Address—Jim Hyland
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Which one 112 and which book? In the blue book OK 112.
Uh, it seems that the way.
Everybody knows to watch and pray and let every thought.
In every man I think everything. I think that's why you did not walk my sins away.
Transaction.
I am my Lord.
And it is my.
She is gripping.
Out my father.
I am glad to have.
A one second time.
When I considered the.
Way.
Take somebody home to get the water can play.
And celebrate all these things and everything. Everything.
Wednesday night falls my hands far away.
OK, I'd like to also sing hymn #3288 in the Little Flock hymn book 288 O Thou, whose mercies far exceed All We can Do are Save 288.
Upgrades and.
We enjoy.
They blameless by crazy.
Lord Jesus must write some man.
All right, let's get right to it. This afternoon, let's go to the third chapter of Nehemiah, where we've been.
So this morning we ended with Speaking of the Fountain Gate. We applied it in connection with the work of the Spirit of God and how that men in the 1800s God raised up who were exercised to meet in a way that the Spirit of God could lead in worship and praise, in ministry of the Word and in prayer.
And so we're going to go on now and you'll notice the next item on your yellow.
Cardboard Here. Your yellow chart is the tower out from the King's High House. Let's see if we can put our finger on that in our chapter.
It's after the Fountain Gate.
Yes, verse 26.
Moreover, the Netanyahu dwelt in Opal unto the P the place over against the Watergate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. No, that I'm sorry 25.
Palisol, the son of Isaiah, over against the the turning of the wall and the tower, which lieth out from the King's high house. So we're again, as we've said in these meetings, we're just making some applications as we go along.
They're not necessarily the only application that can be could be made, but I have enjoyed this tower out from the King's high house in connection with the hope that you and I have as believers of soon ending up in the Father's house. So when the Lord Jesus was here and again we won't turn to a lot of these scriptures, I'll mention them, jot them down on your notepad or your booklet in John 14 of course in the 1St 3 verses.
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The Lord Jesus when he was here on earth before He left the disciples to go to the cross.
And to return to heaven, he encouraged them by telling them that this was not their home, Oregon, the end of the story, that there was something far better awaiting them and that is the father's house. And so you and I have that hope. You know, when this camp is over, we're going to return to our homes or our parents homes. And we're thankful for comfortable homes this side of heaven, but these homes that we have here in the temporal mercies that we enjoy here.
They are not the end of the story we're going on to the Father's house. That's John chapter 14. Also the Lord or the apostle who wrote the book of Hebrews In Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 19, and those verses there at the end of that chapter, they speak of having a sure hope, a hope that is sure and steadfast. And it's the only hope that we have in this life that is hope connected with the first man in this life is uncertainty at best.
But the hope of the Lord's return, and you and I ending up in heaven, the Father's house, that hope is a hope that and only only hope that can be referred to as sure and steadfast. We all hope to return to our homes after this camp is over. But, you know, if we were to sit, sit here this afternoon and say we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are going to get home after this camp, either later tonight or tomorrow or wherever it might be.
And there's no doubt about it. Why we say we're presumptuous, you know, a lot of things we hope to do in this life, they get frustrated. They we never get to do them. Or often the timetable in which we had hoped to do them is changed by the Lord himself. But we have a a hope of being in the Father's house. That's how I have enjoyed and applied the tower out from the King's high house and again a tower.
Would speak of security. So it's the tower out from the King's high house. That is, it's the security of the hope of the Lord's return to take us to be with himself in the Father's house. But now we're going to notice something else here at the next gate, and that is the the Watergate.
So uh just notice here umm in verse 26 moreover than ethonyms that UH dwelt in ofo under the place over against the Watergate towards the east and the tower that lieth out. So you're gonna notice on our uh yellow chart there's the Watergate and then closely connected with it there's the tower out from the Washington the Watergate. So.
I mentioned this morning in passing that often water contained water. Water in a basin or a vessel is usually a picture of the word of God. And I believe that's what we learn from the Watergate. That is, we need, as we've been stressing in these meetings, the word of God in our lives. Just turn over a couple of pages in the Book of Nehemiah to the 8th chapter and I think you'll get the.
Illustration very quickly.
Chapter 8.
And verse one. And all the people gathered themselves together as one man under the street that was before the Watergate. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that it could hear with understanding upon the first day.
Of the 7th month. And he read therein before the street that was before the Watergate, from the morning until midday.
Before, before the men, and and the women and those that could understand in the years of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. So well, I think we see very quickly that the Watergate would speak to us of the necessity of having the word of God in our lives. And here we find that the people of God, they came together on this street by the Watergate, and they were attentive to the word of God.
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Now I want to apply this in a couple of ways. First of all, of course we need the water of the word in our lives personally, and we have it again in Ephesians. You can jot this down. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 26 says the washing of water by the word. So again you get the picture. Very clearly we need the cleansing effect that comes from the practical application of the Word of God in our lives.
It's like the truth of feet washing that the Lord Jesus gave to the disciples before he left them. And he wasn't simply telling them that they needed to physically wash one another's feet. There's a spiritual application there that showed that he it was more than that. It was the need for the washing of water by the word. So we need that individually in our lives. But it is interesting again, we've been talking about Jerusalem and we've been mentioning a couple of times.
That it was God's center on earth. And you'll notice they came together collectively to have the word of God read in their ears. And they actually come together on more than one occasion for this. And they were attentive as the word of God was read. And later on in the 8th chapter you can read it for yourself, you'll find that there were a number of men. In fact, there were 13 men in all who helped to explain the word of God.
And to give the people understanding, remember what we said at the beginning of these meetings. Nehemiah brings before us a day of weakness and ruin, the days parallel to the days in which we live. And I have just wondered this young people, when you have these thirteen men that participated in the explicit exposition of the word of God, if it isn't a little hint of God's provision for us for a reading meeting in a day of ruin. Because, you know, reading meetings were something that were established by those men of God that we've been Speaking of in the 1800s.
In connection with the exposition and the explanation of the Word of God in the prophetic scriptures. And I believe God has preserved the reading meeting to us in a marvelous way so that the Spirit of God can have liberty to teach the Word of God in that particular venue. There are other types of meetings for ministry, of course there's addresses, there's open meetings, and so on, but I believe that we really learn the truth.
When we attend the the local meetings for ministry, the local reading meetings and meetings at conferences and other venues that the brethren provide by the grace of God and where there's the spirit of God is given that liberty and God has men who can explain the scriptures as well as it's an opportunity to ask a question. Your young brothers you know in a reading meeting you can ask a question sometimes that question, if it's a good question.
Can lead to something that perhaps others were wondering about Oregon, something that would otherwise be passed over. A little comment sometimes is is helpful in leading in a certain direction, something you've enjoyed in connection with that portion and so on. And so they came together collectively in the Watergate and they were attentive to the word of God. Now I know when you go home to your little assembly, there's a lot of weakness and I come from a small assembly too. So I understand that. And you say we don't get a lot, we don't get much.
But you know you're there, the Lord is there, the Spirit of God is free to minister, and the word of God hasn't changed.
And if you come with real exercise and you brothers come with exercise to help out in a little way.
I believe the Lord can really feed us in a wonderful way and don't despise the simple manner that God gives you in the local assembly.
It may be an ever so feeble a way, but you'll find your soul will be fed if you attend those.
On a regular basis, those meetings set aside for that reason, you'll notice that this is one of the gates that did not need repair. And why did it not need repair? Because the Word of God never needs repair or revision or revamping. The Word of God lives and abides forever. And when Jude wrote to the Saints in his day, it was a days again parallel to the days we are living in. Days when the word of God was being undermined and.
Changed and mixed with other things, Jude said earnestly contend for the faith.
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That was once delivered to the Saints. And I know we've talked about this in an earlier meeting, so we won't go over it again. But I just say as a warning, we the word of God, it lives and abides forever. It is the same today. It meets the need today. It presents Christ today to the soul, the way it always has. And it will do the same the same tomorrow. And you know, they've tried to get rid of the word of God from this world. They burned it in bundles and tried to eradicate it from planet Earth. You know they'll never do it. You know why? Because the originals in heaven. The originals in heaven forever. Oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
And we're going to have a fresh enjoyment of the Word of God for all eternity when we are finally there in the Father's house. But now you'll notice that there was this tower out from the Watergate. Now what does that speak to us of an application? Well, I'll make this suggestion. It speaks of testimony, you know, in the measure in which you and you and I are into the Word of God, enjoying the Scriptures and having Christ ministered to us from the Word of God in the power of the Spirit.
Then we can go out and be a testimony to the world. And let me say this, that when you speak for Christ in this world, whether it's at school, whether it's in your neighborhood, whether it's at work, some of you brothers perhaps will find if the Lord leaves us here, maybe in a more public forum. But always use the word of God. You know, it's the word of God that has power when we present the gospel, whether it's on the platform, in a public setting or to individuals.
My telling a story about someone who almost drowned will never save a soul. It might help to make a point and to bring in an application or a scripture, but it is the Scripture itself. It is the water of the Word that is living, and it is the Word itself, in all its living power that God can use as testimony and blessing to souls, whether it's in the gospel. As to salvation, it says we're born again not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible.
By the word of God, not my explanation. Explanation is helpful, and there's room for that.
But if by the word of God that lives and abides forever, when you seek to wash one another's feet with the word of God, encourage one another, use the scriptures again. There's always room. And in the Acts they preach, they discuss the Word, they went over it, and so on. But it's the word of God in itself that is going to have the blessing. Let me give you just a couple of scriptures to jot down in connection with the the tower out from the Watergate. Colossians 4.
Verse five walk in wisdom towards them that are without redeeming the time.
1St Thessalonians 412 That she would walk work honestly towards them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
First, Timothy 37. Moreover, we must have a good report of them that are without. So we have this testimony. We walk in obedience to the word of God, and then God uses us in testimony to others. OK, now there's another tower, and you'll notice on your yellow chart. And that is the the great tower. So let's just notice here.
Umm.
In verse 27, after them, the Taquites repaired another piece over against the Great Tower that lieth out even unto the wall of God. So again, we're talking about a tower in relationship to security. Again, I'll quote the verse we quoted earlier. The Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runeth into it and is safe. I would suggest that the Great Tower brings before us the greatness of our God, the greatness of our Savior.
And the greatness of the salvation and the blessings that we have. I'll give you a few verses to jot down in that connection.
Titus chapter 2 and verse 13 we have there. It says we have a great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2, verse three It speaks of a great salvation and it is a great salvation isn't it that you and I have in Ephesians 2 verse four It tells us there that we are loved with a great love.
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Tremendous. You know, we remembered that love this morning in the breaking of bread as we considered the depths to which that love took the Lord Jesus and the love of God in sending his Son to go to Calvary's cross. What a great love we've been loved with. And then we have Second Peter, chapter one, verse four. There were told we have great and precious promises. And you know those promises, like the tower, they're secure.
You know, sometimes people promise us things, and maybe they're very sincere when they make the promises, but maybe they promised more than they had the ability to fulfill. Sometimes I've made promises, and when the time came to carry out those promises, I had lost the resources that I had at the time that I made the promise. And I had to say, you know, I'm sorry when I made the promise, it was sincere. I would have been able to carry it out back then, but I can't now.
And so, and sometimes people make promises that they never intend to carry out. But God has given us great and precious promises. It tells us in another place that all the promises of God in him are yay and in him Amen, to the glory of God. I just say this, young people, when you get discouraged, when you get down, when things aren't going the way you thought they should, go open your Bible and go back to those promises.
Those great and precious promises. We've had some of them before us already. I will come again and receive you unto myself. That's a great and A and a precious promise. Promise. In the meantime, he says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That's a great and a precious promise. And there's just one after another of these promises. And these are from the living word of God. These aren't just empty promises.
That some other human has made. These are divine promises that you can rest upon and I have found in my own Christian experience. Because you know, as you get older, life gets more difficult. Don't think that those of us who are older have arrived and that we have it any easier. Now. The difficulties are a little different, but I would almost suggest they're even more numerous. I know you find that hard to believe, and I found it hard to believe when I was your age too. But.
So life doesn't get any easier in this world, but if you learn to rest on those promises, count on them. I believe those promises given by God and given by the Lord Jesus himself, those promises can really carry you through all the difficulties that you have faced and and that you will face. Now we're going to go on to the next gate, and that is the horse gate.
So we find here.
That.
Let's see, the horse gate is brought before us. Someone help me out.
Which one?
28 Ye No. Yes, sorry.
I guess I need some new glasses or new hearing aid or something from above the horse gate repaired the priest, everyone against his house. Now again we can make some. There might be different applications that can be made here, but it tells us in the book of Proverbs, it's Proverbs chapter 21 and verse 31. It tells us there that the horse is prepared on the battle. Now back when this was written, of course, warfare was very different than it is today.
Warfare was done on horses. In my study at home I have a large, very graphic pen and ink of Wellington and Bluetooth shaking hands after the Battle of Waterloo, and it's a panorama of the battlefield, with men in various states of agony and death and life and horses spread around the battlefield, some living, some dead and so on. So battles were warfare was very, very different back in those days.
And so I believe the horse would speak to us of the Christian warfare that you and I have.
Here in in this world, and we do, you know you and I are in a war zone. Now we're not over in Iraq or Afghanistan or any of the other physically war-torn areas of the world, but nevertheless, you and I are in a war zone now. In Ephesians Chapter 6 you have the armor of God that we often speak about and in the 12Th verse of Ephesians Chapter 6, you can jot that down. It says we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
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So in other words, you and I don't have a physical warfare to fight today. You and I are not encouraged in Christianity to take up arms and go out and fight with physical warfare. But the rest of the verse goes on to say against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. You know, if we had one glimpse into the spirit world around us, we'd be astounded.
Because there is a warfare going on around us. Now. There are the elect angels that are taking care of us. They're ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those that are heirs of salvation. But there's also Satan and his host and they are very, very busy today. To do what? Well, first of all, they're busy to keep the lost from coming under the good of redemption and deliverance. Just like Pharaoh and his hosts in Egypt. They didn't want the children of Israel.
To be out from under their ******* and be redeemed and delivered. So every time the gospels presented or you talk to some soul about the need of salvation, the enemy is going to be right there to try to take away from the words that is spoken so that that person doesn't get saved. But also Satan and his hosts are busy to discourage believers, to get us to give up, to spoil our testimony, it says.
Your adversary, the devil. This is First Peter Chapter 5.
Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
One thing about the devil and his demons, they keep busy. They are very busy and they, I don't believe they ever really rest because they don't want you to be a testimony for the Lord. They don't want you to have the joy of the Lord in your soul. They don't want you to be a help and encouragement to your fellow believer. They don't want you to come to a camp like this or a Bible conference. They don't want you to come to assembly meetings. They want to discourage you. They.
Can't take your salvation. Thank God. As we spoke of the other night in the question and answer period, thank God our salvation is secure in Christ. Not even the devil can pluck us out of the hand of the Lord or the hand of God the Father. That is secure. But Satan is busy. So there's a warfare, a spiritual warfare and you can go back over the pieces of the armor that you have in Ephesians 6. One year. I think we took that up right here in this room.
But God has provided in Christ everything you and I need to meet the enemy. And make no mistake about it, young people, you and I are no match for the enemy. We have a very powerful enemy now We have a more powerful We have an all powerful God and an all powerful Lord. So we can overcome the enemy, but not in our own strength. It's only in the measure in which we avail ourselves of what we have in Christ and His Word, the sword of the Spirit.
And and so on. So we need to keep the horse gate repaired. And again the keeping the horse gate repaired is to keep into the in the word of God, into the word of God. To stand firm for the truth of God against the enemy in spite of the work of the enemy. To get us to give up and to detract from the the scripture and undermine souls and so on, as we've been saying.
OK, now the next gate we have is the Eastgate and that's in verse 29 after them repaired Zadok the son of Emory Emmer over against his house. And so here, I'm sorry. And after him repaired also Shamaya, the son of Uh Zechenya, the keeper of the Eastgate. Maybe just mentioning something, we've mentioned it in passing a couple of times.
But again, I want us to notice that as we go down this list and we haven't taken it up because it's not what we're focusing on. There are all these individuals. There were men, there were women, there were husbands and wives. There were families with children and young people. And they all had a part in the repairing and rebuilding of the wall. In one way or another, what everyone did was important. Can you imagine if someone?
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Didn't do their part in repairing a piece of the wall. And they, the others who were coming the other direction and repairing their piece, they they did well. But then it didn't hook up. There were gaps and what would happen? There would be room for the enemy to come in and young people, if we will stand together for the truth of God. This is a great bulwark, a great protection against the enemy. But so often what happens is we we don't want to put our neck to the work.
Some of the nobles, as we noticed earlier on, they didn't put their necks to the work. They didn't, They didn't take up the work as diligently and faithfully as they ought to to. And again, Christianity is not easy. There's a warfare. It takes spiritual energy. It takes spiritual exercise if we're going to stand faithful, and especially, as we've been saying, in the days in which we live. But here we have the Eastgate. Now we know the sun rises in the east.
You know I'm dyslexic and I I can't remember directions. I'm just di directionally challenged. You know how I remember where the sun rises and sets. I always have to go in my mind to that little song. The sun was thinking in the West, the shore was near at hand. You know that little Sunday school song we sing A little ship was on the sea. But having gone over that in my mind again at this moment the the Eastgate would bring before us the the beginning of the day, the rising of the sun.
Now maybe we'll take a moment here and go to a verse that I think applies in this connection in the Book of Malachi.
Malachi chapter 4.
And verse 2.
But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness. Notice how it's spelled. SUN, the Son of righteousness, arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves on the salt. Now what this is referring to is a future day, not when the Lord comes back to take us to be with himself at the rapture, but when the Lord Jesus comes back as the Son of righteousness to reign in righteousness here in this world.
There's a day coming for this world when the sun, SUN of righteousness is going to have.
His rightful place, we talked about it earlier in these meetings. It's the day of the Millennium, the day of the Kingdom. Now to confirm that, let's go to the New Testament for a moment to the Book of Peter.
Second Peter chapter one.
Second Peter chapter one.
And verse 19.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy, where unto you do well that ye take heed. Now notice this as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star or the morning star arise in your heart. Now the morning star is in connection with us, and I trust that the Morningstar has already risen in your heart and mind, that is, that we are in our hearts watching and waiting.
Longing for the Lord Jesus to come. Because that's what he's the day. He's the day or the morning star.
But there's something else here, and that is the day that's going to shine as a light in a dark place. What is that day dawning? That day dawning is the day that Malachi speaks of when the Son of Righteousness is going to rise with healing in his wings. Now why is this important and relevant to us? You know, it's a lot of believers who say, you know, it's it's, it's OK to talk about prophecy and so on, but I'm looking for the Lord to come at any moment and I'm not really too concerned or worried about prophecy because.
The Lord has that all worked out, and I'm going to be with him, and it concerns the earth and God's earthly people. Why do I need to be so concerned about it?
Well, we won't turn to it, but you can jot this verse down and this tells us why we need to be concerned about it or interested in it. Titus chapter 2 and verse 13. Looking for that blessed hope. That's what we're waiting for at any moment. The blessed hope is the hope of the Lord's coming. Perhaps this afternoon. But that is not the only part of our hope. Sometimes I've heard people say the proper hope of the Christian.
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It's the hope of the Lord's return for us at the rapture. That's true, but it's not the whole truth, because let me quote the rest of the verse and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. So there's two parts to our hope, two parts of what we're to be looking for. We're to be looking for the Lord to come at any moment and be, and we're to be saying Amen even. So come Lord Jesus. But we're to be looking for something else too, and that is the time when he appears back in this world.
When the sun of righteousness rises with healing in his wings. Because it's going to mean that my Savior is finally going to have his vindication and his rightful place on the planet that spit in his face, crucified him and said, we will not have this man, and you and I ought to be looking forward to that. You know, Christ is still rejected today. He's still the song of the drunkard. He's still on the lips of the cursor. He does not have his vindication here, yet he has it in heaven.
He's crowned with glory and honor in heaven, but not on earth. God is looking forward to the time when his son will be vindicated on earth.
The Lord Jesus is looking forward to that time. He's sitting at God's right hand henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. It's what he's thinking about this afternoon, the time when he's going to come back and rise with healing in his wings as the sun of righteousness. Are you and I interested in that? Does that thrill our hearts? Now I'm going to give you one final verse on this. And this, I believe, confirms what we've just said. Second Timothy, Chapter 4.
And verse 8 Paul speaks of all those that love his appearing.
Now, his appearing is never in connection with the Rapture, because when the Lord comes to take us home, he's not going to appear in this world. He's going to come on the cloud and we're going to be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air. So the appearing is always when heaven opens up and the Lord Jesus appears back in this world. You and I love His appearing. Are you and I looking forward to that? You're going to go back to work. You're going to go back to school. You're going to go back to.
Mingle with the with the world. If the Lord leaves us here, you're gonna hear people take the name of the Lord in vain. You're gonna see things that are unholy and unrighteous and against God's God's standard, doesn't it? Throw your heart to think there's a day coming when that won't happen, and if it does, sin will be judged every morning. And so on. But that's another subject. But the Eastgate then would point us ahead to the time when the Son of righteousness, the Lord Jesus.
Is going to shine forth in this world, and it will be a wonderful time for God's earthly people and for all the nations as well. So that is the Eastgate.
Now in verse 31 we have the next gate, verse 31 of our chapter Here, he says after him repair repaired Malkaya, the goldsmith's son under the place of the Netanyahu and end of the merchants over against the gate, Miss CAD.
And to the going up of the corner, just make this little comment about these ones. Here they were, they were in business. This man was a Goldsmith. They were, they were merchants. But isn't it interesting that taking up their secular employment, so to speak, they were still able to have a part in the service of the Lord? You know, sometimes we think of service for Christ as those that have been able to give up their secular employment and go out full time.
As missionaries are in the work of the Lord, And that's wonderful. But you know, there were slaves and servants in Corinth in the early days, and they might have wondered, how can I serve the Lord? I'm a servant or a slave to an ungodly master.
Well, Paul told them not to do I service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, as unto the Lord.
Knowing that ye serve the Lord Christ. In other words, Paul said, you do your work.
For the be to the best of your ability, as a testimony to your ungodly master.
And that service for Christ, that that God can use even in testimony and blessing, maybe even salvation to your ungodly master. So when you go back to your normal work a day routine this week, if you are standing for the truth and being a testimony and all the things that we've spoken of in these meetings, that is service for the Lord. So these ones, they were merchants. They had employment, but they had time.
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For the service of the Lord, you know if we have, if the Lord calls us to full time service, that's wonderful too. Because again, the apostle Paul said to the ones in Corinth. He said, But if thou mayest be free, use it rather. In other words, Paul said, serve where you are in your employment, but if the Lord gives you opportunity to be free from that, then use that as service for him.
As well, and so we find here.
This gate, the gate, myth CAD. Now there may be several applications that we can make here, and again, I know some writers make certain applications, but the word myth calf actually mithad actually means review or census. I'd like to apply this in connection with the day when believers stand before the Lord Jesus in heaven at what we call the judgment seat of Christ.
Now the judgment seat of Christ is very different than the great white throne judgment for the unbeliever. The unbeliever is going to stand at the great white throne judgment, and they will be judged for their sins and ultimately for their rejection of God's testimony, God's salvation, God's mercy. And they will be taken and bound, hand and foot and cast into outer darkness, separated eternally from God forever.
But the judgment seat of Christ for believers is very different. Let me repeat an illustration that I sometimes used.
So the Great White Throne judgment is a little bit like going to the court of law. And when you go to the court of law, you see the people that are brought up before the judge, and it is the people that are on trial. Now, of course, it's for the crimes they've committed, it's for the deeds they've done, but it is the person that's on trial and the person has to bear the penalty for going against society, whether it's community service, whether it's a fine, a prison term, whatever it is.
The person bears the penalty for going against society, for breaking the law. That's like the great White Throne judgment. But there's also judges at the County Fair. And when you go to the County Fair, you find judges there. But they're not judging people, They're judging their works. So maybe there's a display the ladies have brought quilts that they have made, and there's judges going up and down. Are they judging the ladies that made the quilts? No, they're judging their works. Now it's it's evident. It's in the end, the person who made the quilt the best quilt.
That gets the reward, but it wasn't the person that was on trial. You go to an art exhibition and there are judges there. And are the artists on trial? No, they ultimately get the reward. But it was their works. It was what they painted or sculpted or sketched that was being judged. And so when you and I stand at the judgment seat of Christ, and it tells us in the New Testament, we all will stand at the judgment seat of Christ when we stand there.
We're not on trial as far as our sins. That's been settled once and for all by one offering. He has perfected forever them that are sanctified. We're not on trial as to our sins or eternal judgment, but our works. Our life is going to be brought into a full review there. Now, I'm going to quickly give you some scriptures and I want you to look these up on your own, because the judgment seat of Christ is taken up in four different ways in the New Testament.
And when you put these four different ways together, I believe it's a beautiful meditation. So first of all, in Second Corinthians chapter 5, verses 9 through 10, if you notice the context there carefully, it's our whole life being brought into review. And you know, I'm glad it is going, my life is going to be brought into review because the what the judgment seat of Christ or one of the things that we'll do is show the perfection.
Of all God's ways with me, and it will show the grace of God in a way I've never understood before.
And I believe when we review our lives at the judgment seat of Christ, we'll see how he came in and we'll understand that it was God that worked in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. No credit to ourselves. It was all a work of grace in our souls. And we will see that even the things we didn't understand now we're all in God's perfection. Let me just give you another little incident that illustrates this. You know, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness.
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They questioned the ways of God and they said to Moses, why did you bring us this way and that way? And we're hungry and we're thirsty, and there's this problem and that problem.
But in the 105th, 106th and 107th Psalms, you have the wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan, rehearsed in retrospect from God's perspective. And what does it say there? He led us by the right way. Isn't that interesting? That's not what they said when they were actually in the wilderness. But in retrospect, it had to be said that they had been led by the right way. And that's the way we're going to view it. So 2nd Corinthians 5, verse nine through 10, our whole life brought into review.
First Corinthians chapter 3, verses 12 to 15. There I believe the context is our service for Christ, because all that we do for Christ, any little service for him, he values so much that he's going to reward. It says Behold, I come quickly and my reward is given is with me to give to every man according to as his work shall be. So he's going to reward for every little thing done for him.
One Corinthians chapter 4 and verse five. I believe there it's our motive.
You know, he not only wants us to do the right thing, he wants us to do it with the right motive. And what is the motive in the Christian life? It's a heart for Christ. It's to do it for him. And there he's going to bring the light, the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart. You know, we often say we can't judge motives, and that's true. We judge actions, not motives, but the Lord judges motives. And he's going to bring to light every motive and those motives that were proper and for his glory, he's going to reward for them.
Then we find in Romans 14 this is the 4th 1 verses 7 to 10. If you notice carefully there the context, and you have to read the context carefully, it's our spirit and attitude. It's not just our motive, but it's the attitude. The spirit in which we did it did things. You know so often in scripture our spirit or attitude is mentioned. Daniel had an excellent spirit. Moses had a provoked spirit.
We find that Caleb, it says he had another spirit with him. It's the the attitude in which we do things. God not only wants us to do the right thing with the right motive, but he wants us to do it in the proper spirit. And that spirit is the spirit and attitude that the Lord Jesus exhibited always in the perfection of his life here as as a man. So that's the gate myth cat. That is, it brings before us that time when our whole life will be brought into review.
Again, has nothing to do with our salvation, but it has to do with reward. He's going to delight to give us reward in that day. Now let's notice quickly the next gate, and that is the gate Ephraim. Now I mentioned that we had 10 gates here in this chapter. We're going to have to go further on in Nehemiah to get the next gate and that is in the 8th chapter.
Now this takes us back to what we read earlier in connection with UH, the UH, the Watergate, and when they read UH at the Watergate. But let's drop down further in this chapter to the 16th verse. So the people went forth and brought them and made themselves booze, everyone upon the roof of his house and in their courts, and in the courts of the House of God, and in the street of the Watergate, and in the street of the gate.
Ephraim So we find here that the gate Ephraim is connected with the with the water, with the Watergate. I believe what we have here because it brings us back to the Watergate here and maybe we better read in the 12Th chapter as well before we make a further comment just to get the the context. In chapter 12 and verse 39 you have this gate mentioned again.
And from above the gate, that's verse 39 of chapter 12. And above the gate of Ephraim. And above the old gate, and above the fish gate in the tower of Hannah and the tower of Mia, even unto the sheep gate and and and so on. So here again we have it. It brings us actually right back to the sheep gate in this verse. I believe this would speak to us of the need for restoration in our lives. You know, sometimes we come to a camp like this, and I know I did when I was younger. And sometimes I still do it. I come.
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To a special occasion like this, a camp, a conference, special meetings. And I feel, you know, I failed so bad in the past. But, you know, there's always young people away, back. There's always a way back to the sheet, to the Watergate and the Sheep Gate. That is, there's always a way of restoration. Again, we've quoted it before, but I'll quote it again. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto, according to thy word?
Jot this verse down Hosea chapter 4 and verse 17. There it tells us Ephraim is turned to idols. They had turned away from the Lord. They were worshipping false gods. But you know there's a gate of return for us even when we have failed badly like Peter. Peter denied the Lord three times with owes and curses. But the Lord told Peter even before the failure. He said, I've prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when you are restored strengthen your brethren. In other words, the Lord was anticipating the restoration of Peter.
Even before the actual act of denying the Lord had taken place.
And so maybe you've come here and you feel well. I've been such a failure, and I I've. I've just disappointed the Lord. And there's been sin in my life. We've been talking about this throughout these meetings. There's a way back. There is the gate, Ephriam. There's a place of restoration. Now I realize, young people, that sin, serious sin, can have consequences in our lives that scar us for the rest of our lives. I realize that when David sinned, he was restored to the Lord. But a sword never departed from his house forever.
It says of moral evil in the book of Proverbs, A wound and dishonor shall he get. That's why fornication, moral evil is so serious because it doesn't leave a scar, it leaves a wound. A scar is something that heals over. A wound is something that never heals, and so there are consequences for sin in our life. However, having said that, there is always a way of personal restoration. You know when Abraham sinned in connection with Ishmael?
Ishmael and his descendants to this very day are the constant enemies of the people of God. There's consequences even to generations. But Abraham was happily restored to the Lord David. A sword never departed from his house forever, but he was happily restored to the Lord and used of God. Peter denied the Lord three times with oaths and curses, but he was a tremendous apostle, and blessing in connection with the keys of the Kingdom given to him that he opened to the Jew and to the Gentile.
In the the New Testament or in the book of Acts, I I should say. And so there's always restoration, personal restoration. We can never say we failed so badly that there isn't a way back. There's always the gate, Ephraim. There's always that way to come back. OK, so now we have one more gate and that's the prison gate. And let's go to the 12Th chapter.
To see that gate mentioned.
Nehemiah, chapter 12.
Where I guess where we've already, where we already are, where we just read. But notice the end of that 39th verse, it says. And they stood still in the prison gate. Now what would the prison gate speak to us up? I just want to give you a little hint in your study of the word of God, something that an older brother gave to me when I was the age of some of you young men. And it's been a real help to me. And that is that when you take up something in the word of God.
Always go back to the first time that it's mentioned in scripture. Because the first time that something is mentioned in scripture, you'll get the real meat and meaning of it. There may be other applications that follow through scripture, but you'll never really understand something until you go back to the first time it is mentioned. Now the question arises then when What is the first mention of a prison in scripture? It's a little let me see if someone can can come up with it. Think for a minute and see if you can come up with the first mention.
Of a prison in Scripture.
What's that? Yes, thank you. So you can jot this down. Genesis chapter 39 and verse 20 in connection with Joseph. Now, Joseph was a man of God. I know he's a picture of the Lord Jesus, but in a practical sense, he's a tremendous example to us of a man of God amidst all kinds of family problems, hatred by his own brothers.
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Sold into a strange land.
Uh sought to stand and be morally pure. And what happened to him? He was thrown into into prison. Now I know we've alluded to this earlier, but I believe then that the prison gate would speak to us of reproach for the name of Christ. It would speak of the fact that when you and I seek, like Joseph, to be faithful to our God, to be faithful to the Lord, as we have been saying, we cannot expect.
To be popular in this world again. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 12. Yeah and all they that will live godly in Christ Jesus might suffer persecution. No shall suffer persecution. And we've taken up those different ways that we can suffer. Let me quote to you another verse and you can jot this down first. Peter chapter 4 and verse 16.
Yeah, if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glory. Let him glorify God on in this behalf. Now you know there are many of our fellow believers today who are actually in prison for their testimony. There are many of our fellow believers in other countries who are being tortured and facing martyrdom for their testimony, for Christ, for their faith, and for their Christianity. You and I perhaps will never be tested in that way.
But nevertheless there is that reproach connected with it. So that's why Paul spoke of himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. One reference to that is the first verse of of the Book of Philemon. And there are other verses as well where Paul spoke of himself as the prisoner, not of Nero, not of the Romans, that was true, but of Jesus Christ. Why was Paul in prison? Because of his testimony for Christ so again.
Are you and I willing to suffer a little reproach for the name of the Lord Jesus? So this prison gate then brings us back to the to the to the sheep gate. It's very interesting that just go back to the third chapter of our of Nehemiah and let's notice the last verse of the chapter.
And between the going up of the corner under the Sheep Gate repaired the Goldsmiths and the merchants. This chapter, which brings before us 10 of the 12 gates, it brings us right back to the Sheep Gate. Why? Because we need the reminder that every blessing you and I have is based on the finished work of the Lord Jesus, that sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus. And I know our time is gone, but I just want to take a moment to stress something in this connection.
You know, that's why we need the needed this morning, the remembrance of the Lord Jesus and the breaking of bread. You know, I'm thankful that from week to week we have this opportunity to, as it were, come back to the Sheep Gate. So these different individuals in this third chapter, they were working hard, some of them had secure or most of them had secular employment between that they took up the Lord's work in the rebuilding of the wall and so on.
But they're brought right back to the Sheep Gate in the end, because we always need to be reminded in the busyness of life, even in the busyness of the Lord's service, service for Christ, that it is all based on the work of the Lord Jesus. And that's why in First Corinthians 11 and verse 24 we are told this do in remembrance of me. That's a quote directly from the Lord Jesus himself, from Luke's gospel.
Chapter 22. But it's reconfirmed to us. Lest we missed it in Luke 22, it's reconfirmed to us.
Paul had received it directly from the Lord, you know, I'm going to speak very, very frankly for a moment and I hope I won't offend anybody.
Do you know I watched this morning?
As the loaf in the cup was passed.
And I saw some young people who did not remember the Lord physically in the breaking of bread. I wonder why you didn't.
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I know you, most of you young people, some of you I know very well. I know you have a desire to please the Lord Jesus. I know you have a desire to live for him. But you know one of the things connected with our testimony in this world as believers.
Is to physically break bread from week to week. It says you do show forth the Lord's death till he come. Every time we sit down on the Lord's day and remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, we are giving testimony to this world that we are honoring the request of the One who is despised and rejected of men that we are seeking to honor, the one who loved us enough to give himself for us at Calvary's Cross.
You know, there's a question raised in Lamentations. Chapter one. I believe it is, and I think it's the 12Th verse. You can look it up. Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by? You know, this morning we passed by the cross again. We sometimes sing a hymn 213 in the little flock on Calvary. We've adoring stood gazed on that one's cross. Where the Holy Spotless Lamb of God.
Was slain in his love for us. Did you look back to Calvary this morning? And the reading of the scriptures and the singing of those hymns, and what was expressed publicly in praise and worship and Thanksgiving? And yet it didn't mean that much to you? Is it nothing to you? Is it nothing to me? Now I've heard people, young people, and sad to say, some who are not so young say, well, I can remember the Lord in my heart.
That's true. And I hope every day of our lives we remember something of what the of the Lord and what He's done for us every day. But, you know, God gives us a way that we can express things in a practical and physical way to give testimony. One one of the institutions is baptism. You know, I know some young people that have never been baptized. They say, well, the Lord knows what's in my heart. He knows I want to follow him.
But when we're baptized, we give expression. It's testimony of what is in our heart. Young people, and some not so young, say, I can remember the Lord in my heart. That's true. But when we break bread physically, we're giving expression to what is in our heart. And that's why it says as often. It doesn't say as often as you Remember Me in your heart, but as often as she eat this bread and as often as she drinks this cup, I sometimes wish that those.
2 words Eat and drink were printed in capital letters in our Bibles. He's asked us to eat and to drink, to give expression to what is in our hearts and to give testimony in this world, to show forth his death, how long till he comes and remember it says as often, you know, I think that's one of the most wonderful things about being gathered to the Lord's name, is that it was the exercise of those brethren in the 1800s that we've spoken of several times.
To come together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord. Where did they get that? Well back in Acts 20 you find with the early believers that it very quickly after the day of Pentecost and the establishment of Christianity. It very quickly became their exercise and joy to meet on the first day of the week. To break bread, to remember the Lord as they did in the third loft, there in in Troas, and so brethren, when these things were re established.
They were exercised. And young people, you and I need a reminder, and we need it often. And I'm thankful that we have the privilege. Not just twice a year or on a special occasion or once a month, but we have the privilege. As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you just show the Lord's death till he come. Now, young people, I realize we've run a lot of things by you in these three talks that we've shared together, but again, I trust you'll go back over some of the references.
And the notes that you've made, again, Tom has very graciously recorded these meetings so that in a few days they'll be posted on those gathered.com and you can go back over and listen to that which we have had before us. And I trust it will encourage you and I to walk, as we said at the beginning of these meetings, to walk through this world not in isolation, but in in separation.
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In practical separation.
Sanctification and holiness for the Lord's glory until he comes.