Address—J. Hyland
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We bless our Savior's name. Our sins are all forgiven to suffer once to earth He came. He now is crowned in heaven. Unless thy love constrained our souls to cleave to Thee, never in our hearts remain that word. Remember Me 146 Will someone please study?
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Yes, the Lord, You turn with me first of all to the Book of Second Timothy.
The second Timothy chapter 3.
And verse 14.
But continues thou in the things which thou hast learned.
And has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And then just go back to chapter 2.
And verse 22.
Plea also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Well, in these talks we have shared together, we have spoken of the church. We have looked at its character as being heavenly. We've looked at who comprises the church. We've looked at its birth on the day of Pentecost. We looked at it in its various aspects as presented in the New Testament.
We saw it in its aspect as a building. We saw it as the body of Christ, as the bride. We saw it as the city, and as the Candlestick. But I'd like to, this afternoon, speak of some very, very practical things concerning how we can express these truths in a practical way. Because as I said several times during these talks, when God brings me into a place of blessing and gives me light as to that place that He's brought me into.
There's always responsibility connected with it and the joy and happiness and the fruit in my Christian life comes when I bow to the word of God and I seek to walk in the good of those things that he has for me, the Lord Jesus said in the upper room. As he presented many things to the disciples, He said, if he know these things.
Happy are ye, if you do them in James were exhorted be doers of the Word and not hearers only. And so there's the practical side of things. Now God always likes the practical manifestation of truth, or the outward testimony of truth. It's true that we have to hold proof in the inward parts and that it begins with the heart. Because, as I've said several times, the mind is not the dwelling place of the truth. The heart must be the dwelling place if it's going to have a practical effect on my life. And that's the beginning.
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He had to rebuke the Pharisees when he was here because they had the outward form of things they were concerned with the washing of pots, the washing of hands, all the outward form of things. And that's what you had in the Old Testament. There was an outward ceremony of things. There were the rituals and the sacrifices. They were all good and ordained of God and proper in their place. But the Lord Jesus showed when he was here that what he was looking for in Christianity was not just the outward form of things but a response from the heart. But brother and I fear that sometimes we say, well, the Lord knows what's in my heart.
And we use that to set aside the outward confirmation of the truth. Because what I believe in my heart, what I hold in my heart, will be confirmed by what I do in my life. Now let me just give two quick examples. For instance, I might say, after I'm saved. Well, the Lord knows my heart, and I want to please the Lord. And He knows that I want him to be Lord of my life. Well, that may be true, and that's good. But God likes the outward confirmation of that, and that's what baptism is.
It's the outward testimony that I own the lordship of Christ in my life. I might say, well, I can't, can't I remember the Lord in my heart, and I trust we do, brethren, from day-to-day, have a sense of what he's done for us and have some sense of what he went, the cost of our redemption and what he went through. But then this morning there was the outward confirmation of that. There was the testimony of that truth and that of that of what we held in our hearts. And I trust there was that remembrance in our heart. The outward ceremony again, is not just enough because the Lord said this generation prays with me with their lips.
Far from me, but nevertheless let's not set aside the practical manifestation of the truth in our lives. And Paul said to Timothy, thou hast fully known my doctrine and manner of life, and so the two things go hand in hand. But I began with this, these verses here, because it is true, brethren, that the last days are always characterized by individual faithfulness. And I don't want to take away from that you find that whether it was in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, when it was days of weakness and ruin, there were individuals. And Timothy was told here first of all.
Continue thou in the things that thou hast heard and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. He was told to go on as an individual. Now if you read the 2nd Epistle of Timothy, you find the breakdown of everything, the breakdown in government and the world, in the home, even in the assembly. And yet Timothy was told to continue. Thou, you see, I can never look around at the circumstances, whether it's in the world, whether it's in the home, whether it's in the assembly, and I can never give God a good excuse.
For giving up, I can never give God a good excuse for for failure because there's provision made for us even in days of ruin and no matter how dark or how difficult things may seem, there's always provision to the very end. And that's what he's telling Timothy. You can go on, don't look at your brother, don't look at your sister and see their failure and and give up because of it, he said. You continue, But you know, it's interesting that in this epistle where Timothy is told to continue as an individual.
In the second chapter, he's told to go on with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. I think this is so important, brethren, because there's always the collective aspect of things as well. And that's why I've drawn a large circle on the chart here, and I put the church, the body of Christ, in that circle, and that's what we've been Speaking of during these talks. But now I put an inner circle because I believe there is a practical way in which we can manifest these truths.
That we have been Speaking of concerning the Church, and I believe that even in these last days of ruin, when everything seems to be broken up and fragmented, I believe that he not only has a path of faith for us as individuals, but collectively as gathered to the Lords name.
Now, I mentioned the other night that there's always a special blessing connected.
With the collective aspect of things. And Timothy here was told to go on with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Now God still had a testimony here in Timothy Day. Otherwise why would Timothy be told to continue with those? You know, we might say, when difficulties arise, we might say, well, I wouldn't give up the Lord, but I'm not going to go on with those people. Well, you know, I think of Moses the people of the children of Israel rebelled against Moses and against the Lord.
They spoke of stoning Moses, and Moses cried unto the Lord. And what did the Lord tell Moses to do now? I've been much impressed with this verse lately. He says, go on before the people and take with thee the elders of Israel. In other words, he says, Moses, you go on with those rebellious people. I love them. They're my people, and I'm going to bless them. And we know he did. And he said, you even take with you those that were speaking against you and Speaking of stoning you, you go on with them.
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And Moses did that. It must have been a difficult thing, after all they had said and done against Moses.
And yet he goes on with the people of God. And the Lord blessed him for it, and the Lord blessed his people. And brethren, we need to go on before the people. God wants us to go on. That's his, that's his. As I said the other night, his whole desire is that we would go on not compromise the truth, but go on in faithfulness. I think of Daniel too, You know, Daniel came to.
Babylon. He was brought to the palace and he might have said, well, it's a different day here in Babylon than when we lived in Judea and our fathers and our grandfathers, they used to do those things.
They used to believe those things. But, you know, it's a different day now, and we've got to compromise a little, go along with the crowd. Is that what he did? Oh, no. At the very beginning, again, as an individual, he purposed in his heart that he would not eat of the King's meat. There was that purpose of heart, and it does take purpose of heart to go on in days like these.
This went down and exhorted the early brethren, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. And it takes more than just desire to go on for the Lord and stand for the truth. In days like these, desire is good, but it's not enough, because the slugger desire it and have nothing. We need purpose of heart. But then, as Daniel stood for the truth, he found that he wasn't alone. There were those other three, and there they were, and they were faithful as well. And so he could go on with them. And I say, God always has a corporate testimony, even in a day of weakness.
And ruin. Well, I'd like to look at some scriptures this afternoon that would encourage our hearts as to these things. We're not going to look at them in any particular order. I'm not going to try to bring anything out that's new or a new slant or anything particularly different or profound. But I just want to encourage our hearts, brethren, because that's what we need in days like these. And the things that were written before time were written for our learning that we, through comfort and patience, patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. And if you ever get discouraged, just turn to the word of God. Read the word of God.
It's a tremendous comfort and a tremendous blessing. And to see these things in the light of God's word, I say it brings real confidence to our hearts. There's so much to day that would be would discourage. There's every wind of doctrine afoot. But you know, I think of the noble Bereans. Why were they more noble than those of Thessalonica?
Because they search the scriptures daily to see if these things were sold. And you know, the things that we have spoken out together over these talks. I trust that you'll look them up, that you'll meditate on them because you know, it's not enough just to hear these things, but we need to go back. We need to meditate on them. We need to confirm them from the word of God. There are so many that hear truth put forward and perhaps they hear part of the truth, but they don't confirm it for themselves. I remember talking to a young man one time. We were talking about some line of truth and finally said, well, he said I don't know my Bible well enough to.
Argue with what you say. But he said this is what I've been taught by those who who teach me spiritual things. Well, I thought, how sad. You know, the Bereans, they heard the truth from the Apostle Paul and you'd say it might say, well, if anybody's word for it, couldn't they have taken the Apostle Paul? Oh no. They searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Well, let's turn over to Luke 22.
Luke 22 and verse seven. Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in, and ye shall say unto the Goodman of the house.
The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, That I shall eat the Passover? Where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnace. There make ready. And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down on the 12 apostles with him. And he said unto them, with desire, I have desired Eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.
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And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you, This do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper. Saying This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Well, it's always good to go back to the beginning of something, as we've been saying. And here we have the institution of the Lord's Supper. Here we have the Lord Jesus as he anticipates Calvary it says. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. Little did his own realize that the true Passover was there, and that it was time for that one of whom all the other Passover spoke of to give himself and to die on Calvary's cross, but with all that before him.
Where are his thoughts?
His thoughts are on his own, they're good and they're blessing. And so he gathers them into the upper room. But, you know, I've just enjoyed here in Luke 22 The response on the part of the disciples, because he sends Peter and John saying go and prepares the Passover that we may eat, but he doesn't tell them immediately where to go. He stops and he waits for a response on the part of Peter and John. And you know, it must have brought great delight to his heart as he heard them say.
Where wilt thou that we prepare now, Brethren? There is no doubt if we belong to the Lord Jesus that he wants us to remember him in his death. You know, the path of faith is just that. It's a path of faith. And there are some things that take exercise. And we search the word of God. And as I was pointing out to the young people in Des Moines last night, there are things that he has for you that he doesn't have for me. It's an individual path. But you know, there are some things that were not left in any doubt about.
He has told us occupied till I come. But there are some things that he has specifically asked us to be occupied with, and one of them is that we remember him in his death. He made this request here. Well, Peter and John say, where wilt thou that we prepare? And when they respond in that way, then they're given very, very specific instructions. They had to only follow the instructions. And he leads their lead to this spot where he could sit down later with them.
He in the midst, and I know it was the Passover that was particularly in view here, but this was to be the very spot where he instituted this feast of remembrance. And can't you just picture as his owner gathered around him, they've gone not only into the city, which would speak of the world, Not only have they gone into a certain house, because, you know, I think of that house concerning what you have in Second Timothy, that great house where there is a mixture of profession and reality. But not only were they to go into the city.
And into a into a certain house. But there was a certain room in that house where they were to make ready. When they had followed the man bearing the pitcher of water, the word of God applied in the power of the Spirit. Then they came to a specific room, and they weren't to go into that house and choose a room where they thought would be more suitable. It didn't have to be very large. On that occasion there were only 12 or 13 present, and they might have said, well, what about one of these other rooms that's not so large or where we don't need so much furnishing or something like that? No, if they were, they weren't left in any doubt as to where they were to prepare and, you know, if they had chosen any other room in the house that night.
They wouldn't have been able to sit down with the Lord Jesus in their midst and you know.
There were many, I'm sure, in this area, even perhaps this morning that sat down to remember the Lord in his death to break bread. But brethren.
There may have been those in this House in other rooms, and I don't like to suppose into Scripture, but I've sometimes wondered if there weren't others in this House on that occasion.
To perhaps godly Jews who kept the Passover, but there was only one room.
Where the Lord sat down with his own, and there was only one room where this feast was instituted. And he takes a loaf, and he takes a cup, and he passes it to his own. And he makes that request, and whose desire is particularly expressed on this occasion.
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It's true there had been a response on the part of the disciples, but it was his desire that was particularly expressed on this occasion. His desire, He could say with desire I have desired what was his desire? To have His own around himself. Now He wants our company collectively. Again, there's the individual aspect of things, and I trust that as we go about from day-to-day, we have a sense of the Lord's company with us.
He says. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. But again, there is the corporate side of things.
And he doesn't want to have to wait till that day when we're home in the glory to enjoy our company collectively.
He's made provision so he can enjoy it now, I think of the Lord Jesus, you know, or Jehovah, I should say as he looked down on a redeemed people.
On the banks of the Red Sea and the wildernesses before them. And you know, he knew that when they got into the promised land, the temple would be built, the permanent dwelling place and he would dwell collectively with his people there. And yet, you know, he looks down in the 25th of Exodus and he says let them build me a sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them. And I've just thought of it this way. It's as if he says, I don't want to wait till they're in the land to enjoy the company of my people. I want to enjoy their company every step of the wilderness journey.
And who was it again that that's whose desire was particularly expressed on that occasion? It wasn't Israel looking up and requesting Jehovah's presence. It was Jehovah looking down and requesting that he dwell amongst his people. And did he know what kind of a people they were going to be? Did they he know that they were going to murmur and complain and find fault? Did he know they were going to turn to idols and all that kind of thing? Of course he did. He knows the end from the beginning. And yet he loved those people. He had redeemed them, and his desire was.
That he would dwell with them as they pass through the wilderness. Well, let's go on and we're going to move along quickly.
Let's go on to Acts Chapter 20.
Acts, Chapter 20.
And verse 6.
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread.
And came unto them to throw as in five days there we abode 7 days.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the moral, and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eunice, being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep. He fell down from the third loft and was taken up dead. And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him, said trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while even till break of day, so he departed, and they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
Now, these next three scriptures that we're going to look at, I believe would encourage our hearts, brethren, that there will be a testimony until the end. Now, I want this particularly notice this as we go through these scriptures because I hear folks say today, well, you know, it's such a day of ruin and there's such a a confusion that it's impossible to know where the Lord would have us. It's impossible that there be a corporate testimony. But you'll find brethren, always in scripture that God has a testimony to the end in any dispensation you find within the book of Malachi.
Where Israel was at their lowest point spiritually in the Old Testament, there were still those who spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written. We're not told how many there were, but there were still those who were seeking to be faithful to the Lord and to encourage one another in the Lord. After the 400 silent years, you find that the Lord Jesus comes, as I say, the 400 silent years, that gap between Malachi and Matthew.
Where you don't have any writings by divine inspiration and the Lord Jesus comes. And you know I just finished a little book by Brother Ironside on the 400 silent years and I was appalled at how the condition of things even from Malachi. You think things were bad in Malachi. Just read a secular history of the 400 silent years and see the corruption in not only amongst the people but in the priesthood and the Princess and the leaders. Appalling things were being allowed and God tolerated that.
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And then the Lord Jesus comes, and you know, to me it's so touching because he still has a corporate testimony when he comes. There were still those that were going on faithful. There were still those only six mentioned by name, Anna and Simeon, Joseph and Mary, Zachariah and Elizabeth. I know there were others because it says and all they that waited for consolation in Israel. And so there were others, But just those six mentioned by name wasn't very many. And yet there they were, I think of dear old Anna, I think of Simeon, and there they were in the Temple, and all the corruption in the temple was terrible at this time. And yet there they were, and they were waiting for the Messiah.
And what a blessing they got. Were they sorry that they were waiting there? Oh, no, they got a tremendous blessing.
Being able, and I think of Simeon as he took the dear Lord Jesus up in his arms, What a thrill to his soul. He had waited there so many years.
And I think of the Lord Jesus too, as he spoke of that temple. How did he speak of it as my father's house? I marvel at that. And yet he spoke of it in that way. He still recognized it. I know that Jerusalem was going to be set aside now, and there wasn't going to be an earthly center. He was going to be the gathering center. And we'll see this in a little while.
But there he still honors that it was it was his father's house. Just as he honored Reebok for remaining at Jerusalem so many, many years before will, I believe here in Acts 20 we have what I might call a little summary of church history. Now, I never realized how aptly it fit until I read a good church history, and I know there's many practical lessons here, but I believe there is a little history here because we find that there are those intro ads.
That we're meeting in that third loss and three speaks of death and resurrection or separation.
And there they were in that third loss. You know, it's interesting that we're only we only have this when we find a description of the place where believers met to remember the Lord. You only find it on 2 occasions, one when the feast was instituted in Luke 22 it was a large upper room furnished, and here it was a third law.
Not something that would appeal to the flesh. Not something that would be eloquent, eloquent in the eyes of man. But here, these believers, they climb these stairs to the third loft. Why? Because they had come together to break bread. Now that was the purpose for which they had come together. There were other things took place here, but that was their primary objective in coming to that third law on that occasion. But, you know, I think there's something touching here too about Paul and these ones that were here at Crow as on this occasion.
Visitors here and it's that's why I read the sixth verse, because they come to Troas in five days and there they abode 7. Now if you follow it through after the Lords day they departed on the moral and I believe that they arrived in Troas on a Monday and they stayed till the following Monday. And why? Well, there may have been other reasons but I've just thought of it this way. They wanted to have the privilege of breaking bread with their fellow believers in Troas. That's what the privilege meant to them, that they would remain there a whole week.
So that they could sit down on the first day of the week and they could break bread with those dear Saints in Troas. Do we value that privilege? Is that our desire from week to week to be in his presence, To remember him in his death? It's something he's asked us to do.
You know, it's interesting that the Lord's Table, the Lord's Supper, and the Lord's Day are only mentioned once in the word of God. I used to wonder about that because in the Old Testament, the Sabbath was mentioned over and over again, and that which they were to do on the Sabbath and not to do on the Sabbath. I've never counted, but a good many times He.
Goes over those things concerning the Sabbath day. And it's important. It's important. And yet in the New Testament the Lord suffered. The Lord's table in the Lord's day are only mentioned once, twice. Well, I believe it's just this. It's that verse we had in Sunday school this morning. If ye love me, ye will keep my commandment. And you know if someone whom you love very much.
Ask Ask makes a request. Do they have to repeat it? Do they have to ask it over and over again?
No love has the power, has the love responds and that a request has the power of a command when there's a the motive of love. And so he makes that request once he says it were he says I know that you I want to be clear that this is something that I appreciate and that will please me very much. But he only says it once and he waits for the response of love. Well they come together to break bread and I believe it's a little picture of the early church when they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine fellowship.
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Breaking of bread and in prayers, because Paul preaches unto them to them till midnight. And that doctrine of the apostle Paul concerning the Church, its heavenly calling, Pauls teaching Pauls gospel, It was valued by the early Saints, and there they were sitting under the sound of it. Sad to say, if you read church history, you'll find that as soon as the apostles, and particularly Paul had passed off the scene, these things were given up. And what did it do? It ushered in the dark ages when the corporate testimony was lost.
And so he's ready to depart on the moral Paul's ministry always brought that before the Saints, the nearness of the Lord's return.
But he continues his speech until midnight. Now I believe this brings before us that time when these crews were lost during the Dark Ages. But it's encouraging here. And there were many lights in the upper chamber. Now the corporate testimony was lost in the Dark ages. The truth of the one body, of being able to remember the Lord in his death, being gathered to the Lord's name. The truth even of the Lord's coming it was lost. But there were still many lights in the upper chamber.
That is, there were still individuals in the Dark Ages who were in the enjoyment of these things. In fact, some of our nicest hymns were written during the Dark Ages by a monk in a monastery, by a cardinal in a monastery. There were those individuals who were in the enjoyment of these truths. But corporately the testimony was lost. And you see this with Eudicus. He falls down out of the window. He didn't value the place that he had been brought into. He had his eye on the world.
One year tuned to the street below and we find that he falls down to the level of the street. You might say, well, wasn't there a 5050 chance that he fall in or out? It never works that way. If we want to have the world and Christ to the world is going to drag us down, well, they go down and Paul goes down. He says his life is in him. And then we have judicious restored little picture of the restoration of the truth that took place in the 1800s when God revealed these truths to men who were searching the scriptures and these things were, were brought out.
And then I was thinking in verse 11, where the encouragement of our hearts when he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten and talked a long while even till break of day, So he departed. Now, brethren, I believe this is an encouragement to your heart and mine, that we will have the privilege of remembering the Lord in his death, that we will have the privilege of being gathered to the Lord's name until the break of day. Now I have no doubt that here at the end of this portion they probably partook of some food, rather than to repeat the remembrance of the Lord as such, but I believe the Spirit of God has been pleased to use this terminology.
To complete the picture that we've hit, we've been trying to draw church history and to show us that until the break of day there is a path of faith for us collectively as gathered to the Lords name and a place where we can remember the Lord in his death.
Let's go on to Acts 20, Acts 27.
Acts 27.
And verse 35. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat. Now just go back to verse 33.
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought the mall to take me. Well, as the day is coming on here, as there's the dawn of another day, here they are in the ship, there's the storm. And yet Paul takes bread in the presence of them and he begins to eat. And again, I believe it's just an encouragement because I'm saddened to find that some brethren will take these, this 27th and 28th chapter and tell us, well, there's no corporate testimony. It's impossible to know.
The ship is broken up. The ship is in ruin, and it's true, brethren, that the outward testimony has become fragmented.
That's why you have Christians in different fellowships and different pockets of Christendom. But as I said the other night, God looks down, He sees the body, He says there is one body. And I believe he still has a place where we can express in a practical way this truth. And so as the day is coming on, he encourages those that are with him to take some meat, and he takes bread, and he breaks it in the midst of them. Now let's go on to 1St Corinthians Chapter 11.
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First Corinthians Chapter 11 and verse 23 For I have received of the Lord.
That which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take ye, this is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had stopped saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as OFT as ye drink it in remembrance of me, for as often as ye eat this bread.
And drink this cup. You do show the Lord's death till he come. Well, here Paul receives this revelation. I believe that probably it's part of that revelation he received when he was caught up to the 3rd heaven in the presence of a risen, glorified, and ascended Christ, and where he heard unspeakable words that was not lawful for a man to utter. Because you remember that I said the other night that much of the truth concerning the heavenly calling of the Church wasn't given to the Apostle in this world.
Because the Spirit of God is very careful to detach us in every way from this world, because the Church is heavenly in its calling and in its character. And I think this is so precious because we looked at the incident in Luke 22 where the Lord instituted this beast himself. And you might say, well, wasn't that enough? He expressed his desire on that occasion. He showed them how this was to be carried out. But, you know, so vital and so precious and so necessary. A truth is this truth.
Of the remembrance of the Lord in his death, but he doesn't just institute it himself when he's here.
But he again gives it to the apostle Paul, and leaves nothing unexplained as to how he desires that his own would carry out this truth. And so he receives this as a direct revelation from the Lord I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. And he speaks of how it was again the same night in which he was betrayed. With all the awful reality of Calvary before him, and all that it meant to his holy soul, he institutes this feast.
This remembrance for his own, And he takes a loaf and a cup. Now this morning, brethren, we had a loaf and a cup on the table. We spoke of the loaf the other evening, and how that that loaf unbroken, represents to us every member of the body of Christ, every true St. of God, alive on the face of the earth. But then as we take that bread and we break it, it is to be a fresh reminder of his body given in death for him. And as we take that cup and we drink of it together, it is to be a fresh reminder of that precious blood that flowed from his side.
I think of John. You know, dear beloved John, He bore witness, and he knew that his record was true, and he knew that he stepped true as he saw that one and testified of that one who took that spear, and with it with it pierced the blessed Saviour side, and forthwith came throughout blood and water. I like that word forthwith. If it said there came out blood and water, I would rejoice, and that would be enough to cleanse my sins away. But I like that word forthwith. God was in a hurry to bless the crowning act of man's hatred and forthwith God wouldn't delay.
To bless you and I and forthwith flow throughout that blood. And when we see that loaf, when we see that cup, when we eat and drink of it together, I trust that it's a fresh reminder. I often think you know our Lord's day morning of that verse in lamentations. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Or is it nothing to me? Is it nothing to you? As we pass by Calvary again and we see the blessed Savior suffer, we see that precious blood, the cost of our redemption.
And where is the heart so hardened? And who is so vile is he that seeth the savior suffered and said? It is nothing to me. And can anything be more simple and yet more profound than a loaf and a cup? Why did he choose a loaf and a cup? Because he wanted it to be something that would be accessible to his own in any place at any given time. And you can go anywhere in the world today? Almost.
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But you can go almost anywhere in the world today, and you will be able to obtain a loaf of bread. Perhaps not in the same sense as we think of a loaf of bread, but in some form. His own can obtain a loaf of bread and fruit of the vine, because it was something that he wanted his own to be able to carry out at any time, in any place. He wanted it to be accessible, because this is his desire that we would remember him. And it says as often I like that.
You know, to me this is one of the most precious things about being gathered to the Lord's name is that we have the privilege of remembering the Lord often not just once a month, not just twice a year on a special occasion, but often every resurrection morning, every Lord's day. We have that privilege. Is that our desire from week to week? I know that sometimes it's impossible, perhaps through circumstances, to get to the remembrance.
And maybe you've experienced where you couldn't be there, and didn't you feel that the week was all went wrong, You just missed something.
That week and in Troas we noticed with the early believers that it was already their exercise in the early days of the church to come together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord in his death. And so it's as often as she eats this bread and drink this cup you do show the Lord death. This is the practical outward testimony of the truth of the one body and the truth of the church which we have spoken of. And brethren, how long?
Till.
He come. I don't want to belabor this brethren, but it just speaks to my own heart. And if there is going to be a testimony gathered to the Lord's name until he comes, the challenge that comes home to my own soul is this afternoon is this.
Will I be there when he comes to call us away? And I don't believe it's going to be very long. I believe the moment is just a hand when we're going to no longer need a loaf and a cup as a reminder. But we're going to see that face that was so mired more than any man. We're going to see those hands that were pierced through those feet that were nailed to the cross that side from which the blood of Christ and the blood of Jesus flows.
But until that day, until that day, is it the exercise of your heart and mind to be found, going on simply as gathered to his name. If there is that provision made to the very end, oh, it ought to exercise and challenge our hearts. Now, brethren, it's only the grace of God that keeps us, if we find ourselves at the Lord's table to partake of His supper.
We have nothing to boast him. It's only His preserving grace that has brought us that keeps us there, only His grace that brought us there to begin with. But I believe that if we have a sense of that grace in our souls, and we seek to go on as before him, that preserving grace is limitless. He wants us there, and if we are willing to submit and have that exercise and to see him, then we will be preserved. Now what I would like to do for another few moments is go back to Matthew 18.
Matthew chapter 18 and verse 24. Where to or three are gathered together in my name, There are my in the midst of them. Now I know, brethren, that to day people, our folks will tell you well, Matthew 18 and 20 has been made too much of. And I will grant you that if this was all we had to go on, we couldn't have spoken the way we have concerning these precious truths.
But rather, if we take this verse out, if we sweep it away as not being applicable, we have swept away the foundation. The Lord sold the seed here of this precious truth. It's true. It's later developed in the epistles, and we have to go over there to have the full development of these truths. But brethren, if we take away the foundation, what are we going to do And all? I think we need to be careful that we don't sweep this first away, that we don't clip it out of our bibles as not being as applicable as was once considered.
And I like what it says here. It says for where to or three.
Now this is touching because here the Lord is anticipating the Church.
The church hadn't been established yet. He's speaking in the future context, and yet he says two or three. He goes beyond the beginnings of the church. He goes beyond the revival of the truth. He goes right on to the very end, and he makes provision for the very end. I'm glad he didn't say two or three hundred or two or three dozen, but that he said two or three. You can't have a corporate testimony smaller than that. But he anticipates the end when the testimony would be small, when these truths would be given up because the truth is never popular.
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And we find that these truths are being set aside today. But nevertheless he makes provision for the very end, so that even when it comes down to literal twos and threes, there can be the the as are gathered.
Brother, I trust we never lose sight of this.
I know there's a great movement today to set this truth aside, but when I get home to glory, am I going to boast that I was at the Lord's table? Am I going to be able to boast that I was preserved there, that I did something to gather myself? And I know a Greek scholar will come along and tell you well, it's not quite clear in the original whether it's come together in our gathered or gathered together. I don't think that's the point, brethren.
People say, well, I don't see the Spirit of God in this verse at all. But I cannot divorce this scripture from other scriptures that bring before us the work of the Spirit of God in any aspect of our Christian lives. Now, whether it was my salvation, my coming to Christ, whether it was any desire to follow the Lord in any aspect of my Christian life, or whether it was the fact that I'm gathered to the Lord's name at this table, I cannot take any credit to myself.
I quoted this verse several times, but I'm going to quote it again. It's God that worked within you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It's the Spirit of God, and there is ample testimony in the word of God to show that in any aspect of my Christian life, if there's one response towards the Lord, it's a work of the Spirit of God. And brethren, if we find ourselves at the Lord's table to partake of the Lord's suffer, we are gathered. I'm not going to be able to look at somebody else in glory and say, well, I was at the Lord's table and I did something to to be there. I had that exercise.
I don't want to take away from exercise. We need spiritual energy and exercise. But we need to recognize too that even that is a work of the spirit of God. I'm going to use a very simple illustration. Birds gather together and especially up where I come from. When the IT gets cold in the fall, you'll find that birds will gather together in great numbers to migrate S But eggs are gathered, and if you find 12 eggs in a basket, you know they have no power to put themselves in that basket.
Some outward force had to take those eggs.
And gather them together. Rather, we have no power to gather ourselves, and it's not where two or three come together.
It's where two or three are gathered. You know, you have this illustrated in the Old Testament with Israel because 21 Times in the Book of Deuteronomy, God told Israel that there was a place that he was going to set his name when they got into the land, and there they were to bring their sacrifices. There they were to come up and worship year by year, and it was not left to them to decide where that place would be. In fact, one of the grievous things to the heart of God was that Jeroboam set up two other centers.
At them. And Bethel, it was a grievous thing to his heart. He had placed his name at Jerusalem. I suppose that every tribe would wanted to have that place within the boundaries of their tribe. But when they got into the land he chose, he chose Jerusalem within the boundaries of the tribe of Judah. I suppose that the disciples in Luke 22 recognized that in the Old Testament It was never left up to them as to where they were to offer their sacrifice, and that's why they said.
Where wilt thou that we prepare, and so our gathered together? Well, I've been mentioning that that's God's delight together. That's His word. Unity. One is God's number. And there's a day coming when all the redeemed will be together in perfect harmony, and then in my name.
Now I believe His name brings before us everything that he is in himself we find in Isaiah 9. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. It's those attributes. Everything that He is in His person is, is brought before us in that in that name.
And, you know, I've enjoyed the simplicity of this. There was a dear old sister. She's with the Lord now. But, you know, someone asked her one time. They said, well, you don't even take a name up where you go up at that hall. Oh, she said, we do take the name. And she said, what greater name could we have than the name of the Lord? Jesus Christ, Brethren, are we content with that precious name? You know, sometimes things are the accusation is given of things being presented in a way that's far too hard to understand.
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But is there anything hard to understand about this? To be simply gathered to his name, not taking any other name? I think of those on the mount of Transfiguration. Peter said, let us build 3 tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elias. He gave the Lord first place, but then he brought in two other names, honored names. They were Moses and Elias the lawgiver and the greatest of the prophets. But they immediately vanished from view, and when they lift up their eyes they see no man.
So Jesus only that's what we need to see, brother. We need to see no man. You know, scripture is tremendously accurate and it says and they saw no man comma.
Do we see no man?
Save Jesus only.
Because he says, there there am I in the midst of them. Now, brethren, I believe that there is a place where we can not only remember the Lord in his death. As I said earlier, perhaps there were many even in the town of Pella who remembered the Lord in his death this morning.
But a place where we can sit down in his presence, where we can sit down with the assurance there am I in the midst of them. I trust we never lose sight of this. We're gathered to a person, the person and name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if I lose sight of this brethren, I'm not going to remain at the Lord's table. You know, I have seen those who have come, and they have been happily gathered to the Lord's name. They have seen the Lord in the midst, and they take their place, and they remember the Lord in his death.
Time goes on, and perhaps they wander away. They leave. And do they say they left the Lord? No, they say, well, we left the meeting or that group of brethren. Why? Because they've lost sight of the Lord in the midst. Oh, we need to see no man save Jesus. Only we need to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our tough faith. And if I look around at my dear brethren and thank God for my dear brethren, but if I look at them, I'm not going to be preserved. David said I've seen an end of all perfection. We say, well, that brother disappointed me, but that brother or sister, they'll never disappoint me. I'll be careful.
Are we gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we see him in the midst? I say thank God for our dear brethren, and we ought to encourage one another that says whose faith follow. But we need to see him in the midst and him alone. Now I know our time is almost gone, but I would like to flip this chart and take that one more little truth before we we close. And that is a truth that is has been misconstrued over the ages and misapplied, and that is the truth of the camp. Now let's turn over to Hebrews 13 to introduce this subject.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 12.
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. Now you'll notice I have two circles here. I have the camp and the testimony. I've placed the one outside the other. And here we have an exhortation to go forth unto him without the camp. Now we're going to go back in a moment to the Old Testament to see what the camp is. But I would just say this, that I believe the camp would bring before us a system of things that is either an imitation.
Or a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. Now we're going to see this in the Old Testament. You have to remember here in Hebrews that the apostle is writing to Jewish believers. And it was very hard for a Jewish believer to give up all the system of things, the outward form of things that he had been steeped in for generations. But we find here that Jesus suffered without the gate. Well, this takes us back to John 19, where you have Jerusalem, which we might say was the religious center. And the Lord came unto his own.
And his own received him not. And it was the religious leaders at Jerusalem that cried away with him, crucify him that said, we will not have this man to reign over us. I know that behold world was held guilty, but it was the religious leaders who were particularly instrumental in the rejection of Christ and his final crucifixion. And so he looks out from judgment of pilots judgment hall. He looks out to Calvary, and he goes forth and it says he bearing his cross went forth. Because remember, as I said this morning in John, he's the true burnt offering. He's the willing one. And so he goes forth.
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In love to you and I. And he goes outside Jerusalem, outside that religious system of things. They had rejected him. They had cried away with him. And now he goes outside, and he suffers without the gate of Jerusalem. And now there's a little challenge to your heart and mind. Let us go forth unto him. Now there's two things there's going for. And unto him, when God gives us something negative, there's also something positive. I say that because, you know, there was a group of Christians one time, and I knew some of them.
And they separated from what we might call the camp. They saw that it was a system of things that was not according to the mind of God in the New Testament. And so they separated. They went forth, but they never went unto him, and they never remembered the Lord. They never identified with those who practically expressed this truth of these truths of which we have been speaking. And for years and years they did that thank God that some 40 years later, two dear brothers on in their 80s.
Finally gathered to the Lord's name and the brother that had exercised them to leave the camp, he didn't exercise them to go unto him. And these brethren don't know to this day why they weren't given the positive side of the truth. And so there's the two things we go forth, and it's unto him, Well, I want to see what the camp really is by turning back to the Old Testament. Turn back to Exodus chapter 33.
Exodus, chapter 33 and verse 7. And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of a congregation which was without the camp, and then just dropped down.
Verse 11.
Well, I guess we will read verse 8. And it came to pass when Moses went out under the Tabernacle that all the people rose up and stood every man that is tent door.
And looked after Moses until he was gone into the Tabernacle, verse 11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend, And he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man departed not out of the Tabernacle. Well, here we find that because of the failure of the people of Israel, because of their sin Moses take toll to take the Tabernacle outside the camp and to pitch it there. Now I want to make this very clear, because when the Tabernacle was taken out and pitched there, it says, every man stood up.
And worshipped in his tent door. Now it didn't mean that these were no longer the people of God. And it didn't mean that there wasn't worship. They stood up and worshipped in their in their tent door. But there was a special blessing for those who went out of the camp to the Tabernacle of the congregation. They had a special scent. Everyone that sought the Lord went out to the Tabernacle of the congregation. There was a sense of his presence and his approval. And Joshua young man departed not out of the Tabernacle of the congregation.
Again, those who remained in their tent doors, they were the people of God, and there are many true children of God today.
Who worship, They come together and they worship the Lord. But I say again, for there are those that separated, those that went outside the camp, that which would speak of that religious system of things that has an outward form. And you know what I'm talking about. There is a religious system in this world that has an outward form. And I don't say there aren't true children of God connected with them, but there was a special blessing for those that went outside the camp. And Joshua valued this.
He had been in the presence of Moses, He had been Moses Minister, and he had those truths given to him that they had at that time.
It seemed Moses faithfulness, and now because of it he stands and he stayed remains outside the camp at the Tabernacle of the congregation. Now turn over to Numbers 33.
I'm sorry, it's numbers 11.
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Numbers 11 and verse 26. But there remain two of the men in the camp, the name of the one with Eldad, and the name of the other me, Dad. And the spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out under the Tabernacle, and they prophesied in the camp.
And there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and me dad do prophecy in the camp.
And Joshua the son of nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord, Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Envious thou for my sake?
We find that these others, they receive part of the spirit that was on Moses, and immediately you have these two, that prophecy in the camp. Now Joshua wanted to forbid them, but Moses said no, that he wished all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would place his spirit upon them. And I don't want to give any indication that there's no blessing in the camp. There is, and the Gospel's going forth in a wonderful way. Paul said, whether in truth or pretense, Christ is preached, and I there in due rejoice.
Yeah, and will rejoice. That is, Paul was happy for any way that the gospel went forth in the name of Christ was proclaimed. There were some there in Philippi that were even preaching out of contention, hoping to add to his bonds. But Paul said that's all right as long as Christ is being preached. And you find here that Moses. He doesn't forbid them, but he doesn't tell Joshua to go and join them. Joshua again, he remains in the Tabernacle. Now, brethren, we need two things.
We need largeness of heart to embrace all the people of God and we need to walk in the narrow path. Now you see this illustrated so beautifully with Hezekiah. Hezekiah came to the throne at a time when Israel was divided. 2 tribes were meeting at Dan and 10 tribes were meeting at Dan and Bethel. 2 tribes were meeting at God's center at Jerusalem. And Hezekiah has a large heart and he embraces in his heart all the people of God. And he writes those letters come up and worship with us.
At the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. Well, when they received those letters they laughed them and mocked them to scorn. But there were some who humbled themselves and came up to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem. I used to wonder why they had to humble themselves because it was to be the exercise and privilege of every godly Jew to come up to the House of the Lord. Well really in humbling them, in coming up they were really saying we were in the wrong place. They had to humble themselves. They were saying we ought not to have been at Dan and Bethel. Well, they came up but you know, many refused to come up and you know, some would consider it broad minded. If Hezekiah had gone one Sabbath day to Dan and one debacle and then say, well surely some of those Jews would have come up the third Sabbath to the House of the Lord of Jerusalem. Did Hezekiah do that?
Oh, no. He had that love for the whole people, the whole nation of Israel, for all the people of God. He desired that they would come up and worship together at God's center. But he was thankful to be at Jerusalem. He was thankful to be where Jehovah had placed his name. And he had that that path before him. He he walked in the truth. That narrow path. Is it a narrow path? Yes, it is. But it's a path of blessing marked out in the word of God. And again, I want to be careful because there are many true children of God in the in the camp.
There is much blessing in the Word of God is going forth, and they ought to exercise us. It's interesting that you find that these two prophecy in the camp because of Moses not taking his proper responsibility, and there'll be nobody in hell. Because of our unfaithfulness, God will use whomsoever he will and whatever means.
But Oh well, we we pray for the gospel as it goes forth in any way, and I trust we do. Oh brethren, we need to, as we had that verse the other day, we need to magnify His word above His name. We need to, in everything we do, have the sanction of the word of God, whether it's gathered, being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, whether it's some gospel work, something that we have laid on our hearts. We're never justified in making known the name.
Without the authority of the word of God, it must be in a way that conforms to His word, even to make known that name. People say, well, the only thing that matters is that souls be saved. Well, brethren, it's a wonderful thing to see souls saved. May we be more exercised about the gospel in our testimony. But, you know, there is something that's more important, and that is his honor and glory. That is to walk in the path that he has for us.
Brethren, we've spoken of these things in a feeble way, but I just trust that you'll go over these scriptures, that you'll meditate on them, that we'll enjoy. We will enter in, in some fuller way to the position we've been brought into, that we will enjoy these truths, and that we might seek to go on as simply gather to His name with the privilege of remembering Him in death. It's his desire, He desired to have His own so long ago, and may the desire of our souls be to His name and to the remembrance of Him Shall we pray.