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 was wondering if we could just look for a short time at a passage in Marks Gospel, the last chapter. Marks Gospel and the last chapter, and the 12Th verse. After that he appeared in another form onto two of them as they walked and went into the country. Well, it was in particularly in connection with that little expression in another form.
And what I was enjoying in my soul, my trust for blessing to others.
Was the various ways in which the Lord appeared after His resurrection, and how that those to whom He appeared, each one had a different need.
Everyone of us here in this company have a different need at this time.
In our meetings we've been taking up about that blessed One who accomplished the work of redemption. The Lord Jesus is the one who had already done this, that glorious cry. It is finished, His precious blood. He had gone into death. He had risen again, and now he appears to his own, and he appears to his own as the one who has accomplished that mighty work. I trust each one of us here.
Know about that mighty word that we can say the question of our sins has been settled.
We know that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that He is delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, but as we had in our portion in the second chapter of Hebrews, how much we need not only that mighty work, but He is the captain of our salvation, bringing many sons home to glory. Can I say again, each one of us have.
Varied, indifferent needs, and so is the Lord appeared after his resurrection.
I believe we could see how has he appeared to these different ones. He met their special needs.
And He's able to meet the special needs of each one of us here. There are no two of us alike. There are no two of us who meet the same situations in life in exactly the same way. We're all from different families, different makeups. But we have one Savior. And He knows all about us. He knows our frame. He understand that. He knoweth that we are but dust. He counts the very hairs of our head. And he is concerned about everything that.
How wonderful those words He careth for you. He has a special concern for each one, and let us each enjoy this. Just as the High Priest in Israel bore on his shoulders the names of the children of Israel, and also upon his heart and upon his heart. Each one of the names were upon different stones, because each one had a particular beauty and a particular need.
Well, so as I said, it was just upon my heart this afternoon to notice some of the.
Leads which the Lord Madden appeared to his own. Let's turn over to the 24th chapter of Luke.
The 24th chapter of Luke and the 34th verse here they were talking about the fact the Lord was risen. The 34th verse saying the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon. Now God hasn't been pleased to give us any record about that time when the Lord appeared to Simon. It's merely stated as a fact. But I'm sure it's full of meaning to every one of us who know what Simon had done.
On the very night.
Lord Jesus was taken and carried by those soldiers back into Herod's judgment hall. And we know that sad thing that happened with Peter, so self confident, so sure that it would never happen to him, so that he said to the Lord that he was really the best disciple. The Lord had. He said all the others might deny the Lord, but not me. I'm the best disciple. I wouldn't do that. But the Lord had to allow Peter to discover.
Within his heart, and there may have been things that we thought we wouldn't do, things that we thought that others might possibly do, but not ourselves. And oh, how treacherous our hearts were and are. Our brother told us and reminded us of that verse. The flesh profiteth nothing. And so this is very gracious to think that the Lord, as far as we know, the very first thing after he had risen from the dead, even before his appearance to Mary Magdalene.
It seems to me that he probably appeared first to Peter, and why? Well, Peter might have thought, you know, that it was all up with him, but he had failed so badly that now surely the Lord would not have an interest in him any longer. And it might be there someone here who is thoroughly discouraged. Some failure has come into your life, and as you have sat in these meetings you have thought, well, it's all right for other people, but I've made such.
00:05:08
My life I've so failed that surely I could never be any use. Isn't this very blessed that the very first appearance that the Lord makes is to Simon? Some have spoken about Simons restoration in various phases. That as soon as he had denied the Lord, the Lord turned and looked on Peter and Peter wept. He really didn't feel what had taken place when the Lord looked upon him. But now the Lord has accomplished that mighty work.
Met Simon's sin and yours and mine because he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. Every sin has been fully met. There is nothing. I'm so glad the verse says the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Because if it were not so, we might think there's something that has been missed, but not so all sin.
And so when the Lord had accomplished that marvelous work, that glorious work, putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself, he first appears to Simon, who, as it were, bring before him a private restoration of which there's no record. And it's something, you know, that has to take place privately in our lives when we have failed and dishonored the Lord. It's a thing that must take place between our souls and Him, and that is to have it out with.
Like Jacob who wrestled all night. And there is no real restoration until we have truly been before the Lord in his presence. Not only judging the thing, but the very pride that causes that failure. Because so often we need to trace back our failures to the root of it. There's something that caused it. self-confidence, pride, thinking we were better than others, thinking we wouldn't do certain things. Well, the Lord.
Peer-to-peer was in a certain form and what was it the form of one of we read of in the 23rd Psalm. He restoreth my soul. What a blessed thing it is to know that there is one who is there at the right hand of God to restore. He's there as our advocate. And so I say before I go on, if there's anyone and you have sat in these meetings and you have sat here conscious of the fact that perhaps you feel.
Haven't been seeking God's will in my life as our brother brought before us. It has been otherwise with me. I've been living kind of carelessly. I slipped and got away. Oh, how good the Lord wants to appear to you in a certain form, and that is as the one who is your advocate, the one who is in glory.
Appearing there in the presence of God on your behalf to restore you. And what a blessing it would be.
In these meetings, if he would appear to you just like he appeared to Simon, and there would be something take place in your soul that you would be truly restored after this. We know that there was a public restoration with Peter, but I don't speak of that particularly at this point, but rather the fact that he was personally and privately restored by the Lord appearing to him in that way.
And so it tells us if we confess our sins, these faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as He's there is the one who is our advocate. And I believe when it says if we confess our sins, it brings in the thought that we are upright before Him. We just poured out our hearts. We tell Him it isn't that we ask forgiveness because we could say that Scripture looks upon us as being forgiven as far as judicial.
Forgiveness is concerned, but we will not enjoy governmental forgiveness until we have honed it to the Lord. We've had it out with Him, so to speak. So I believe we could say that this is the first appearance that the Lord made to his own. But now let's turn to John chapter 20 first verse. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark under the sepulchre, and see if the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Then she run us, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. And now the 11Th verse. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. And see if 2 angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus.
00:10:03
Lane And they say unto her, A woman, Why weepest thou? Jesus saith unto them.
Because they have taken, she saith unto him. Because they have taken away, my Lord.
And I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing.
And knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus sayeth unto her, woman, why we bestow? Whom seekest thou? She's supposing him to be The gardener sayeth unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabonae. Which is to say, Master.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them.
I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God. Here we have the Lord Jesus appearance to Mary Magdalene, and I like to think of her in a way of being so lonely. It's true that the other disciples came to the sepulchre, but they went away. They had other interests, no doubt, but with Mary she was lonely. There was no one else that meant so much.
Her and her life as the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus, as far as she do, had been taken away. And so there was a great loss in her life. Perhaps there might be someone here and you're thoroughly and utterly lonely. It seems to you that the bottom has dropped out of your life, and all the things that seem to make life to you are all gone. And so it seems to me that this was the condition in which Mary found herself. It's true.
Disciples could go back and they could go to their own homes. But not so with Mary. She was lonely. She had no one else that would mean anything to her, so to speak. And so she stands there, weeping. Did the Lord care? Was he concerned about the fact that she was there, so lonely that everything that meant what was worthwhile in life had been taken away?
Well, he did. And if there's someone here, I say who's like that.
And maybe there has been a feeling of loneliness, sleep come over you. You may have been in the crowd. But there is, as a scripture says, there is a solitary way. There is a time when sometimes we do feel that there is no one that we can really turn to. But there was one. There was a person. And as we had in our meetings, he's a real man. He's a real man, a risen man. And now in the glory, she could talk to a person A.
Who was a real person and tonight, this afternoon you can you and I can look up and say there's a man in the glory. There's one who's touched with a feeling of our infirmities who's concerned about everything. And it tells us here that she didn't realize that it was Jesus and he asked her why we could sell whom seek a cell and she said because.
Whom seeketh thou? She's opposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him.
And I will take him away. Sometimes I think that the reason that we are lonely is because we expected somehow that the Lord was going to turn this world into a garden for us. That after we were saved, it was just going to be a garden. And she supposed the Lord to be the gardener. Did you suppose that the Lord was going to remove all your problems and make everything nice for you in life, just like a pretty garden?
Well, she supposed him to be that, but.
She found out that he's the one who said, Mary, you have been looking for that here, but you're going to have to learn me, learn to know me in a new way. He called her by name. He said Mary, she recognized at once who he was. But the Lord said, as it was brought out today, don't detain me. But I want to tell you about a new relationship and I want your thoughts to be centered up there.
And you know, we have that answer to our loneliness.
There is one and he's gone up there. Did we expect him to make a garden for us down here? Did we expect him to remove all those problems and make life pleasant for us? I think we often have those kind of thoughts that after we're saved, you're just going to turn this world into a gardener. Let's not suppose him to be the gardener, but to know him as the one who's up there, who has gone up and has prepared a place for us, something far better than the best garden in this world.
00:15:10
Because he said, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your God.
And as he said in the 14th chapter of John, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go away, I will come again, not to make a garden for you down here, but to receive you unto myself, that where I am, there He may be also. What a comfort in our loneliness. There is a place coming. Mr. Darby, in that beautiful little hymn, said, Who shall to me that joy?
Of Saint throng courts declare tell of that constant sweet employee, my spirit longs to share.
We can be lonely even in the crowd, because even people with the best intentions don't always understand us. They don't enter into our thoughts. But there's a man in the glory who does, who enters into everything about us. I say again, He knows us through and through. He counts the very hairs of our head and is concerned about everything in our pathway. And when we get there, we'll be in his presence. And it says his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face.
And his name shall be in their forehead. Have sometimes said that what every human heart craves is understanding and love. We can find it difficult to find understanding and love in this world. But in those courts above, how? How beautiful to be there. And it says about it, the street is pure gold, like on the transparent glass. Nothing hidden up there.
Everything made known, and we shall know even as we are known.
So what a future before us. Is there a lonely one? The Lord appeared to marry that lonely person.
That one who was weeping, that one who felt the whole bottom had dropped out of her world, so to speak. And now said, Mary, you can't detain me here, but I'll point you up there. I'm not the gardener for this world, but I have gone up there. I'm going up there to prepare a place for you. Oh, what a blessed thing to know him then in that relationship. Well, that's the way I believe that he appeared to.
Marry and then in the same chapter.
26th Verse. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and say us, say us, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach it as thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach it as thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faceless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord.
And my God, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Thomas was full of goats. And you know we don't like to be honest and talk about these that are more like Thomas, and we like to admit that is, we do have doubts.
And the Lord appeared to Thomas in a special way here.
In order to remove those doubts. And you know, it's very blessed to see him appearing in this way.
Thomas had not been present the time before when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his own on the 1St Lords day. Thomas was not present and it was very beautiful what the other disciples did. They went to Thomas. They didn't scold him for his absence. They didn't tell him that he was pretty wayward, that he hadn't been there with the rest. They simply went to him and said to Tim Thomas, we've seen the Lord.
We've seen the Lord, and that was enough to touch the heart of Thomas. That was enough to make him want to be there. We'll never continue coming to the family if we're occupied with one another, but if we do see the Lord, if we are occupied with him, it makes it all worthwhile to be there because He is the gathering center. He is the one that we desire to see. And that real thing touched Thomas.
Was it possible that he had missed such an occasion? They had seen the Lord. Well, Thomas hadn't come because he was full of doubt. And as I say.
Maybe look in and we think of has so many doubts that can rise in our minds, doubts about all kinds of things and to get so discouraged about these things that we perhaps become careless. We think, oh, it's no use. I I don't find the help that I would like to get and it's really just going because other people seem to be enjoying the Lord, but I don't and you know, we can get very much like that, but the thought of seeing the Lord.
00:20:11
Thomas to be there and when the Lord came, he didn't wait for Thomas to say what was in his heart because the Lord knew all about what was going on in his heart. He knows all about what's going on in your heart and mine. He may not like to tell other people, but the Lord knows there's a verse that says I know the thoughts that come into your mind, every one of them. He knows all those thoughts and so.
It tells us that when he appeared, he said to Thomas, preach it at thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach it to thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless and believe, but believing. Somehow I doubt whether Thomas really did this. I think just the fact that the Lord said it was enough. And he just said, my Lord and my God. And so it is when we have these doubts, and that's why.
Think of us, it could just be some proof, something necessary to assure us so that all these things would be no longer faith. They'd be sight sort of everything cleared up by very good answers given to every doubt. But as far as Thomas was concerned, I say again, I don't very much whether he did put his finger into those marks or his hand into the Lord's side, but he looked into his blessed face and he said, my Lord and my God.
That was enough. He was restored from those doubts and there may be someone here and you're perplexed, you say, or if I could only see. The Lord said, blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. We have the witness that God has given of the Holy Spirit who has come down to shed abroad the love of God into our hearts to make real those things that we have not seen, and God can and does make those things.
To us. And so perhaps this is another form. Maybe you need that form. Maybe there's been some doubt in your mind. You're ashamed of yourself. I've often been ashamed of myself at doubts that come into my mind. You're ashamed of yourself. But the Lord knows about them. And as it were, he stands before you and he says, I know all about it. I can answer all your doubts. Just just look at me. Look at those marks in my hands. Put your finger in if you wish to. He didn't need that.
Saw the Lord, that was the answer. He appeared. He satisfied that poor Downing Thomas and gave him that assurance and that peace that he needed. And so we can find that in his presence too.
Well then let's turn to the 24th chapter of Luke again, and we'll see another way that the Lord appeared the 13th verse. And behold, two of them went that way that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem, about 3 score furlongs.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened, and it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned.
Jesus himself drew near and went with them, but their eyes were holding that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these, that she have one to another as you walk, and are sad? And one of them, whose name was Cleopas answering, said unto him, Aren't the only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
And he said unto them, What things?
And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty indeed in Word before God and all the people.
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him.
But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel. And beside this, today is the third day since these things were done. 27th verse. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, and all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they drew nigh into the village whither they went, and he made as though he would have gone further, but they constrained him.
Abide with saying, abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them, and came to pass. As he sat at meet with them, he took bread and blessed it, and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, I did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way.
00:25:02
And while He opened to us the Scriptures, well, here we have the Lord appearing, and another occasion, and whereas we read those various forms in which He appeared, what was it in connection with these? Well, they, they were perplexed, and we're often perplexed. And the reason they were perplexed was the very thing that often perplexes us. We expected something to happen, and it didn't happen. What did they expect?
Well, they expected that the Lord at that time would have redeemed Israel. He's going to in the coming day.
But they expected that. Then. Have you often been perplexed like that? I have. I expected something to happen. I was sure that the Lord was going to do something and it didn't happen the way I expected at all. It's true that He's still in control and he's going to bring things about and his own way. But they were perplexed because notice the way they're, they're sad and they're saying, we thought that he would have redeemed Israel. Is he going to redeem Israel?
Yes, He is. Has he done it yet? No. How long was about 2000 years since this took place. But he's still going to do it. God doesn't move on our timetable, brethren. We may be expecting things at a certain time, but God's time may not be according to our time at all. In fact, we might even plan something and desire something, but it's important that we desire only His will.
I've often had to say to myself.
It says in first Peter chapter 5, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. But one is often noticed that the verse before is part of the sentence, and the verse before says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.
Why is it that that's part of the same birth? Well, let me put it this way.
The reason that we find it hard to cast our care upon the Lord is because we find it difficult to accept things the way He has ordered them. That, I really believe is our problem. And I'm sometimes said to my say to myself, when something didn't work out the way I had hoped it worked. I've often had to say to myself, Now, Gordon, supposing the Lord came to you and said, you don't like the way I've ordered these things in your life, I'll change them.
And I'll make them exactly the way you'd like them. I'll make them the way you think would be best.
It's not my will for you, but I'll change them and make them the way you'd like them. Would I look up and say, well Lord, please do that because I really want them to be the way that I would like them? Or would I hang my head and say, Lord, just give me grace to accept thy plan the way thou has done it?
Well, I believe that's why it says humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Is it hard to cast your care on them when you've said that? No, it's the most natural thing on earth. Once you've taken that place and acknowledge that His plan is right and best. As for God, His way is perfect. You'll be surprised how you can leave the care with Him. You can cast it upon him because you have bowed to His hands. These two were discouraged. They were perplexed. They were troubled because.
Things didn't workout as they planned, but what did the Lord do? Well, he occupied them with the things concerning Himself. He brought before them how that all these things that had taken place were according to God's plan. The Scriptures had told this, and it had worked out exactly according to God's plan, not according to theirs. And so their heart burned within them.
They they were so glad to invite them into their home and not only for a meal, but they said abide with us. They wanted him to stay and now he makes himself known. He appears to them.
He answers all the perplexity of their heart by opening the scriptures and showing them.
That their idea and their plan was not the best, but God plan was right and best. We're going to find that out someday too. When He unfolds our lives before our eyes, we're going to see the same. That His plan was best but even now our heart can burn within us as we see and that He is in control and He can enable us to cast our care upon Him.
And now we find another occasion, the 36th verse.
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts rise? Arise in your heart. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have. And when?
00:30:20
And he showed them his hands and his feet, perhaps the way he appeared to them on this occasion.
Was to banish their fear. You know, we can fear a lot of things too, Things that haven't happened, but we're afraid they will happen.
Now we can live in a great deal of fear. And they were living in fear too. And even when the Lord appeared to them, they still didn't at first believe that it was really he who had come there. And you know, this is so, I say again with us. But isn't it lovely that He is the one? It says in John's epistle, Perfect love cast without fear. And when he made himself known to them, it is rather striking here that he says.
But he revealed to them that he's a real man. He says, why are you troubled and why do thoughts rise in your heart? He shows that he's a real man. And he says not as in another occasion, my hands and my side, but my hands and my feet. I believe that his side brings before us the thought of redemption, but his hands and his feet bring before us his pathway here.
Those nails in his hands and those nails in his feet were put there by men.
That pathway in which he tried, as we sometimes sing, thy path, unheard by earthly smiles, led only to the cross. And so if you and I have some fear, there's one who thread the past before us, who experienced all the things that we're afraid of.
They came to the Lord on one occasion and said get the oath for Herod will kill Lee and the Lord will reply was go and tell that box I do cures today and tomorrow, but the third day I will be perfect. In other words, the Lord Jesus wasn't afraid of anything that they could do to him. He was walking in the path of obedience to his Father. Truly he felt things. He felt things fully about his.
His pathway here is a pathway for us to He'll never believe us nor forsake us. He cares for us. And so I say the Lord maybe wants to appear to someone. Maybe you're fearing something that's going to happen. You're afraid, but He appears to say peace to you. He wants to banish those fears. He wants you to be assured of His love. And He wants to tell you, I know all about the past. My hands and my feet are here to show you.
That I know all about the past through this wicked world, this world where the Lord Jesus has been cast out. And so how precious to see Him appearing there to banish fear. Now let's turn to another one in Matthew chapter 28.
16 Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things. Whatsoever I have commanded you and law, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, or the end of the.
Amen. Well, here we have another occasion where the Lord appears to his own.
And perhaps I could speak of this occasion as bringing before us the blessedness of knowing the privilege of enjoying His presence collectively and enjoying His presence individually. I believe that's brought before us. We have seen in the other scriptures how the Lord appears to answer special needs that the disciples had.
But here was a special need, perhaps a greater need than many, many Christians realize.
Often when people are saved, they are told to go to the Church of their choice, but that will never satisfy an inward need. What will satisfy an inward need? Well, you know, there's no rest for the sole of the foot except in the ark. And until we have discovered how we can be gathered according to the mind and will of God, and according to His Word, they'll actually be no real peace in our souls, no real enjoyment of.
00:35:01
Presence, isn't it true when you speak to people and they talk about the various places where they go and you might say to them, why do you go there? Would you hear the answer? Well, because I believe the Lord is in the midst. Well, I haven't heard that answer. Usually from people they'll say, oh, it's a lovely group. They're doing a great work and I really enjoy the preacher there. He really gives out a good sound gospel and there's really a lot of.
There's a lot of blessing there. You hear all about that. Why did the disciples come to this particular place? Do we hear of any souls that got saved there? Well, I don't know. Perhaps there were. But that isn't the thing that drew them there. It was the place Jesus had appointed them and that was enough for them. And you know, if, if there's a Christian here and you have just been going to the place of your choice, you're in a group because they're a nice group. Thank God.
Every bit of gospel activity we praise the Lord for, every place where the gospel is told forth in sincerity and truth. But if you want to have peace in your soul, search the Word of God. And just as these disciples had to listen carefully while the Lord gave them instructions as to where He was planning to meet with them, the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
All they had to listen carefully and they had to put forth an energy to get there.
But was it worthwhile? Yes. What made it worthwhile was not the beauty of the surroundings. I don't know whether it was a beautiful place. And certainly as far as the crowd that were there, those disciples just a short time before had forsaken the Lord and fled. So they were the wonderful crowd of believers certainly thought, why did they go there? It says they went there because it was the place that Jesus had appointed them.
And if there's a dear soul here and you come to these meetings and you're seeking, I beg of you, not to get your eyes on the people, you may think, oh, it's nice to be in a crowd of Christians like this, but you're going to be disappointed. You remember when the Lord Jesus spoke about these things in the 6th chapter of John, and many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. The Lord said to Peter, He said.
To Peter, will ye also go away?
Peter said, To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe in our sure that thou art the Christ. Did the Lord commend him for that answer? Have you ever been surprised the way the Lord answered him on that occasion? You'll notice that in the end of the sixth of John, if you look at it, the Lord's reply to Peter was, Have not I chosen you? 12.
And one of you is a devil.
Why did the Lord say that? That really puzzled me. When I read that, I meditated on it for a while. Why didn't the Lord say Peter? Well, I'm so glad that you're here because I'm here, but the Lord didn't. What was he really saying to Peter? Well, he said, Peter, you've had a disappointment. Quite a few of my disciples have gone back and won't walk with me anymore. But if you're really here because I'm here.
Still, don't look on the crowd, because there's still another disappointment ahead.
Who others the disappointment Paul Judas was in that crowd. And you know, if you just remain with the Saints because you think there's not going to be any disappointment, you're going to be have another disappointment. The Saints are going to disappoint you. I've disappointed my brother in times, but the Lord never will disappoint you. And so if you're there because he's there, by then it's all worthwhile. And so here these disciples came to the place Jesus had appointed them.
And when they thought not one another, but they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. I'm glad it says that, because, you know, if it didn't say that, I would think, well, there's no place for me. Because I'm afraid that my thoughts wander even when I sit down at the Lord's table, and things come into my mind that I wish didn't when I'm sitting right there. Well, isn't it nice that it says, but some doubted because the Lord's showing us.
That is still wasn't the perfect group. They were there because they had come to meet the Lord, and when they saw Him, they worshipped him. And what was His answer to all his doubts? That seemed to rise in their minds? Not only Thomas here, but others too. Why does what does the Lord's answer? All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Any doubt come into your mind? Well, basically it comes from this. We're doubting his power because he could remove every problem from your life and mine if it was his will.
00:40:10
And if he's left that problem there, he wants us to learn something. He wants to make himself known to us as the dissolver of doubt, the one who can undertake for us in every problem. He may not remove the problem, but if we're just resting on this glorious, this wonderful truth, he has all power. If it were his will, he could remove any obstacle, any difficulty. And if he leaves it there, he has.
Something for us to learn through it. He has something. And I'm sure that as we look back over our lives, we will say that we have learned many, many things of his faithfulness, of his goodness, of His grace through the very things that He has left. Peter, at least Paul would like to have had the thorn in the flesh removed, and the Lord could have removed it. He certainly had the power to take that away if it had been His will.
But the Lord's answer was number, Paul, you're going to have it the rest of your life. I'm not going to take it away, but you're going to learn something through it. And it's going to be a blessing to you and to others. Because he said, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. And so here we find the enjoyment of the Lord's presence in a collective way.
Not because it's a perfect group, not because we don't have doubts and all kinds of things that come into our minds.
But we're in the presence of one who died for us, who is risen again, who is up there, a real man, and all power is given to him. Angels and authorities and powers are made subject to him. What a place to be gathered around such a one, while we waste the time of his return.