Address—Bob Thonney
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's sing number 178.
Blessed Father.
Infinite in grace, source of eternal joy.
Thou lead star hearts to that blessed place where rests without alloy.
Want to start by reading a couple verses in Psalm 84?
The first.
Is.
Verse 4.
David, evidently in this first section of this Psalm, at a distance from the tabernacles of the Lord, says this, Blessed are they that dwell in thine house.
They will be still praising thee. Selah.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. A little bit further on in the same Psalm, verse 10, second phrase I had rather.
Be a doorkeeper in the House of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedness. I'd like to speak this afternoon.
About the House of God.
The House of God has spoken of quite a bit in the Old Testament.
And also in the New Testament.
What is the House of God? Well we know in New Testament revelation that the church is the House of God and David could say blessed are they that dwell in thine house. At that time it was the Tabernacle when David was there because the temple wasn't built yet.
And later on it was the temple.
But now in the New Testament, the Church of the living God is the House of God.
We not only dwell in the house, brethren, we are the house. So in a certain sense of the word, we never cease to be in the Lord's presence. And the challenge that comes to my soul, brethren, when I think of this incredible truth dwelling in the House of God.
Where is this? It's in the place.
Of the enjoyment of all that God is for us and in US and to us.
And it's lifting our hearts in praise to Him. I I just feel like we are not.
Fulfilling our responsibility as priests.
We are priests, brothers and sisters alike. Do you take time in your daily life to praise Him? Or is it just when you come together in public meetings that you lift a song of praise to Him?
We're not only priests when we come together on a Lords day to remember the Lord and his death. We are priests every single day. And I think if there was more occupation of who God is, he has been fully revealed in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament. They knew God. There was a partial revelation of God. There is a partial revelation in creation.
How big is our God?
O brethren, when we look at creation, the incredible immensity of it all.
00:05:04
Our God made it, His wisdom, His power, His greatness. You know we live in a day when man is setting himself forward as important.
Are you important? Am I important?
Brethren, let's get the perspective right here. Yeah, you might be important, but important in comparison with our God and dwelling in His house to be occupied with His glory, to be occupied with the power, the wisdom that is so evident in Him. I just would like to.
Refocus our vision, not so much on what we are, but on who he is.
It is our privilege to be in His house every single day of the year. So blessed are they that dwell in Thy house. That's where we are. Brethren, let's go over to the New Testament because that's where I want to speak mainly in first of all, in First Timothy, chapter 3, we in Second Timothy, but we mentioned this morning in First Timothy, we have the House of God.
In its order and so if you read here first Timothy 3. Let's read from verse 14 to start with says these things right I unto thee, hoping to come into thee shortly. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave thyself.
In the House of God.
Which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit.
Seeing of angels.
Preached unto the Gentiles, Believed on in the world.
Received up into glory or in glory.
Interesting. Here we have one of the aspects of the church is that we are the House of God. We know in Ephesians chapter one, it says that the church is the body of Christ too. That's a different aspect. That's our relationship with Christ as head. But here we have the aspect of the church as the House of God.
And it's in connection with behavior.
How are you behaving?
It's important your behavior.
In the House of God.
Oh, brother, and I really believe if we were more occupied with the glory of our God, our behavior would correspondingly be proper. But it's because we start looking at one another and comparing ourselves amongst ourselves that we get distracted.
Not that we don't have a responsibility one with another.
But the Lord help us, brethren, to keep our focus on our God. And I like to put it in this way that our God is not only our God, but he's our Father. And that incredible to think I've often mentioned it and I I still revel in it.
Muslims say that God is unknown and unknowable.
And you and I can say we know God personally. Not only is he our God, but he is our Father. Look up into the heavens and say the God that made this whole universe is my Father. He takes an individual interest in every single one of his children.
I revel in the fact that when the Lord Jesus inside John's 14 said.
In my father's house.
Are many mansions or many abodes?
00:10:01
And why didn't he say in my house? Why did he say in my father's house? Because I think it's bringing forth our individual relationship with God as Father, and He has a special place in His heart for every one of us. There is a place for me there that nobody else can occupy.
But there is a place.
For our brother Eric James, that I'm not going to be able to occupy. Everyone has an individual place. So I even know there will be millions and I suppose we could say billions of the redeemed. Everyone will have a special place of attention from him, you know, go to Latin America, down in Oaxaca, there was a brother that had seventeen children and it's interesting to see his. He's gone to be with the Lord now.
But I used to go down there and every time I go down there was another child.
And I used to say, how many children are there now, brother? And he said.
Rather, they're various. That's all he would tell me he didn't know. I don't know if he knew the number, but he had so many. But I like to ask those kind of people.
That many children, which is your favorite one? And you know, when there's a right family relationship, they say every one of them is my favorite. You know how each one of them is different, but favorite in a different way. And I think that's really what it means.
My father's house are many abodes. There's a place for every single 10 brethren. We need to revel in the fact that we are in the House of God and it's the Church of the living God. And notice what it says here, the pillar and ground of the truth. I still remember our brother Eric Smith Speaking of this and he said.
The Church is not the truth. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.
The support you have pillars to hold up something and what holds up the truth is the Church of the living God. It's not a Bible school. There are Bible schools that teach probably pretty good Christian truth to a certain extent, but that's not the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the Church of the living God Where God.
Instructs us in First Corinthians chapter 14. Let the prophet speak.
Two or three and let the others judge. In other words, like we were mentioning in the reading meeting that was that was just passed. There is a balance in the reading meetings to correct if there's something that's not wrong, right and the truth is upheld and maintained in that context. Go to a Bible school and there may be a.
That teaches pretty well, generally speaking. But supposing to make some mistake, are the students capacitated to say, hey, you made a mistake on that point? No, they're not there. And so the Bible school is not the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the Church of the living God that is the pillar and ground of the truth. And I love verse 16. Notice it, It says.
Great without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Of course we relate that to the Lord Jesus.
And those little phrases apply to him. But I don't know if you've noticed that the Lord Jesus was not preached to the Gentiles until after he was received up into glory. So the order is not in the order of the Lord's life. I think the order is in connection with the testimony of the Church of God when they walk in the order that they should.
Says God was manifest in the flesh. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 it says.
If someone comes in among you and those they you prophecy.
The thoughts of his heart will be judged, and he will confess of a truth. God is in you, so God is manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit. The Spirit of God is here to bear testimony to the truth.
00:15:05
I may make a mistake, and if I make a mistake, brethren, the Spirit of God is not going to commend it to your heart. I think that's so amazingly wonderful to realize that the Spirit of God is here to bear witness to the truth of God.
Scene of angels.
Anybody ever seen an Angel?
I suppose we have, but we didn't realize it.
But the point here is not that we see angels, but the angels are watching us and that's why the sisters have a head covering on because of the angels.
Sister shows in that way by covering her head when it comes to that which relates to God, to praying or prophesying it, and is in the assembly meetings. But it's not limited to that. It's in the time we pray or prophecy. The head covering is an indication there is a woman that recognizes God's order in creation.
Christ, the head of the man.
So the man should take off any head covering that is on his head, and the man the head of the woman. So there's an order of authority, and the angels respect that order. They never disobey. If they disobey once, it's eternal condemnation for them. They always obey. What do they say about?
Christians who say they are children of God and don't obey.
Oh, it's a serious reflection we're seeing of angels.
And then it says preached into the Gentiles. You know, I think there's real blessing when we respect the order of God's house believed on in the world. There's blessing in the gospel. And then the last phrase is received up in glory. What a wonderful thing if we are walking in the order of God's house, when that moment comes when we'll be received up in glory.
Respecting the order that he has set in his precious word.
Now, given that, brethren, I'd like to go back briefly in this chapter to show that we have two sometimes we call them offices that God has put in connection with the church as the House of God.
1St is what is called in verse one a Bishop, the same word as an elder or an overseer in other parts of the scripture?
They are those who watch over the spiritual needs of God's people and then from verse.
Eight down we have the deacons, those who take care of the material things in connection with the House of God. Since it's a House of order, not only the spiritual matters, but the material things.
There should be order in it and it's interesting if you'll look at Mr.
Darby's translation in verse.
11 It says in the King James Even so must their wives, but it says in the new translation, Even so let the women, because women can be ministers as well, Deacon or ministers the same word. If you look at Romans chapter 16, you find a sister. Her name was Phoebe who was.
Minister of the Church of Sencreator. The word is the same word as we have here. So there are positions of service that women can fulfill as well in this context of the House, and God puts them there in that order.
And I just want to encourage us to recognize that, you know, in the New Testament, you'll find in the book of Acts that the apostles appointed elders in every church.
And in the case of Titus, we find that he was a delegate to appoint elders in Creed and the assembly is in Crete. But beyond that, we don't have any authorization for naming elders. It's a common practice in many sectors of Christian profession, but we don't have any justification for it.
00:20:10
Are there elders then amongst us?
Yes, and here's the list of the qualifications. It's pretty exhaustive. I don't know that a whole lot can really qualify here.
Bishop, then, must be blameless. That's a pretty hard qualification.
The husband of one wife because in those times there were many that had multiple wives.
Vigilance sober of good behavior given to hospitality, apt to teach not given to wine, no striker not greedy of filthy lucre not but patient not a brawler nor covetous one that ruled well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Not a novice?
Lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
So it's pretty exhaustive list.
Brother in La Paz, Bolivia one time approached me and said, brother, you know, I would love to be a help to my brother and here in La Paz, but looking at that list in First Timothy three, I just don't qualify.
I said I want to read you a verse.
Verse one This is a true saying if a man.
Desire the office of a Bishop. He desireth a good work. So I said to him, you know what, you are desiring a good work. Do it in the measure that the Lord gives you to. We're not going to call you elder so and so.
But I want to encourage you to do what you can for the blessing of your brethren here in this place.
And so those are things that God has put for order in his house. And then we have the deacons, and we notice in chapter six of the book of the Acts that there were seven deacons that were chosen and were given the responsibility of.
Ministering to the needy and so there is a real need of that.
And I think it says here that they should be first proved and occupy that position if they were found blameless. Verse 10.
I found in my own experience in Latin America that not everyone that wants to handle the Lord's funds is really capable of it. And so there needs to be a test given whether they are faithful in such a task. And so the Lord help us brethren to recognize the order of God's house. It's.
An order in which.
God is there to reveal to us His glory and that we might enjoy Him, Father as Father, to be in His presence, to enjoy His thoughts. Oh, what a privilege it is to be members of the House of God. That's an expression we have. Maybe we could read it in Ephesians chapter 2.
Because I want to read another verse there too.
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse.
19 It says Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. We've been talking a lot about that in our reading meeting.
About the importance of having an outline of sound words.
And so here we have that the foundation is called the foundation of the apostles and prophets. I thought Jesus Christ was the foundation. Here it says He's the chief cornerstone. He is both, brethren. There's no question about it. First Corinthians chapter 3 says there is no other foundation. Can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ? But who is the one who gave us? Who are the ones that gave us the Scriptures that talk about?
00:25:18
So that we can learn it's the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. Not all the writers of the New Testament were apostles. Only two of the gospels were written by apostles. There was Mark and Luke. Some think that Luke was a Gentile. Be that last as may, I don't think he's ever called an apostle.
But there are other books of the New Testament, the book of James in the book of Jude.
Supposedly are the Lord's brothers. They were not apostles, I don't believe, but they were prophets because they gave us the Scriptures. So the Church rests on this foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that's why it's so important to understand their teaching.
It's very important. And so Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in other words.
He is the point of reference in this building.
When we lived in Bolivia.
We moved to Cochabamba after about 10 years of living there, and on the lot that we obtained to build a hall, there was huge piles of stone. And so we got together to talk with the brethren of how we're going to do it. And we decided amongst them all that we would not build it with bricks as they usually do, but build it with stones, since there is so many stones.
On there, but on the corner of the property where the building was going to be built, a brother Doug quite a large hole and in that we put a huge stone that was the cornerstone that was the point of reference for the whole building. Now how long was this building to be 15 meters long and how wide was it going to be, 10 meters wide?
Measured from that stone, now how high was that going to be?
Such and such, I forget how long, how high it was, but anyhow, every point was referenced to that stone. And so in connection with the Church of God as the House of God, the reference point is Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. So He really is the foundation and He is the chief cornerstone, the reference point in everything.
And then it says in verse 21, in whom all the building?
Fitly framed together growth to an holy temple in the Lord. Then notice verse 22, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. So the House of God is inhabited by the Spirit of God. And that is a tremendous truth to think that the Spirit of God dwells not only individually in our bodies.
Tremendous truth and brethren, I don't believe we give the due place to the Spirit of God in our lives, but collectively as well. When we're here together, the Spirit of God is there to guide us.
In worship, in praise, in prayer, in ministry of the Word, how important to be sensitive as to His.
Presence there and to be obedient to His direction.
I want to speak a word to our young brothers.
Be sensitive as to the direction of the Spirit of God.
He's in us to guide us. That's one of the reasons he's there.
And I find that we are easily directed by natural impulses.
Be sensitive as to the presence of the Spirit of God in you.
Have to confess something that happened to me when I was still a young man. I was working in a hospital in Chicago. Maybe I've told the story before, but.
It was a union, Chicago is a Union City had struck the hospital wanting to get the union into the employees of the hospital. And so they were picketing the hospital and the truck drivers would not cross the picket line. So they sent me out because I was on the receiving dock with a truck and I was in a certain position with a rental truck.
00:30:24
And it was kind of a decline in the street.
And I was waiting for trucks that needed to deliver packages for the hospital. And as I was waiting there for the trucks to come, one of the.
Men in place of.
Of authority in the hospital was across the street, and it was just as if the Spirit of God said give him the gospel. I'd just been at a Wheaton conference and I was rejoicing in the truth that I had heard there.
Twice the Spirit of God said to me, give him the gospel.
And you know how you tend to delay things? Lord he's, he's a high up and I got to watch how I approach him.
Well a truck came and started backing down the incline so we could transfer the boxes from that truck to my truck and he had bad brakes so he stopped every once in a while and pumped up his air brakes. The last time he stopped I opened up the back of the truck and there was a bunch of garbage previous renters that left there so I hollered at the.
Man in charge over across the street. I said, what do you want me to do with this garbage? And he came and stood by.
The truck at the bottom on the on the street level and I was on the truck looking in to the truck and all of a sudden I turn around and here comes this car truck and just pinched him right in the middle, killed him.
Never forget your brother.
The reflection it was I didn't obey.
I don't think you'll go to hell. He was if it was lost. I don't think he'll go to hell because of my unfaithfulness. But the Spirit of God is in you. Pay attention. He's there to guide you. Be aware of His presence. To me, it is a wonderful thing to realize that He's there So often in meetings. I have proved that.
The Lord is moving, sometimes young brothers, to give out a hymn or to stand up.
And to praise him. He's such a glorious God. Why can't we praise him?
O brethren, the Lord help us so we are a habitation of God by the Spirit. I want to turn to one more scripture in Hebrews chapter 3 which shows that even in the house character there's a relationship with the Lord Jesus as.
Sun over his own house, verse chapter 3 and verse one. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.
Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is builded by some man, but he that build all things is God.
And Moses, verily was faithful in all his house as a servant.
For a testimony to those things which were to be spoken after verse six, but Christ as a son over his own house. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm until the end. So Christ is a son over his own house. What really encouraging this is me, brethren, when we go around and sometimes there are difficult situations.
In assemblies that I have confidence in Christ as a son over his own house. Is it a situation that I don't have any answer for? So often that's the case.
But there is one who is always faithful in Revelation 2 and three is called the faithful and true witness. Maybe we are not very faithful witnesses, but there is a faithful and true witness. What a precious thing it is to realize that Christ is the Son over His own house.
00:35:05
I'd like to take time now and the time we have left.
Our late brother AC Brown wrote a little pamphlet that was a great help to me years ago, and I don't know if the pamphlet is available any longer, but we have it translated into Spanish and I wrote down some of the references that he gave.
Title of the pamphlet was Distinctions in Offenses and Disciplines. Because God's house is a House of order, necessarily there has to be discipline to be ordered, and as we were mentioning earlier today, discipline. Sometimes we relate to punishment.
And it might include that, but that's not the full thought of discipline.
It's from the same word that we get our word disciple. It's learning by example, not only by word but by example. And so the Lord Jesus with his disciples not only taught them, but they saw what he did, and that will has left on them as tremendous instruction for when he would no longer be there.
They were his disciples.
And so there is discipline in the House of God, and he arranged these distinctions and I'm going to.
Read a number of the chapter of the places that talk about them and they go from the very least perhaps.
Offense to the ones that need to be dealt with very seriously. I just like to read them because I do believe that we are not aware of these sometimes and we think that the only discipline is to put away from the Lord's Table. That is not the only discipline.
In fact, when a person is put away from the Lord's Table, it is an admission that we have failed to help that person and that we leave them where the Lord will have to deal with them.
So the Lord help us, brethren, I just want to leave these with you, not in the way of leaving you a list of rules.
But a principles that God has put in His word that will help us to go on together as His house in an orderly way. The first one he put was in Ephesians chapter 2. Let's just read it please. Ephesians chapter 2.
I'm sorry, Chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 2.
With all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.
So the.
Discipline here is a self-discipline forbearing. What does that mean? It means that there's something in my brother that just rubs me the wrong way and I can't figure out how I can get along with him. What should I do? We need to learn to forebear. It's easy to talk about discipline others, but if we don't know what it means to discipline ourselves, how can we talk about disciplining others?
The Lord help us with all lowliness and meekness. Lowliness is not giving offense, meekness is not taking offense, and so often we are offended by one another. And there were another word is long-suffering.
Brother **** Gorgeous used to say we don't pronounce that word right.
It's long-suffering.
How long has the Lord born with us in His governmental ways? So often we are so quick on the trigger to do something. We need to know what it means to be long-suffering. The next one is in the same chapter further on down in verse 32.
And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted.
For giving one another, even as God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.
To learn to be forgiving amongst ourselves.
00:40:00
We have a parable in Matthew chapter 18 of a servant who has forgiven 10,000 talents a tremendous amount.
And then he could not forgive his fellow servant 100 pence and he was taken and delivered to the torturers until he paid the full amount rather than an unforgiving spirit is something that needs to be avoided at all costs. The Lord help us.
Now in Colossians chapter 3 is the next one he put and it adds.
One little detail that is not in that one in Ephesians 432.
Notice it, patients our Colossians 313 forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, there's a little bit more serious. There's a quarrel involved.
So, brother, I just leave these with you. The Lord help us to apply these little points of offenses and disciplines. Next one he puts in First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 14.
Now we exhort you, brethren.
Warn them.
That are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men that part.
Warned them that are unruly there's a warning.
And sometimes we don't like to be warned, but we need to recognize that sometimes this is what we need, a warning. I have to confess that I have received warnings in my life.
And it's important to consider it in the presence of the Lord.
Next one is Galatians chapter 6.
And you see he's getting a little bit more serious each one.
Brethren, this is in Galatians 6 verse one. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye that are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
So here is a fault.
What kind of fault is he talking about, brethren? The Scripture doesn't say and I think we just have to simply take these with the Lord and discern when there is a need. There is a fault in a brother ye which are spiritual.
Who are the spiritual ones, the ones that are able to go and to restore, considering themselves that they also might be tempted?
Next one is in Matthew chapter 18, very important one, and because it's in connection with the Lord's presence in the midst of two or three, but it comes before really the collective side of it because you look at Matthew chapter 18 and verse 11.
If thy brother trespass against thee, now here is a trespass. Doesn't say what the trespass is, but it's a trespass. He's gone over a line.
Go doesn't say wait for him to come and talk to you. No go.
Tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee two, one, or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
So this is a case of personal offense, and this is the way.
It's to be handled. If he verse 17 neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. If you neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. And then we have in the next verse what relates to assembly, binding and losing, because there's only authority in the assembly.
To bind and to lose.
So the personal side of it ends in verse 17, and it's in the hands of the assembly to determine from that point on. So there's a case of thy brother trespass against thee. We have something that is similar in chapter five of the book of Matthew. Notice it in verse.
00:45:26
23.
Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee. Now this is not something that he is transgressed against me, but I remember my brother has something against me. Do I know about it? Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But I hear he has something against me. What should I do?
Leave thy gift there before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brethren, Then come and offer thy gift. I think if we would be careful to put these scriptures into practice, brethren, then it wouldn't lead to further complicated situations.
In assembly matters, the Lord help us to put these into practice.
Now we have one that's further, perhaps a little more serious, in Second Thessalonians Chapter 3.
Just leaving these with you brethren to meditate on. Like I say, their principles of God's word. They are put there to help us in our relationships together as members of the household of God so that we can walk together. Lord help us to put them into practice.
Here in verse 14 of First Thessalonians.
I'm sorry, Second Thessalonians, chapter 3.
And.
Verse 11.
Where we here?
That there are some among you which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but our busy bodies now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
Verse 14. If any man obey not our word by this epistle.
Note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. So it's a little more serious, but it's not, I don't think yet putting away from the fellowship of the Lord's table.
Anyhow, these are principles to be considered.
Now let's go on to the next one in Romans. Chapter 16 is a serious one.
And verse 17.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them, for they that are such do not.
Do not serve.
They serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. These are things to be considered. Next one is Titus chapter 3 and verse 10.
I know these are negative things, but I think they're important to keep in mind in our relations one with another. Here in verse 10 of Titus three it says a man that is in heretic after the 1St and 2nd admonition reject.
Heretic really comes from the same root word as to choose, and it's been explained that Harris is not merely teaching bad doctrine, but it's teaching perhaps the truth in a way that divides Scott's people.
00:50:11
And that's a very subtle thing, and so it needs to be avoided.
Now the next one is that he has here on the list is second John 10 and this is not exactly with the assembly as such, but as those that come to our door. But this is what we would call a discipline.
Here is he's addressing the elect lady and her children, and he says in verse 10, if there come unto you.
Any and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed.
This is the doctrine concerning the person of the Lord Jesus as was brought out in our readings. How important it is that we be clear as to the doctrine that relates to the person of our Lord Jesus, because that's the foundation of our faith. How important. Now we have a different one in First Timothy chapter 5.
Just want to mention it briefly.
And it says here in verse.
19 and 20 against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Then that sin rebuked before all that others also may fear a public review. This is what happened in the case of Peter in Galatians chapter 2.
He dissembled, and it caused a lot of confusion. And so Paul administered a public rebuke to Peter. Thankfully, Peter seemed to receive it.
That's good to see.
Now we have another one in First Corinthians chapter 5. This is one that involves putting away from the fellowship of the Lord's Table, and this is tremendously sad to have to take place, but we read in chapter 5 and verse.
11, it says.
Now I have written unto you not to keep company. If any man that is called a brother doesn't say he's a brother, but he's called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge those then, that are?
Without do not ye judge them that are within.
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from yourself among yourselves that wicked person. And this, as I said before, is the admission on our part that we have failed to restore such a person in time.
And we have to put them away from fellowship, and the Lord can deal with them there. But it's the Lord's table that needs to be honored. His presence, His glory, His honor. Can we have fellowship with these kinds of sins? No, no waking. We have fellowship with Him. So these are a number of.
Disciplines, and there's distinctions in them, brethren. My desire is to encourage that we would.
Apply the ones in when they are less serious so that we wouldn't get to the ones that are so tremendously serious where a person has to be put away from the Lord's table. The Lord help us, brethren. These are all in connection with the truth of God's house. It's a House of order. It's a House of good behavior. And so when there's not the proper behavior.
There are consequences.
And the Lord help us to, rather than put these things into practice. And if we would do it early on, if we would be watchful and helpful to our young people and perhaps our older ones to, then it wouldn't come to such serious consequences. The Lord help us, brethren, I think it is such a tremendously wonderful thing that we are.
00:55:09
The House of the living God.
The Church of the living God. The House of God, the Pillar.
And ground of the truth. May the Lord help us to walk in the enjoyment.
That we are called into his fellowship, into his thoughts, to share his thoughts.
And to enjoy all that He is for us, Let's just pray to end our meeting.