Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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.
I'd like to turn this afternoon to John's Gospel chapter one.
John's Gospel chapter one, verse 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and sayeth, Behold the Lamb of God.
Which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said.
After me cometh a man which is preferred before me or he was before me.
And I know him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel.
Therefore am I come baptizing with water and John Bear records saying.
Saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him.
The same as he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost, and I saw and bear record.
That this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God.
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them.
What say ye, They said unto him, a rabbi, which is to say, Being interpreted, Master, where dwelleth thou, He saith unto them, Come and see.
They came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day, or it was about the 10th hour, one of the two which heard John speak, and followed him with Andrew Simon Peters brother. He first find that his own brother Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messiah.
Which is being interpreted to Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called sea fast. Which is by interpretation a stone. The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and find us Phillips, and saith unto him.
Follow me now. Philip was of the Seder, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip findeth Nathaniel and sat unto him. We have found him upon Moses in the law, and the prophets did right Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, and Nathaniel 7 to him, and there any good thing come out of Nazareth.
Philip said unto him, Come and see Jesus on Nathaniel coming to him, and sath of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathaniel 7 to him Whence nor saw me. Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee.
When thou as under the fig tree, I saw thee, Nathaniel answered and said unto him.
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him.
Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree. Believe a style. Thou shalt see greater things than these.
And he said unto him, Self unto him, Verily I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open.
And the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
The third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
Both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage. Well, my thought in reading this, dear young people, was not so much to take it up and that which is primarily the thought of the Spirit of God in connection with it, but rather in its practical, practical application to ourselves, and especially to those who are young. I believe the passage brings before us.
All through that wondrous work of Christ upon the cross there is going to be blessed.
To that nation of Israel when they're brought into the millennial blessing here upon earth. That no doubt is the marriage in Cana of Galilee. But one was thinking of it rather in connection with ourselves and in a practical way. There are these three days in our lives as believers. There is a time when we first of all.
Come to know the Lord Jesus as our own precious Savior.
00:05:04
And then there is the day of following him, of living here in this world for him.
And then there is the third day, the bright and glorious hope before us that there is going to be something more wonderful than even that which will be seen upon the millennial earth, because there is going to be a marriage in heaven. There's going to be a glorious time.
When the bride of Christ is presented there and all her beauty, and we part of it through God's sovereign grace.
Well, we know that the chapter carries us right back in the beginning into eternity.
It brings before us that one a moment could be said in the beginning with the word.
Yeah, and the Word was with God and the Word was gone. It occupies us with the person.
All this Blessed one who came down to this world in manhood. And I would like to speak to you this afternoon about him.
It's not just some subject that is only for these few days that we are together.
But dear young people, we have to do with God and with God's beloved Son.
We have to do with the one who is the eternal Son of God and when you're going to school, you're learning those things that are necessary in connection with getting along in this life and learning your daily, daily bread, providing things honest in the sight of all men, but all their something far more important than that. Your life and mine is for eternity.
Every moment of time is hasting us on to the time when all is going to be made manifest and only what is of Christ in your life and mind is going to abide. All the rest is going to pass away.
And so I'd like to speak first of all to any who may be gathered here.
Who are still unsaved, still without Christ had a lovely word. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. All has your has your attention been turned to that blessed One who died there on Calvary's cross?
And to stop and settle the question of sin, can you say settle the question of my sins?
Can you say he died for me? Is he your own precious and personal Savior? What a wonderful time it was when John the Baptist, who had been sent beforehand to announce that Blessed One who saw him.
And spoke of him. Behold, the Lamb of God. There had been the lamb provided back in Egypt, and that lamb whose blood was shed, sheltered them from the judgment of God in the land of Egypt. But all, dear young person, have you looked to the Lord Jesus?
And seen him as your Savior. Have you received Him by faith? If so, the first day has come in your life. But if not, the first day has not come. You're still dead in trespasses and sins.
You're still before God in all your guilt, and yet dead, I say. And when you stand before that great white throne in judgment, how awful to stand there in the presence of the One who wants to bless you, whose hands are uplifted now and love willing to save you.
And see that hand uplifted to say, depart from me. Oh, May God grant that there will not be one who has come here to these meetings, who will go away unsaved, without Christ, still going on, dare I say, in trespasses and sins.
But all this afternoon I would point you to him, as John the Baptist pointed to the Savior and said, Behold the Lamb of God all look to him, All in all simplicity and in all your deep need, just look away from yourself and see Him there as the one who died for you upon Calvary's cross, who wants to save you.
The one who will finally remove from this world.
Every trace of sentiments results, but he can take away your sins this very moment.
Yes, He can remove your sins and fit you for thy glorious theme.
Know how we were saved. Rejoice as we look back to that first day, that beginning.
In our lives, like Israel of all, this day shall be unto you the beginning of month. It shall be the first month of the year. To you know, I entreat you again, look to Him. Please see Him as your Savior. And for those of us who have received him, surely we can never thank Him enough.
00:10:10
For the wondrous love and grace that picked us up and saved us, but gave us what we were seeking of this morning, That like precious faith, all have you received Him. Well then we find here in the verses that follow from the 30th to the 34th, you notice how often you find those two words.
I and me.
I and me. It rather impresses me in reading those verses because I think after were first saved, we all go through a period when it's I and me. We go through a period when we are occupied a great deal with ourselves, we're occupied a great deal.
What we do know and what we didn't know as John speaks here and just you know, John had looked upon Jesus as the Lamb of God.
But there was that occupation with self, and it may be that there are some dear young people here this afternoon. And you do know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. What you say I'm having an awful struggle with old self. It's just so miserable. I thought after I was saved to be gone.
And I find that still have the same old self within and it hasn't improved at all. And all the time, even in these meetings, you find yourself saying I me, I me.
And perhaps it's relative to the Lord Jesus. John says twice here. And I knew him not that is.
He was occupied with himself rather than how much he was. He knew of the Lord, and how much he was devoted to him. But how beautiful it is in this 35th verse. Again the next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith.
Behold the Lamb of God.
Oh, this wasn't looking to him in this case for salvation. This isn't looking to him as the One.
Who came to take away the sin of the world, but this is looking to him now.
As the one who can and does satisfy the longing of the heart. And let me say to anyone here.
Who is occupied with yourself? Any young believer who seems to be having such a terrible conflict with that old I and me?
Isn't it blessed to know that you're entitled to look away from yourself altogether and turn to the Lord Jesus and find in him the one who is able to fully absorb every thought, the One in whom we stand perfect and complete? Oh, you say that? What about that old iron knee? Will it improve then?
No.
Perhaps this is sad news, but it will never improve, the great apostle Paul said. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The old man will never improve. But the good news is that God doesn't see the believer in that way. He sees us in Christ.
And so tells us that we're holy and without blame before him.
In love and let me say to you, dear young person this afternoon, who's having this terrible conflict described in the 7th chapter of Romans.
Yourself, how does that chapter end? Why he struggles all through the chapters until he comes to the end, and he breaks down and says, all wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
And in the next verse he says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then the next chapter opens by saying there is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Nor the old nature is not improved, and it never will improve, but how good to do what God has done with it. God has put it in the place of death, and you and I can put it in the place of death, and we can turn from miserable wretched self to be occupied for the Lord Jesus.
Find in him the one who saw completely and fully absorbed our thoughts and our attention, that, as it were, we lose sight of self hasn't improved like the pile of rotten numbers. You don't expect it to improve, but you just put it aside and say, well, it's rotten, it's no use. I'm not going to try and use it.
00:15:15
And that's what God has done. He's put the pile of rotten lumber aside, but he's given us a new life for partakers of the divine nature. And didn't you enjoy sitting in the meeting this morning, being occupied with the place into which grace has brought us?
And the exceeding great and precious promises that are given to us all. But you say, I thought the old nature was going to get better again. I say it never will, it never will. But true happiness, true progress of soul is by occupation, not with self.
With the Lord Jesus Christ, all may your thoughts be turned to Him.
And you can sit there in that chair with the most miserable old nature inside of you and still be happy. Yes, you can. My old nature is just as bad or worse than yours. But I know what God has done with it, and I give thanks that He sees me in Christ. And it's a joy to sit in the meetings.
And to be done with the eye and the me, and to be occupied with the Lord Jesus the one.
Who is now our life, our objects, our strength, our example are All in all. Behold the Lamb of God, that precious one. How are you looking to Jesus, your young person, as you go on through life? Is it the habit of your life?
To look to him moment by moment when you get up in the morning, when you meet problems during the day.
When you go to bed at night, is it the habit of your life to turn to that Blessed One?
To be occupied with Him, I would point Him to you in this second day, so to speak. You know Him as your Savior. To behold Him not altogether lovely ones, Behold.
Behold the Lamb of God.
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Here were two disciples 2 That had been following John up to this time. Know how many there are who are following men as leaders?
Occupied with themselves, the leaders are occupied with themselves. And how much we see in Christianity how that which occupies with man instead of with the Lord Jesus. But here when John looked away from himself and said, Behold the Lamb of God.
By those two men that had been following him, they no longer were his disciples. They became followers of Jesus. They became followers of him. And isn't it a lovely thing to speak and act in such a way that those who hear us would be turned to the Lord Jesus?
Your young person, when others are in your company, are they occupied with the Lord Jesus?
Are they and are they turned to him? It ought to be so here was John the Baptist. He didn't turn to these men and say you ought to follow Jesus. His heart was so overflowing. That's a result of him making this remark. Was that the two disciples?
Heard him speak and they followed Jesus. I remember a remark of dear Mr. Darby which I read and he said, our testimony to the world is our joy in the Lord.
It's not so much what we say, but do others take knowledge of us like they did of the early disciples, that they had been with Jesus in the early assemblies in First Corinthians 14? It tells us that a person coming in.
Even alone, unbelievers would fall in his face and report that God is in you of a truth. Oh how lovely it is. And he's so occupied with him about others that hear us speak, they would follow Jesus. We can have 10,000 sermons but you know it's.
Life shows that we're occupied and are satisfied with the Lord Jesus. I believe others will want to follow him too, and I believe in the meetings where we live. The ministry may be beautiful and precious, but dear young people, what we need his heart that are absorbed with the Lord Jesus.
Young lives that are truly following Him and there will be blessings. Others will be attracted to Him. And so here they left John and they followed Jesus and he didn't mind one bit. He didn't say one word of reproach to them. I believe in his heart He rejoiced.
00:20:14
Because he had been pointing to him, and he was glad that they should turn from him.
And us act in such a way that people don't become followers of us, but that they would follow him.
And if somebody should leave us, when I hear of a group and someone leaves them to go where they're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, why, if they valued and loved that precious name, wouldn't they rejoice that some left them and follow Jesus? Oh, he is the one who is able to satisfy the hearts longings, so they turn.
And they left John and they followed Jesus always in this next verse. Beautiful to.
Then Jesus turned and saw them following.
I love those words. Jesus turned and saw them following. Jesus stood still once at the cry of a blind man, and that was wonderful. And that blind man had his eyes opened. A dear young person, if you have one little bit of desire to follow the Lord Jesus, he's going to turn and see that desire.
Yes, that blessed Savior in all his glory.
He turned around to see those two people who perhaps thought they were utterly unnoticed, but the Lord Jesus turned around and saw them following. Dear young people hit the Lord Jesus turned what they find, what he see us following.
What do you see us falling or what do you see us drifting? Drifting. Which would it be?
As in Hebrews chapter 13, they watch your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. And it's our earnest desire now that we would see to that desire to follow him. But I say again.
Lord, Jesus sees it. He sees it all. You say, but I'm such a failure. He sees the desire, however feeble it may be. He sees that Jesus turned and saw him following.
And serve unto them. But they came all the Lord Jesus.
Or to visibly walk in the door of this room and start at the front row and go to the back and ask each one of us this question. What?
Thank you. What would our answer be? What would our answer be? Well, he's recording our answer. He recorded the answer of these two young men. They said, Master, where dwelleth thou? The Lord Jesus is recording your answer to a young person. What are you seeking? What did you come to these meetings for? What are you going to school for?
What are you doing your job for?
Oh, you say, well, I go to school to get an education, but why the education? You want to honor the Lord in the walk of life that you choose? Is that your desire?
Well, it ought to be our desire to your young people. We ought to desire when we get a job, we ought to desire to have an occupation in which we can honor the Lord Jesus. And so he said, What seek ye, They said.
Huh. Master, where dwelleth thou? In other words, they said, Lord Jesus, we want your company. That's what they said, Lord Jesus, we want thy company. Is that the answer of your heart?
Dear young person, you couldn't have anything more wonderful in life. I don't know of anything grander. And to walk through life in the company of the Lord Jesus, to have him not only as your Savior, all you know that perhaps, but what you and I know.
About walking through this world in his company Master, where dwellest thou? They wanted to be where he is. Is that your hearts desire Well is that your hearts desire? The Lord knows it and more than that he values it because he died to have our company. His request in that 17th chapter of John which we often call the Lord's Prayer is.
00:25:05
Father, I will.
But they also whom thou has given me, be with me where I am.
That they may behold my glory which thou has given me. But I'll love it to me before the foundation of the world. He wants your company, you want His.
It says about enough. It was a very evil day in which he lives. Perhaps you say, well, it's difficult these days. Everything's so concrete. So it was an Enoch day.
So much forward in the time of North.
God put only fair one and person the only have I found righteous and the wrong 8 souls in the eyes to say all that. The number is so few where I live for only 8 souls in the ark. But Enoch walked with God and when did he begin to walk with God? I'll say this to young parents was after his first child was born. That's when after the first child was born he began to walk with God.
And denote is nothing.
The cast is so much upon the Lord as a responsibility in these days of seeking to bring up a little family for the Lord Jesus. May I encourage you to your young parents here. Be faithful, Don, You may find the whole term against you. You may find.
That you get opposition, sometimes misunderstanding even from believers all. But never mind your children. Souls are worth more than this whole world. Also to bring them up for the Lord Jesus. They could bring them up for Him. Master where?
Wall of God and what did he say?
Come and say, come and say, isn't that lovely? He didn't say on such and such a street and such and such a number, and all that would have been sort of unmeaningful to their souls. But you have to come and see.
That's the same as the Sinner all tastes and says that the Lord is good, all taste and seeds that the Lord is good and here for a believer come and see. And then that 4th chapter of Revelation when John.
What happened? Or the Lord wants to show him something of the joys of heaven. What does he say? Come up, hit her. Come up, hit her. Oh, how wonderful. Yeah. She brings them right up there so that he could see something. All that's wrong up there singing the praises of the Savior around that throne.
You're a young person. I can't tell you the blessedness of following the Lord Jesus, but I can say come and see. I can say that's what the Lord Jesus said. Come and see here young person. You can normally not by walking in it. As another has said, there are joy in the path of faith only known to those who walk in it. You must walk in the past to prove the blessedness of it.
The enemy will tell you it's a hard fact. The enemy will put all kinds of obstacles.
But there's a blessing in walking in it. Come and see. What did they do? They came at once. They came at once. You know, we're we're great ones to delay. We're great ones to put off. We have to be warned not to delay insolvent. And when the Lord, when the Lord told Abraham to offer up his son, why?
Rolls early in the morning and went out to take his son. I wonder why he did it the very next day and early in the morning. While delay in the things of God is always dangerous, surely as we delay we find reasons why we shouldn't take the step of faith. But if God gives us light for the past, let us step forward.
And count upon him, count upon him. And so when the Lord said, Come.
And see, it says they came and saw. They came and saw where he dwelt. And then what was the result? They abode with him that day, or it was about the 10th hour.
Today it was nearing his family and dear young people. The time is short, the Lords coming is near. It may be a difficult day, and it is. I recognize and every other Christian recognizes that we are living in difficult days, that it's becoming harder.
00:30:02
And especially for you, dear young people, it's becoming harder to follow Christ devotedly.
But if it's the end of the day, so much for more reasons why we should dwell with Jesus, so much the more reason. If it was near the end of the day, then let's spend the rest of the day with them. They said we've only got such a little time, let's spend the rest of the day in His company. And so they did. They abode with him that day.
Yes, they stayed in his company for you and I stayed in his company. Oh, you say. I really enjoy coming to a meeting like this for three days.
But we can have his company 365 days in the year he wants our 365 days in the year when Paul was leaving emphasis why they came out to the seashore and they sorrowed because they would see his face no more. But he had said I commend you to God and to the word of his grace as though I should say I'm going away.
But the Lord will be with you. The Lord will be with you.
They abode with him that day, for it was about the 10th hour.
And then we find here.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed him with Andrew Simon Peters brother.
And so Andrew, he goes out and he finds his brother and says we have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted to Christ.
Well, we first of all find them desiring the company of the Lord, but it tells us in John 12 and verse 26.
If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. And here Andrew goes out, and he finds his brothers. And so there's a quiet little testimony for you and I to do for the Lord Jesus.
Or perhaps you might say that I I don't think I have any gift and I don't know very much. If I get talking to people, I can't answer their questions.
So it's best for me just to keep quiet. Well, you know, the most powerful testimonies that were given in the scriptures were given by young believers and they just knew of a little bit, but they knew a little bit about a great person. Yes, here was Andrew and he didn't know a great deal about the Lord Jesus.
But he could say we have found him.
And he is the Christ. Yes, we have found him. And that's the that's the greatest testimony that we can give. We have found him. Or I could stand here and perhaps talk for an hour and it would just be I'm on the publicity of words. But all if this afternoon you see Jesus and it's all worthwhile.
It's all worthwhile and so when Andrew went out and found his brothers, he told him we have found him.
And he brought him to Jesus, people would say, brought him to church. No, he brought him to Jesus. He brought him to Jesus. And that's what we desire to and each one of us have a little testimony, a little work that we can do for the Lord Jesus. And I don't think it requires any special gift.
In this particular portion because.
As far as I can see about Andrew, that seemed to particularly characterize his life, that he was more of a personal worker, if we could speak in that way. He was the one who found the little lad that had the five barley loaves and two small fishes, and he was the one who brought that little lad to the Lord Jesus.
He was the one to whom who went with the Phillips and told the Lord Jesus about those Gentiles.
We wanted to see him. It's nice to see your little account of a man who was not particularly occupied, shall I say, in some great public ways, but was doing a quiet little work for the Lord.
You're a young person, you can do that.
The first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother.
00:35:00
Not out. That's why we often are reminded that our testimony begins at home. He first found his own brother, and he brought his brother to Jesus. And then we know how many Peter was used to bring to the Lord Jesus.
Why Peter stood up in the Day of Pentecost and preached and there were 3000. But how did Peter get saved? Well, he just got saved because Andrew brought him to Jesus and saw there's a little a little service, sisters, brothers, each one can do a little bit.
Can I believe too that this is all going to be manifested in heaven? There are different crowns spoken of in the scriptures.
And one of them is recorded in First Thessalonians chapter 2. It says, what is our hope or joy, our crown of rejoicings? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming? Is there? Is it all that there is going to be a crown of rejoicing?
There are different crowns spoken of crown of glory, the crown of righteousness, but what is this crown of rejoicing? All is going to be a special rejoicing in heaven if perhaps you were the one that spoke a little word that God was pleased to use in blessing to someone else.
Oh, not that. Not that you may even know about it. Not that you were the only one. Because it says either thought. And he that refills will rejoice together.
Well, let us be encouraged just to speak a little word for him, and there'll be a crown of rejoicing. And some people say, well, we know one another in heaven, Paul said to the Thessalonians, I'm going to know you and I'm going to know too, and that you were blessed through the testimony that God was pleased to render there in Thessalonica.
And so let us be encouraged. Want to be a grand thing out there in glory to meet the people.
We said a little word to them about the Lord, That person that we spoke to on the train or on the bus at neighbors, not tradesmen that came to the door, want to be wonderful to meet him up there in heaven. And the Lord could say you were the one whom I used to speak a little word to that man. The crown of rejoicing. The crown of rejoicing.
All medicine and encouragement to each person, even the youngest here.
And so he brought him to Jesus.
And only 43rd verse The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find a Phillip, and sat unto him. Follow me.
Follow me. Well, we know from reading later on in AT that Phillip was an evangelist in the 8th chapter he preached in Samaria and he is the only one in the book of the Act who is spoken of as an evangelist.
The only one and I was thinking of this second part here in connection with.
Our particular service that we have for the Lord. Or perhaps I should have spoken just for a minute about the end of this 42nd verse.
It says and when Jesus beheld and he said as our Simon the son of Jonah, where thou shalt be called Sepas, which is by interpretation a stone. I just wanted to make a few comments about that verse before going on. And that is what the Lord said here to Simon when he was brought to him. He tells him that his name was going to be changed and he would be called a song.
We learn from the 16th chapter of Matthew that this refers to what the Lord spoke of about building His church. The Lord said in the 16th chapter of Matthew, he said.
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven, and I say unto thee, that's our Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, I believe, as little intonation here.
In connection with the truth of the church brought before us and what the Lord said to Simon on this occasion, and I just wanted to add this remark, and that is that is a lovely thing when souls are saved, that they're brought to no more of the truth of God. How often it is when people are saved.
00:40:12
At their left to flounder around, go here and there.
And attend this place, in that place, becoming more and more confused and discouraged, until often they think, oh, there's so many places, how can one know where one should go and what is the truth?
Well, isn't this lovely that the Lord when he, when Simon was brought to him, he calls him a stone and they each believer is a stone in that spiritual building that God is building.
People often look at a building of stone and they say that's a church. But in the scripture the church is a spiritual building and in first Peter two it says ye also as living stones are built up as spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices.
Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And what a great, immense amount of trouble a young believer can be spared.
A little bit of the truth is brought before him when he first says, when He first saved, that which would not only be for the salvation of his soul, not only for the blessed fact of having Christ as his object, but that he should know that there is such a thing.
As the truth of the church and that we can be gathered not as members of a man made organization, but gathered as members of the body of Christ, and that all believers are living stones in a building.
When that Samaritan picked up the wounded man, by the way, why, it tells us that he brought him to an end where he was cared for. Yes, in the end he was taken care of. And it's a lovely thing for those who are bathed in Christ to be brought to God's assembly, where the truth of God is ministered and where they're encouraged to follow on.
In that past that God has marked out for them.
This is a day when people like it all their own ways and we hear the common expressions go to the Church of your choice, but it's not the Church of our choice. It says Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. It was the Church of his choice. And what a lovely thing to be gathered as members of his body around himself.
What a blessing.
For a young person, and I would say to you have been brought up in the truth, you have been brought into the meetings from your early childhood. If you are saved, you don't have to go around and try all the other places. How thankful you should be for the lovely privilege of being brought up, where the truth of God is given out, and where you can enjoy the sweet privilege of being gathered.
Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we know how that Peter has our mark was the one.
Till whom this truth was first communicated, and he found out that he was a stone. Wouldn't it be a grand thing if everyone when he was first saved, found out that he didn't have to join the church, That he was already made part of it, united to Christ ahead and to every other believer on earth by the operation of the Spirit of God, and that he was a living stone in God's building and when we take our place.
At the large table, and what a privilege it is. It's not to become a member of something, but it's because we're already members of his body. We're already that we give expression to it in the breaking of bread. You respond to the Lord Jesus request and your heart stirred by that.
Request of his, this due in remembrance of me, and not only not only to remember him, but to remember him in the place where he would have his own, in the place where he would have his own. And so Peter found out this wonderful truth right at the very beginning of his life, his believing life. Well, now again, to go back to what the Lord said to Philip, follow me.
00:45:01
Philip was the best player of the city of Andrew and Peter.
I thought of this in connection with Philips as being a call to some particular service. I remarked a few moments ago that we all have a testimony to the Lord to bear.
Each one of us, brother or sisters, we can constantly and as opportunity is given to us, speak to our friends and neighbors and others about the Lord Jesus. But in Phillips case I believe it was a call to some particular service.
And I believe, dear young people, this is important. I believe that there are many young people whose lives are lost as far as usefulness is concerned because they never exercise as to whether the Lord has some particular work for them to do.
I believe, I say again, let me repeat it, that there are many whose usefulness is lost because it never been exercised as to what the Lord would have them to do. There is a special place for you to fill it says in Mark.
The Son of Man is a man taking a journey into a far country.
Who gave authority unto his servants, and to every man. His work and command commanded the quarter to watch. Another verse says, God has that in the body as it has pleased him. Your young person, God has a place for you to fill. He has a service for you to do.
That no one else on earth can fulfill in exactly the same way.
God man does you with others, but he has something that he would have us to do. Remember the word to archive us say to our chippers. Take heed to the ministry which saw us received in the Lord. That's all fulfilled. Are you and I exercise it to that you're young people. It isn't just an earn a living. It isn't just to sit down at the Lord's table and break bread and figure that that.
The extent of your whole Christian experience, it's a wonderful privilege to be saved. It's a brand thing to to go on to the Lord and to be shouted to his precious name. All you say, I do speak a word here and there for the Lord. But let me ask you again, have you ever looked up and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Have me to do. He may have a special place.
That you haven't yet discovered that He wants you to fulfill. I don't know what it may be, and certainly I can't tell you because if you only did what I said, I would be serving me. But the Lord Jesus said to Phillip, follow me. And Phillip became an evangelist. Phillip became an evangelist. I don't think he expected it at this time, but he did.
And again, I quote that verse in John 12.
That a man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be, You know, like this when you're doing a job and there's somebody standing near and that person is willing to help you. And that's the person that is a helper, isn't it? They're standing right near and just waiting for you to ask them what you would like them to do.
Well, it's not hard to appoint to that person a little service that you want them to do.
And dear young people will never discover what the Lord wants you to do unless you follow Him.
She won't be close enough to hear his call. He won't be close enough to hear him say, I'd like you to do that little service there for me, that little service. And I say again, it's a service that only you can fulfill according to the mind of God.
All had an important thing. And as I look into the faces of you, dear young people, the Lord merely this year, a little longer, he may leave us here. Oh, don't just think about getting a job. Don't just think of that home where you hope to settle down sometime, but look up to the Lord and ask him, Lord, what will thou have me to do?
Perhaps you're afraid the Lord might answer like he did about Saul of crisis. You know what the Lord said when Saul asked that question?
He said I will show him how great things he must suffer for my namesake. I will show him how great things he must suffer for my namesake. But at the end of the journey, was he an unhappy man?
00:50:15
No, he should be forcing a ripple with a chain on his hands that I think myself happy. Can you get? Yeah. There's happiness in following Christ. There's a place for you, dear young person. Jesus.
For me, another thing I'd like to point out here is that when Phillip started out and went and found Nathaniel and he wanted to bring him to Jesus, Nathaniel said can there any good thing come out of Nazis? In other words, you may find a little opposition in the service when you try to serve the Lord.
All you say to be lovely if everybody just listen to what I said, but they won't listen to me well. And Philip started, it wasn't so encouraging either. He said can you any good things come out of madness? Nathaniel said. Philip said come and say, come and say I was not lovely. He didn't weary because there were obstacles. I don't expect that if you want to follow the Lord, it's going to be easy.
It's going to be opposition, there's going to be trials, people are going to be unwilling to listen sometimes to let us not be weary and well doing.
But in due season we shall reap if we faint. Now Saudi or Philip afterwards became such a useful servant of God. It wasn't all easy and it won't be for you, but it's a blessed Master to serve a blessed Master. And dear Philip had the joy here first of all, appearing this man say to the Lord Jesus.
Mark, the Son of God, Lord the King of Israel.
On the third day brings us to the first part of the second chapter and the third day there was a marriage in Cain of Galilee. Those are remarks just know those primarily refers to the time on earth when Israel will be brought into blessings by and was thinking of it rather and it's more or less effect as to what is before us and that is.
The marriage of the Lamb in heaven we need as we had this morning.
A vision before our souls Have you and I got a vision of the coming glory?
All we're going to be there. Every believer is going to be there. There's something very remarkable.
About marriage of the lamb, there is the bride.
Presented there in all her duties. But there's some remarkable words there, it says.
To her was granted, but she should be arrayed in fine linen.
Clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saint. Would it be that at such a time as that there will be a display of that which has been practically for in our lives for Christ? Yes, there will.
I like to put it this way to make it very simple, those and a young man is going to be married and so the wedding day has been such when it comes, the young lady that he's going to marry says, oh, it doesn't matter what I wear on the wedding day. He doesn't love me for my clothes.
Far away in the old house dress. It'll do. She's not thinking about my clothes. It's me he loves. What do you think? That would be a very becoming fraud. It's true. It's absolutely true. That's what he wasn't thinking about. Her clothes. He loves her. Why do you think she goes to the trouble of putting on special bridal clothes? I believe just one thing.
She wants his approval. She wants to appear beautiful in his sight.
Dear young person, there's going to be a display someday. We're going to be there because he loved it, because he gave himself for us, because his blood is washed, his life. But we have the privilege of doing things in our lives that will meet with his approval in that day.
All the vision of coming glory before our souls is precious and also a precious fact that there could be in our lives those things that would need His approval and cause Him to say well done, well done. Oh, May God grant that our hearts may be stirred up the deeper love and affection for this blessed One. He's done so much for us.
Have we looked to Him and found Him as our Savior? Are we looking to Him daily?
00:55:01
Dwelling in his company in his presence, seeking to be a little testimony here for him going on in the past, but he's marked out for us. The third day is coming soon, dear young people, the day when they're going to see him face to face. May God grant that we may live this present in view of that glorious future. May God grant to Christ may be increasingly.
Be All in all of each one of our hearts until that day.