
And I think it's beautiful that he's there himself because I have been invited to tables for a meal. And when it came right down to it, the person who invited me didn't sit down with me to enjoy the meal. There may have been others that I enjoyed fellowship with, but the person who invited me wasn't present. And so I enjoyed what he provided at his table, but I didn't enjoy fellowship with the with my with the one who was who had invited me. And so, brethren, isn't it wonderful?
You find that the disciples said to the Lord Jesus in John 20 or in Luke 22.
They said where wilt thou that we prepare, but when they followed his instruction.
And came to the place and everything was furnished and provided. Then it says he sat down and the 12 apostles with him. It wasn't just the 12 apostles keeping the Passover in the place where he had appointed them to keep it, but it what was, what was it that made the place in the table? It was the fact that the Lord sat down with them. And brethren, we enjoy fellowship one with another at the Lord's table. But I believe what's really going to preserve us at the Lord's table is to realize that he is there. Not only has he invited us, as our brother Don says, but he has promised to be there at his table.
And I believe that often why we drift away from the Lord's Table is because we have lost sight of the one who is there.
We get our eyes on dear brethren. Thank God they are dear brethren. But the psalmist said on another occasion, I've seen an end of all perfection. Brethren, if we're looking around the table at others, we're going to see an end of all perfection. You say, well, that brother let me down, but I don't think that brother or sister, they'll ever let me down. Oh, be careful. You'll see an end of all perfection. But if you're occupied with the one who has not only invited you there, but is there himself, then you'll never see an end of all perfection in him. Maybe you'll allow me to repeat a little story that touched my heart and this connection.
At an assembly many, many miles from here, some time ago, there was a sister who was very discouraged because of some of the things that she saw in her brethren in that assembly. And she had declared on a particular occasion that she was not going to come to the Lord's table to remember the Lord the next Lord's day, because of these difficulties that had come in. And on Saturday evening. And the brother who did this told me this himself.
On the Saturday evening, this brother felt exercised to call this sister. No, she wasn't going to be there the next morning. But he said, sister, I just want to give you one verse. He hath done nothing amiss. And this brother told me himself, he said, the next morning we sat down and 5:00 to 11:00 came and this sister wasn't there. One minute to 11. He thought, well, she's not going to come. 11:00 the door opened. The sister walked in and sat down.
Occupied with the one who had done nothing amiss, she was there till the day of her death, and I had the privilege of taking her funeral. But I just say, brethren, that if we are occupied with him, it's the Lord's Table, it's the Lord's Supper. He's provided, He's invited, and He's there, and that's what's going to preserve us.
Rightly from John's ministry yesterday, in his lawlessness, King James said sin is also the transgression of the law. It's much more than that. It's lawlessness. But John makes another helpful statement. He says he that doeth evil hath not seen God and that really that personal relationship between the soul and the Lord. And I've heard the Lord holding faith in a good conscience, that is believing what God says and then having a good conscience in connection with it is what is going to preserve us in the pathway.
And it is a happy pathway. He anointed my head with oil. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. And so.
Blessed and a happy thing it is to be in the presence of the Lord.
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You know, a man came, I hadn't seen him in 30 years. He called me up from France and he said he'd like to come and visit me. He was maybe about the same difference in age between Chuck and I. And when you're 20 years old, it's much greater than it is now. And he came and he said, well, we're going up to Hammer Bay to a conference. You're welcome to come and see us and come with us to the conference and just be. I received him as a stranger and he came and he stood back and he said, you know, Neil, he said, I've never seen anything so nice in all my life. He said, I see the children together, the older ones together, all everyone together.
Said, I've never seen anything so nice. And a little while later I introduced him to somebody and he had known somebody who left the Lords Table. And the brother of that one who left the Lords Table was there. And I said, you know this man, he knows your brother. And he said, oh, your brother has never been to this place. He told me the awful place he grew up. And it's sad. People leave the Lord's Table in bitterness because of the relationship with the Lord. But it is a happy thing to be at the Lord's Table and to be where the Lord has authority.
But it is required that there is that personal relationship, as our brother pointed out, personal and individual relationship. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat. And so if there are those hindrances in my life or in yours that hinder us from enjoying the Lord's presence, then we need to deal with them before we get to the Lord's Table.
Might be just helpful to make a comment or two in connection with the expression. Thou anointest my head with oil because oil almost invariably in Scripture speaks to us of the Holy Spirit. The 10 parable of the 10 virgins, there were five who had oil in their lamp and five who didn't and so on. And we find if you trace through Scripture, and we won't take time, but you'll find various of parts of the body anointed with oil at various times.
In connection with different things like the consecration of the priest and so on. But here it's the head that's anointed with oil and I'd like to just make a practical comment or two in this connection relevant I think to the day in which we find ourselves because those of us who are raising children and young people realize that there's a there are two great dangers in the education system today First is to cram the mind with all kinds of corruption and things that.
Are contrary to the word of God. And secondly, and equally or even more dangerous, there is this thought of emptying the mind. And I believe that the the reason he says thou anointest my head with oil is because it would correspond with what we have in the New Testament, where it speaks of bringing every thought into subjection unto the obedience of Christ. It's having our minds full of Christ, so that we're governed by the Spirit of God.
In our thought process, not as I say, not only is it bad to have the mind crammed full of all kinds of corruption and things that are contrary to the Word of God and to His authority, but I want to say a word of caution to those of us who are parents. If your children are young people come home from school and tell you that they've had to sit in a circle or at their desks and empty their minds. Parents, I plead with you to.
Take up the matter because it's very dangerous. We're never to empty our minds. If we empty our minds, there's plenty for the enemy to cut, bring in to fill that vacuum. No, we're to fill up our minds with with the word of God, with the person of Christ. And so that's why it's important as parents to have the word of God in the home. Often said, I never went out to school. I never went out into the world as a child or young person without the word of God ringing in my ears. Not that I always appreciated it. Not that I always paid attention or took it in at the time, but I'm thankful that I look back.
To a father who was exercised to give us something of Christ before we left the home. He knew that we were going to be vulnerable and that the enemy was going to attack. And so let's seek to have our heads anointed with oil. Thou anointest my head with oil. Let's have our minds so full of the word of God that then the Spirit of God can take that and use it to guide us and direct us in every step of our pathway during the day.
The verse that you were referring to, Jim, it's in 2nd Corinthians 10.
Verse 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations or reasonings, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God.
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And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Tremendous versus that you are referring to. And how important it is that our mind is not cleared so that it's an empty nothing, but filled with Christ and Christ's thoughts by the Spirit of God. It's the Spirit who is our teacher, is he not?
Now anointed our head with oil and then comes what we had in the address yesterday. My cup runneth over. The joy is full, isn't it?
Verse comes Romans chapter 15.
And verse 13.
In connection with the.
Work of the Holy Spirit it says here, now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope. How? Through the power of the Holy Ghost. So is it not the Holy Spirit God within us?
That makes good to our hearts the wonderful promises, the exceeding great and precious promises of God's Word, and I do believe that.
The world is looking at you and I to see.
If Christianity is making us happy, and I do believe it shows in our faces.
And if there isn't that joy in our faces?
I believe the world would say.
If you.
Make much of Christ. You preach Christ, but I don't see any happiness in your expression. Well, I think it's very important that we do manifest that joy in our faces.
And I believe in another Psalm. Well, it's over in Psalm.
40.
2IN Psalm 42.
And verse.
5.
Psalm 42 and five. Why art thou cast down all my soul?
Why art thou disquieted in me, hoped out in God? For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Now that's his face that's referred to here. But then when we come to the end of the Psalm, it says, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Verse 11. Why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for yet I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance.
And my God.
So where there is that hope in God, it will show in a healthy countenance. That is repeated in Psalm 43 in verse 5.
Again.
But I do believe it's by the power of the Holy Spirit that the loveliness of Christ is made good to our hearts, and we can rejoice in Him and it will show in our countenances. And there's just one more verse.
That comes to mind. Don't need to turn to it, but it's in Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment.
Let thy head Latin appointment.
Japan is desperately seeking for happiness. I doubt that there's a person in this world who is not looking to be happy and seeking goodness for themselves. They're looking after it. But what a different order there is in this song. It says that these things are going to follow you. You don't have to chase after them. They're going to follow you. And so that is really if you're following the Lord, these things are going to follow right behind. But man is trying to seek these things. He's got things backwards.
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He's looking for happiness, He's looking for peace. He's looking for mercy, good health, That's mercy. He's looking for all of these things and desperately in one way or another. And yet what we find is if we follow the Lord as our shepherd, that these things are going to follow us. I'd like to say just another word.
About the cup, before we pass on, and I might just say in connection with what Wally said, that the entrance of these things is through the mind to keep them. There isn't enough. They need to get down into our hearts and souls. But just as a little addendum to what we've said in Colossians chapter 3, it says set your, it really ought to read your mind on things above the King James says the affections, and certainly our affections need to be there too, But it begins with the mind, what we take in in our mind. And so we need to take these things in if there's going to be joy in our souls and our cup run over.
The entrance of the truth is through the mind. Read your Bible, take in these things. Thank God for a sound mind and the ability.
To take in these things. Well, I just want to say a word about the cup. The cup is there's different cups brought before us in Scripture and justice as a little challenge. I would suggest you go through some time and note these cups. They're a nice meditation. In 116th Psalm, David's or the Psalmist speaks of the cup of salvation and I will take the cup of salvation. God is offering us something. Someone offers me a cup of tea or coffee. It smells so good. It looks so good. I reach out and I take it.
They don't just take it, I drink it. And we trust everyone here has taken the cup of salvation. But what I want to for a moment do is contrast this cup with the cup we have in the New Testament that the Lord Jesus drank. Because here it tells us that our cup runs over. And certainly as we've sat in these meetings and enjoyed the precious things of Christ, if our souls have been opened to take these things in, don't we have to admit, brethren, our cup has run over.
It's a joy to be able to go over these precious things of Christ, but think of the cup of judgment.
In contrast to the cup of joy, the Lord Jesus in anticipation of what he was going to drink at the hand of God.
Said the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? And brethren, the cup of judgment for the Lord Jesus did not run over. It was full and full to the very brim, but there was nothing lost. If you, our children, spill something or we spill something out of the cup, there's something lost. Something of what's in it is lost, and it has to be wiped up with a towel. But as that cup of judgment, the cup of God's wrath, was pressed to the lips.
The holy Lord Jesus there in those hours of darkness, not one drop spilled over. We sometimes sing that precious hymn on Lord's Day morning, but thou hast drained the last dark drop. He drank that cup to its deepest rag. Every drop of it was drunk. And now as a result, brethren, as a result of the Lord Jesus drinking every drop of that judgment, He says, it says here, my cup runneth over. But a contrast. It ought to rejoice our hearts. We ought to thank Him every day.
That he drank the cup of judgment. Nothing spilled over, nothing was lost of it. And now we can drink every day and say my cup runneth over.
Personal.
The ends verse two, it says he leadeth me beside the still waters, and that's the common provision for the flock. But there comes a time when the shepherd may see a special need and he will take his own cup, the cup that he carries, and personally fill it for the sheep he has in mind, bring it to the lips of the sheep, and the sheep has his own.
Special provision of still waters and the Lord does that for us, and it's nice to enjoy what He has not only in common for us all, but what He has for us individually.
Like to add thought by just for a moment, turning back to First Samuel 16.
First Samuel 16.
We have Saul, who has been disobedient to the instructions given by the prophet Samuel, and the Lord has pronounced that the Kingdom is to be taken from Saul. And so the Lord is now going to choose a successor to Saul, and Samuel is instructed to go to the House of Jesse, and the older sons of the house are brought before.
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Samuel and he finally has to ask the question, are there any more sons?
And Jesse says, Well yes, I have the youngest one. So in verse 11. And Samuel said unto Jesse, are hear all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest. And behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hit her. And he sent and brought him in, and he was ready, and with all of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look on.
To look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him, Thou anointest my head with oil in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Rama. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
Not to develop the thought we want to get on to Hebrews 13, but just for your own enjoyment and meditation. It is well to look at this Psalm as John has just mentioned, it's very personal and I believe some of the things that we read about in the Psalms. You can go this Psalm, you can go back into the life of David and see where perhaps he was referring to when he was making a statement in this Psalm, just as here it says thou anointest my head with oil and.
By just using the illustration from first Samuel 17 and from that day forward for the rest of David's life. It was an important thing personally, as John just said, a very personal thing to David to say, well, I know the path I'm on is the path that Jehovah has chosen. My Lord my Shepherd has chosen for me, and he is going to sustain me in this path. And if you subsequently follow his life.
There were tremendous tests in the life of David when he's in The Cave of Adalam, when Saul seeks to kill him, his enemy. At that point, although David doesn't say a thing against his enemy, he said, is this not the Lords anointed as it were? When David fails in his own life through sin, he's worried that the spirit, the anointing if you will, might be taken from him. He didn't have as we have, and for us the Psalm can go far beyond what David could experience.
Because we recognize that the Spirit of God will go with us, promised all the way through the journey of life. And there were times in David's life when you might have looked at it and said, is there any goodness? Is there any mercy to be seen in this life at this point where David was sitting? And yet David the psalmist says, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Can we not, brethren, as we sit here this morning, we don't know how many more hours or minutes or days of our lives are before us.
But can we not, like David, take that same enjoyment in our souls and say, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and where is it going to end?
Well, it goes beyond what David was looking for here in the Psalm, but for us we can say it ends in the House of the Lord forever, the presence of God where our Lord Jesus presently is.
That's the end of the journey for us. What a hope, but what an assurance we have and can echo in our own souls the words of David. We know it at the Father's house, don't we? The Lord Jesus revealed that to his own before he returned to the Father in John 14. But it's interesting, this expression, the House of the Lord in connection with the Psalms of David, because it's not the House of the Lord in the Old Testament the way we usually think of the House of the Lord.
Because when we say use the expression the House of the Lord in the Old Testament, we usually think of the temple that was built later on it, but it wasn't built in David's day. The House of the Lord as to the temple was not built until Solomon came to the throne and God used Solomon to build it. David was used to begin the gathering together of the commodities for it. But the House of the Lord when David uses it, I think is a very instructive expression.
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And I would suggest that what it denotes to us is a sense of the Lord's presence. And as you read the life of David, and as you read through the Psalms of David, you find that what David coveted and desired above all else was a sense of the Lord's presence with him. When he sinned in connection with Bathsheba, it was a grievous moral sin. But David, when it was brought before him by the prophet and his conscience was pricked, what did he do?
He immediately got into the presence of the Lord and confessed it. That communion, the joy of God's salvation was broken. The communion was broken, the sense of the Lords presence. And he immediately gets into the presence of the Lord and confesses it. And it's interesting that in the 27th Psalm, in fact just turned back to it because it goes along with our expression in the end of the Psalm we're considering.
Psalm 27 and verse four. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after. Now notice this, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Now notice the difference here in the Psalm. We're considering its yet future. I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. But David had an exercise in the meantime.
That he might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of his life. What is he saying?
Well, he's really saying what I want is not to have to wait for a future day to enjoy the Lord's presence. I want to dwell in the House of the Lord every day of my life. I want to walk in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence with me. And brethren, is that our desire? One thing have I desired. This was focused. We might say young people are taught to focus, but this is focused. One thing have I desired.
But he doesn't stop there. That will I seek after because it takes energy of faith. The slugger desireth and hath nothing. Sometimes I hear it say of a young person. That young person has a nice desire. I'm thankful when I hear about a young person who has a nice desire. But desire in itself isn't enough.
We might sit here all day and desire something when the meal is announced at the end of this meeting. We might sit here till 2:00 and desire to have a nice meal. But we've got to get up and do something about it. We've got to go and seek after it. There's directions given to the dining room. And brethren, if we're going to enjoy the presence of the Lord all the days of our lives, it's going to take desire, and it's going to take purpose of heart and energy of faith. And so let's desire to dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of our life.
And then rejoice that unhindered, we're going to enjoy his company in the Father's house. David refers to it as the House of the Lord. We know it in a far, far more intimate way than David did. We know it as our Father's house.
That is really what restoration is when there is failure is to be really brought into the conscious sense of communion with God. You often wonder why souls are not restored after they fall into sin. Saul, when he sinned, he said I've sinned, now honor me before the people. And Absalomy was brought back to Jerusalem, but he had not seen the King's face. And really what David, what you're speaking about here is really a relationship between David and the Lord.
And that is what needs to be restored. And as with solar, as with Absalom or as with us, if there's restoration to man before there's really restoration to the Lord, then we'll never enjoy the Lorde presence and as with Absalom, will cause problems.
If there is not that first of all, it is first of all a relationship between the soul and the Lord. And we are in the Father's, we are in the in the House of God now.
We see that in Timothy, how we ought to behave ourselves in the House of God and it's going to go on right on for eternity because it says the Father, we says we sing into him the Father's house. Can we we call the Father's house our home. What a wonderful thing to think of is that God's home on high in my father's house are many mansions. That kind of obscures the idea. You sort of see a street with a lot of mansions on it. And we say, well, this one's gyms and this one's brother Dave Jennings and.
Not that way at all. There are many old bodes in the House of God. There's a place for each one of us, and he has suited us for that place. He's given us a son's place in that house. Not a servant's place, but a son's place. And we're going to dwell there and enjoy the Father's love. But we are in the House of God now, and so we're learning the manners and behaviors of God's house, the Father's house. You know, if you picked any one of us up and took us and put us in Buckingham Palace, I doubt few of us have the manners to fit in there.
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And yet we are now in the House of God, learning the manners and behavior and enjoying what it is to be in the House of God, though yet it is a future thing, as it was with David.
That is beautiful the way this Psalm ends and justice turn over. I could quote it, but let's turn over to 1St Thessalonians and justice develop.
This just for a moment, because it's more than just being in the House of the Lord or the Father's house forever. I want to notice a little expression.
At the in, he's talking in First Thessalonians 4 of course, about the Lord's coming, explaining very carefully how it's going to take place, and so on. Just notice verse 17 of First Thessalonians 4. Then we which are, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And now this is the expression I want you to notice.
And so shall we ever be in the House of the Lord, in the Father's house? No, that's true. We will be, but it's forever with the Lord. Isn't that beautiful, brethren? We're not just going to dwell in the House of the Lord forever, but we're going to dwell with him forever. It's a person to whom we're going. It's a person to whom we're gathered now. It's a person that we have a personal relationship with now, and it's a person that is going to make the Father's house.
As God's children, we're going to be home, perfectly comfortable and suited to that sphere has been brought before us.
And it's the person of the one of Christ, the one in the midst, who is going to make that place. So we're going to be ever with the Lord. When He's there, we're with Him when He comes back to reign over the earth. We're with Him, wherever with the Lord. We will never leave His presence again. We will be physically and consciously in His presence forever and ever and ever. Brethren, if that doesn't gladden our heart and quicken our footsteps down here, I don't know what will.
What that should do with each of us is to cause us to judge everything now.
That is not consistent with his presence now with us.
So perhaps that one of the first of those things is let brotherly love continue.
Hebrews 13 verse one. I just want to point out something about this lovely vert word let, LET. And I noticed something. I used to have a friend at work who worked for me and he would quote the one of the modern translations of the Bible and and it kind of got me puzzled. So I actually went out and bought one and I noticed very frequently, nearly in half the cases, if you use one of these computer concordances, they change the word let to should.
And it really says something because let we understand if we put candy on the table and our brother.
Said, you know, there's candy on the table there. Let the children have some after the meeting. Why they would run and get it because they have a nature that desires to have it. And what if he stood up and he said, you know, there's some things on that table there that the children should take and they should eat them. They might look at them and say, well, what is this, alfalfa pills or something?
What is this? And you know, we have a nature, we have a divine nature and we're going to let that we're to let brotherly love continue. It's not just a legal effort, but it is something that we are to let happen. If I had a helium balloon in my hand and I said, you know, this helium balloon should go to the ceiling, a young child would say we'll let it go. And if you let it go, it would rise. And that's really this lovely expression is we have the mind of Christ. It needs the instruction of God's words that there might be intelligence connection with it.
But I think it's very nice, and especially when we live in stressful times. You see that in John's third epistle where there was difficulty there with geographies, is that I've been at several readings and right away they seem to jump right to that verse, right from the first verse, and get talking about that. But you see how Gaius was going on. He was receiving the brethren. He was, He was.
They were going on their way and strangers so that they would take nothing of the Gentiles and so on. He was going on in a happy way.
Showing love difficulties tend to constrict our hearts.
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And we tend to shy away from things, and we need, especially in difficult dark days, to let brotherly love continue.
Just say this about Hebrews and it's quite remarkable what we're going to have. What we have in this chapter is that as we know in Hebrews there is no apostle mentioned. There's plenty of evidence that the apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, but the reason that no apostle is given at the beginning of Hebrews is because Jesus is the apostle in Hebrews. He's the leader. He's the author originator of faith, and he's the author and finisher of He's the captain of our salvation. He is the leader.
But we see in a practical way in this chapter how he leads us.
And how he guides this along. And so we have something far better than they ever had in Judaism. Man wants to go back to Judaism. We see the Judaizing of Christianity, but we see in a practical way how we can let this go on in in the very end days.
Well, Gaius, though he was in very difficult circumstances, in John's third epistle, he practiced what this second verse said. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers. He was going on in the midst of very difficult and trying circumstances. Geographies love the preeminence, and he wanted to push out anybody out of the assembly that was going to stand for the apostles doctrine. He receiveth not us the what the geographies wanted to get rid of was the apostles doctrine.
Because that was a hindrance to him taking a place in the assembly, that it did not belong to him. And so you'll see that I once asked a man, I said, would the Apostle Paul be free to preach in your church? And he kind of looked at me and he, he was, he said, you know, he said, no. He said if the Apostle Paul came and preached in our church, it would bust it up. And so we see here that there's a going on. Our brethren here in Saint Louis have invited us. Kirkwood have invited us here.
In a very kind way they've entertained us and gone to great effort, and it's a wonderful thing to go on in this way in the days of difficulty and justice, to let brotherly love continue. People start to give up and stay home. And as you were saying about this sister and castle conferences and so on, when there's difficulty, when the city was under siege, they were not to cut down the trees that are for me. There may be many things. Maybe you go and play hockey with your friends and you have to cut that out because there's difficulties.
But there's one thing you're not to cut down when the city is under siege, and that's trees that are for me.
And yet the human heart is such that when some difficulty arises, someone offends us, something is set against us. Or even when we're just discouraged because we're away from the Lord, the natural reaction is to separate ourselves from our brethren. Say, well, and I've visited people who haven't been coming to the meetings, and you say, why haven't you been at the meetings? I'm discouraged. That's the very time you need your brethren. It's interesting with Moses.
At a time when they all spoke against him, even the elders of Israel spoke against him, and Moses got into the presence of the Lord and cried to the Lord. What is it? What did the Lord tell him to do? Go on before the people and take with you the elders of Israel, the very ones that spoke against him who had got him discouraged. Moses might have said, well, I'm going to follow the Lord, but I'm not going to go along with these people. No, go on before the people. And so we need our brethren, we need the Lord, of course.
We've been saying in these meetings, but we need one another, brethren and brethren, we need to, in letting brotherly love continue, we need to seek to be encouragers because at this moment our life and our our speech is doing one of two things. It's either discouraging the hearts of our brethren, like those 10 spies, and I think that's a solemn comment made about them. They discourage the hearts of their brethren, or we're encouraging the hearts of our brethren. I don't mean that we ever.
Sweeps in under the carpet. I don't mean that we ever compromise the truth to go on in fellowship together.
That's not what I'm Speaking of. But brethren, there's so much to discourage our hearts today. We don't have to look for things to discourage today. There's plenty to discourage in the world, sometimes in our family life, sometimes, yes, in the local assembly and so on. But brethren, what we need to do is to look for those things that encourage and then to share those things. As an encourager, I love what it says about David. Ziklag was burned with fire. Seemed like they were going to lose their families and all. David encouraged himself in the Lord. That was the first thing.
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But then as a result, what did he do? Well, he went down and encouraged the men that were with him, and there was a great victory in Israel.
That restores our soul.
Where do we go when we're in a bad state, when maybe we've sinned and need to judge that? The mistake we often make is we stay away from the very place that will restore our soul and the very person that will do it because we don't feel we're fit for him. He made us fit and he restores our soul. David Livingston was asked in England.
To tell about the greatest experience that he ever had in Africa, some experience with some great lion or something like that. And he just said he restoreth my soul. That was the greatest experience you can get. And if you're in a bad state of soul, if you've been going on with something that is not pleasing to the Lord, you might say, well I can't, I can't come to meeting. I'm not fit there. I'll defile the place. You just come just as you are.
And there's a settling, calming, restoring atmosphere in that place. That's where you get your soul restored. That's where you'll get your soul fed. That's where you'll be enabled to judge completely that which needs to be judged. When you're in His presence, not out of His presence. He wants you in His presence. He said to the disciples. What was it that you were talking about on the way?
They were talking about we should be the greatest, and then they were. When they were talking that way, they evidently weren't right where the Lord was. But then, then he asked them what they were talking about, because they were often by themselves. And when we get off and away by ourselves, we often times consult with one another, maybe the difficulties that have recently come in and plagued us and get on the phone and we talk about these things where we really ought to go.
Is to the Lord and we ought to be in the place where he has said there am I in the midst of them. And when we do that we'll find a a settling atmosphere and will enable by the Spirit of God, who indwells each one of us and is there in the in in the assembly who has formed it will be able to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, and we'll be in the right state of soul ourselves.
I know young people, I know what you're subjected to in this world. I know the the tendency of the world and and it you just can't get away from its influence, it seems. But when you're in the meeting and sitting there around the Lord with the word as we are right now, this is this is a very refreshing place to be and it's a place where.
Your soul can be restored if it needs to be.
Right now, because he is here. He is here and He's the one that restores our soul, isn't he?
This story accurately, but was a brother who hadn't been out to the meetings for some time and so another brother in the capacity of a shepherd, and we need those shepherds we were Speaking of. He went to see this brother 1 evening and they sat down by the fireplace and there was a fire in the fireplace.
And this brother who went to shepherd and seek to encourage, this one who was discouraged, he said to this brother, we haven't seen you at the meetings for some time. The brother hung his head and he said, well, I'm so discouraged. I'm just so discouraged. I can't come out. Well, the brother, the two brothers, they sat there for some time in silent contemplation. And as they were sitting there, the fire in the fireplace was dying out. And the brother who had come to encourage, he noticed that there was.
Piece of wood in one corner of the fireplace and it was dying out. Was a coal over here and it was dying out as well, and another one over here and over here.
And so after they had sat there for some time watching the dying fire, the brother who had come, he got up and he took the utensil that you used, the poker or whatever, to stir the fire. And he carefully brought those pieces of wood and coals back together, brought them back together in a nice little pile. And as he sat down again, it flamed up and they were warmed by the fire, and there was nothing else had to pass between those brothers.
01:00:02
Because through that illustration, the brother who was discouraged and who had been absenting himself from the Lord's presence and from his brethren, he realized that he needed to be there, that if he was going to be encouraged and warmed up, he needed his brethren. And so, brethren, we need one another. Like to just, if you'll bear with me, turn to a little incident in the Acts that I think helps to bear out what we're saying in Acts 28. I just want to make a little application here.
Acts chapter 28 and verse one, this is Paul. After they've got got to land, there's the shipwreck in the previous chapter and when verse one and when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
And the barbarian people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled the fire and received us everyone because of the present rain and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a Viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the Barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath escaped the sea, yet this venomous.
This vengeance suffereth not to live.
And he shook the beast off into the fire and felt no harm. But what I want to simply point out in application is that here was Paul and those who had been traveling with him. They'd been in the cold sea. They'd been washed up on the shore. Everyone had been saved. And it says that these people here kindle the fire because of the present rain and the cold. Now I realized this was a physical drizzle, and the thermometer had dropped.
Considerably. But I want to apply this in a spiritual sense because, brethren, don't we have to admit that these are times of present rain and spiritual coldness? We have to admit it, if we're honest. But here was this fire to warm them. And what I want to point out is the apostle Paul here might have said, well, you know, I've been through a lot and I'm just going to let somebody, I'm just going to sit back and let somebody else kindle this, keep this fire going. It's time somebody waited on me a little bit.
Haven't you heard that? Well, there's no love in our assembly. Nobody shows me any love. What's the point of me going to the assembly? Well, Paul might have sat back and waited for somebody to serve him. No, Paul, who no doubt was cold and wet and tired himself, he gets up and he goes out and he gathers a stick. He puts it on the fire, he gathers a stick and he keeps the fire going. And not only was he warmed by the fire, but his, those who were with him for our purposes, his brethren, those that were with him.
And brethren, let brotherly love continue. Let's seek to put a little stick on the fire. There is cold and rain, spiritually speaking, but we can each one put a little stick on the fire. And if nobody shows you love and your home assembly, you show show some love. Love begets love. Don't stay away because you think nobody loves you or shows that love. No, go out and gather a few sticks and keep the fire going yourself.
I'll experience everything in life, but there are those that are in bonds, there are those that suffer for the name of Christ and perhaps not in literal jail, but you see those we all want to be popular. It's nature of man if you want to be accepted and to be popular. But a great antidote for that is to identify yourself with those that aren't.
The great antidote to wanting to get on in the world and to be popular is to identify yourself. You see a young person at a conference that's maybe a little left out, maybe some Christian at school that's a little left out and disregarded, maybe regarded as a little odd, is to remember that.
You know, the great antidote. Our brother was saying this yesterday. We live in great days of prosperity. Those of us. We earn our living a lot easier than our parents did. You know, many of our parents didn't have cars and when they first got married and started out. And now the problem is you have to shuffle the cars in the driveway so they're in the right order to get off to work and school in the morning. And it enfeebles the Saints. We can go places. And so we miss meetings because we're off places and there's great prosperity.
But the antidote to that is to identifying yourself with those that are in adversity and being helpful and using our resources, not simply to take ourselves a better vacation or do something better. If the Lords given you 4 ox carts or 8 ox carts, then the Lord gave you those for a reason because there are those that are passing through adversity.
01:05:03
And if we just simply use the abundance of what God has given us for ourselves, then it is going to be to our own spiritual peril. And so that while we may not know adversity ourselves, there are those that do, and so God would have us to remember them. We tend to be forgetful and thoughtless about things. And it's a good thing even from a very young age that the children learn to be thoughtful towards those that are older in the meeting and to be helpful.
And to find things that they can do.
And so I just say that because we are members of the same body. I stubbed my toe the other day and you can't believe how it hinders the whole body when you have a little thing like that. And so we, we are members one of another.
But you know, there's a difference between weakness and wickedness and it's interesting. Brother Piropado once said in a meeting, he said it's wickedness, it's wickedness. And a brother said to him, is that weakness or wickedness? There's a difference and he said wickedness. I don't think they ever knew, but the brother went on to explain something in the 69th Psalm. I think it's the 8th or 9th versus quoted two times in the New Testament. One time the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, was used for the Lord. They remembered that part when the Lord went in and overturned the money changers tables.
It caused him to purge the House of God from wickedness. But the other part of the verse is quoted in Romans. Ye then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities or the weaknesses of youth, and that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of those that are weak, even as Christ pleased, not Himself, even as written. The reproaches of them that reproach thee are falling upon me. The same verse. One called for the purging of the House of God of evil, and the other called for just bearing with weakness.
And there's a difference. And so we see this, we see he's taken up weakness here in the third verse, those that are in bonds and in suffering adversity. And now he goes on to speak about marriage and what a relevant subject is. His marriage is honorable that undefiled. But ************ and adulterers, God will judge. The word of God has already decided what should be done with this sort of thing. The assembly does not decide what to do with ************ and adulterers.
We often hear about, was that an assembly decision? The word of God has already decided what is to be done and it is for the assembly to act. I don't want to draw an assembly actions into this. We need to be clearest to this because we're living in a world where the very thing marriage people say, well, marriage is only a piece of paper. That is exactly what it is. It's a public declaration that you want to take in another to the exclusion of all others. And there's a second part to it and the bed undefiled.
But there's that two components to it. And when one in a public way takes another, it's an honorable thing. And we're living in a world, dear young people, where it is become so commonplace that that ones not bothered to get married. And those of us who are older, it was something that you divorced and living common law was something that movie stars and you heard happen far away. It was not a common thing. And now it's just become the common.
Regular, normal thing. And we need to realize that marriage is an honorable thing and having children. The world despises having children. But Adam, after he had fallen and the curse had been pronounced on Adam, he looked at Missus Adam because God called their name Adam. And it was Adam that looked at his wife and he said this is Eve, the mother of all the living. And it's a wonderful occupation for a young lady to get married and to bear children in this world. The world despises that.
But it is an honorable thing and it is an honorable occupation. A sister in our assembly was a top notch student and graduation came and this one was going to go off here and that one was going to go off there and they had to list what they were doing and she was getting married and they said and Lindsay she's and they wouldn't say, they would not utter the words because to them it was not an honorable thing for young woman to do.
Paul said I would that the young women marry. I realize he's speaking particularly.
Widows there, but it is an honorable thing. And don't ever let this thought of the world creep in that marriage is something that is to be lightly regarded as an honorable thing.
The Lord said it is not good for the man to be alone.
So he's the one that is honored and He's the one that's established it. That's God's order, and anything that deviates from that is wickedness.
01:10:11
Just as a warning to all of us, but perhaps particularly to those who are younger, because today the line of demarcation and right and wrong has not only been blurred but absolutely removed. We live not just in an immoral society, but we live in an amoral society.
What do I mean by that? Everything goes. It doesn't matter. And I don't think those of us who are a little older realize how much it's ingrained in our young people when they go out into the world to follow their lusts and appetites. And no one's to put restraint on them and tell them they can't do this or that. But I want to read a portion in Proverbs 6IN Connection with moral evil because it's a very, very serious thing. I'll make a comment after I read another comment after I read it, but just let's read in Proverbs 6.
Verse 32 But whoso committeth adultery with the woman locketh understanding. He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. Now notice this, A wound and dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. I think this is one of the most solemn verses in connection with moral evil in the Word of God. And that is that moral evil is the one sin that leaves a mark on a person for the rest of their life. When David sinned, as we said earlier, it was a moral sin.
He was happily restored to the Lord in his own soul and used of the Lord after that, but a sword never departed from his house forever. There was a consequence that was not taken away as a result of that sin. And young people, the word of God says keep thyself pure and I can't stress it enough in the day in which we live. If you fall into moral evil, it is something that is going to leave a wound, a wound and dishonor and a wound is something that doesn't heal. A scar is something that the wound is healed over, but a wound and dishonor.
Get, and I don't want to belabor this, but we can't bring this out forcefully enough. Oh, I beseech you, keep yourself pure. God has someone for you or for most of us anyway. I know there are those who are eunuchs for the Kingdom of God's sake and so on, but generally speaking, God has someone for you. Keep yourself. You know, it's interesting of Isaac, who is one of the most beautiful pictures of the Lord in the Old Testament, and Isaac and Rebecca, one of the most beautiful pictures of Christ in the church in the Old Testament.
As far as we know, we never read of Isaac taking another wife. Isn't that beautiful?
There are things that I can do that I cannot undo, a man can do. If you murder somebody once, you're a murderer.
You can't undo that. If somebody steals something off of somebody as serious that is, and I don't want to belittle Lack, they can repay it.
If somebody rails on somebody, and that is a very serious thing to speak abusively to a brother, you can go and apologize for it and take the words back. But if you commit fornication, once you are a fornicator, you have done something that you cannot undo. And just as with murder, you murder somebody, that person is dead and you cannot undo that. Now, it's true that there is no denying that there is the grace of God, but the grace of God causes us to submit to the government of God. It does not take away the government of God.
The grace of God does not take, causes us to submit to the government of God. It does not take it away. The sisters sitting in this room are covering their heads and learning in silence because Eve was first deceived. Was Eve forgiven for her sin? Yes, but there is the governmental sign on the head of every sister that he was first, that Eve did not listen. A man may have taken more than one wife before he got saved, and it's a serious thing, but he barred him from being an elder in the assembly, and that took place before he was saved.
And so there are things that can happen to us and that we can do which governmentally we just have to submit to the government of God and God gives grace and it will. There's no denying that there it there can be greater enjoyment of the Lord, but there is as to this life marks that are left. And I believe that that's important when these things come up and these things are despised. And that's why the world is so full of unhappiness and trouble is because these truths that go right back to the very beginning have been despised by man.
01:15:03
And once it's done, you've unleashed something that there is sorrow, but there is grace. There is always grace and there is always forgiveness and mercy with the Lord where there is submission to the Lord. We never want to deny that, but it is a serious thing. The man that has had several wives before he he got saved, he's not told to put away his wives. He's not told he can't break bread at the Lord's table if he's gotten saved. But he can't be a Bishop, he can't be an overseer.
Are a Deacon even.
The.
We don't want these comments to take us to make us think that if I've committed that sin in the past, that I'm barred from the Lords table forever. That's not that's not true. You can be restored, but the consequences of the consequences in the government of God, they go on. You know what we read, so we reap and nothing's going to change that.
But that that applies to the saved and the unsaved as well. We reap what we sow but there's forgiveness. There's forgiveness with God and the thing to do if you've committed those sins, I'm in this room have probably committed some of those sins. If you have the thing to do is go to him, go to get into his presence and confess it and he will restore your soul. He he can't remove what you've done. A scar may remain forever. It will, but.
There, there's a forgiveness with him.
That's the grace of God. Stiff first, let your conversation or your manner of life be without covetousness. And we're living in great days of wealth. And you know, they want more. My wife used to babysit some children. And so they'd arrive early in the morning and the mother would drop off the Christmas wish catalog and the child would sit there and look at this catalog. By the time maybe from 7:30 to 8:00 until it was time to go off to school. And the child was just sick with all the things that it wanted by the by the end of the half hour.
It says let your conversation be without covetousness. Mr. Lundeen used to have a helpful saying. He said faith enjoys the simple things. And dear young people and those that are older, and perhaps it's easier when you're young, when you're older, kind of the water meter and the gas meter and the mortgage company decides what's going to be done with your money before you got it. But when you're young, you have a little bit more liberty to spend with your money, but get into a habit of not letting your your life be characterized by wanting more and fancy things.
Learn to have a simple way of life. And so that's we live in days of covetousness and where people want more and the whole advertising world appeals to that. And so we learn to learn to be enjoy simple things and in our activities as young people learn to enjoy simple activities. I think you know what I'm talking about. I was at a wedding once.
A young couple. I just read this one verse. It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife.
Let every woman have her own husband as First Corinthians 7.
To touch a woman and involves a very intimate thing.
Anyway, the preacher announced some husband and wife and she looked at the veil and he kissed her. I heard someone say that's the first time he's kissed her. I know that's true. The first time he's kissed her. They agreed between themselves that they would save that.
Save the intimacy that belongs to marriage to marriage. And they did.
I don't think they're sorry for it. We don't know our own hearts. Sometimes we say, well, I know how far to go, but we don't know our own hearts. And I'd like to just develop that in connection with the next expression. Be content with such things as you have in connection with what Neil said. Because I think sometimes not knowing our own hearts, we think, well, if we had more, we could do more for the Lord or use it for the Lord. In fact, there is a system in the business world under the banner of Christianity that actually teaches that.
We'll get out and work hard and follow this system of business, and you'll get more and you'll have more to use for the Lord. I've heard this very thing, but I think that's the work of the enemy. Brethren, our hearts are tricky. And so it's whatever He places in our hand. If the Lord wanted us to do more, He'd give us more. But we're to be content with what He has given us today, what He's placed in His hand. Use that for His glory. If we do, He may entrust more to us, and that's the way.
01:20:04
Uh, what the Lord spoke of, and he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and so on. But it's not to covet more for so that we have more for the Lord's work or to help the Lord's people or a bigger home to entertain the Lord's people. No use what he's given you. Be content with such things as you have. You know, we're not really satisfied with things down here. He's the one that satisfies our heart inwardly satisfies the longing soul and filleth the longing heart and filleth the hungry soul with goodness and so on. But we are to be, maybe we're not satisfied down here.
If we were, we wouldn't be looking for the House of the Lord as we were Speaking of. Sometimes He stirs us up and puts a few thorns in the nest so that we're not satisfied down here. But we are to be content, content with such things as we have and to use what He's placed. If He's placed a dollar in your hand today, use that dollar for His glory. Don't wish you had. Two dollars will never leave Thee, nor forsake Thee. And that is what we need to keep before our hearts and our minds.
Is I may be poor, I may not have all the things I want, but I have the Lord Jesus Christ with me all the days of my life and for all eternity. I sat down in a home in Grenada recently. The brother was struggling to try to get his roof back on and he mopped the floor before we got there because of the rains. And I won't go on to describe, but it was really a rebuke to me. We sat down in his home. The first thing he said.
He looked around. He said let's talk about eternal things. Nothing of this world, But he was content with what he had, and he was satisfied with the heavenly riches. There was no use to talking about how many cars we had or how many rooms in the house or this or that. No, he said, let's talk about eternal things. And we did.
Of material things, the greater hindrance it is to talk about eternal things, right? I remember Ralph Rule. Sorry.
44 in the back of the book.
01:25:47
That was written 225 years ago by William Copper. It's very much applies to date.
Beautiful.
Verse 17.
Although the fig tree shall not blossom.
Neither shall fruit be in the vines.
The labor of the olive shall fail.
And the fields shall yield no meat.
The flock shall be cut off from the pole and there shall be no herd in the stalls.
Yet.
I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength.
And he will make my feet like Hinds feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
To the chief singer.
On my stringed instruments.
Right.
Hebrews 13
Reading
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40.
Language.
For us, everyone and Braveheart strong.
I do.
Comment was made on that, but.
Lord.
Chapter 13 and verse 5.
Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have.
For he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, and forever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.
For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which served the Tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood.
Suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the Kent, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we 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.
For 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, for 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.
00:05:09
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 in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter on to you in a few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy has sat at liberty, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
So all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints they have, Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Rear slide. New translation.
In one phrase, satisfied with your present circumstances.
I think it puts it very well for us because.
It gives an expression or it gives a fullness to the thought here that goes beyond simply money.
There's something in us that often says if only.
And the if only brings to at some change in our present circumstances that if only they were different, then we would be content.
But I want to.
Share with you something that is was a great lesson in my own soul with respect to this, that perhaps illustrates to some extent that this can be something that every one of us needs to.
Have right with the Lord.
Quite a few years ago, for a number of years, I went to the country of Peru at their conference time and was with the brethren, and I noticed when I went down in the first years of going there.
The brethren were, many of them extremely poor.
I can quite visualize going to one home that had the four outer walls, but no inner walls, no roof.
Accepting at the back of the four walls, there was a temporary space and there was sort of a little separation for what we would call the bathroom area. In other cases, there were brethren that had.
Quite literally sticks that you would pick up at the side of the road, interleaved with cardboard to foreign the walls of their homes.
Some of the homes had dirt floors.
And in visiting in those homes with those brethren, there were sometimes a different spirit.
Among them as to those present circumstances, and I will remember in particular one home that as it were the first time we were in the home and they.
Showed hospitality to us and gave us a meal that the conversation had in it. This thought. If only.
We had a concrete floor to replace.
The dirt one, we could be content.
A year or so later, visiting again in that home, there was a concrete floor, but the conversation had shifts slightly and it said if only we had a refrigerator.
We would be content.
I visited.
Two years ago, and some of those same parents are at that time had children growing up in their homes, and now their grandparents, those children have grown up and in some cases are in the assembly and they have children of their own. And in every one of the cases that I can think of in my mind, the present circumstances of those specific brethren and all of them that I mentioned are.
00:10:05
Now, 30 some years later, still in the assembly there, their circumstances are substantially better.
But I also can say this from the observation of those 30 some years, that some of them who at that time were not content with the present circumstances and were laboring to change them over the course of this time, pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Others who were not so can I say who are more content with their circumstances. They have changed.
But they have not suffered in their lives in the same way.
It's a lesson for us, brethren, to be sure that we take or let take hold of us the truth that's given to us in verse six of our chapter. With respect to it, it says, we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper.
That is, here the Spirit and the thought of it is regardless of present circumstance.
Can I conscientiously or with consciousness in my soul, say, well, yes, I have present circumstances, but I have a helper and it's the Lord?
And therefore I can be content.
I can rest in the assurance that I have one who is there to help me, and yes, if he so chooses and according as he sees the need, he can change those circumstances. But if I myself have a spirit of discontent and my focus is on the change of the circumstance that I am presently in, I will be neither thankful.
And I can motivate myself in such a way that I bring harm to myself and to those that I love, my children.
The seventh verse is not unconnected with what our brother has just said, but very much so because there are those who have walked in the pathway of faith, content with their circumstances, who have spoken the word of God to us out of the reality of a life of faith that would cause to go on, maybe in difficulty, and we see what the end of that manner of life was.
And so those are the ones to whom we are to look.
And so the Lord is my shepherd, and the Lord uses those that have spoken the word of God unto us, and we follow their faith, their pattern of life.
And it's, it doesn't say follow them, but whose faith follow. And we consider what the end of that pathway of life was. There are many who have been successful in this world in business, and you can really see it was a work of the Lord in their life. The Lord didn't give. There were the sons of Gershom, Murari and Kohath, and some he gave ox carts. To some he gave more, and to some he gave none, according to the burden that they had to bear in connection with the Tabernacle.
And so there are brethren, that the Lord has given much, and as her brother is said, But if my desire is to have more than what I've got, so I can do more, I'm going to Pierce myself through with many sorrows. But there are those that the Lord has given a ox carts to.
And so that is not the issue of how much, but what is the desire of my heart and what has been my walk of faith in connection with the guiding of the Lord. And so if I simply seek to follow those that have been successful in this world, I'm just going to follow down the same wrong pathway that somebody else has. But we are to remember and we are to consider those who have walked in the pathway of faith, that is they've taken up the word of God in connection with their circumstances.
Whether rich or poor and walked in that pathway according to faith and those that faith, we are to follow and we are compassed about a great cloud of witnesses. And as our brothers spoke, we can all close our eyes and we can think a brethren who have gone before now with the Lord, who have walked in the pathway of faith in a variety of circumstances, some in good health, some in poor health, some in wealth, some in poverty. But they walked in the pathway of faith and they've been a help to us.
But if we simply follow those who've been successful in education or successful in business or whatever, there were Zenith was a lawyer, Luke was a beloved physician, there were those that had good educations, there were those that were wealthy and the Lord, that is all of the Lord. But where is the faith we are to follow not the success of a man.
00:15:13
Good. Before we get too far from the fifth verse, I'd like to draw attention to the last two phrases which we really haven't discussed. I will never leave the nor forsake thee.
We appreciate, we count on, we cherish the presence of the Lord with us. It is our comfort.
Because He has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Now for years I thought this was just the Lord saying the same thing in two different ways, just to as a way of affirmation. But He's really saying two different things here. I will never leave thee. I believe the proper understanding of that is it relates to His presence.
He will always be present with us.
But then he says, I will not, nor forsake thee.
That's his attention. I can be sitting beside my wife in meeting and totally unconscious of her there.
But the Lord is always not only with us, but attentive to us.
So He will never leave us or forsake us. He is always present with us and always engaged in our welfare.
We have this brought before us in Philippians 4 as well, do we not? I think our brother.
Referred to this previously in these meetings, but.
In Philippians 4.
The apostle speaks.
In verse 11 he says, not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.
And it was something apparently, that didn't come to him immediately, but he had learned.
That this was.
The proper way. I know both how to be a face, and I know how to abound everywhere. In all things I am structured both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
And then he says in verse 13, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. So I believe the apostle recognized that he had one that was with him at all times who would never leave nor forsake him, and would help him to endure even the most adverse circumstances.
Whether it be to be hungry, to suffer need, or whatever the circumstance might be.
And so in our chapter.
Here in verse six he says, we may boldly say the Lord is my helper. So how wonderful that we can just rely on our companion who will never disappoint us. If we're willing to let him help us, he will.
And how he desires to help us because He loves us so very much.
That's his choice as to how he will help us. The is I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. This is a conscious thing. It's what he was saying. He doesn't.
Or John.
He doesn't forget that we are here and we are here in need and.
All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.
The Lord Jesus says.
And we are his servants to.
Do at His bidding, as He leads and as He directs, He will give us the answers that we need, the wisdom we need, the power we need, the money we need. If it's His work, He's in charge and he delights to use a yielded servant to do the to do His bidding.
00:20:00
Just submit.
That that's the secret of it all. I will do what thou wouldst lead me to do is really the attitude that I should have always submission.
It's a beautiful thing.
In Scripture we had the Lord is my shepherd and it comes up twice in Hebrews. It doesn't come out quite clearly in the King James, but in I think it's Acts chapter 3, Peter charges him with killing the Prince of life, the originator of life. Man is busy looking for the origin of life in Mars and the very origin of life that you have proceeded from the Son of God.
And man killed him. And then he's a Prince and a deliverer. He's a very originator of Israel, if I may put it this way. He's the one, the one who called Abraham out of Irv Chaldeans, and they slew the originator of their state.
And then we have an Hebrews that just think of brother Jennings comment. He learned obedience through the things that he suffered is that he was the originator, the captain of our salvation. He was the originator of our salvation and he learned what the difficulties of this pathway were like. We may ask our child to do something and we've never done it ourselves and pick up a load or something and.
But he knew he will never ask us to do something that he does not now know.
What it is like to experience both the difficulty in doing it as a man and the results of doing it, the reproach that may come from doing it. And then he's the author and finisher. He's the originator and finisher of faith is that he's marked the pathway. And so there are others who have walked in that pathway. We have here and we know how their pathway ended. We're living in a day of virtual Christianity. A man told me, yes, he said, I, I did church on Sunday on I watched TV, church on Sunday.
I watched it on TV.
And we live in a day of virtual Christianity where people are learning the truth from ones they don't know, the end of their conversation. You don't know whether the man you're listening to on the radio lives in an $8 million condominium in Hawaii or not. We're to learn the we're to know the get the truth from those that we've known. The end of their conversation, their manner of life, and with all their freckles and warts and all the rest of it. We, we, we consider what their conversation is, what the matter of the outcome of their life has been with respect to the path where they have taught.
Because the result of not doing that is we don't want to skip over the eighth verse, but as we're going to be carried away by divers and strange doctrines that we get taken up with issues rather than Christ. And that's where the 8th first comes in. True ministry will point Christ as to Christ.
But man gets taken up with issues. What's going to happen in Y2K? What's going to happen in this and what's going to happen to that? And people are all taken up with these things. If you could go into the basements of many believers stocked with freeze dried chicken and all kinds of things and freeze dried food to get ready for Y2K, well, they followed them down somebody down that path. And now I don't know what the latest fad is. People are running off in this direction and that direction. It's not really following Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And so real ministry will point us to Christ and cause us to walk in the pathway that would follow the Lord Jesus Christ and to cause us to walk in the pathway of faith.
I just say one other thing that in connection with this eighth verse, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. You say, well didn't he raise the dead and heal Even they would take handkerchiefs from the apostle and heal ones. The power of God is not changed, but the day in which we live, the manifestation of that power has changed. Let's just turn to Colossians chapter one. I think it is because we see that how the power of God is manifested.
Today.
Colossians chapter one and verse 11.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.
Under raising from the dead, and healing the sick, and so on. No, it says, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all. Patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Jesus Christ is not changed, but the power of God may well be manifested in the day and weakness in which we're living. Is it just going on, perhaps, to see one dying in sickness?
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Or you see one going on in a difficult situation in the assembly or going on in a difficult situation in the home. But we heard about joyfulness. But just going on and taking those circumstances from the Lord. And the power of God has manifested. It's the same power of God that raised Lazarus from the dead as to go on in a difficult situation at work for the boss. Maybe you get passed over for a promotion because you're a Christian, or you won't work on the Lord's Day or something like that.
It's the same power of God.
To see you happily going about your work when everybody knows you're being mistreated.
Perhaps a connection can be made with verse 7.
Remember them that have the rule over you or your leaders.
Like to turn over to Hebrew or first Peter chapter 5.
I believe there's a connection with this verse and this chapter with in a Broadway with the 23rd Psalm.
That we had before in the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd.
And here in first Peter, I think we are five, We have something that's a little more detail and a little different view of it from what we have in our chapter. But to read the 1St 4 verses, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly.
Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, Not as Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. The Lord is our Shepherd, and we've had it before us in the previous.
Time in a particularly personal way.
But also, it's nice to see in the Word of God and someone has used the expression under shepherds, the Lord is given to some of the flock of God to have that responsibility for himself of seeking to feed the flock of God and to shepherd them. And he makes it very clear to them as he's instructing. Peter was one and he was speaking to fellow believers who had this responsibility given to them.
Of the chief shepherd to care for the flock of God and to do so they were not to be motivated by money, they were to be doing it As for the care of the flock and as it were in our chapter. The opposite is being taken. It's saying you that are sheep appreciate and respect and take the guidance given to you by those the Lord has raised up to.
Feed the flock of God and to act in the rod, if you will, the the the rebuke sometimes whatever it may be that would help us to walk in the path that's given to us. It's also nice in the Spanish actually in our chapter where it says leaders it it in the Spanish it uses the word pastors, those who had that pastoral care.
Of the flock of God.
But it goes on to say about them in our chapter in verse seven, it says whose faith follow. There may be, as already mentioned, their warts and wrinkles, an imperfect representation of the chief Shepherd in their way of administering the help that they're responsible to give to the flock of God. But one thing that does characterize and is constant in such really tends to be the faith.
And it's the faith that is seen in them that follows even after they're passed on into the presence of the Lord. I'm sure there are many of us in this room that have the memory in our souls.
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Of certain ones that the Lord used and benefit and blessing to us. And also we continue to think of the faith and can I say, would seek to imitate it in our lives as well. But then he almost seems to me that when he gets to the eighth verse, you can say, as it were, puts them aside for a moment and he says, but there's one who's perfect and unchanging.
From the beginning.
The end. He remains Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. And what a wonderful thing for us, brethren, to always, as it were.
Benefit from one another in whatever capacity. The Lord may use us, but we always need to return to the rock of our salvation, the one who is the Lord.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.
I'm glad you mentioned that two sides of the coin, if I may put it that way, in connection with pastors, because we have a responsibility to, as we see down, obey those that are our guides and God has marked them out over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers. You can see in their lives that by the way they've conducted themselves.
That the Holy Ghost has put them in that position the.
Tendency of man is to choose his own leaders or to choose his own pastors, but God by man's experience and manner of life marks ones out and we're not to make that job difficult. There is a warning to them that that because they must give an account of themselves and Moses. He lost patience with the people of God and that the meekest man on the face of this earth. But the responsibility is don't make the job difficult.
I remember I may even have been brother Chuck, but years ago, a dozen or more years ago or maybe 15 years ago, a labouring brother was coming to the assembly and somebody said, well, I have an exercise that when laboring brothers come, they should do this or that. And I turned them and I said you can't have an exercise for anybody else. You can have an exercise as to how you behave. I can have an exercise as to how I behave. I can't have an exercise as to how somebody else behaves. The doctor says, Neil, you need more exercise.
My wife can't go out and get the exercise for me. And so there are two sides to the coin. And so there is an exercise that we, as what we have in this scripture is to remember and to consider what the end of a man's conversation is. And when we pick up a book and we read a book of ministry, we can get real value of, But it's good to consider what happened to the person who wrote that book and where where that direction that took them off on and where they wound up.
Because it's we have that instruction from Scripture. Well, you see what happens in Christendom and the tendency of our own hearts were part of it is we can get carried away with issues and causes and they may switch from week to week or month to month or year to year, but it does not really establish us in the pathway of faith.
And set ground and settle us.
I noticed this word conversation is used in verse five and also in verse 7.
I take in verse seven. Conversation refers to the contest of the darkness. What about verse 5?
O'clock.
I just thought it might be well declared I just work conversation because it's not simply our words but manner of life, our behavior.
I'm not saying in every instance where the word is used, but.
But I've enjoyed verse 8 because I believe because of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the same.
We can't trust Him. His power and love will never change and we know what it is perhaps to put our faith in.
00:35:02
Mirrors human and find that.
As the years progress, perhaps they don't have the same physical strength that they once had and they aren't able to help us, although perhaps they would like to, but they just don't have the power. And then you have some that perhaps you might think they have a love and care for you, but you find that perhaps they backed off from you.
And we sang that in him, I believe how that earthly friends.
Will fail and leave US1 day soothed the next day grieve us.
This friend, this one that we're speaking about here, who is the same Jesus Christ, He'll never leave us. We can trust Him, knowing that he loves me just as much today as when he was hanging on the cross, suffering there in agony on the cross of Calvary. And he'll love me forever, and you too.
And his powers unchanging.
The apostle in writing this epistle.
Was writing it to.
Jews who had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior and become Christians.
And she wanted to confirm them.
In what they had in the better.
But they had to lay hold of it by faith, because in Judaism they had a religion in which they could see many of the things physically in which their beliefs were centered. They had the temple and so on, and those things that they looked to. But now they had to, by faith, look to a man who they could not physically see. And it was written.
Partly to well, strongly to encourage them to go on and not give it up and go back to what they had previously, he says to them and warns them very strongly there's no hope if you give it up and go back for you and so.
One of the things that's so important is you have Jesus Christ.
The same yesterday, today and forever.
Don't give him up for some strange doctrine. As he says in the next verse, don't be carried about by thoughts that are going to rob you of himself.
And.
One of the things that.
It's often been said that it's important for us when we hear something that's perhaps new to us as a teaching or as a doctrine. We can ask ourselves the question, does this teaching I'm hearing honor the person?
Of Jesus Christ does it honor the work that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished? And if it does, it's not of himself, it's not of the Spirit. Every true teaching and doctrine will honor the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. And so he's telling him, don't be carried about with divers and strange doctrines. And then goes on to comment. The heart is established with grace.
An old brethren, it's the characteristic of the dispensation and so important for us to recognize that the present work of the Spirit of God in this world is God displaying to man His grace what God can do for man now, in contrast to what man and responsibility sought to do for God in the Old Testament. And so he wanted his brethren to be confirmed in their hearts, not in their minds.
So important it's that the heart be established in this way that we have that rock solid enjoyment in our souls of the person of the Lord Jesus and the grace that has been brought to us through Him. And that we not, as it were, be robbed of it by allowing other thoughts or other things to come in and make us drift away or be drawn away by that which will only rob us of our place in Christ.
00:40:03
He doesn't just say with grace, but not with meats. And that suggests Romans 14 where the apostle says to these Gentile Christians.
Let us therefore follow verse 19. Follow after the things which make for peace, and things where with one may edify another. For meat. Destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with the fence.
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother is offended or is made weak. And here is a very good portion. Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God, happy as he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubted his damned, if he eat, because he eateth not of faith. For what is not of faith is sin. So it's really warning against legalism.
Which brings in things of like meats and what you can eat and what you don't. You can't eat grace and grace establishes the and all foods are clean. Now to the Christian there are none that are you can't eat in a in a in a way that's going to defile you. All things are pure and I believe that's when it says not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
You you find that all through Christendom.
Things that people have set up as no nose, you know, but grace is enables us to set aside those things and live for his glory, what is pleasing to him. I remember Clem Buchanan said 18 years ago at a Regina conference, he said if cabbage doesn't agree with you, don't eat it. And I think what he was simply saying is we need to be very simple about these things. And Christendom has gotten taken up with a lot of things.
And it does not establish the heart in grace, but there is that that's a physical condition. That's something physical. But this is talking about what, a ceremonial, that type of thing. Well, that's right. And the other thing is with the young people often, and I was young, we were all young at one time.
We go to our parents and say, what's wrong with doing this or what's wrong with doing that? And if you ask a legal question, you're going to get a legal answer. And really, grace is to say, what would the Lord have me to do? Did the Lord direct me to do that? You want to do something. And you know, before you ever go and ask your parents that they're not going to like it. Ask yourself one question, is the Lord directing me to do this? Or is it my own desires and lusts getting me to do this? And that's really what it is to establish in grace because.
The Lord's my shepherd, he's leading us and he's not going to lead us into a pathway of sin. And if you can say, well, the Lord led me to do this whatsoever is not of faith as our brother read his sin. And if you can't say that the Lord led you to do something, then don't do it. Don't always ask what's wrong, because if you start to ask what's wrong with this and wrong with that, you're just going to be constantly taken up with what's wrong. But if we walk in a pathway that desires to please the Lord.
Then we're going to avoid all kinds of pitfalls.
There's a big difference between what is morally wrong and what was to the Jew ceremony ceremony wrong. And we're not under that. We're not under that. But what is morally wrong is always true. It's wrong. And whether you're a Christian or a Jew or whatever you are, it's wrong and it's against God's nature. But some things like here.
When it says not with meats, that's that's not something that's morally wrong.
Likes like someone will say, well, I can't eat pork. Well, that's Jew would say that you can't eat pork. It's an unclean animal. Well, hast thou faith have it to thyself before God have happy seed. He condemneth not himself and the thing which he alloweth. But there's nothing more wrong with eating pork.
Nothing to do with morals, it has to do with ceremonies and we're not under that. So all things are pure for the Christian that's been set free by grace.
But it was in First Corinthians 8 and verse 8.
But meat commendeth us not to God.
For neither if we eat, are we the better? Neither if we eat not, are we the worse.
Well, I believe the Jew is under the impression that by eating certain meats and abstaining from other meats, they would improve their position before God, their acceptance before God. But you know, this ceremonial cleansing does not change the heart one bit. It's only through grace.
00:45:09
And that's unmerited favor, God showing us favor that we don't deserve unless we accept.
God's salvation by grace, we have no standing before God, but if we accept it, we are brought into a position of unspeakable favor before God. And you know in Titus it says that grace teaches us that.
That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live.
Righteously, godly and soberly. And in this present world, so.
So that's what changes the heart that would what is it that makes us act in a way that's pleasing to God? It's not rules and regulations, but it's grace, the appreciation of grace in our souls, what God has done for us in the person of His Son.
What is the difference between law and grace? Not too many years ago, we still had the Lord's Day Act in Canada, and it was forbidden certain commercial activities on the Lord's Day. And a man started in defiance of the Lord's Day Act, started to sell cars. And so of course, there was quite a bit of going back and forth in a public letter to the newspaper. And he said we're not under law, we're under grace, meaning I can sell cars in the Lord's Day. A lot of Christians have that idea. Well, though, grace got rid of this awful thing, the law.
So we go through this conflict, and yet every right conscience knows that every word of God is pure, and so that we don't want to set aside the word of God. Mr. Darby wrote a very helpful pamphlet, Is the Law dead or am I? But what is the difference between law? Law looks for something, but all it can do is condemn because it condemns. If I depart, it can never justify anybody. I may have never murdered anybody, and the law says, well, Neil's not a murderer, but it doesn't say I'm not capable of it.
There's a lot of difference between I shall not kill or thou shall not commit adultery. Those are morally wrong. And thou shalt not sell cars on Sunday. There's a huge difference in the well, I'm just using this as an example, but grace law looks for something in man, but it can only condemn. But grace acts towards man according to what is in the heart of God, and God is holy. And so God acts towards man in holiness and he realizes the first thing.
That there has to be as a purging of man's sin and that it's going to set them on a pathway that is pleasing and separate from sin. That's what grace does. It doesn't look for something in us. It's not looking for goodness in us. It brings it to us.
The law gives us do's and don'ts that make us accept more acceptable to God. If we do the do's and don't do the don'ts, that makes us more acceptable to God. That's principle of law. But grace is God bestowing favor upon us from Himself. It all comes from Himself. The only one of the 10 commandments that is ceremonial is the 4th one. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. There's nothing moral about that. That's just that's that's a ceremonial law. All the rest.
I shall have no other gods before me. I shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. I shall not bow down to an image. Worship it. Children, obey your parents, and that shall not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not lie. All of these are moral things. And but we're not under law doesn't mean that those things that we're free to do because those things that are moral, they're all incorporated in the New Testament.
Not as law, but as the the outflow of the Christian life.
Grace produces in US what the law required. When you're under law, then it's to your account, it's to your favor, it's to your credit. But when it's just the outflowing of the life of Christ by the Spirit of God, it's to the credit of God.
And what was permissible under the law may be unthinkable under Christianity. I'll just give you an example. People say, well, the grace is have the idea that grace somehow brings us into a lower standard. Supposing a man left here and he got into a car accident through carelessness, he killed somebody's son. Well, under the law, the parents of that child could chase that man until he got to a city of refuge and kill him for doing it.
But such a thought, I think, to every Christian heart, is unthinkable here to pray for your enemies and those that do you harm and.
And so we see an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If you were working with somebody who was careless and he put out your eye, under the law had the right to go after him and put out his eye too. That's fair and square, as the world says. But to grace that is that that thought is abhorrent.
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So grace is not a lowering of the standard, but it's simply God bestowing on us out of His heart of love. And if we're truly walking in, grace will manifest the heart of God.
Towards men.
What it says in verse 10 is to move on. We're not going to get rid of this chapter through this, this chapter we have an altar where they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. That's the that's the Jewish order. Those that serve the Tabernacle, they don't have any part in the Christian altar. Everything, everything in Christianity speaks what what we had, what the Jews were familiar with, what the altar speaks of Christ. That's the place of sacrifice.
The priest speaks of Christ. He was the priest. He offered the altar, He offered the sacrifice. He's the sacrifice. He's the priest, He's the altar. Everything answers to him. And when it says we have an altar, we Christians, it's not the Jewish altar, but it's Christ himself who has offered himself without spot to God and brought us into a place of favor and relationship with God that's all founded upon himself in his work.
All right, George.
You know, the, the the pencil purpose of the epistle, like Don was pointing out, is to the danger of those that were associated with Christianity as Hebrews, some real, some not. And so the expectation in chapter 6.
About those that would apostate would turn away. But here we see, you know, and and point by point through the epistle, the apostle is showing how Christ would answer. You pointed this out how Christ would answer and that which was better and I think the word better is mentioned something like 13 times in this epistle.
And so how wonderful to realize that we're not dealing with Judaism and a mixture of Judaism. And that's one of the dangers that that continually attack us as believers is a return to some form of Judaism. And how wonderful what we don't deal with, with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. But we're to be established hardest to be established with grace.
Today in Christendom, talk about the judeo-christian faith. Well, the Christian faith is not Judaism. They're totally different. And the one is not an improved Judaism. Anything that Christianity is just an improved Judaism, it's altogether different. One is the principle of law, the other is the principle of grace. They're completely different. If it be of grace, it is no longer of works. If it be of works, it's no longer of grace. The two don't go together.
And to put them together, which is being done. And that's, that's what leads, that's what leads them to promote voting and getting involved in politics and all this. The, the Christian faith is heavenly. We, we, we partake of the heavenly risen life of Christ and the Spirit of God unites us to a heavenly man and our citizenship is in heaven. We're not of the world. The world hates us and doesn't have any use for us if we live a proper Christian life.
We'll experience the the, the intensity of persecution that comes from the world, but as long as we become a part of the world and join in with all of its activities in that, then we're OK. And that's a mixture of our Christianity with Judaism.
And that's, that's really watering down the truth, isn't it? That's that's what the camp is when it refers to this in the 13th 1St let us go therefore unto him without the cap bearing his reproach is that under Judaism they had a place. The Samaritan woman could say, the Lord say you said it's a Jerusalem where you ought to worship. All you needed was a map to know where you could worship. You knew the building.
But there was a reproach connected. There's a reproach connected with following with Christ everything in Judaism, every symbol, every ordinance.
Had was a picture of something heavenly.
And there was everything in Judaism to act on man in the nature to try to bring good out of them. Judaism gave man a perfect moral code, it gave him a perfect order of service for man in the nature, it gave him perfect.
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Expressions of human feelings in the Psalms. It gave him all of that. And what was the result of that? They crucified the Lord and they said away with this man. We will not have this man to reign over us.
But when we mix those things back into Christianity and we say, well, if we just have better music, we're going to get people into the church, as they say, or into the meeting. Or if we do this, if we act on man in an external way, if we have a beautiful building, we're going to get more people in. If we're acting on people in an external way, then really that is what the camp is. But there's a reproach to saying, well, I'm just gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What's the name of who's your leader?
Well, Christ is our leader.
You know, where's your altar? We have an altar. We do, but we don't have a physical altar not made out of marble or stone or famous with costly stones associated with it. And so there's a reproach connected with that, with simply following Christ. He was rejected by those that the chief priests and the Pharisees, and he suffered without the gate, and that is where we are associated with Him.
Like to just make one more comment or two with respect to law and grace?
The root principle of law is found in the verse.
This do and thou shalt live. That's the root principle of law with God. This do is human responsibility to God.
Based upon the person who is under it thou.
And the result, if kept is life. And the whole law is on that principle that I am acceptable to God.
That is, if I were ever under the law, I am acceptable to God by doing the requirements of it, and if I do them, I live in contrast to that. The root principle of grace I believe is found in Ephesians chapter one, and I just like to read the verse.
Ephesians chapter one and verse 6.
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.
Here, the root principle of grace is our acceptance before God.
In his son, on the basis of what he has done.
And it's a wonderful position to be in with God. I stand. You stand before God today on the ground of His own heart of love manifested to us by the action of what He has done. We call it His grace and we are accepted.
Not in what I have done or can do, but what the beloved is to God in what he has done. And so in our chapter were referred to himself in such a way that he says follow him. Have your heart established in that relationship that is yours accepted before God in the beloved on all the virtue of what God himself does.
Through his son, and consequently, as he says, they have an altar.
That our altar, they're not allowed to eat of it. That is, Judaism under the principle of law was not allowed into the blessings of Christianity.
We get to enjoy things that were never theirs and never could be theirs.
Did a Jew dare come into the very presence of God to worship?
He never had the right to do that.
You and I have the blessed privilege and grace accepted in the Beloved of coming immediately into the presence of God to offer our Thanksgiving and worship and praise.
Oh, we have the best time in the history of mankind to live and to look forward to that moment, perhaps today, when the Beloved.
01:00:09
Says come, let's go to the father's house.
I'd like to read it just one verse in Romans 11 Connection with what he's just said. Verse six. If by grace, then is it no more of works? Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace? Otherwise work is no more work. Two are mutually exclusive. One of the other grace is God giving, doing it all, works as man doing it all.
If Moses had kept the law, he would be alive today. This do, and thou shalt live. And the fact that he died proved that he had not kept the law, proved that no one kept it, no one involved that they all died. And a man says, well, if I follow the holy golden rules, God will accept me after I die. The fact that he dies proved that he didn't.
There seems to often be a difficulty with us because of bringing up the subject of law and grace, the matter of obedience.
I'd like to make a couple of comments because I know for many, many years in my own soul I was confused between law and grace and obedience and the difficulty in my own thoughts with respect to it. And I just want to share a little bit maybe for some that are a bit younger with respect to that.
Man as a creature.
Has a place of obedience to God.
From creation through eternity.
We are never and will never be in relationship to God, in which obedience does not have a right place with respect to it. Adam was never under law, but he had been given in fact, in the Garden of Eden to establish this very principle. He was not allowed to eat of a specific the fruit of a specific tree. That was a law.
Adam, it was a law, OK? It's the only thing that he couldn't do it. Go ahead. You said he was never under a law, so he was under one law. I'll accept that he was. I'm going to say he was under the principle of obedience to God in his relationship.
That we come in Christianity and so on into expressions like if you love me, keep my commandments and so on. And in heaven we will never be independent creatures of God. We will always recognize God's authority with respect to us. And so the matter of law and grace is not direct. Yes, obedience comes into it, but the more foundational issues between law and grace is the foundation of my standing with God.
And under law, my foundation is I must do.
And under grace it is God through Christ the Beloved has done. And that's the foundation of my acceptance with God for eternity. But I'm also a child of God, and children of God obey their Father.
Who was speaking to another brother? Another aspect of it, if you will.
In Romans 10 it says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine heart, God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The moment I accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I am putting myself into a relationship of absolute complete submission to Him, to obey, if you will, His every command.
With respect to my life, and so here in our chapter, even it says not Jesus is my helper, not the Savior is my helper, but the Lord is my helper.
And so why am I content with circumstance? Well, my Lord, he calls. He decides on the circumstances. He provides for them, whatever they may be, whether in sickness or health or whatever, as under His Lordship.
And authority and claims and rights over me. I can be content.
Even if called to die, even if deprived of things that others may consider important. And then?
The Lord himself shall descend with a shout. That same Lord is the one who by his power and authority with respect to me.
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Who enter and now in that relationship to him, he takes me to heaven as Lord.
And he will always be my Lord.
It will never change. He won't cease to be my Lord when I'm in glory. And so I will. And you will forever be in that relationship. And thankfully there the submissive obedience will be perfect because of a new life and a new nature without the flesh to hinder it.
Grace puts us into the place where we say I delight to do thy will, O God. That was the that was the delight of the Lords heart. The idea that the Lord could have sinned. The very thought of his sinning is abhorrent, was abhorrent to him. He rejected it totally and utterly. He was holy and he couldn't he couldn't even entertain such a thought. He was it was totally contrary to his nature and it's contrary to the new nature that we have and in the new nature we cannot sin. That's a wonder of of being in in glory as we will be in a position where we can't sin.
We can't send any anymore.
First, John 5. His commandments are not grievous because it's a new man, isn't it?
Not grievous to the new man.
Of if the Lord gave us a commandment and we had the choice that I'll do it or I won't do it, who would? Which Christian in the room raise your hand would say I won't do it any raise miss Absolutely. It's important to us, isn't it, because we look at it in the Newman.
This fourteenth verse is connected with the 13th verse, of course, for we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. One of the aspects of the camp is they can seek a continuing city here.
And what does that servant do? If he said my Lord delayeth his coming, he begins to beat the men servants. Why? Because he's wanting to establish something here.
And we have a city, but we don't have a continuing city here. And so we're not trying, we're not here to try to straighten out the world. We're looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. And that delivers us from, as our brother Chuck was saying, from involving ourselves in correcting the evils of this world. Not that we shouldn't speak to men's consciences.
About what is going on, but we're not here to beat the men's servants, but we're here to give me to due season and to prepare the hearts to be with the Lord. And that will really produce praise in our hearts. And there's a sacrifice connected with it by Him to give thanks for our we've heard about our circumstances in which the Lord has put us, and to give thanks continually, to give thanks to the Lord.
For what he has done.
I loved what Gordon said about the gospel and connection with worship and connection with this because he said remembering the Lord in his death, we tell the Father what we think about his Son. And in the gospel we tell sinners what God thinks about his Son. It's not merely telling people how to get saved, but it's telling sinners about what God says. And it's not. There were bells and pomegranates. There was fruit, but there was also the bells to announce that truth. And men are ignorant of the facts of the gospel. They're ignorant of to who the Lord Jesus Christ is. They're ignorant of what he has done.
And so I can just say this, not as one that's particularly gifted, but to say this was helpful. When you preach the gospel, preach facts. Sometimes a young brother in the meeting room will stand up and is given the gospel. He says, I don't know what I'm going to speak about. Speak about the facts of Christianity. Men are ignorant of them.
Our brothers spoke at the funeral, Stephen Stewart spoke at Brother Tom's funeral and he spoke on resurrection. Moreover, shall my hope rest, and my flesh rest in hope? And it was astonishing the number of believers that had come.
Up to him afterwards and said you mean we're going to have real bodies in heaven.
I talked to a pastor and his son, I'd known him since he was very young, a dear couple, and their son had died in a car accident. And I hardly knew how to comfort him. And I said, won't it be wonderful to sit down with him in the glory and recount the ways of God? And he said, do you really think we'll know each other in heaven? And so Christians are ignorant of the facts. So if you're given I, I don't want to stray from this verse, but it's talking about the fruit of our lips. We have so much to be thankful for when we consider what we have in Christ.
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And many believers, ourselves included, often are ignorant of the extent of what God has done for us.
And it produces praise in our hearts, and it produces a readiness to tell others.
I think it's beautiful to see how the Lord Jesus sanctified by his own blood in the 10th chapter, by one Watford, He is sanctified forever.
Them I'm sorry by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified, and I believe one who is sanctified is set apart unto God and is a St. and our brother George he.
Had an interesting thought. He brought it to me the other night.
On that podium up there, it says Saint Louis. Well, when our brother Jim was speaking, it could have been Saint James.
Brother Chuck spoke. Could have been Saint Charles.
As we go down the rows, everyone who has put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I do believe is a St. and has been perfected by that one offering. So this is a wonderful thing to realize that it's not according to our works, not according to our doings. The.
You know, the human part is that no one can consider themselves a St.
Apart from what others might think of them. I recall speaking to a man one time in Lambert Lake and he spoke of Saints so and so and Saints so and so, and I said, well, I'm a St. And he looked me up and down, and he was rather taken back, that I could be so presumptuous to consider myself a St. But you see, it's the work of Christ that we're seeking to.
Exalt and what he has done.
Has perfectly satisfied God with respect to our need as sinners, and brought us now into a position of holiness before him. And it's all because he was willing to shed his own blood, and he suffered without the gate. And as we contemplate this, let us go forth therefore unto him. And another brother Mark. I encourage him to bring this out himself. But.
Mark Bremen, he said, you know, in this chapter, the very center word you might say of this chapter is the word him.
In the 13th verse, 25 verses in the chapter, the middle verse.
And the middle word of that verse.
Him So may we keep our eye upon him because we know that.
Enthusiasm. There was much to attract the natural eye. There's a beautiful temple and the stones and the gold and the silver no doubt was awesome. And the vestments of the priests and so on, and the music, the choir. I suppose it could take your breath away. It was so beautiful. And so we find that today too, in Christendom, that which is appealing to the senses, but it's not Christ. And the important thing I think Apostle Paul is bringing before us here.
Is the focus not on these external things, but on Christ and Him? Because He suffered for us, Let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. What are we willing to suffer for Him? I saw a sign on the road. He died for me, or He died for us. Will we live for Him?
And then we have, I think, the thought of sacrifice coming in here over in Romans 12. It tells us there that.
We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. It's our reasonable service as we contemplate the sacrifice he made for us. But we also have in this chapter the sacrifice of praise.
That goes up to God.
And then we have the sacrifice of in verse 16, our possessions, our substance. Are we willing to give up for the Lord?
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That which we have.
Well, all of these things, I believe it can be done as we keep before us the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice.
That we're decade in verse 16 to do good and to communicate the thought is of your substance in helping on the word work of the Lord or whatever it might be. Forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. So it's not just what you do with your mouth. The sacrifice of praise of verse 15, but then the other kind of sacrifices of taking care of the needs of others.
To me it's most remarkable in this epistle that sets forth the crisis. Christ is the apostle that it brings in this thought in the 17th verse. Obey them that have the ruler, or that your guide. Submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls. The greatest sign of humility towards God is humility before men.
And I may say, well, I only want to do what the Lord wants me to do, but.
Unless there's the humility of obedience to our parents and to submit to those that have been guides.
To us and the pathway of faith, then there's really no evidence of submission to God.
And we never want to substitute a man for the Lord, but we have this clear instruction here and it's manifest in a very plain way. And so the Lord said, wish ye not that I be about my father's business, but he went home and he was subject to his parents. And so those two things are joined together. And very often when a brother gets older and.
Is stubborn in care meeting? It's because he was a stubborn child.
And so we need to learn these things as our brother Don was saying that it was characteristic of Christianity, his submission and obedience. The Lord was subject.
He wasn't inferior, but he was subject and he was characterized that man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And there's we had our brother Jim quoted that verse again, and I quoted again, Sin is lawlessness. It's just this. I'm not going to obey. I'm not going to be subject to anything. And if it's not right, don't submit to it. Well, that's the complete antithesis of what Christianity is. We see the spirit of Christ. We're compassed about a whole host of witnesses.
From Joseph to Daniel to a whole host of witnesses of those that subjected themselves to that which was wrong.
And manifested the spirit of Christ in so doing it. But here we're told to obey those that are our guys. And so it's A2 sided coin because we make make it very, very difficult for those that would seek to guide. You know, sometimes the parents trying to plead a child somewhere and the child's wriggling so hard that practically pulls the parents arm off. And we can do that in the assembly too. And then you see the parent lose patience. Well, there's no profit for those that are our guides. They have to give an account of themselves to God.
For their own actions, each man bears a responsibility for his own actions, but we may make it so difficult as with the people of God, they provoke Moses and he lost his temper with them. And so there's a dual responsibility there to make it easy. And for those that are the guides, and it's for the guides to to, to do it in patience.
Jesus, before thy face may fall, our Lord, our life, our hope, our all. For we have nowhere else to plead. No sanctuary, Lord, but thee. 309.
Jesus free for life.
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And.
The we have.
I was saying.
To.
21 Now the God of peace, and brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Unceasing Joy - Rejoice Evermore
Address—D. Rule
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Singing together #135.
Someone could start it for us please.
Bow in prayer.
Refers to.
Several passages. We'll start in First Thessalonians chapter 5.
First Thessalonians, chapter 5.
And verse 16.
Rejoice.
Evermore.
Now let's.
Turn over to.
Philippians, Chapter 4.
Philippians chapter 4 and verse 4.
Rejoice in the Lord, Alway.
And again I say, rejoice.
First Corinthians.
No, I just a minute Second Corinthians.
Chapter 6.
2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 10.
As sorrowful.
Yet always rejoicing.
Romans, Chapter 9.
And verse two, I'm going to read it from the new translation.
I have great grief.
And uninterrupted pain.
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In my heart.
And.
First Peter chapter one.
Verse 3.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you.
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth.
Though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now you see him not yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
It's on my heart this afternoon to speak about.
Uninterrupted joy.
Unceasing joy.
It is the desire of God and the purpose of God for your heart and mind to go through this life.
With joy.
The joy of which we have read about.
Not part of the time, not according to some circumstances and not others.
But the Lord would have you wake up in the morning and go to bed at night with joy in your heart.
And mine as well.
Rejoice evermore.
It is not the intent of God that our life be broken up into periods of.
Great grief and mourning.
And other periods of joy.
And the.
Two, shall I say, never meet.
But it is natural to us to sort of have one in our minds or the other and not both.
And brethren, it's important to go through each day.
With an uninterrupted joy.
With the Lord.
It's the intent and purpose of God that it be so.
But I think what we are naturally, and what some so easy to us is it is so easy to become occupied with that which does, and it does, and it's allowed of God for a purpose, bring grief and sorrow into our hearts and into our lives.
And often, if allowed, it robs us of the other side of the truth.
And that is the thought of continued joy.
We might say, well, I know I have joy to look forward to, but at the present, well I can't. If you knew my circumstances and what's going to happen next week and so on, you might say, well, I, I really can't be happy at the moment, even though I anticipate and I'm confident of that happiness in the long run.
The apostle Paul that we read said I have great grief.
And uninterrupted and that is possible as well.
And allowed of God.
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Peter spoke about.
The joy and then, he said, put to grief.
By if need be, and spoke of present things that produced grief.
But then before he finishes, he goes on and said, Whom having not seen ye love?
Yet believing you rejoice.
And so, brethren, according to the Word of God, I believe we can say that it is possible for us to experience grief and sorrow.
Over things in this life, on the one hand and at the same time.
At the same time, continue to experience a joy that this world can either give nor can man take it away.
And so it's on my heart this afternoon to give emphasis and stress to the thought.
Of uninterrupted joy in your heart and in your life, today, tomorrow.
And of course for eternity, when the Lord comes.
Just to give a little expression of what I'm saying.
A few minutes ago we heard word of a sister in the Lord who was taken home.
If there is any compassion in our heart, any sense of knowledge of the person involved.
It produces within us, and naturally so, what we call sorrow and pain.
And what produces that in US is a sense of what we've lost.
We've lost from our presence one whom some know better than others and love with a greater love than others. And so when we think about something with respect to ourselves and with respect to perhaps loss that it has brought to us, it produces in us a sorrow or grief.
But that's only half of the truth.
When we look on the other side of it, and we think in this case of a sister who has brought into the presence of the Lord.
And what we understand and know to be the better part.
It produces a joy.
In our hearts.
We think of that and we say what a wonderful portion that person now has in the presence of the Lord.
And so on the one side, there is a sense of loss and sorrow on the other side. And I say at the same time.
There can be, and I say should be in the heart.
A rejoicing.
When we think of that person and their portion and their joy.
And the joy that it brings to their Redeemer to have them with Him.
We rejoice for them.
And we enjoy.
In fact, we rejoice with them and often we hear the expression at such times, Oh, I wouldn't wish them back.
Because in that way, we're thinking of them and the joy that they have entered into.
Turn with me now to John's Gospel.
Chapter 15.
This John chapter 15 and John Chapter 16 and chapter 17 at least give us a convenient place in which to think about some of the joys that are ours to have now.
That, as the Lord said in these chapters, no man takes from us. They're not joys that we wait for.
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They're not joys that depend on present circumstances in our lives to produce, but they are joys that are to be common to each one of us to enjoy and live out each day of our lives without regard to things that would, and legitimately so, allowed of God for good.
May also produce grief or sorrow with us.
Verse one I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman.
Verse five. I am the vine, and ye are the branches.
He that abideth in me, and I in him the same, bringeth forth much fruit.
Verse six. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth.
It's only suggested here and it's not really the primary thought in the chapter.
Which in these pre verses has more to do with bearing fruit in our lives, God producing fruit and using us for fruit.
But he starts out I'm the vine and near the branches.
Part of the Gospel of John particularly is to bring out.
The Sun.
Manifesting the Father to us, man. And so the Lord Jesus the Son comes into this world.
And manifests the Father to us.
And then brings out a wonderful revelation for us by saying and.
The position that I hold with respect to my father is the position into which.
God is bringing you.
One of the highlights, if you will, of the joy of the Lord Jesus.
Brought out in this gospel is on the morning of the resurrection.
When the first person that the Lord Jesus speaks to in resurrection is Mary, and almost the first words that he says to Mary is my Father and your Father.
Oh, what a joy to his heart to say those words.
To say Mary.
The very relationship in which I stand and have throughout, you might say, the gospel throughout my life.
Is now I can say to you the relationship in which you stand.
With the father.
My father and your father.
Brethren, God.
The creator.
Wasn't satisfied just to have us as creatures in relationship to himself, as his creatures on earth.
But his desire of his own heart was to bring us into a relationship with himself in which we might, as the Lord Jesus could say, my Father.
And if our hearts enter into that, it is a relationship which produces in us a joy that is to be ours now and forever. The joy of relationship.
All may we enjoy it every day, regardless of the circumstance of the day. In fact, the very joy of saying I have a problem today, I have a need today. I can speak to my father about it.
And to come to him.
And say father.
And so the first joy that I'd like to mention and I just giving them names to make them a little easier to remember, the joy of relationship.
Is yours?
Regardless, it's yours to enjoy as a present enjoyment in your soul.
And it belongs not matters not what the circumstance of the day may be.
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It is yours to enjoy daily.
The second one is also just kind of alluded to here, but he says if any man abide in me.
If any man abide in me, I'm going to just use it in the sense of fellowship.
Here.
There is a joy of fellowship.
That is yours.
For each day. For each moment of each day.
Again, I say regardless of circumstance.
We may go through the moments of our day.
God would desire our Father would desire the Lord. Jesus desires that moment by moment, day by day, we walk together in common fellowship, one with the other, and in the joy that accompanies it.
Let me give a little example of it. In Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, we have this expression. There's joy in the presence of the angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth.
Now, that isn't really talking about the angel's joy, although it's sometimes referred to that way, but it's the joy in the presence of the angels of God.
It is the joy of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit when a Sinner repents.
A joy of fellowship together concerning something.
And it is the desire of God that you and I walk through the day with that same kind of common interest and common joy.
Of sharing things together.
The joy of fellowship.
Verse 7.
If you abide in me and my words abide in you, he shall ask what she will.
And it shall be done unto you.
Go over to the next chapter, We'll come back, but go over to the next chapter for a moment.
In verse.
24.
Or verse 23.
In that day you shall ask me nothing, barely verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name? Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full.
When the Lord Jesus was here in John's Gospel, whenever the disciples had a need, they went to the Lord.
And he was the one who took upon himself the responsibility of meeting those needs.
And they had a sense in their souls.
That he had a relationship with the father that they did not.
He often presented himself with respect to the father. I came forward from the father and my father this and my father that, and they gradually perhaps came into a better comprehension of who he was as he revealed himself to them and have his relationship to the father.
And particularly striking, perhaps, was in the.
12Th chapter.
For the 11Th chapter.
Um.
Chapter 11.
When Martha talks to the Lord after the death of Lazarus and she's of course very burdened about it.
And she says to him something like this, If thou has asked of the Father, he would do it for you.
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In other words, she realized that he was in such a relationship to the father that he could ask the father and the father would would grant to him whatever was asked.
And now here, he's bringing out a revelation to their hearts in connection with asking. He's saying.
But.
I'm bringing you into a relationship with the father or we are bringing into you into a relationship with us.
That you can go to the father directly.
For he's your father.
Anticipates the cross here and so.
You don't have to ask me, but you can go right to the father, and you can ask the father and he'll give you.
What a joy.
What a joy to the heart, a joy that can be experienced in prayer, to realize that we can go directly to our Father, not as the sense of distance, but in a sense of assured and confident relationship when there is a need and we can say Father.
It says he'll give it to you.
Like to illustrate it this way? It's pretty homely. Little illustration, but.
Sometimes those things touch us more than complicated ones.
We've often heard, and if we're parents, we've experienced.
That sometimes a child goes to its mother and it says.
Mommy, I need lunch or I need some food.
What's involved in such a simple question is that or request if you will, is that.
What's involved is a relationship.
Between the child and the mother.
Expressed in the endearing term, perhaps Mummy.
There is a sense of relationship in the child with its mother that gives it the sense of right.
And confidence to make known its need and ask.
In the mother's heart there is a sense of desire to meet that need.
A sense of joy to be able to satisfy the need of the child.
Through that relationship of love.
And so, brethren, it is with ourselves and our Father.
There's a sense of relationship.
That makes it such that our Father desires to meet the need.
And we'll do it.
You may ask what you will.
Let's turn back to Chapter 15.
I.
Verse 10.
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.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy.
Might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment that she loved one another.
As I have loved you.
Notice verse 11 speaks about two joys, my joy and your joy.
Here the Lord Jesus is saying to us, to the disciples, and in spirit now to us.
On Earth, I had my joy.
And the joy that I have and have had on earth in my life is the joy that I want you to experience and have in your life.
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And it doesn't have a bound, does it?
As he says, may be full.
The Lord Jesus went through his life.
With a fullness of joy.
Yes, he was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And it was an uninterrupted sorrow constantly in His life, having to deal with sin and the spoiling of the creation that had been so perfect, and the darkness of the world, and so on. All had its weight upon His spirit. Daylight.
But I say at the same time.
He experienced a joy.
Take from him a fullness of joy that he says, my joy.
And now he presents it to the disciples in this afternoon, as it were, to your heart and mind, I want you to experience every day of your life.
That joy.
If you keep my commandments.
There's an F in it.
In Psalm 40.
We won't take the time to turn to it, but the Lord Jesus, prophetically speaking, says.
I delight.
To do thy will.
Oh my God.
The joy of the heart of the Lord Jesus, every moment of every day of his life.
Motivated by love.
Was to do the will of his father.
And there was for him the joy of obedience.
Much, much, much of the sorrow, the bitterness, Not all of it.
Because love can produce sorrow in US and does true love.
But for us, much of the bitterness, much of the frustration, much of the sorrow that we may experience in daily life.
Is because we do not wholeheartedly.
Have before our souls as an Object to delight, to do the will.
Of our Father, and consequently we set something else before ourselves.
Who's going to win the football game?
Who's going to do this? Who's going to have that something we're going to do?
That may not have anything to do with the will of our Father, but our heart gets set on it.
Our happiness gets tied to it and as a consequence, when it doesn't come to pass as we hope it produces.
Sadness or frustration?
In US.
Lord Jesus never had to experience that kind of learning.
In flesh.
But he found his daily delight.
In the joy of obedience.
And obedience motivated by love.
It was reciprocal, too. We talked about the joy of fellowship.
When the Lord Jesus went through his life here on earth, it was a perfect delight.
Of joy to the heart of the Father every day. The Father every moment of every day. He looked down upon earth.
And they're walking through the midst of all the misery and sin of the earth. He found delight.
In that one who lives.
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To obey.
In love to him.
At times.
He just doesn't work at the baptism. He opens heaven.
Just so he can say, this is my son in whom I have found my delight.
Oh, it's the heart of the Father, for the same as the Father in the next John 17. When he's talking about joy, he's saying to the disciples in his prayer.
As the as you have loved me, the Father.
That same love is your love for the children, the others.
He wanted in His prayer that they enter into the thought that that the same love that He had for the Son is His love for us.
And so it is, and so it's his desire that as you go through this day, as I go through this day, we go through it in such a way that his heart finds joy in your life.
And likewise.
You find joy in that daily obedience.
Of a submissive heart.
Delighting in the life.
And the nature of God that's been given to you in the Lord Jesus Christ, living that life.
It's the joy, if you will, I, if I can use that expression of the Spirit of God to produce it in you.
Because we have in Galatians.
The fruit of the Spirit.
Is Lovejoy.
The Spirit of God working in your life is to produce in you.
That joy.
That comes through that love.
Walking in obedience to the will of the Father.
We spoke a little bit about prayer a few minutes ago and and we ask and he hears us.
Do you think the Lord Jesus walking in that spirit of loving obedience ever ask anything that the Father had to say? Sorry, Son.
You don't quite understand me for my purposes and so I have to say no and explain to you where your thoughts and mind are separate, no?
God by the Spirit desires and delights to work in us so that what we want.
In fellowship with the Father.
As always, can I say on the same wavelength is consistent one with the other?
And according particularly to submissive, obedience is the path to the daily experience of the joy that we are talking about.
You know in.
Matthews Gospel Chapter 11. In that gospel we see the Lord Jesus going out into his public ministry and going up on the mountain and giving what we call the Sermon on the Mountain, explaining the Beatitudes and so on. We see him going out doing good and healing and giving life to those who had died and so on.
And when we get finally to the.
The 10th chapter In the 11Th chapter, what's the well we'd say? I hope there's been a wonderful result of all that work of good and blessing for man.
But in reality, it comes to that chapter and.
He's totally rejected.
All that he had labored for his was producing no outward result in the souls of men. And they had said, no, we want to get rid of this man, and their hearts were set against him.
But does it not say he rejoiced?
In spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father.
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Where could he get joy like that in the Such is It, where all his teaching and preaching and doing good seem to have produced nothing but hatred and animosity and a desire to get rid of him, and yet he could rejoice in spirit.
And say I thank thee, oh Father.
There was a joy of submission.
There was a joy of obedience to the Father's will, and there's that joy in him that could look on. And as it were, from that point on he goes out to all men, not just to the Jew, but also to the Gentile. He says to all mankind, Come unto me.
Then I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, and you shall find rest unto your souls. The first rest that he speaks about, he might call it a gospel rest, going out to the lost and inviting them to come.
The second rest and it's connected with joy.
Is learning of him.
Oh, I trust this afternoon that in some little measure at least, our hearts are reminded. Or maybe if you're younger, a little bit of learning to recognize the true path of.
As the Lord Jesus did going down.
To accept everything, whatever that circumstance may be and said learn of me.
Perhaps he would say it to your heart and mind this afternoon. Learn of me, come down to where I am.
For he speaks of it as as in this world it's not as glorified in heaven, but as he was here on earth. The lowly man, he says, come down as it were to me.
Here, where I'm at, if you enter in with me into my heart, you're going to find rest.
For yourself.
We won't try to get off on it, but.
The same rest and peace that was his, he said. I want you to experience that rest and peace in your life as well.
And so there is not only to be a present and abiding joy in daily life, but there is and should be with us a present and abiding rest and peace in our souls.
Let's go on to.
Chapter 16.
I.
Verse 19 And Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of what I said, A little while, and you shall not see me. And again a little while, and you shall see me barely, barely. I say unto you, that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.
Miserable joy. It's kind of joy that the world gets, and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
A woman, when she is in travel, has sorrow because her hour has come.
But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy.
That a man is born into the world.
And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will come again to you, and your heart shall rejoice.
And your joy, no man taketh with you.
Take it from you, and in that day you shall ask me nothing.
Guess we'll stop there.
Now, therefore.
And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will come again to you, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh with you.
I believe the Lord Jesus here is talking about.
Anticipating.
Is going to the cross.
And they're observing him there on the cross.
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And his head bowed in death.
The taking of him down from the cross, and carrying him to the grave.
And in that way, he's separated from them, as the two on the way to Emmaus said. We had trusted that it had been he who would have redeemed Israel, but their hopes now lay in the grave. And of course, we know man has no communication with the dead, as in that sense at that moment their sorrow was we've lost him.
We don't have them anymore.
But what a wonderful day the resurrection day was for them when Mary comes to them and said, I've we've seen the Lord.
And they then too many of them said he was speaking to here on the first got to see him as well.
And what a joy. I don't suppose we can't imagine very well.
What it must have meant to those disciples who had followed with the Lord Jesus for for 3 1/2 years, most of them.
And watched what took place at the cross and the burial.
And then on the resurrection day, to see him face to face.
A joy.
I suppose as we some say about certain things, you have to experience it to appreciate it.
So of knowing the Lord Jesus, we say taste and see that the Lord is good.
It has to be experienced individually in the soul to be understood and appreciated and so for them.
Tremendous joy.
I believe it goes beyond that thought as well, which is not our purpose this afternoon, that he was going to come again and take them home to heaven. He was going to come and set up a Kingdom reign and so on. So it looks forward as well.
But what does he say about that joy?
He says.
No, man.
Your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
Those disciples entered into a joy that was theirs to experience.
The rest of their lives here on earth that absolutely no one could rob them of it.
A joy that was so strong in their souls they could die.
The martyr's death.
With a song in your heart.
I'm going to give it the name The Joy of Possession.
Brethren, God has given to us possessions.
That are valuable beyond description.
From the treasure House of his love that are ours to enjoy, That no man, no circumstance, nothing can take him from us.
Not even failure.
Yes, the enjoyment of them makes flee from us, but the possession cannot.
And so it was for them, the joy of their Lord and resurrection. He was theirs. He conquered death. They belonged to Him.
And he says you're mine for eternity.
You could take a piece of paper and a pencil this afternoon, and if everyone of us had it and every one of us started to write down the possessions that we have in the Father and in the Son and as members of the body of Christ and so on, it's a list that we couldn't finish.
And it's a list.
That if we understood it, perhaps what we're talking about, of eternal things to rejoice in, that cannot be taken from us.
No man can rob him of them.
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And the joy is full.
Too overflowing.
A joy that knows no end. You can't get to the bottom of it.
It's yours, it's mine.
In the position into which we have been brought with respect in John to the Father.
Which is John's ministry, and in Paul's ministry Joyce connected with the body of Christ, the church.
To rejoice in.
Let's do it.
Let's do it.
I don't want to dwell on the negative side, but.
I will point out, since I think most of us could say we don't always live in these joys all day every day.
It's not the Father that's keeping us from it, it's not the Lord Jesus that's keeping us from us, but it is some hindrance in our own soul that may keep us from the practical experience on a daily basis of the joy.
What I mean by that is we started with the joy of relationship.
And if you aren't consciously in it, you won't experience that joy.
Sometimes I know when I was a young boy.
For a number of years I experienced uncertainty about whether I was saved. I got saved many times in my heart, for at least only once really. But in my thoughts I told the Lord I I believed in Him and my Savior many times.
I wasn't in a settled piece of relationship and so my joy came and went because of it. I remember one time I was sitting in a room like this.
And a brother was preaching the gospel, Ernie Wakefield. And as some whoever heard Ernie Wakefield speak, his particular method or whatever what he was strong at is like taking your soul and shaking you over the pit of hell.
Scaring you?
And I remember sitting in a row of boys and I looked down the row and I was scared and all of them had their legs crossed one way, but I had mine crossed the other. And boy, I crossed my legs the right way just to make sure that everything was OK. I didn't have the joy of relationship at that time in my life and I thank God I have it now and have for many years.
The joy of fellowship.
Communion.
If you go your way, you're not going to enjoy it. You can't.
Can two walk together except they be agreed and so if I go my way?
I will not experience the joy of fellowship. I can't have it on my own terms.
The joy of obedience you don't obey, you don't enjoy the.
It's been said many times.
In things of God, happiness and obedience go together.
If you walk your own way, you say I'm going to have my fun.
You may have it, but not with, not with the Father. That is, if your joy is in your own things and not in His.
Possessions. The joy of possessions.
Yesterday I was looking at a video with some of my grandchildren. I don't know what how much they understood it. I did a little bit and enjoyed it.
But it was about some Christian paleontologists, people that.
Go find fossils and study them.
And this was about some dig in western Colorado, and the video was discovering some.
Dinosaur bones of various types.
And one of the comments of the people that were doing the work was they say they showed some pictures in a museum and you could see the skeleton and all the work when it had been finished, they said. But out in the field, it's very, very difficult sometimes to distinguish between the bone and the rock.
And I noticed that when they showed this picture of discovering this very rare fossil, those who knew and understood what they were looking at, we're all excited.
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Extreme joy.
But some of the others I don't think had a clue to what they were being, what there was to be happy about. They're just looking at some rock to them they couldn't distinguish. And they didn't know perhaps of the rarity of the find either.
If you don't live in the book.
You won't understand the value of your possessions and consequently you won't enjoy them to the same extent.
That someone else who has an appreciation for the value of them and what they mean to his soul.
Mean to him.
Get in the book live. In the book Psalm 119. In the early verses he talks about My delight is in the Word.
He loved to be in the Word, found joy in the Word of God, and in doing so gains the enjoyment of the possessions that were his.
Times almost done. One last one. Revelation last chapter.
Revelation 22.
Middle of verse 16. I am the root and offspring of David the bright and morning star.
And the Spirit and the Bride.
They come.
The joy of hope.
To be enjoyed today, not when the hope is realized only.
Could go to many places. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God, O brethren.
It's a joy to the soul to anticipate.
Daily and rejoice in hope.
The Lord Jesus, we know what it's like to anticipate with joy something that's not yet happened.
To our hearts.
We were coming down the road here Wednesday.
I think we saw over 100 cars and trucks in the ditch.
Wasn't very pleasant driving and we stopped at a rest area for a moment and there was a little boy.
Who was talking to my wife and she was all excited because he had his, not his sled escape.
I forget what you call them skate. I want to say skateboard, but I'll call it a sled. He had his sled in the car and they were going somewhere and when they got there he was going to have fun. And all the way there he was going in the anticipation of it. He wasn't worried about what was happening outside. That was his dad's problem.
His was to enjoy.
The end of the road and what he was going to do.
Can't we also have that joy?
I will take you. I will safely bring you home. There will be nothing that will keep you and I from reaching the end of the destination. It's a sometimes people say of Christian hope, a deferred certainty. We're going to be there, we're going to get there, and our hearts daily can say in response to the Lord expressing his desire that we be together in that way.
Say with the Spirit of God Even so come Lord Jesus.
Let's pray.
I Will Draw All Men Unto Me
Address—C. Hendricks
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This afternoon by singing 327.
Lord Jesus, are we one with thee, O height, O depth of love, and crucified and dead with thee, now one in heaven above last verse, and soon shall come that glorious day. When seated on thy throne, thou shalt to wandering world's display that we with thee are one. Someone raised that tune, please.
For Jesus.
Our way.
And destroy.
Amsterdam.
Shall come.
And fall every other day when I am sitting in the middle of life is wrong.
You wanna dream world? That's why you might be ready.
For everyone.
And I will be.
Hard on.
That's great.
Is the judgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world which is Satan be cast out and I if I be lifted up, that's the cross from the earth will draw all men unto me Jews and Gentiles no difference. Now the the Old Testament was characterized by 1 nation that was called out to be his dwelling place and his people and the Gentile nations roundabout.
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We're not so favored, but draw all men unto me. Doesn't matter whether your skin is red or yellow, black or white, You're all precious in his sight. Christianity is not one nation under God like the United States. This is 1 nation where there are many Christians. I believe more Christians in this land than in any other nation in the world. But the church doesn't consist of nations.
On earth it consists of believers united together in in one family and one body. By the Spirit of God to one head and to one God and Father that we know. And we get some of these precious things in this wonderful gospel. And I've been if I be lifted up from the earth, we'll draw all men unto me. Does it matter what country you come from? Doesn't matter what station in life you might be in.
The highest to the lowest.
Draw all men unto me. There's no limit, there's no exclusion of any this new order of blessing that would be brought in, founded upon his death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. That's Christianity. What is called Christianity in this nation is a far cry from what it is as presented in the word of God.
It's not.
One nation. We often think of ourselves like the Jews thought of Israel. Israel was one nation, and they knew the true God. And we're one nation, and we know the true God, those of us who are Christians. But it goes far beyond this nation, or any nation on the face of the earth. It includes all peoples and races and colors and tribes and languages. All are included in this new order of blessing.
Something which was unknown in the Old Testament, totally unknown. It was unknown in the Old Testament to call God our Father. They knew Him as. Jehovah. They knew him as.
The Lord of Hosts. They knew him as the the God that created all things, but not His Father. They didn't know Him, His Father that required the coming into this world of Him who was the eternal Son, whoever dwelt and dwells in the bosom of the Father.
And he came to make him known as Father.
I remember going through a perusal of the New Testament and there are two expressions that I was searching out. The one was my God and the the the one time that the Lord Jesus used that expression was when he was forsaken on the cross.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, but all other times?
I know he refers to that in John 20. Tell my brethren I ascend unto my Father, into your Father, and to my God, and to your God. But that's talking about him. But when he addressed him, he always addressed him as Father, except that one time when he was made sin, and all the judgment of a holy God as God the judge was poured out upon him to accomplish his glory and our eternal blessing.
And the foundation of all our blessings.
But I went through the scriptures and there's only one apostle that referred to God as my God. One. Only one. That's Paul.
My God. All the rest referred to him in different ways. And of course the Lord. The Lord of course referred to him as my God. When did he become his God? Well, the 22nd Psalm says thou art my God, even from my mother's belly. When he became a man, his father became his God.
And when we address God in the prayers, if you look at it, we address him as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We put God first because we always knew him as God, but we didn't know him his Father until we got saved.
And it was just the opposite with the Lord He always knew in his Father, but never as God until he got.
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Incarnate until he received became a man.
Thou art my God, even from my mother's belly. And when he cries out, my God, my God, He's speaking as a man forsaken of God.
And all that He is in His Holiness against sin. The first thing he said on the cross was Father. Forgive them, for they know not what they do. And the last thing He said was Father. Into thy hands I commend my spirit. That's the term of fellowship and relationship and communion, Father, but God was when He was forsaken.
For our sins.
Then he couldn't say my father.
They had to say. My God.
Tremendous.
And that's what we have in verse 31 of our chapter 12. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. So there we have the cross now in the 13th chapter, verse.
I'll start at verse 3, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands.
And that he was come from God and went to God, He rises from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself. And after that he poured water into a base and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. And that's what he's doing now. That's what he was doing now.
First verse says when the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of the world to the Father having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end. And he takes, he takes a towel, he takes a basin, he gets at their feet and wipes them, washes them, wipes them clean. It's a picture of what he's doing now as our advocate with the Father, we go through a world that's defiling. We know what we're we're probably in the most defiling area.
Well, Canada is even worse than the United States, but we're.
In such a defiling atmosphere, I say I feel very sad at you young people being raised in a in a world such as this materially. We have everything, spiritually nothing as far as this world is concerned, Nothing. Everything that you touch and taste and handle and have to do with puts the world into your heart and the only thing that will give you that which is eternal and lasting.
Is what we have in this book. This book. No wonder the world doesn't like it because the Lord said in.
This precious book, he said. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me because it hated you before it hated because it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Once said to me, did you, did you vote? I said yes I did.
Long time ago when I did, I said my man is in. I'm waiting for him to come up.
There's only one man I could vote for, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Thankful for the one that is in. Very thankful, I must say.
But I feel sorry for him. Dear President Bush, he's the Lord's. Be thankful for that. But I wouldn't want that job for any anything wouldn't be qualified for it. Not at all. It takes one with quite deep qualifications. Well, here we have a picture of what the Lord is doing on high. Now for us, he's our advocate with the Father, He's our high priest with God. And as our high priest it's to keep us from sinning. And if we do stumble and sin, then we have an advocate with the Father.
Jesus Christ the righteous and He restores us. Don't let anything that we have said or that I say or anyone says if you failed and sinned that there's no hope for you, don't ever let that thought pass into your mind. Because the Lord Jesus is for us. And if God before us who can be against us, these are advocates. He's our High Priest. He's the one that shed His Precious Blood and went into the death of the cross in order to make it possible for us to be with Him forever.
For all eternity in the Father's house on high, well, he goes to just touching. Then in the 14th chapter, verse one, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, Believe also in me. Now why does why does he say that they believed in him? He was not going to remain with them. He was going to leave and they wouldn't see him. There's not anyone in this room that has seen the Lord. I don't like pictures of the Lord because that's the fabrication of the mind of man.
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What they think he might have looked like, we don't know what he looked like. We know he was the perfect man.
And we get a picture of him in the word of God. Let the picture in your mind that you gather from reading the Scriptures satisfy you. One day you'll be in His presence and you'll see Him physically. Now the ones that wrote the New Testament, they all saw him. They all saw Him. His disciples saw him. Even the Apostle Paul saw him in the glory before he became the Apostle.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. I'm going away. You won't see me anymore. So you're going to have to have faith to lay hold upon me, just like you do upon God himself in my father's house and many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. I I noticed that term my father and I really didn't finish my thought on it. Paul speaks of him as my God.
Several times in Scripture. But he never calls him my Father. Never. And that's striking. And no one does except one person, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that brings before me the the truth of the eternal sonship of Christ. He was entitled to call him that which he which was true of him with the Father from all eternity past. My Father. He never became his father. He was always his Father. He did become his God, and that's when he became a man. But we know him the other way. We know him as God first, and then we know him as Father. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also.
He wants us with Him. That is so precious. He wants us with him, and in order for us to be in His presence and to know him and to enjoy Him, we must have his life and nature.
Can't do it in the nature that we have is born of Adam.
Because that nature doesn't know him, the world doesn't know him. All men have not faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith. Wonderful faith. Not all men have faith. If you have faith, to lay hold upon the truth of God as you read it.
You have something which is the most precious thing you can have. Faith it makes, it makes real to yourself these precious things. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that that which is seen is not made of things which do appear. By faith we know those things. There was no one present in the world at any time since Adam. Adam didn't. He wasn't there. When God created the world, he wasn't there. Spirit of God was there, and he's the one that gave us how God did it.
How God did it?
Jesus saith unto him, verse six. I love this verse. It is the most exclusive verse probably in the Bible. I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the Father but by me.
No one else, not Mohammed, not Buddha, not Gandhi or any any of the religious leaders of the time. Only by him. Everyone else is excluded. I was raised in Wilmette and by high temple was there in the harbor 9 sided to represent the nine major religions in the world and there's one 180° on the other side of the world. I think it's in India, another by high temple.
All the religions represented.
Christianity was just one, Judaism was another, Muslim religion another, and I can't name all the rest Buddhism and so on, but.
To them Jesus was just another prophet. This verse says that he's the way, that he's the truth, that he's the life. No one comes to the father, but by him. I was pumping gas once. Some of you have heard this, others may not have, and I handed the man the tracks and he.
00:20:14
We got into a talk and he said all there are many ways to heaven, many ways to heaven. He said, just as long as you're sincere, you can get there. And then I said, no, there's only one way. And I quoted this verse, this verse. No one comes to the Father, but by me you can't get there any other way but through him. And he said, well, I I think there's many ways just have to be sincere. So he said, how do I get to Evanston from here? I said, take any road you want, as long as you're sincere, you'll make it.
And.
That won't work. I said no, it won't work. And what you've been saying won't work. There's only one way to heaven, and that's through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. The most exclusive verse. No one comes to the Father but by me. I'm going to say to young people, don't just talk about God. When you're talking to your college friends and so on, talk about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the name that is. So it has such a stigma to it. Everyone believes in a God, some kind of a God, but this one is a special.
Unique. True. And only God the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember I got saved as a freshman in college and I foolishly took an elective course in religion and it was bad.
The professor was really a modernist and a liberal and and all the other students and I always referred to the Lord Jesus as the Lord Jesus Christ. They looked at me with anger and said no, call him that, don't call him that. And the more they told me not to call him that the more I called him that. The Lord Jesus Christ give him his title, give him his full title. Don't be ashamed of him. He's that is ashamed of me, he said We'll be, I'll be ashamed of him in that day.
Don't be ashamed of him. We have the most wonderful person that exists in the universe. All the whole 3 persons are coequal in glory. The Father sent the Son to be the savior of the world.
Well.
Then in this 14th chapter.
Wonderful thing, he says in verse 15. First, the first part of the verse, he says in my father's house I'm going to go and I'm going to come again and take you there, and that's where we're going to spend eternity together, together. Then he says in verse 15, if you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray the Father, then he shall give you another comforter. The Lord was a comforter when he was here on earth, but now he says, I'm going to leave you and I'll give you another one.
I will pray the Father, he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Now the Lord didn't abide with his disciples forever. He was just here for 33 years. And now he says, I'm going away back to the Father, but I'm going to send you another Comforter that's referring to the Spirit of God, and he'll never leave you.
How many times have you have I have we thanked him for the Spirit of God?
He is God as much as the Father and the Son, the Spirit of God.
He's the one that is the author of this book. He's the one who has sealed us. He's the one who has baptized us into one body.
He's the one who has given us eternal life. We were born again, born of the Spirit.
And everything we have, we have through the Spirit of God.
Everything we have, we have through the Son of God. Everything we have, we have from God the Father, all three persons working together for our eternal blessing.
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Forever. You have a Divine Person within you. We do. We do. I do You do Divine Person within you. That ought to, that ought to keep us from sinning.
The very fact that he is there.
Ought to keep us from going places we shouldn't go and doing things we shouldn't do and saying things we shouldn't say, and on and on and on. And I know we're guilty. I'm guilty. You have to answer that one before the Lord yourself.
Doesn't rob us of our salvation. That's something that is secure and nothing can touch it. Satan can't touch it, but our joy he can. He can talk to rob us of our joy.
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And he called. He's called here in verse 17 the spirit of truth. That's where we learned the truth.
By the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him.
Ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. He dwelleth with you. I think that's a collective thought with you collectively. And he's in US individually, and he'll never leave us. He'll be with us forever. Forever.
At that day.
Verse 19 Again I should read yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more. But ye see me because I live, ye shall live also, but that day ye shall know that I am in my father, and ye and me, and I in you. Some of these expressions in John's gospel are so deep and profound and wonderful. Meditate upon them.
Repeat them and learn them.
Live in this. I remember after I first got saved, I had a little Gospel of John, and everywhere I went I read. And every time I had a spare moment, I'd go through the Gospel of John.
There's nothing like it, Nothing like it. I know the whole Bible is inspired of God.
But this is the choicest John's Gospel.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me.
You prove your love for him by keeping his commandments. Notice the last verse of chapter 14. I'll read it now, verse 31. It's the only time that something that he speaks of His love for the Father. The only time.
But that the world may know that I love the Father.
And as the Father gave me commandment, Even so I do I love the Father. How do I show my love for the Father? I keep his word. I keep His commandment. Do everything you told me to do.
That's love. That's true love.
When your child comes up to you and puts his, his or her arms around you and says, Mommy, I love you, but I'm not going to do what you tell me.
That's not love. Love is obedience, Love issues in doing what we're told to do, which we really love. And that's what proved his love for the Father, that he did his father's commandment and that involved going all the way to the cross. Father, take away this cup from me. He said he received it from the Father. The Father gave it to him.
And he drank it to the very tracks on the cross.
Verse 20 At that day he shall know that I am in my father, and ye, and me, and I in you, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me.
If you really love him, you will keep his commandments.
And he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest.
Myself to him.
Let that verse sink down into our souls.
What he's saying here love of the father and the son going out to us.
Because we love Him and show it by obedience to Him.
Judas saith unto him, Not ascariot bored. The Judas Iscariot never called him Lord, he never called him Lord, he did not know him.
Simon Peter denied him, but he knew him. Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Some say that thou art John the Baptist, others Jeremiahs, Elijah, or Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets whom say he that I am. And Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He knew who he was.
And he failed because he was overconfident.
Overconfident. The last thing to die in men, everyone of us, none excluded, is pride. And it's the worst sin that we care about with us. Pride.
It gives to man a place that only belongs to God.
Only belongs to God. I see these bumper stickers. I'm the proud parent of an honor student. And so on so place.
If it doesn't show on me, it'll show in my children some accomplishment that they've had. I'd like to see the bike, bike, the bumper stickers, and my proud Christian who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. I'd like to see that one.
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That wouldn't be as popular.
We know the greatest person in the universe.
He says in verse 25, These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you see, John's Gospel is the Christian gospel. Matthew, Mark and Luke are more Jewish. This one gives us Christianity before it became a fact in history, before Acts 2, when the Spirit of God came down, it tells him what Christianity really is. It's knowing the Father is Father. It's knowing the Son as sin of the Father. It's having the Holy Spirit and knowing the Holy Spirit.
Who's been sent down to lead us and bring us into all truth?
Notice what he says in verse 24. He that loveth me, not keepeth not my the word which he hears, not mine, but the fathers which sent me.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. And so the Spirit of God is the author of the wonderful truths that we have in the New Testament, as well as the Old, as well as the old.
OK.
And then he talks about the vine. We've got the spirit of God to produce fruit.
Galatians 5 says the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy. Peace, long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, temperance. 9 Flavors to that fruit, Fruit of the Spirit. Many quoted misquoted by saying the fruits of the Spirit. That's not what it says, says the fruit of the Spirit. 9 flavors. And when the Spirit of God has control in your life, all of those nine characteristics will be produced by the Spirit of God, not just some of them.
I used to read them and say, well, I think I passed that one, but not that one. Not that one, not that one.
But if the Spirit of God is leading?
It's the life of Christ is being reproduced by the Spirit of God in the life that He's communicated to us.
Which is the life of Christ.
Peace I leave with you.
That's what he did on the cross. He made peace by the blood of his cross. My peace is the peace that he had as a dependent, obedient man. I give unto you, that is the world giveth give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Then he talks about fruit bearing in chapter 15. What is fruit bearing? It's the reproduction.
Through the life of the believer that is now his by the Spirit of God, of Christ.
That's what fruit bearing is. Life of Christ being reproduced in the Christian wonderful privilege that we have to live in obedience, keep His commandments to walk in submission to Him, and then there be fruit, there'll be fruit.
That 9 flavored fruit. Notice it's in contrast there in Galatians 5 with the works of the flesh. Works in plural and of the flesh, but the fruit of the spirit.
In contrast with the works of the flesh.
Then in the 16th chapter, he says, well, I'll read the end of the 15th because it's so important that we realize this, he says Verse.
The end of the first part of 15 is verse 17. These things I command you that you love one another. That's the family all to that's all the family up through verse 17. And then he talks about the world, the relationship in the world that we have. If the world. Verse 19, if the world, if you were of the world.
Now let me read verse 18. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you, for my name's sake.
Because they know not him that sent me. They didn't know. They don't know the Father. The world doesn't know the Father. I don't know the Son. If I've not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. So that means to us in very practical words, If someone hates the Lord Jesus Christ, they hate God. They hate God the Father.
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You can't. You can't hate the sun and not hate the father.
And you can't love the Son and not love the Father.
They go together.
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause. And then he talks again about the Spirit of God. But the Comforter, when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father. Notice in the 14th chapter the Father sends the Spirit. Here the Son sends the Spirit.
Whom I will send unto you from the Father, Even the Spirit of truth again He's called the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father. He shall testify of me and because and ye also shall witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
And then chapter 16 He continues this from 15 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended, They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yeah, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service.
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time should come, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you, but now I go my way to the hymn that sent me. And none of you asketh me. Whither goest thou because I've said these things to you? Sorrow has filled your heart. They didn't wanted to leave the cake taken care of all of their needs.
They loved him dearly and they wanted him to remain. And he said no, I have to go. I have to accomplish the work that God the Father gave me to do, first the cross and then and leave this scene, the resurrection and going to heaven.
Sorrow hath filled your heart. Verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away.
Absolutely necessary. If I go that, I go away.
Where if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. We are living in the day of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, not the Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Holy Spirit. What characterizes Christianity is the presence of a divine person on earth in dwelling, the family of God collectively, and each one of us individually.
Spirit of God.
And he can't come until there's a man in the glory.
And it's not until there's that man in the glory who gives eternal life to as many as the Father gives him.
That we read much about eternal life. John's gospel carries it over and over again because he's looking forward to the life that's been given to us, the very same life that is His. In fact, He is called in the epistle of John that eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested unto us, and that life is yours and mine.
I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I do part, I will send him unto you. No Jew in the Old Testament had the Spirit of God dwelling him in Him like we do. He came upon the some prophets for the occasion. They uttered their prophecy, and then he retired from them. But he did not indwell them. He did not seal them, He did not anoint them. He did not stay with them, as He does with us.
That in itself should fill our souls with joy, joy, Joy. Brother was talking about joy. Think that the Spirit of God, a divine person, one of the Persons of the Trinity.
Has come to take his abode in your heart and mind.
When he has come verse eight, he will reprove the world.
New translation Mr. Darby's translation says he will bring demonstration to the world three things of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Then he tells what the sin is. The sin is of sin because they believe not on me.
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The greatest sin that man can commit now is they believe not on Jesus, the Son of God, who came here to accomplish a work for the glory of God and for the salvation of man. And they killed him. They hated him, They despised him. That's the worst sin they could commit.
And of righteousness. Because I go to my father, man's sin was demonstrated at the cross. If you want to see man's sin in all its heinousness, you look at the cross.
The greatest expression of his hatred and disgust of the Son of God spit in his face.
And then the righteousness of God raised him from the dead, and set him at the highest place in heaven of righteousness. Because I go to my Father, and you see me no more.
The presence of the Spirit of God demonstrates the sin of man, and crucifying the Son, the righteousness of God, and exalting Him, and of judgment as a judgment coming for those that have done that to him, because the Prince of this world is judged.
The very presence of the Spirit here not so much what he's doing when here, but his presence here demonstrates those 3 great truths, sin of man, righteousness of God, and the judgment which will follow this dispensation of the grace of God.
Then he says, I have yet many things to say unto you, but she cannot bear them now. Albeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself or from himself as a source, But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.
And he will show you things to come.
And that we have in the Book of Revelation. He shows that's the final prophecy. The Old Testament is filled with prophecy. The Revelation is not something new. It's just the the, the, you might say the finish of the prophetic word. But what was new, what was a mystery that was new, that had never been found in the Old Testament, was the mystery of Christ in the church, the one body and so on.
Well, John doesn't touch that truth, but he gives us a little outline of Christianity before it came into being.
Albeit when he verse 13 the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. When he's here, what does he do? He shall glorify me.
He shall glorify me now. He's the one that lives in you, that dwells in you and me, and he's here to glorify the sun.
And whenever we give honor to the Son, whenever we speak to souls, and set the sun before them, and.
Present him as the Savior and the Lord and say good things about Him. That's the work of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will never say anything that is dishonouring to the Son. Never.
He should glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you all things that the Father hath their mind. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. That by High Temple is blasphemy, because it places Jesus alongside of the other prophets to the other false religions, which are Satan's religions. That's blasphemy.
Blasphemy.
And anything that puts anyone else equal with the Lord Jesus is blasphemous.
He is infinitely above all the heads of all other religions. His resurrection proves that everything he said was true. His resurrection proves that He is who he said.
He is who he professed to be.
All things that the Father hath their mind. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you a little while, And he shall not see me. And again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
And said he of his disciples among themselves, what is this? They didn't understand his words. And then we have that beautiful chapter, not time to go into it. The 17th of John.
The 17th of John is the only prayer that the Lord made.
That about us.
It's about us, about you and me and the disciples that company with him on earth. And then He brings us in all that would believe on him through their word and throughout the world. Not. I'm not talking about Americans. I'm talking about Christians throughout the whole world.
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These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hours come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee, as thou has given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. If we're going to know him, if we're going to know God, we must have his life in nature.
Absolutely essential. And so he gives it to us so that we can know him. He wants us to know him. He wants us not just to know about him.
But to know him, do you know him? I'm not asking you if you know about him.
As millions of people that this coming month will who they know all about him, they'll celebrate him as a little baby and so on. But do they know him?
That's what he wants. This is life eternal, that they might know thee. The only true God. That's the Father.
And Jesus Christ, whom I sent to know who God is, He's a Father.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent the Son to know him.
They're both, he says. I have glorified thee on the earth. I finished the work which thou gave us me to do, and notice his prayer now in verse 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou, me with thine own self with the with thee, Thine own self with the glory which I had with thee.
Went before the world was He was in that eternal glory with the Father as God, and as in the form of God. But Philippians 2 tells us that he exchanged the form of God for the form of a servant.
He's a servant now.
He was in the form of God. He's not in the form of God. Now he's as a man.
But he asked to be glorified as man, Dressing his Father with the same glory that he had with him before the world was. That's an eternal glory, but now there's a man in that glory.
And he'll be there forever, and we'll be around him in the father's house. We'll look upon him, remember, Philip said. Show us the father in its sufficeth us.
He just wanted to see the Father once. He said that that'll suffice me. Well, that wouldn't suffice the heart of God if he just saw the Father once.
In fact, as we look at Jesus, we'll see the Father. He said that he said he had seen may have seen the Father. How sayest thou, then? Show us the Father. Have I been so long time? But with you, Philip? Thou hast not known me. The Lord Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father. All his moral traits and characteristics are found in the sun, but we see Him because he became a man.
We see him.
That is a spirit being, though he still is. But he's God, and he's man in one inscrutable person, which we will never be able to fathom that in that man all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in him.
These are thoughts that are far beyond our puny minds to comprehend.
But we can rejoice in them.
He had glory with the Father. As the eternal Son. He came down here and assumed manhood.
Precious Precious Jesus.
Do you know him?
When I was a young man saved, I don't know where I learned it.
But I'll repeat it, Many of you have heard me repeat this.
The summoned substance of all blessedness, both in this life and in that which is to come, is to know God.
And he can only be known in the person of his son.
Do you know him? He.
We want you to know him. He wants you to become familiar with him. He wants you to.
Be so in his presence that when you get home.
Like Mr. Darby wrote that him there no stranger. God shall meet the stranger thou in courts above. We've never been in those courts above, but we when we get there, we should be there as one who knows him. We've learned to know him down here.
We'll know him better.
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Up there, I don't think we'll ever exhaust it. We'll never arrive at the point where we say we're now a know it all.
Because he's infinite.
I'll have to Passover to the 20th chapter after.
To the Lord's resurrection.
Mary Magdalene was the one that stayed at the sepulchre, weeping.
She's the one out of whom the Lord had cast 7 demons.
And she wouldn't leave that place where they she last saw him laid. She wanted to be near that body. She didn't understand the resurrection at all.
Verse 11 Met Barry stood without it, the sepulchre weeping, And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and see if 2 angels in white seating the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus led. Blaine. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou, she saith unto them, Because they've taken away, my Lord, isn't that precious?
Can you say that he is my Lord? Not the Lord, not the Lord, but my Lord. They've taken away my Lord.
And I know him not, I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, Why weep a stop? Whom seekest thou?
Same thing he said to the angels, except he adds that whom seekers. So you know who he knew who she was seeking.
And that filled his heart with joy.
She's supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, you have borne him hence, Thou have borne him hence Tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. And Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
She heard his voice.
She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabona, which is to say, master.
She wanted to rush forward and apprehend him, embrace him, but he says to her, Touch me, not.
Don't cling to me, Mary. You can't have me back as the Messiah of Israel.
I've died to that. I'm risen now, and I'm going to bring you into something infinitely better than Judaism in all its glory, even in Solomon's day, something much better.
Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. Notice he puts my Father first.
When we pray, we put God first.
But he could put his father first.
I ascend unto my Father and dear Father, and to my God and dear God.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
What did she tell them? He called you his brethren.
He said that he was going to his father and your father, to his God and your God. He put you into the same place that he is in as man.
My Father. My God. My God, my Father.
You can't be in a nearer place. The Jews didn't know anything about that in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, you name them all. Moses, you can name them all. They didn't know this truth. They weren't in this new place.
It hadn't. It hadn't been accomplished yet, in fact, because the Spirit of God wasn't sent down until the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts. But if you get a picture of it in John's Gospel.
Verse 19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, This is the first resurrection day, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
First thing he proclaims to them is peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed them his hands in his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then sayeth Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you, this time not for themselves, but to proclaim the message of peace to a perishing world, as my Father had sent me, Even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them. He breathed on them His resurrection life, just like God breathed into Adam natural life. In Genesis 2 He breathes as the second man, the last Adam.
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His resurrection life into his disciples. And he says to them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, as the power of that life in Romans 8 speaks of him as now that this, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, has set us free from the law of sin and of death. We have the Spirit of God as the Spirit of life breathed into us by the risen Christ.
I thought I'd get farther than this, but.
Read the book of Acts. Read it in in the light of the Acts of the Holy Spirit, and you'll see how that he comes down and unites into one body all the individual believers, and he takes his abode. And that's the baptism of the Spirit on chapter 2, And in chapter 10 the Gentiles are brought into that baptism. And that's the church that's going on to a little different line of truth than what we saw.
In John's Gospel.
Well, I was going to sing another hymn, but I've taken all the time, so let's pray.
We Have the Mind and Counsels of God
Address—N. Whatmough
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Afternoon by singing #330 What raised the wondrous thought? Or who did it suggest that we the Church to glory brought, Should with the Son be blessed? Oh God, the thought was thine, thine only it could be fruit of the wisdom, Love, Divine, peculiar unto thee #330.
What?
Race.
You.
Somehow.
Oh.
Great, great.
Sores.
By all of the day and God means.
The.
The.
So bright.
For now.
And we stand up and open God's word. You say for sure, no other mind or thoughts so bold, so free greatness or strength could ever find that. Only it could be. It's really quite something to open our Bibles and to say that we have the mind of God, to know what was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.
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And to say we know the one who purposed everything after the council of his own will. And I'm thinking too of the dearest Saints that are going home and safety is of the Lord. And two, as we stand here, that our sister is being laid to rest. And I just like to read a verse before we pray in connection with that in the 16th song.
Psalm #16.
Verse 8. Two verses. I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, and I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices, and my flesh shall also rest in hope.
Well, our dear sisters body is going to be laid in a grave by loving hands. This our work and her question is going to rest in hope as we sit here and have the same hope of the Lords coming, that we might all be changed. But we do desire the comfort of those that more than two the many that will come to the funeral perhaps hear words whereby they might be saved. Just look for the Lord's help.
Well, I'd like to turn first of all to a verse in Ephesians.
And back up in time.
To see what the counsels of God are concerning.
All things our brother spoke after the break you've read about.
Israel's hopes and it is a wonderful thing to think of.
Verse 10 Verse Verse nine of Ephesians chapter one having made known unto us the mystery of his will.
According to the good pleasure which yet purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.
In whom we also have obtained an inheritance.
Well, it's not my purpose to speak along.
That line particularly, but more the practical side of things as to what the Church is. But our brother brought before us the hopes of Israel.
And it is a wonderful thing to think that in the purpose purposes of God, that God purposed that there would be blessing here on earth and blessing in heaven.
But as we turn to Matthew's Gospel, we find that a king was born into this world.
And he was banned, turned to the word of God to find him, that they might kill him. And as the gospel unfolds, we he say he that came from heaven to be born king of the Jews was rejected.
And it culminated in them actually seeing all those good deeds that he did, and he's saying that he did them by the power of the devil.
And So what is unfolded to us then is something that was in the heart of God beginning to be unfolded to us from the heart of God.
That God was in the interim that he was rejected, that his Son was to be rejected by his earthly people, was going to call out of this earth a heavenly people.
The Jew was looking for blessing here on this earth, and there will be blessing here on this earth.
But that there was in the heart and thought of God that he should call out a heavenly people.
And that he was going to this people called out, he was going to call was the church.
They're going to be friends of the bridegroom too, but they was going to call out of this earth in the in the period of the rejection of his son.
And so that he might have a companion with himself.
When he took that place of headship over all things, whether they be in heaven and on earth.
And so it ought to be of the deepest interest to everyone that belongs to Christ that.
They're going to be associated with Christ for all eternity.
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In that way, as his bride and the youngest child, if they bow their head and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
In reality, was made a member of his body.
That is going to be the bride presented to him as the bride of Christ. It's a wonderful thing. You know, we can't act properly if we don't know what our position is. If we walked in the door of this hotel and we didn't know whether we were a busboy or a chef or whether we were a guest, we wouldn't know how to behave ourselves. And we will not know how to conduct ourselves in this world in a proper way if we do not know.
What our place is in this world and what our association is.
And many dear believers don't know what the church is. They know it's not a building. I think it's rare to find somebody that believes that the church is a building. They always revert to speaking that way. They say, well, we know the church is not a building, it's the people in the building. But I trust as we unfold from God's Word, we're going to see more than it is a bunch of people that gather themselves together.
But that it is the expression here on this earth of the fact that he is gathering.
A people for himself, forming a bride for himself here on this earth.
You know, when brethren first started to break bread in the last century, what exercised them was here was a man preaching the gospel in a republican country, and if one wanted to be part of the church, they had to swear allegiance to the Queen of England and they had to go to a place that.
Where the Bishop was appointed by the British Parliament. How would you like it if the brother stood up here and preached the Gospel last night and said, well, if you want to be part of the church, you're going to have to be?
Swear allegiance to the Prime Minister of Canada and you're going to have to go to a place where the minister is appointed by the Prime Minister. Canadian Parliament. Well, that was the level of understanding of people of what the church was in the last century. And so it was a wonderful thing, this truth that we're going to turn to Matthew's Gospel that first of all to see what the Lord was going to build. I'm just going to make two comments because we're going to take up particularly one side of it.
We see that what the Lord is forming here on this earth, He makes no mistakes, He adds no bad materials to it. It is done an absolute and complete perfection.
But what has been committed in demands hands. There's failure in connection with it and.
We are associated with that failure and it's particularly that side of things that we want to look at.
Not the failure, but the Lord's provision for it in a day of ruin.
And that really brings in not the body side, but the house side of the truth. And let's just perhaps we could turn to First Timothy and look at a verse that would bring out the burden of my heart and bring out these things.
First Timothy, chapter 3.
I'm going to read it in the King James. It reads better in Mr. Darby's translation, but not to be flipping back and forth.
Paul writes to Timothy.
And he's Speaking of the local church and the administration of the local church. That is the local expression of the church here. And he said, verse 15. But if I tarry long that thou mayest knowest how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God, which is the Church of the living God.
The pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels, preached on to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. But thou mayest note how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the House of God. There's a lot of bad behavior in the House of God, and God would have us behave ourselves properly in His house. We're associated with the House of God.
Let's just go back to Matthew 16.
And here we find it formed in its perfection by Christ. This is all Christ's work.
But it's the foundation of it.
Matthew 16.
00:15:03
And verse 13.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, AM?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremias are one of the prophets, and he Seth unto them. But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be.
Loosed in heaven, and he charged his disciples that they should tell no man that Jesus was the Christ.
What we're reading here of what Christ was going to do as a future thing, and that was build his church, and it was built on the foundation of the fact that Jesus was the Christ the sent one of the Father.
The son of the living God. You notice that in Timothy that the House of God.
You find that expression in the living God. When we are brought to the assembly, we are brought to the place.
That is built on the foundation of the confession of the Son of the living God, and we have become associated with the living God.
And I might say that a great deal of difficulty that comes into your life and into mine and into the assembly.
Stems not from what we don't understand, but what we lose sight of. Of the fact that we have to do with the living God.
That the living God is in the midst of his people. It's not just to some doctrines on which things are built, but it is a living God with whom we have to do.
And so we turn over to Matthew 18. We see very quickly that.
The question of responsibility comes in, and we're not going to tarry on this, but you see already the question of an offense between two brothers comes. And so he has put into the hands of the church, which he is going to build the authority to deal with that sort of thing. Why? Because they are in the presence of the living God, and he is given his authority for them to deal with that.
And we're not going to.
Dwell on that side of things. I think we've heard an awful lot about that, about binding and losing.
Except to say that what we find here in verse Matthew 18 and 24, where two or three are, are gathered together in My name, they are My in the midst of them. That is what the Church is. It is not a society. It is not the Church of England. It is not a society that may follow a man like Luther or John Wesley, as godly as those men may be and as thankful as we are for their memory of them.
It is not.
A society that is formed around a reformation of the doctrine Reformed, as thankful as we are for what took place, but it is where two or three are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he is the Son of the living God.
And so because he is there and because they are gathered to his name and responsibility, he does not want anything associated with his name that is going to detract from who he is.
And I may say that if we went back to Matthew 16, it is a very, very serious thing for ones to call into question the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is built on the foundation that that Christ was the Son of the living God. And you know, there may be brethren. I was among a group of brethren that in outward ways may have in many ways met like we do. But there arose a man that denied that Jesus was eternally the Son of God.
And some other brothers come from another assembly and they visited and they said, well, it was all right for him to break bread and to teach as long as he didn't teach that.
What a serious thing, what a serious thing it is to say that the Son of God could sin in him was no sin and.
00:20:05
That is the very foundation of our fellowship. We may do everything alike, and you may have there may be another meeting across the hall that meets in exactly the same way outwardly as we do.
But if there is not that clear foundation as to the person, and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is a most serious thing, it attacks the very foundation on which Christ has built His church. Well, He had put into the authority the hands of those two or three gathered to the Lord's name. The authority to bind into loose, that is to say, is that.
To bind a sin upon one, and to loose that sin upon one, and that authority to maintain the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well I'd like to turn now with the Lorde help to.
This expression where we get the expression of this truth and that is we had in our 23rd Psalm, now prepare us. The table before me in the presence of mine enemies is just a turn to 1St Corinthians Chapter 9.
I'm going to start to read from verse 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize.
Run that she may obtain, And every man that striveth for the mastery is tempered in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible crown. I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so fight. I not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body, and bring it in subjection, lest by any means when I had preached Christ to others.
I myself should be a castaway. This is the Apostle Paul speaking here.
And I read this first before we go into the 10th chapter, because he's going to lay some things on their conscience in the 10th chapter, which he first lays on his own. And that is that Paul conceived that he might have a saved soul and a lost life.
And the Lord is called out, called you and me out. That's what the word church means. It's a called out company that we might bear a testimony to Him here in this world.
And Paul was concerned that he would strive for an incorruptible crown.
But that he might strive in such a way keep his body under subjection.
That he might not miss the pathway.
And certainly we have seen many, many miss the pathway.
And.
As a result, we see in responsibility what has happened to the testimony of the Church.
If we turn to the second and third chapters of Revelation.
We could see the prophetic outline of the church is history and the Lord's assessment of what He sees in it as a responsible testimony. I liken it this way. We've always been able to walk to meeting in Saint Thomas. We've had two different meeting rooms and sometimes when the children are young, they start to ask you questions and one might say, where was that? Why do we not see that what we saw in the book of the Acts of the Apostles anymore? Well, the Lord said to Ephesus that except you repent, he would remove the Candlestick.
And you will not find the original testimony on the face of this earth anymore, where they were all together in one place.
Because they left their first love, that was their love for the Lord, and the Lord through persecution brought them back in line. And we see that and we have the history of those that in Smyrna. But we found that the word, the church got comfortable and it settled in and it allied itself with the world to make the world a better place. It lost its sense of its heavenly calling and wanted to fit in with the world. It was tired of being persecuted. So as you say, if you can't lick them, join them.
And the Church decided that it was going to join with the world to make a better world. But that is not our place. We were called out of darkness.
And in so doing that, it got to the point. And now we pick up the walk with the boys and they go by the place and they say, if I may use this illustration, it's like the Spirit of God, the Son of God, looking into each place as a responsible testimony, saying what's going on in there? I see idols in there. Well, you know that they are believers and they took up with idols.
00:25:22
And it even says that they taught my servants to commit fornication and that goes on. Why has there been a breakdown in marriage?
You know, a young man told me that a fellow worker had gone to the minister, He was getting married and the minister said, well, I think you should just live together for a while and find out whether it's going to work out before you get married. He was teaching them to commit fornication.
And the priest taught the ones too, that divorce was a mortal sin, so that they should live together in sin because that was just a venial sin. They taught them to commit fornication. And that is why we've been plunged into this morass of immorality is because the church and responsibility has taught those things. And so you can find the judgment of God and what he's going to do about that in the Book of Revelation. Then you may go by another place and it may even say on the front Bible church and you see.
Things that are absolutely contrary to the Word of God going on there. And what is the Lord's assessment? He said. I have not found thy works perfect before God.
And so he says what he's going to do about that, he's going to come as a thief.
And take that which is valuable out of there.
And then there was that company that kept his word and did not deny his name and how he should aspire to be a company like that. And then you may go by another place and it may even have a name to a good name on the front.
Be common, they say, well, what what runs things there will the traditions of the laypeople and they're indifferent as to the person of Christ. Like the place it exercised me when I found that out that that man denied that Jesus was eternally the Son of God. There was indifference to it.
Neither hot nor cold. There was indifference to it, and we see what the Lord thought of that. And so as the world looks on at the church, what is the testimony that it sees? But Paul in writing to the Corinthians in the first chapter, First epistle in the 9th chapter.
He realized he was in a warfare not against flesh and blood, but he was in a warfare for the truth, and that if he did not keep his body under subjection.
That he himself may be a castaway, that is, have a saved soul and a lost life, and it is the most solemn thing.
But you know, our brother George referred to this yesterday, what we're going to come into in the 10th chapter, and he takes us up for very good reason, because the 10th chapter talks about the Lorde table.
And he deals with this issue that there are many that profess.
And.
But God is going to test the reality of that profession. Let's just read this 10th chapter, First Corinthians. Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea, and all were baptized to Moses, unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And all that eat the same spiritual meat, and all that drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day. 320,000.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now these things happened unto them. For example, they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are calm. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.
There is there hath no temptation taken you, but such as his common demand, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that she may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee idolatry. I speak as to wise men, judging what I say, and then we'll come back to this, because he's going to begin to speak at the Lord's table.
00:30:23
Because the Lord's Table has to be a clean place and there are three things, there are a number of things that he brings out here.
Is idolatry, fornication and murmuring.
And how does that not characterize the day in which we're living? The Lord's Table has to be free of these things.
Idolatry, fornication and murmuring. And so the warning comes out to them, and he includes himself. You notice he uses the first person pronoun we.
That these things were written to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. That Paul included that in them because there's a practical lesson in responsibility for to display the character of Christ in this world. And so idolatry fornication.
Murmuring were all associated with things that he could not associate with his table. And so we come to the 16th verse and you'll notice here when it speaks of the table, it speaks the cup of blessing which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? Now why does it mention the cop here first?
Because it is the blood of the cup speaks to us of the blood of Christ. I realize that the older ones are clear on these things, or younger ones. Here it is the blood of Christ that gives me a right entitle to be at His table. But I'm cleansed by the blood of Christ.
It's necessary that I show evidence in my life that I'm cleansed by the blood of Christ, but the cup of blessing. And so that is what is the ground to be at the Lord's table is that.
We've known the value of the blood of Christ and he goes on to say the bread which we break, is it not the communion?
Of the blood the.
The communion of the body of Christ, for we being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
I speak as to wise men that in partaking of that loaf that we recognize the fact of that broken loaf, that we recognize the fact that we are members of the one body of Christ.
And I believe that that is absolutely essential. People say we hear this expression, the ground of gathering, and it becomes a bit of a cliche. And we say, what do you mean by this ground of gathering? We are gathered on the ground that there is one body, that they're not bodies that Christ is divided, but that there is one body. And we give expression to the truth that we're members of the body of Christ by partaking of that love.
For man to set up a table and say, well, this, we're gathered on the grounds that we oppose this. I, I once read what Harry Ironside said. They said, what ground are you gathered on? He said, I'm gathered on the ground of those that oppose himself against the assembly decision against FW Grant. Well, that's a great ground to be gathered on.
He openly confessed that that's the ground he was gathered on. Men may be gathered on the ground that they're Canadians or that they're of a particular doctrine, but were gathered on the ground that there is one body and the ground is of all importance. Everything may seem to be right, but if you're not on the right ground then it's in the wrong place. When I taught at the college, I had a student and he had built a large one of these large box stores and 100,000 square feet or whatever. He wasn't the Superintendent, but he told me that.
Was late August, the store because it was a toy store was to be finished in early mid-october and they were well on schedule when a man drove up in a Lincoln and he said this is a nice they were putting the steel on the roof and he said this is a nice building but he said what are you building it on my ground for?
Well, they sent for the surveyors right away, and they discovered that in fact they had put the footings on the wrong property, that there was nothing wrong. The building seemed in every way respect right, but it was on the wrong ground.
Well, you know, it's interesting that men of the world, they're wise. And he said that very night the bulldozers came and were pouring footings to put it on the right ground and they dismantled the building. And he said he made a lot of overtime, but they had it done on time. And the man of the world is quite ready to correct a mistake like that because it it, it'll affect his pocketbook. But how often we become stubborn in the things of God when we see what ground the church is to be built on. It's to be built upon the confession of Christ.
00:35:16
As the Son of the living God, and there is one body.
We didn't create that body, thankfully, I said. There's a side of it, man's responsible side, but there's God's side. At Pentecost, the Spirit of God came down and formed a living body.
Not all of the living members in my body I had 10 years ago.
Members have been added and members have been taken away. If I may put it this way, it's a living body.
And so.
Some are going to be saved and added to the body, and some members die off. But there is a living body here on this earth that was formed by the Spirit of God at Pentecost. We were all baptized by 1 Spirit into one body, and we are gathered on that ground. And I appreciate when people say we see in this one unbroken loaf that there is one body. But according to the language of 1St Corinthians 10, where we really see that truth and give expression to that truth is by partaking of that law.
But as we had this warning and connection with the apostle, and I see her time is going on, we do want to get to the 11Th chapter.
He says, I speak as to wise men, that this table cannot be associated with idolatry. And so he goes on to say, that Behold Israel after the flesh. Are they not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then, that the idol is anything, or that which is sacrificed to the idols is anything but? I say unto. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils, and not to God. I would not that you should have fellowship with devils.
He cannot drink the cup of the Lord and eat the cup of devils. He cannot be partakers of the Lord's table on the tables of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient.
Well, here there was. These were Corinthians. They were called out of heathen behavior, and they were now saved and they were coming to the Lord's Table.
But you know, they still had relatives that went into the heathen idols temples.
And it appears as if not only they were tempted, but maybe more than that, some of them are going back to the temple and eating off the very temple idol, the altar of that temple. And Paul is saying that there can be absolutely no communion between these two altars.
And what we see as a result of that happening, and I would never, ever say that. An altar that names the name of Christ as a table of devils, I would not say that. But there may be those things which have been borrowed from idolatry and brought in to Christendom, and there can be no fellowship between those two things.
And by partaking of an altar, we have fellowship with it. Now, as I said, and I'm being personal the company where I can, they said they could sit down and break bread with a man who denied the eternal sonship of Christ, that he was eternally God. And they said, well, I'm not affected by that, but the moment that I do that, I'm in fellowship with that.
And people say, well, why do we people go about and they say, well, why do we not receive this one? And that one fellowship is a known thing. There's a great deal of confusion in this world.
And the principal desire of every upright heart is to keep His word. Every pure heart is to keep His word and not deny His name. And even if there may be a mistake in connection with that, in a constant connection with that, you don't want to have fellowship with that which would say that the Lord could sin, or that the Lord was not who He was and is.
For that, that which condoned idolatry and fornication, there can be no fellowship with those things.
Because by partaking of that, we're really partaking of that altar and bringing that into fellowship with the Lord's Table. And it is his table. It's not ours.
It is his table to who we've been called, and we are the presence of the living God. And so Paul would labor with the Corinthians to show them this, that there could be no fellowship with that. Now I believe the question of the Lord's Table comes first because in Chapter 11 we're going to have the subject of the Lord's Supper brought up.
00:40:04
And the Lord's Supper should be eaten at the Lord's Table.
I don't even say should be eaten at the Lord's table. The Lord's Supper is eaten at the Lord's table.
I believe that wherever one may partake of bread and wine, they may remember the Lord in his death.
But the Lord's Supper is eaten at the Lord's Table.
Is that the Lord's if I call my sons to the table and?
They come and they see it's a delicious dinner and perhaps my birthday dinner. And one brother is mad at his other brother and he says, well, I'm going to take my plate up and eat in my room.
And so he sits down and he has a dinner and he has a piece of birthday cake. Is he thinking about my birthday? Yes. But is he eating my birthday? Birthday supper?
Jesus Died for You. He Wants You to Be His Jewel
Children—B. Wright
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.
Good morning.
We're here at the Sunday school this morning. It's a special meeting just for you children. Is there any other children that would like to come up? There's plenty of seats.
Some children back there that would.
I want to be too shy.
Who has a song to start this morning? OK, got two of them. I'll try you.
What number?
On the back of the number 40.
OK, Jesus loves me this I know.
I think we could all probably sing this from our.
Memory couldn't we? Could someone start that please?
We are here.
Jesus loves me.
He will watch some way, I say.
Glad I get all the kind of rock in.
Yeah, she's lost one speaking to me.
Yeah, I see this one.
Reliable.
Jesus loves me. No, I'm glad.
Jesus was made.
So.
Jesus loved me.
All the way.
Here by trusted and should I die?
He will Take Me Home.
He's just like me.
Jesus loves me, This has been.
00:05:03
Quite a few times we've seen that phrase. I was wondering if we could just sing that chorus one more time. There's three times that we've said, yes, Jesus loves me, and that is such an important thing for us to know and experience that Jesus loves me. Could we just sing the course of that, please?
Yes, Jesus applauds me.
Yes, he declines. Was made. Yeah, I was doing.
Is there another song boy here? OK, what number?
Do you remember the name?
OK. On the back of the sheet there, there's some songs for children right there. Is it on there?
Well, maybe if you can figure that one out, 44, OK.
#44.
Children.
No idea.
We are the last words of this, just as he answered the valley of God.
God sent his Son is so ever, said he.
And I am sure that he sent him for me.
And I am.
Salvation Story.
Of my children again, You know what I mean. I have never crashed told me that. He told me that. He told me whatever.
Well, this is one of this is one of the favorite songs.
That I remember as a child about your age, singing about this gypsy boy and.
Does anyone know what a gypsy boy is or a gypsy is?
Anyone know what a gypsy is?
Well, I understood that a gypsy was one that went from place to place and they didn't really have a permanent home.
They just sort of traveled from place to place. I've never really seen a gypsy, but I think there's probably still some around today. But this boy, he was a gypsy boy and he was dying.
00:10:04
And that's sort of unusual for boys and girls. We usually think of boys and girls as strong and have a lot of energy, don't we? But this boy was in a pretty sad condition. He was dying and he.
Had heard the story of the Lord Jesus and it says that he didn't hear that story before and so he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
And he wanted to hear that story over and over again.
How many times have you boys and girls heard this story?
Could you count how many times?
We could probably.
Counting the thousands that I have heard this story, and I enjoy hearing it too. Like this gypsy boy.
So, he told, he wanted to hear that story over and over again.
OK, let's sing another song. How about a girl this time?
OK, what number?
46.
Someone start that please.
OK.
You can get a lot of songs here in this morning. What would you like to sing?
Card 47. That's the last song, the Backpage.
How many you boys and girls have ever seen a crowd? Have you ever seen a real crown? Have you?
They usually have gems in it, sometimes they're made out of gold usually and they're very valuable and.
00:15:01
The Lord Jesus looks at each one of you, each one of you children.
Has very valuable. He looks at you as like gems. If you look up the ceiling there, there's some lights and each one of those little glass.
Crystals, you might say, are sort of like a gem. And if you take a gem, if you take a clear crystal like a quartz crystal or maybe a diamond, and you take and you put light in that light through it, and it'll reflect that light and very beautiful ways. And the Lord Jesus is assembling each one of you and me if we have accepted Him as our Savior.
And we will be.
Like gems to him, very valuable.
Not because of.
What we've done.
Are not because of who we are, but because He is God.
And that's He loves us. So let's ask the Lord for some help here, and then maybe we could sing one more song.
OK, let's sing one more song.
Let's see, we've had two boys, let's have two girls, all right?
42.
You know, I said one more song. We've had two boys and two girls, but I'd like to choose a song. Can I do that? I'd like to choose #41 and I'd like to sing the first verse.
And the fourth verse, and I like to think of this, we were singing a little bit earlier about jewels and about the children and when he cometh and he's making up his jewels or his.
His church and we just.
I think it would be really nice if we could sing this song with that in mind of us all assembled there in heaven, children too, and singing this song. Glory, glory, glory be to God on high. Isn't that going to be a wonderful time? Maybe we could just sing the first verse, the chorus, and the fourth verse.
OK, we have a memory verse and.
It's a verse that I think some of you are familiar with. You probably said this first before, but it's found in Romans.
00:20:03
Chapter 10.
And verse 9.
And.
Any children would like to say that verse?
That would be real nice to hear that.
Would anyone like to volunteer?
OK, why don't you go ahead?
The reason from the dead thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10/9.
Good.
Do you like to stand up and save her?
Would you like to say the first?
Do you like to see the verse?
OK.
That if thou.
Shalt believe.
Good.
That if though.
She'll confess.
But I'm out.
The Lord Jesus.
And shall believe.
In thine heart.
God hath raised him.
From the dead.
Thou shalt be saved.
You know where it's foul.
Romans 10/9. That's a nice first two. John 10/9.
Would you like to say the verse?
OK, you like to say?
Do we have someone over here?
No girls today.
Girls are being shy.
OK, that's a nice verse to say. Is there anyone else out here that would like to say the verse?
Give everyone the opportunity.
OK.
That's a long verse, isn't it?
Very important verse and.
It's one of my favorite verses too.
You know it starts with a very small word.
It's a 2 letter word. Actually it's not the first word.
Can someone help me with that?
A very small 2 letter word.
If.
So there's a condition. This verse starts with a condition.
There's certain conditions that need to be met before the end of this verse can be satisfied.
There's an if.
Certain things happen, then some.
Thing else could happen.
If.
Two conditions.
We confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And believe in thine heart, that God hath raised it from the dead. Those are the two conditions.
Then.
We shall be saved.
So.
It says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth.
We use our mouth, don't we, to speak and to communicate to one another.
And if we confess the Lord Jesus?
You know I believe this verse.
Was written.
With the.
In mind, perhaps I'm not mistaken and it would have been very difficult for them to confess.
00:25:06
Jesus.
As Lord.
To confess Jesus as Lord. Now what is What do we think about when we think of?
A Lord.
Someone who we would think about, who would be a Lord?
When we think of the Lord, we think of someone who is in a position.
Perhaps of authority.
In most cases, they earn that position, don't they?
You might say.
President be in a position of authority and so we would call him a president and so if we.
Recognize who the Lord Jesus is, who Jesus is.
And we call him Lord.
That's a very important step.
To being saved.
You know, one thing that we had talked about a little bit earlier in the last couple of days.
Was.
Who is this Jesus?
You boys and girls have probably heard about Jesus a lot, haven't you?
You girls heard of the Lord Jesus too?
With the Lord Jesus. Who is this Lord Jesus?
We know there is a He was a man.
He was a man that walked.
In this earth.
Who else is Jesus if we need to confess him?
As Lord Jesus, we need to know who He is.
We know who the president is, most of us, don't we?
Offer from Canada, perhaps the Prime Minister?
But.
Do we know who Jesus is?
I was thinking of one verse. There's many things we could talk about the Lord Jesus. We could ask you boys and girls a lot of questions, and we could spend a lot more time than we have today.
But who is the Lord Jesus? I'd like to turn to one verse.
And John?
Chapter 12 You boys and girls have your Bible.
This is just one facet of who the Lord Jesus is, John.
Chapter 8 and verse 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
So one thing that Jesus is, is the light of the world.
And that's an interesting thing, isn't it?
We have.
Light in this room, If we didn't have light in this room, if we went over to these light switches and turned them off, be pretty dark, wouldn't it?
But you know, the Lord Jesus says he's the light of the world.
And what he does is.
Something.
Much to show you.
You know what that is, don't you?
Someone tell me what that is?
OK.
I think this is a little bit more than a flashlight, but it's the same idea, isn't it?
This is a flashlight and we use this when we go.
In the dark. Have you ever been walking in the dark at night and maybe you're going?
00:30:06
Somewhere and you need a flashlight. Maybe you've done some camping. And you boys and girls, ever done any camping.
And you go outside and it's dark at night. And what do you take with you? Take a flashlight? Not yet. And what happens if you don't have a flashlight?
Or what could happen? OK.
You could bump into something, couldn't you? You could trip or you could fall. So we need a flashlight to see what's all around us and so we can avoid the problems or avoid a tree or avoid a stone or a stick or something and we can follow the path.
So we need a flashlight.
And that's what the Lord Jesus does.
One of the things that he does.
But I'd like to show you something else.
It's a pretty bright flashlight, isn't it?
Did you guys notice this stuff on the floor here before?
See all those things?
I think they came in last night, I saw him come in last night, but I don't think they swept the floor and look at all those things on the floor.
What is this flashlight doing?
It's pointing.
It's revealing all the things that we didn't see before.
And that's what the Lord Jesus does. He reveals things.
That we might not have seen before. It's the truth that the Lord Jesus gave to us that revealed.
Where we are.
And you know what? It's the truth that God the Lord Jesus proclaimed.
That he's shown us. You might say that these are the things.
That are raw.
He can shine His truth on our lives.
And you know what?
He will see some things that are not right and it makes him sad.
And those things are sin.
You can shine that and he actually uses the light to expose S.
And exposes moral sin in this world.
When the Lord Jesus came in this world, you remember he went and he talked to the disciples, He talked to the Pharisees and the scribes, and he exposed their hearts for what it was, and it wasn't right.
And boys and girls.
That's called sin. I think we know that, don't we?
But what do we do with sin?
Sin good.
I mean this flashlight is exposed these things.
What happens with sin?
You know the end result of sin is.
What death?
That's not a good thing, is it?
The end result of sin is death because we've done something wrong.
God has established his.
Pattern. He's established a measuring stick.
God has established He used the law in the Old Testament to measure man's.
Moral ability, I guess you might say.
And what happened there was, number one, that could come up to God's standard, because we all have.
Self will. We've all done things that are not up to God's standard, and so we all bear that.
Punishment.
In our natural state.
00:35:00
So.
It's not a very.
Pleasant thing is it.
You know, I wanted to.
Talk to your children for a minute.
Death is not a pleasant thing.
It wasn't very long ago.
That I was in a place, a cemetery.
And I saw some graves of boys and girls.
The end result of sin.
It wasn't just boys and girls, but it was.
Big people.
Small people.
But I went to a place.
That I saw a lot of graves of children.
There were many children.
And these children were.
One day old.
Some were two years old.
Somewhere seven years old.
And.
I was thinking.
Some of the old ones there, I wonder if they have accepted the Lord Jesus as their savior.
And I was wondering about you boys and girls too.
If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus.
As your savior.
You up there at punishment?
But you know there's good news. It's because the Lord Jesus came into this world. God really loves you and me as we sing that song, Jesus loves you and me.
And he loves us so much that.
He wanted to find a remedy for that sin.
No, God does not like sin. He can't stand sin in His presence and So what? He. Ever seen a magnet? You ever seen the two magnets when you put them together?
I think it's the opposite poles, I'm not sure.
Put them together and you just can't get them together, can you? They just won't go together.
And that's the way it is with the Lord Jesus and sin. They just won't go together.
And so he's allowed his son. He sent his son, the Lord Jesus, to die.
And to bear that punishment for those sins.
And so.
It's a gift that he has given to you and to me.
That we can receive and we can take.
And we can make it good, and we can say yes. What does our verse say?
It would believe in thine heart that that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be safe. The Lord Jesus was on the cross. You remember how he was on the cross and he died, and there was three hours of darkness, where all the wrath God and all those awful things that we have done was taken care of there on the cross.
And he died. He died for you and for me.
And then he was in the grave for three days, and then he arose again.
Isn't that a wonderful thing?
He rose again. It's complete. It's finished.
And.
We don't have to worry about that if we accept Jesus as our Savior.
But I must tell you, boys and girls.
Just as we talked about the very beginning.
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There is an if.
If we accept this.
We will be saved and that is so wonderful. It's not only saved from our sins, but as we are talking about, we will be going to heaven and being there with the Lord Jesus.
Forever.
Not a short period of time. Forever is a hard thing to understand, even for us older ones, but forever.
And so.
We will go to be with the Lord Jesus.
So I just wanted to.
Bring that before you that we have a very special.
Savior who loves us so very much.
The descent that he died and died on the cross.
And so we can as we're.
If we accept the Lord Jesus.
As our savior, we don't have to bear that punishment.
Guess where I was going was if we don't accept the Lord Jesus or if we put it off.
It might be too late.
It might be too late.
The Lord Jesus is coming very, very soon and He loves each one of you so very, very much.
And he doesn't want to see you.
Bear that punishment for your sins.
And so let's just remember.
Time is up.
The Lord Jesus is like a light. That's one thing that he is like.
There are many other things that he is like and the Lord Jesus loves you so much.
That He wants to save you and to bring you back. Now, if you take that magnet, I was explaining that magnet, and you put two of those poles together, you just can't get them together. But what happens when you turn them the other way? They stick together, don't they? And so when we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, it's like we're stuck together and the Lord Jesus will never leave us.
He'll never forsake us and He give us a home for all eternity. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
It's a wonderful thing.
Well, our time is up, boys and girls.
I'd like to if you have a concern, if you have a desire.
To be saved.
Maybe you can go and talk to your mom and dad and they can explain that.
And help you before it's too late.
Perhaps we could sing one more song.
Any boy and girl have a song? OK.
Number six.
I'm going to start that please.
Gospel
Gospel—J. Hyland
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Apple meeting this evening with hymn #9 on the gospel hymn sheet. Come every soul by sin oppressed. There's mercy with the Lord, and He will surely give you rest by trusting in His word only trust him Only trust him. Only trust him now.
He will save you. He will save you. He will save you. Now I'm going to suggest we stand up to sing this Hymn Hymn #9 and if someone will please start it.
Again.
For.
Let's ask.
Without apology, at the beginning of this Gospel meeting, I'd like to read several portions of the Living Word of God. The first one is in John's Gospel, Chapter One.
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We may not even talk about all of these Scriptures. We may not even talk about them in the order in which we read them. But I want to encourage you, as we turn through the pages of God's Word for a few moments, to open your ears to listen to God's precious Word, because faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. John's Gospel chapter one and verse one in the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
And the Word was God, verse 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And then I want to read a portion in Revelation chapter 19.
Revelation Chapter 19 and verse 11.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a White Horse. And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge, and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God, Second Timothy, Chapter 3.
Second Timothy Chapter 3.
And verse 15.
And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.
Through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. First Peter, chapter One.
First Peter chapter one and verse 23.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass, The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word by which the gospel.
Is preached unto you Hebrews chapter 4.
Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12 for the word of God is quick.
And powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do. And then a verse I quoted already Romans chapter 10.
Romans, chapter 10.
And I'm going to read verse 16 and 17. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says Lord who hath believed our report. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Just two more portions, Luke chapter 8.
Luke Chapter 8.
And verse 21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it one more portion in John chapter 12.
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John, chapter 12 and verse 47. And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day. Well, these might seem like strange verses.
To connect at the beginning of a gospel meeting this evening. But I have it on my heart in seeking by the grace of God to present the gospel as simply and clearly as we can to speak a little bit concerning the word of God. We're going to speak concerning the living word and the written word, because I believe that there are two great attacks of the enemy. 2 Great attacks from the very beginning.
One is on the spoken or for our purposes tonight, the written word of God, and the other is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, the living word. I say that because the first recorded words of Satan in the Old Testament are hast God said immediately, trying to raise a doubt in the mind of Eve as to whether God had really said that. And isn't that what the enemy seeks to do?
Has God really said that? Or is this really the word of God that we hold in our hands this evening?
Sometimes at the end of a gospel meeting, people might say, well, I find it hard to believe that perhaps they would be more honest if they said I find it hard to believe God. Because as we read and quote the word of God this evening, we want to establish the fact that despite whatever else may be said as to comments and as to pleadings from the preacher's heart tonight, apart from all that we have the Word of God before us, and it is the Word of God in truth.
It's interesting too.
That the first recorded words of Satan in the New Testament are, If thou be the Son of God in the Old Testament, he raised a doubt as to what God had said. The spoken word of God hath God said. And when the living word came forth in the fullness of time, he immediately raised a question, tried to raise the doubt as to whether the Lord Jesus was really who he said he was.
And so tonight we want to establish beyond the shadow of a doubt, the veracity of these two things, the written word of God and the living word of God. And I began by reading these two portions from John's ministry, one from John's Gospel, 1 from Revelation.
Concerning the living word, you know this expression, this title, this name is unique to John's ministry. Nowhere else in the Bible do you find the Lord Jesus referred to in this way. And we find it in John's Gospel at the book where the Lord Jesus comes forth as the Son of God in lowliness and grace, and we find it again in Revelation.
Where that same man, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes forth not in lowliness and grace, but he comes forth in power and glory and judgment and righteousness. I think it's very significant that John brings before us the name of the Lord Jesus as the word of God.
In these two particular contexts, and I think it's very solemn for us to consider tonight, it might be just helpful to say that in connection with what we have in John, one where the Word is made flesh and dwelt among us the eternal Word of God, a beginning that had no beginning, so to speak, and we want to establish that He is. He was.
The eternal Son of God.
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With the Father from a past eternity, he didn't just become the Son when he came into this world. He was the Son when the world's, the foundation of the world was laid, when the planets were placed in their orbit.
When everything was established by the Word of God, He was there as one brought up by Him. He was daily His delight from a past eternity. But why is He brought before us as the Word? You know, words give expression, don't they?
And in John's Gospel we have the Lord Jesus as the express image of his person. Have I been so long time with you? And hast thou not known me? He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.
But I want to say this in connection with the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you know, as you read through the four gospels, or sometimes we refer to them as the four evangelists, you find the Lord Jesus in his person and work presented in four different ways.
We know that in Matthew he's presented as the King, the Messiah, and Matthew is the most Jewish in its character. Of the four Gospels, it's the gospel with the most Old Testament quotes, and there are things that are unique to Matthew.
Like the coming of the wise men to worship him.
Mark brings before us the Lord Jesus as the servant, the perfect servant. I suppose Mark's Gospel can be summed up in those words that tell us the Son of Man came not to minister, sorry to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. And he marks gospel. You don't have his birth, you don't have his genealogy. It begins immediately with his service, and it just takes us from one busy service and activity to the other.
And mark uses words like immediately in a non and forthwith and straightway.
Luke, of course, brings before us the Lord Jesus as the perfect dependent man.
And John brings before us the Son of God. John gets to the very heart of the matter.
Brings before us the eternity of his person. And when we talk about something that's eternal, it's not just something that has no ending that's true. That's the difference, you know, between everlasting and eternal. Everlasting.
Has no ending, but something that is eternal has no beginning. And I would suggest for our poor puny minds tonight, it is probably harder to consider or fathom something that has no beginning than something that has no ending.
But the eternal word was here giving expression to God the Father. All think of it tonight.
Show us the Father, and it sufficeeth us. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. And as you trace through this gospel, and you see John writing and so precious.
As he brings before us the person and work of Christ.
Can we doubt?
As it says here, full of grace and truth.
But I think it's very, very solemn.
To turn from what we have in John's Gospel chapter one.
And to turn over to the end of God's Word and find the Lord Jesus brought before us again as the Word of God.
But not coming forth in lowliness and grace. When he came the first time, it says he didn't come to condemn the world, but to save the world, that the world through him might be saved. He didn't come to judge, He came to save. But there is a day coming when the heavens are going to open up and they're going to reveal that blessed one coming forth.
Not crowned with a crown of thorns.
Not hanging on a cross of shame the way he was the first time, you know the last glimpse, this world God of the Lord Jesus was awarded with a crown of thorns on Calvary.
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The next glimpse this world gets of God's beloved son. He's coming forth crowned with many crowns, and he's coming forth who's right? It is. And he's coming forth in judgment. And it is so very solemn because tonight.
You are being offered salvation the very.
That you're in this room tonight and the very fact that we have the word of God open before us and a Gospel meeting has been announced.
Is a proof of the love and long-suffering in the heart of God.
But there is a day coming.
If you do not receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
When he will be presented to you again as the Word, the Word of God.
And there will be no fleeing from his face in that day. Every eye is going to see him.
And it tells us, too, that every knee is going to bow and every tongue confess.
That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
It's scary. It's solemn to think that there might be someone in this room.
Who perhaps has even sat in this room year after year after year at a conference like this and gospel meetings such as this?
And instead of seeing Christ as your savior, you're going to see him as your judge. You know, there's a lot of people today are gearing up.
To in a month or so, celebrate the birth of their judge.
Not solemn to consider, they're going to celebrate the birth of their judge.
These things are real. These things are serious.
And that's why we always, when we present the gospel, encourage souls to listen and to listen to the word of God. And This is why we have gone on and read verse after verse concerning God's precious word.
Because, you know, I am very thankful tonight that we don't have to guess about eternity.
Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was lying on his deathbed.
And someone came to his deathbed, a friend to comfort him.
And they said, Michael, what are your speculations about eternity?
He said. Speculations, I rest uncertainties.
And we're not here to speculate tonight about eternity. No, God has very, very carefully in His word.
Told us what lies beyond.
Death and eternity are not a leap in the dark.
And so we find the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, and he reminds him that from a child he has known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Now I realize that tonight there may be those here who did not know the Holy Scriptures.
In their childhood, perhaps you were not brought up in a Christian home.
Perhaps you did not go to Sunday School or any place where the word of God was open and read.
And we're thankful you're here tonight. And I know there are those here who are saved and on their way to heaven, who heard the word of God and the gospel preached later on in their life.
You know, sometimes I have the privilege and opportunity.
Of addressing large crowds where I feel that most in the audience have never heard a clear gospel. Perhaps I've never heard the name of Jesus Christ other than on the lips of the cursor and the Song of the Drunkard. And it's solemn. It's a challenge to seek by the grace of God from the pages of this book, to present clearly and simply the gospel.
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But I wonder tonight.
If it isn't even more of a challenge.
To look into the faces of those who have heard the word of God.
From like Timothy, from the very early days of their childhood.
I don't remember the first time I heard the word of God.
It was read in our home on a daily basis.
From the very beginning.
I came to gospel meetings like this.
I had faithful Sunday school teachers.
But you know, I am afraid.
That often those who hear the word of God many times become either hardened or indifferent to it.
Have you heard the word of God before?
You probably have, and tonight you've heard it read and you're hearing it quoted.
Has your heart become hardened to that which you have heard so often?
You know, there are so many in this room tonight who thrill every time we read or hear quoted the precious word of God. I'm going to tell you a little experience about 3 weeks ago.
I had the opportunity and the privilege.
Of traveling with another brother.
To the island and country of Grenada.
It's an experience I won't forget for a long, long time.
This brother and myself have been to Grenada together on a number of occasions previous.
But we went to Grenada.
With the exercise and thought of taking Bibles.
Into that country.
Particularly for believers.
Who did not have a Bible?
You say, well, that's strange. They had Bibles, and we have taken Bibles into that country a number of times and we have sold literally hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Bibles in Grenada over the years. But we weren't there to sell Bibles this time because, as you remember.
Back in September, Hurricane Ivan went across that island.
And by the time the eye of the storm hit Grenada, it was a #5 hurricane, which is the top of the scale.
And when it went across Grenada, it didn't just smash a few windows and take a few roofs off.
I couldn't believe it. It flattened that island.
Pictures.
Articles and commentary don't tell the story.
Don't tell the story of the human misery and the aftermath of a disaster like that.
Where souls are struggling every hour just to get a few crusts of bread.
And I'm not trying to be dramatic.
And I won't go into a lot of details.
But souls struggling to keep body and soul together every day.
We lined up for a meal this evening.
And we had every expectation that when we went through the dinner line, there would be ample plenty of food and leftover. No one needed to go away hungry, but we saw people lined up for four hours.
To try to get a handful of vegetables.
And most of them went away.
Without what they came for, money isn't the answer. There's nothing to buy.
But why am I bringing this up?
Because as I say, our exercise was to take Bibles into that country and initially we were able to take with us 700 lbs of Bibles.
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And we were taken from place to place to meet believers, some of whom we have got to know and love over the years, others we had never met before.
And we were taken from place to place, and it was our joy.
To place the Bible in the hands of these believers and tell them that there was absolutely no cost involved to them.
I'll just tell you one story. There were many.
Dear Christian Man.
Told us that before Hurricane Ivan hit, he had three Bibles in his home. I'm going to give a little parenthesis here for the boys and girls. I'm going to challenge you that when you go back to your home.
Go through your house and count how many Bibles you have in your home. I think most of us will be very surprised with how many Bibles there are in our home.
But I thought of the verse. The word of the Lord was precious in those days. You know we have Bibles in abundance on every hand.
But what makes something precious is its rarity, or its scarcity. And in Samuel's day, there was no open vision. The Lord hadn't spoken for some time openly, and the word of the Lord was precious because it was scarce.
The word of the Lord is scarce in Grenada, but this brother told us he had three Bibles in his home.
It's home completely blew away.
Absolutely gone.
Roof.
Contents, walls, everything.
Through the storm, he was able to hold on to one of those Bibles.
It almost broke my heart. I don't know what I would have grabbed first if my home was blowing away and the rain was coming down in Torrance. I don't know. I've never been given a test like that. I don't know what I would grab first.
But this man grabbed a copy of the word of God.
However, you have to understand that in a hurricane.
Not only do you have winds, and these winds were up to 200 miles an hour.
But not only do you have that, but you have torrential rain. I've been in a hurricane myself. You can't believe that that much water can fall from the sky continually for hours and hours and hours.
But he was able to salvage this Bible, albeit it was soaking wet.
And so he spent days.
Putting this Bible out in the sun when the sun came out and the human misery is only accentuated by the fact it's still rainy season down there. But as soon as the sun would come out for an hour or two, he would take the Bible out in the sun. And as he explained to us page by page, he carefully dried out his Bible, Couldn't go to the store and get another one, couldn't go back to BTP and replace it.
He spent days and days drawing this Bible out.
After he felt it was dry enough.
To carry with them.
They took it to meeting.
On a particular Lord's Day morning.
And between the meetings, he set it on the bench where he was sitting.
And he turned around to talk to someone. And when he turned back.
The Bible was gone.
Now, I don't propagate stealing anything. Let him that stole steal no more. But I suppose if you're going to take anything, a Bible is a good thing to take.
He told us that story with tears in his eyes.
Didn't have a Bible to read.
Imagine wanting to read the word of God and you don't have a Bible.
And you can imagine his joy.
As I opened my bag.
And I know it was only by the grace of God, but as I opened my bag was able to hand that man a brand new copy of the Word of God.
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And tell him that there was number charge and we were only too happy for him to have it.
We couldn't have handed him anything more precious.
He hugged it to his breast. He thanked us again and again and again. I'm not trying to be dramatic tonight, but it just has impressed on my soul. Do we really value the word of God? We have had the privilege today of sitting this afternoon with Bibles in our hands.
And by the Spirit of God, having its pages ministered and made good to our souls.
Have we valued that? I'm talking to those of us who know Christ as our Savior.
Just remember when you pick up your Bible off the chair after meeting and take it to your room, there's a lot of believers in this world would give anything to be able to pick up the word of God and read it.
And for those here tonight who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Oh, if we could only impress upon you the fact that these are the Holy Scriptures.
Given by inspiration of God, so that we would know beyond the shadow of a doubt.
The story of salvation.
That the Lord Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The story of the Lord Jesus going to Calvary's cross.
And there not only suffering, everything that man could heap upon him in his hatred.
But there, in those hours of darkness to bear in his own body my sins there on the tree.
There, at the end of it to cry, it is finished.
To bow his blessed head and give up the ghost.
To lay down his life so that we could echo with the sun, with the Apostle Paul, the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
And we have read no doubt the account in John's Gospel.
Of that soldier coming.
And with a spear piercing his side, and forthwith came throughout blood and water.
And we have heard and read, no doubt many times from God's Word the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. We've read that He has made peace through the blood of His cross. And we have read from the pages of this word further, no doubt on many occasions the fact that He died.
He was buried and he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
We know from the pages of this blessed book that the Lord Jesus is in heaven tonight.
That there came a point after he had remained on earth long enough to give ample testimony to his own.
As to his bodily resurrection, there came a moment when, in the presence of His disciples, His feet left the Mount of Olives.
And he ascended, and the cloud received him out of their sight. And we know from further scriptures that he is now seated at the right hand of God.
And there he is as the savior of sinners tonight.
You see, it's the Holy Scriptures.
That have shown us the way of salvation, that have made us wise unto salvation. How else would we know God's plan of salvation tonight, apart from God's written word? I'm going to tell those stories that perhaps I've told before, but I'll repeat it.
Story about.
A governor and his wife.
A governor.
Of one of the islands over in the Pacific Rim, one of the islands.
Which is part of the country of Malaysia.
And on this Malay island, they had never seen a Bible.
They had never heard of God's beloved Son, the eternal word.
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They worshiped idols that they had made with their own hands.
And one day this governor was sitting cross legged on the floor of his home and his wife was nearby.
And he was busy repairing some of these idols, perhaps polishing them, repairing a finger that had broken, or whatever it might be. And these idols, as the story goes, were made of wood.
Now we see very clearly the folly of worshipping idols of wood, But this is what they did this they had known nothing else.
All of a sudden, in the piece of that afternoon, the governor jumped to his feet.
And he began picking up these idols that he had been repairing, and his wife was startled. He went through the house, and he began to pick up other of the idols that were around in various rooms.
And he gathered them together, and he took them out into the courtyard.
And he put them in a pile, and he burnt everyone of them.
His wife was startled. She was scared. She had a mixture of emotions going through her soul.
Said to his wife, he said, I don't believe in these idols anymore, he said. How can these idols that I have to repair help me?
Hesitatingly, she said. Well, you know, she said.
I've wondered the same thing for some time, but was afraid to voice what I felt.
They didn't know what they believed, really. Again, they had never seen or heard of a Bible.
But you know, God honors faith, and it wasn't long until a man came through that area and he was selling books.
And among other things, he was selling Bibles. They call that a Cole Porter.
It's a word for your vocabulary. Cole Porter is someone who travels from place to place and sells Bibles.
But this man sold them a Bible. Because as this governor viewed this man, the the books that this man had, somehow he was drawn to the word of God. And though he didn't know what it was, he felt that there was something here that they were looking for. Of course we know it was the Spirit of God working.
Every afternoon.
In the cool of the day, in the late afternoon, he and his wife would sit on their veranda and read the word of God. They began. At the beginning, they began. In Genesis, they read of the creation.
They read of The Fall of Man.
They read the Old Testament stories about Abraham.
About Isaac, Jacob, Joseph they read on about the children of Israel in Egypt.
And how they were redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb. And on and on they read, And no doubt much of what they read was a puzzlement to them.
But they kept reading. Finally, they came to the New Testament, and they began reading the four gospels.
And they read about God sending his Son the Lord Jesus, and they read about this man that came from heaven.
And dispensed blessing on every hand, and eventually was taken to and nailed to a cross.
Where he gave his life.
They read about his resurrection on They read through the Epistles again, Much of it.
Was a mystery to them.
They finally came to the Book of Revelation and they read.
Of the judgments that are pending concerning this world.
But my point is by the time they had read through the word of God.
They had in their souls, not only plainly put before them, the way of salvation.
But they had come to know the Lord Jesus as their savior, and their souls had the assurance.
That their sins were forgiven and they were on their way to heaven. Saved from hell and saved for heaven, you say? How could it be? They had no one to explain. They had no preacher. They had no expounder.
00:45:15
All they had the living word of God, and they had the Spirit to make it good to them.
And so it's the Word of God that makes us wise unto salvation. But the verse doesn't stop there through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
I suppose if I were to take the time to go up and down these rows tonight and speak with even the youngest children.
We would find that perhaps everyone in this room could give me some idea as to how to get to heaven.
Quote Some verse they learned in Sunday school. Give me some principles, some outlay of the gospel.
But that in itself is not enough. There are many people who have been made wise unto salvation, but they've never put their faith and their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, just talking to a brother the other day and we were solemnized to realize from the Book of Thessalonians.
That young people who sit in gospel meetings like this.
Brought up in Christian homes and who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will be some of the very ones.
Who, after the Lord comes, will be sent such a strong delusion that they'll believe the lie of Satan.
You say no, I would never do that.
If you're left behind when the Lord Jesus comes, wouldn't be any use of presenting the gospel to you?
Because there would be no repentance, the opportunity for repentance would be over, and you would believe whatever lie is propagated in that day, that you might be blinded and damned forever. Oh, what a solemn thing, to enter into a lost eternity having known the way of salvation. But Timothy knew more than the way of salvation. He had put his faith in the Lord Jesus.
But you know, the word of God does more than just show us the way of salvation. We read in Hebrews that this book is living and powerful. Do you realize that the word of God, the book you hold in your hand this evening, is the only book in this world that's living? It's a living book.
You know, that's why you'll never get to the bottom of it.
That's why you will never exhaust this book. How can you get to the bottom of a book that's living?
Every other volume written by man, as deep and profound as it may be, you will eventually, after much study.
And as Ecclesiastes says, weariness of the flesh. You will be able to get to the bottom of it and say we've got everything we can out of this volume.
But you know, for those of us who know the Lord Jesus is our Savior, we're going to have a fresh enjoyment of the precious Word of God for all eternity. Oh, it's true. We'll no longer know in part and prophecy in part, but we will have. Because it's a living book presenting the living Word, we will have a fresh enjoyment of it for all eternity. You ever weary of the Word of God, you won't weary of the word of God in glory. It's going to be our joy and delight.
For all eternity. But what I want to point out is what we read in First Peter where it says we're born again.
Not a corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the Word of God.
That liveth and abideth forever. That's why I read that verse in Romans that tells us faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Because every person here tonight who knows the Lord Jesus as their savior. It is the result of having read or heard in some way the word of God and the Spirit of God taking the living word and applying it.
To impart divine life to us.
Have your ears tonight been open to the precious word of God?
It's living. You know men have tried to eradicate this book from the Earth. You know they'll never do it. And you know why?
Because as it tells us in the verse we read, it's established in heaven.
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Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. They can burn it by the thousands, but the originals in heaven, they'll never get rid of it.
Voltaire, who died, I believe, in 1778. He made a prediction before his death that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would be gone from the face of the earth and Christianity.
Would just be part of the pages of history. But you know, God had other plans.
Because.
Within 50 years of his death.
His home.
Became the first headquarters of the Geneva Bible Society.
Not only that.
But Voltaire's press printing press that had been used to churn out propaganda against the Word of God was used to churn out the pages of God's word. But I want to just add a little solemn addendum to what I've just said.
Because the nurse who attended.
The deathbed of Voltaire.
Said that not for all the gold in Europe which he ever attend the deathbed of another infidel.
They tell U.S. history tells us, that his deathbed scene was terrible beyond description as he faced eternity, and as he realized in his soul that there was something beyond and yet it was too late as it were.
He went into eternity cursing. He went into eternity in an agony of soul and mind that that nurse said she would not, for all the gold in Europe, ever want to witness again.
I haven't witnessed anything quite like that, but I do remember a man in the town of Smiths Falls where I live.
Who came to the end of his life, and he was a man who was well thought of Indiana, the town of Smiths Falls for many years.
And when he came to the end of his life.
I happened to be in that hospital on that same floor, standing by the deathbed of a dear old Saint of God who had gently taken her last breath and with a smile on her face, passed into the presence of the Lord Jesus.
And as I stood there, the whales and the cries that filled that hospital hall from the room of that man I have just spoken of.
We're awful to hear. He came to the end too, but he came to the end without Christ.
And he went into eternity wailing and crying out in an agony.
But we've come to the end of this gospel meeting.
And what about you? Tonight we have spoken at great length of the word of God, the living Word, the written word, the spoken word.
And the Lord Jesus said in the verse that we read in Luke.
That those who are brought into relationship with himself are those that hear the word.
And do it.
You've heard the word tonight. You've heard the word you cannot go out.
And say you haven't heard and you cannot stand before God in a coming day and say you never heard.
But are you going to do it? You're going to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what brings us into relationship with the Lord Jesus.
It's to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. You know the day of grace is so fast growing to a close. The Lord Jesus is coming at any moment.
You don't know when you're going to pass into eternity.
And the Lord Jesus said in John 12.
That those who heard the word and rejected it, that that same word.
Would judge them in the last day.
I'm going to quote a well known gospel verse.
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.
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Have you heard that verse before? You probably have, and if you haven't, you've heard it now.
But will it not be a solemn thing in a coming day when you lift up your eyes in hell and remember that verse?
But remembering that verse at that time, it will no longer be offered to you as to a point of refuge or salvation, but that verse that has been used mightily by the Spirit of God in the preaching of the gospel for centuries, that very verse will rise up in judgment and condemn you, because you will realize.
That in hearing that verse and its offer of salvation, you refused it. And that a righteous holy God had no choice, no choice but to send you to a lost eternity. I'm just going to read in closing one verse of a well known hymn. Just listen to it.
Oh, do not let the word depart.
And close thine eyes against the light.
Poor Sinner, Harden not thine heart thou wouldst be saved. Why not Tonight let's pray our.
Gospel
Gospel—W. Dear
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Each and everyone to our gospel meeting tonight. We thank God for another opportunity to tell out a wonderful message. We feel we have the very best message to tell out tonight. It's the gospel of the grace of God. We're thankful to see many here tonight.
But I trust each and everyone might recognize that coming to the gospel meeting will not save your soul.
The important thing is to come 2 to one of whom the gospel is about.
And that's God's own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You could come to gospel meetings all your life and still go to hell. Without Christ, there's no hope. The question tonight is, have you come to Jesus?
Have you come to the Lord Jesus Christ? He alone can save, and time is short.
I would like to begin tonight with #25 #25. Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheath. Be in time.
Been watching leaves fall.
This season.
And it's not a very long time.
From the time that the leaf leaves the tree and hits the ground, it's only a short time. And when we think of our lives in the light of eternity, our lives are very short too.
And we never know.
When they might be terminated down here?
So the one who wrote this hymn?
Was burdened. There was an urgency about the message.
And he goes on in his first first fleeting days are telling fast that to die will soon be cast, and the fatal line be passed. Be in time. Be in time while the voice of Jesus calls you. Be in time. I trust tonight that you may not simply hear my voice, but that you would hear the very voice of Jesus calling to you. Come.
Come, if in sin you longer wait, You may find the open gate and your cry be just too late. Be in time #25.
Life.
Of all the God of being like a hiding of a sheep.
And the fateful Almighty God speak in time.
And you're crying just too late.
Beginning time.
Along your way you may find an open game and you're crying because to learn.
Time is like strangely by that and judge my Lord.
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To the iron of oceans, as far as I begin in time.
And your priceless soul, because.
Meaning time.
Begins.
In time, in the world of voice of Jesus calls you, it is.
You on your way, you may find no.
Pride me just till I begin time.
And and seeing #22 #22 This hymn also reminds us of the importance.
Of.
Being in time.
Because, you know, for those that reject the message here tonight, the invitation that God gives to come.
We find it's too late.
Tomorrow.
And just him says that heavenly Bridegroom soon will come.
Perhaps tonight, so trim your lamps and be ready #22.
The heavenly right.
And take her home to the world.
Straighten your hands and be happy to end your life, and you're happy to end your life and be ready for the bridegroom.
Your plans and be ready to read your last.
Time you're happy for the brighter time.
The red car shuttle and turn the battery speaks well over there can begin.
And everything he.
Drives during your lounge and be ready.
In your lives and be riding train your lands and get rid of the bridegrooms night. The righteous name for every more.
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Shall cease. Let's play.
Oh.
Tonight I would like to turn.
To a story in the gospel.
About a man who had a desperate need.
And he knew about it. He knew he had that desperate need.
And he was determined to get deliverance from that particular need that he had.
And he went to the right person. He called on the right person.
And you know who that person was? Was Jesus.
Jesus made a difference in the life of that man.
And I do believe as I look around here tonight.
The Lord Jesus Christ has made a difference in the lives of many here tonight because we all have a desperate need as sinners before a holy God.
Sin in the sight of God.
Is horrible.
It's been said that one sin in the sight of a holy God is worse than 10,000 sins put together.
Would be in your sight or mine.
And I believe the person who said that went so far as to say perhaps all the sins in the world put together.
Here once tonight.
I have in my Bible case.
Pencil.
And I don't know if I should refer to this as a pencil or not because it doesn't have any lead.
At least I don't think it does. All I can see is a eraser on both ends.
But what I like about this pencil are the words.
And this is what it says.
And I only have one pencil.
And I might say that if somebody would like to have this pencil and you can remember the words.
I'll give it to the first one that comes to me and can tell me exactly what it says after the meeting.
Now this is what it says. Life without Jesus is like this pencil. No point to it.
Life without Jesus.
Is like this pencil, No point to it.
Have you found it to be so?
There's really no point to living if we don't know the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's been said, if we have Jesus, we have everything, but if we don't have them, we have nothing.
And so tonight we're going to talk about Jesus. We sang about Him, we want to talk about him.
But first of all, we're going to read about it and I'd like to turn to Luke chapter.
18 Luke, Chapter 18.
And read the story of this man.
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Who found that Jesus made all the difference in his life?
He brought happiness and joy.
Into his life he turned his darkness, his night into day.
His misery into.
Gladness.
And he can do that.
For anyone.
Let's read Luke chapter 18 and verse 35.
And it came to pass that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging and hearing the multitude passed by, he asked what it meant.
And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by, and he cried, saying Jesus.
Now, son of David, have mercy on me.
And they which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace, but he cried so much the more.
Thou, Son of David, have mercy on me.
And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. Then all the people, when they saw it.
Gave praise unto God.
What a beautiful story.
A story that brings before us.
The goodness of our God.
The grace of our God showing favor to one who did not deserve favor.
One who was down and out.
But these are the kind of people.
That Jesus had come.
To seek and to save. And who is Jesus?
He is the Son of God.
God's own dear Son.
You know God has given many gifts to man down through the ages from the beginning of time.
We discussed about the Garden of Eden and how that there in the Garden there was so much for Adam and Eve to enjoy.
They could eat if any fruit.
The guard, except for the food of the tree of analogy, couldn't eat.
And there were so many different fruits, variety of food and not all the same color, variety of colors. And there were the animals there too.
And I'm sure we do enjoy animals.
I see boys and girls here.
And I see older ones.
And I think we all, we like to go to a zoo.
And there we see.
God's handiwork and creation.
As we see all of these various animals, their sizes, their shapes.
Their colors beautiful. We go to an aquarium, we see all the different fish.
Bright colors. Recently I visited an aquarium. I was astounded to realize how many fish there are down deep in the ocean we know nothing about.
But they have been brought up for us to observe in an aquarium and vivid colors, yellows and oranges.
And Reds and Blues and exquisite markings on these fish. And that the birds, well, you know, God has given these things to man to enjoy.
He's given us food.
He's given us health.
He's given shelter.
But you know.
God has not withheld from your eye the very best gift that He could possibly give.
And he gave that gift about 2000 years ago. The Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. God only had one son.
That one in whom he delighted.
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He was willing to give him up. He would not spare him, but deliver him up for us all.
Oh, how good God is.
We can only begin to describe.
Goodness, that's in the heart of God. It's true. We see much difficulty in the world today, Confusion. We see that which is the fruit of man's sin.
Wars, violence, corruption, it's all present in the world today.
But you know what? It's not God's fault.
No, it's not.
Whose fault is it? It's the fault of man.
Man is the one who failed.
By one man's sin.
Disobedience, sin came into the world, and death by sin, and so death is passed upon all men.
But in the midst of the world in which we live.
We can enjoy the goodness of God. I noticed there in Psalm 27 David could say he would have fainted unless he had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
So I'd like to focus tonight on the goodness of God. We have it in this story.
And I'm thankful.
Those of God's people are enjoying.
That course?
I remember visiting Amanda Hospital over there in McAdam, and he used to tell me, you know, I've had brethren come to me and visit me in this hospital and it seems like they're always talking about the goodness of God. That's really what stuck in his mind.
The goodness of God.
Well, I'm glad there was that testimony.
The Lord is good.
He's a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him.
How wonderful a God we have.
Now here in verse 35 it says and it came to pass.
I'm so thankful that when I pick up the word of God.
I pick up a book.
That isn't filled with fantasy or the imagination of men.
Fairy tales.
No, what I have here in this book, I see it happened and I was just turning back to.
Previous chapters in Luke.
I noticed that I didn't go too far back, but let's say we started Luke chapter 16.
Luke 16 verse 22. We have those words and it came to pass.
Luke 17, verse 11.
And.
It came to pass.
In our chapter verse 35 and it came to pass. What about chapter 19?
Ah yes, there it is, number 29 and it came to pass.
Chapter 20.
Verse one and it came to pass.
I just emphasized dear ones tonight.
That what we have in this book.
It's history. It happened.
It's been said that history is his story.
And what a wonderful story we have here now. What came to pass? It says as he that's Jesus, of course, was come nigh unto Jericho.
And Jericho was a city that was under the curse. That was the first city, I believe, that the children of Israel were confronted with after they crossed the Jordans. And it was a wicked city.
A wicked city.
And God destroyed that city. The walls came down in a miraculous way.
But there was somebody that was saved in that city. In fact, there were more than just one say but.
Believe the first one that was saved.
Her name was Rahab.
She was a bad woman.
She was a Sinner woman.
But God saved her soul.
Because that's what God delights to do.
He delights to impart blessing to those who do not deserve it.
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He delights in the salvation of the Sinner.
Tells us over in.
Luke chapter 15 that there's joy in the presence of the angels of God.
Over 1 Sinner that repents.
Will there be joy tonight?
In the presence of the angels of God.
As a result of somebody in this hall repenting, you know, repenting is a willingness to own that I'm wrong.
That God is right.
And acknowledging.
Debt.
I can't trust myself, I can only trust in God. It's taking sides with God against myself. I believe that's what repentance is.
And this is what God looks for, repentance towards him and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh how it would delight his heart if there was one here.
That was saved tonight.
Now this city of Jericho, a wicked city that.
Was destroyed. It was rebuilt.
And I believe it was a man by the name of Heil. He had the effrontery.
To ignore God's.
Command that that city should not be rebuilt. He went ahead and rebuilt it anyway.
How many there are today? They have no regard for what God has to say.
And.
They do their own thing.
Well, you know, I believe highly suffered for it. I'm not mistaken.
His first born and his youngest.
I believe lost their lives.
In the rebuilding of that city.
But nevertheless it was rebuilt.
But it was under the curse, City of the curse. But I believe Jericho is a picture of this world.
And this world.
Is under the curse because of man's failure back there in the Garden of Eden, sin has come in.
And this world is under the curse and under the judgment of God.
But it's wonderful to see that Jesus came nigh to this very city.
And.
The Lord Jesus has come into this world.
What was his purpose for coming?
You know, we crossed back and forth.
Over the border quite often because where we live in Maine.
And.
When there are new border guards come on duty, they wonder who you are. And one of the first.
Questions that they ask often is what's the purpose of your trip, What's the purpose of your visit? And you better be able to give an answer.
I always say we're over for a visit.
Who are over to run an errand somewhere.
But there's a purpose to visit.
What was?
God's purpose in sending His Son.
What was the Son of God's purpose in coming to seek and to save that which was lost?
And so we find the Lord Jesus here nigh unto Jericho.