Address—Jim Hyland
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Let's begin this afternoon with 245. On that same night, Lord Jesus, when all around thee joined to cast its darkest shadow across thy holy mind, we hear Thy voice. Bless Savior this, do Remember Me. With joyful hearts responding, we do remember the 245. If someone could please start it.
On Thursday night, Lord Yee sung Where Come on Around in the morning.
We didn't care about what's wrong and everything. From the end of the day, I'm glad I'm being.
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Let's ask God to help our blessed God and Father how thankful we are this afternoon for our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank thee that that blessed One did indeed go to Calvary's cross, give Himself their lay down His life, shed His precious blood. And we're thankful too, that he is not in the tomb today, but risen, ascended, and seated at thy right hand.
We're thankful for that blessed privilege. We have from week to week being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to remember him in the breaking of bread. And thou has heard this little prayer that we have sung together. We trust it's the desire of our hearts until the Lord Jesus comes to remember him thus. And now we thank thee for this happy day together and an opportunity to have thy word before us. We think of this meeting scheduled as a young people's meeting, and our God we pray that there might be.
Food, particularly for those who are younger. We pray that they'll reach down in all of our hearts and give us that purpose that's needed to stand and live in these dark, difficult days. So we look to thee for ministry from myself, for edification, exhortation and comfort. We ask thy help. We ask Thy blessing. We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his glory. Amen. Turn with me, please, First of all to Luke's Gospel.
Chapter 22.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 22.
And verse 7.
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John saying, Go, and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city.
There shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in, and ye shall say unto the good man of the house the master Seth unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished there. Make ready. And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down.
And the 12 apostles with him and then just dropped down to verse 19.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you.
This do in remembrance of Maine, likewise also the cup after supper, saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you, and then in First Corinthians chapter 10.
First Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is that not the communion of the blood of Christ.
The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. And then go over to the next chapter, verse 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he break it, and said, Take, eat, This is my body which is broken for you.
This do in remembrance of Maine. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had Sup, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Well, I have it on my heart this afternoon to take up a subject that's perhaps a rather difficult subject to take up.
We want to take up this subject very carefully, very soberly, And we want to take it up in the light of God's Word, because what else do we have, brethren, besides the word of God? That must be our foundation. And I'd like to take up our subject under perhaps three different headings this afternoon. The Lord's Supper or the Lord's Table. The Lord's Supper. And then we're going to speak a little bit as the Lord enables us.
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On a subject we might label the camp. And so I began here in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 22, just really by way of introduction to what is on my heart.
Because we know the setting, the context well, we find the Lord Jesus is now at the end of his pathway of public ministry.
His disciples have walked with him during that ministry, and now He's about to leave them. If we were to go to John's Gospel, we would find that the hour was come, that he should depart out of the world under the Father.
Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end, and we find here that he sends them to prepare the Passover.
Now I realized that it was the Passover that was particularly in view here.
But the Lord Jesus too knew that this was going to be the very spot where, after he celebrated the Passover with his disciples, he was going to institute the feast of Remembrance, what we refer to as the Lord's Supper. And there are some things that I think are good in application, at least for us to consider in this regard. We find here that first of all the disciples were to enter into the city.
And the city we as we know was Jerusalem. Now often in the scripture cities speak of man in his confusion without God. The reason I say that is because the first mention of a city in scripture is in connection with Cain. Cain went out and built a city. He went out from the presence of the Lord and built a city. And man has built a great system of things today in independence of God.
What we sometimes refer to as the world system, and there are many aspects to that system.
Satan is the Prince of this world politically, but he's the God of this world religiously. And perhaps Jerusalem, they're going into this city would speak more in connection with religious confusion, because Jerusalem was that, that holy city. But it had deteriorated to such a point that as we find as we go on, it had religion without Christ. Because, you know, today there's plenty of religion in this world, but there's plenty of religion.
Without Christ, it's man having introduced his own ideas, his own programs, and his own schemes. And he has religion, but he has religion without Christ. And so the first thing they were to do was to enter into the city.
And we're in a world of confusion, a world of political confusion.
A world of moral confusion and degradation. But we're also are we not in a world where there's plenty of confusion when it comes to religion? And as I say, we see all around us much religion, but I say it's, to some degree at least, religion without Christ. Or at least it's man, having introduced many things and mixed the truth with that which is not according to the mind of God.
But you know, the beautiful thing is that the Lord Jesus had a pathway for them. He was going to meet with them in a particular place in that city, and then they were not only to enter into the city, but a certain house. Now we find that they were to follow this man bearing the pitcher of water. And it's often been pointed out that in Scripture particularly the unnamed man or servant is often a figure to us of the Spirit of God.
We find that Abraham sent his servant to fetch a bride for Isaac in the 24th chapter of Genesis, and I know that servant is named in another place, but there in that chapter he's not named because he's a picture of the work of the spirit of God. Here in this world calling out a bride for Christ, we find two. Another example is in earlier on in Luke where you have the story of the Samaritan and when he brought the man to the inn he said to the innkeeper.
Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. There the unnamed host or innkeeper is a picture of the Spirit of God, sent down to care for the Saints of God and provide for them what's needed here along the path of faith and service. And perhaps the in there is a little picture of the assembly as well. But there are a number of occasions, if you go through the word of God, that you find this. And so we find here this man.
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Figures. I believe the Spirit of God and water contained in a vessel is more most often a figure of the Word of God. And I believe what we learn here is that if we are going to be where the Lord Jesus desires to have us around himself, to remember Him in the breaking of bread, we must, amidst all the confusion of this world, we must follow the word of God applied in the power of the Spirit.
And we find here that they were led to a particular house. Now I don't want to go too far with these illustrations and applications, nor do I want to read into Scripture more than we have here. But I've often thought of this house, at least in application, as that which we have in Second Timothy, because there we find a great house. And you know, you and I, we're in the great house in spite of ourselves.
We're in what we refer to as professing Christendom, a place where the name of the Lord is at least outwardly owned. And we are in the great house. And sometimes I've heard young people and sometimes those who are not so young say, well, you know, it's the last days, like it's described in Second Timothy. Things have become confused and it's a great house, and so it doesn't really matter anymore.
Where we break bread or some of those principles that Brethren used to hold to those we can't hold to any longer and it just doesn't matter. But you'll find that they were not only led to this house, but there was a specific room in the house. Now again, young people, I don't want to read in more than we are told, but I have wondered this in reading this account. If there weren't others in that house, we don't know, But if there weren't others in that house that evening.
Who kept the Passover in other rooms they might have been very God fearing Jews who kept the Passover. But if the disciples had arrived at that house and chosen any other room in the house, they could have kept the Passover, but they would have missed the company of the Lord Jesus in their midst. There was only going to be one room in which the Lord Jesus was going to sit down in the midst of his own, and that room was a room furnished.
It was a room that was all provided, nothing on the part of the disciples, and it was an upper room.
Because it speaks to us of separation. And I believe that that's always been God's principle of gathering, his principle of meeting. And we're going to see later on that we are always to separate from that which is not according to the mind of the Lord. We always are to separate from evil if we are going to be able to claim the Lord in our midst and claim Matthew 18 and 20 where two or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them, and as I say here in this portion we find that it was first of all the Passover that was in view. But after the Passover Supper, the Lord Jesus having set aside that which put them in relationship to himself in Kingdom glory, that is the Passover supper the Kingdom wasn't to be at the time. Now he puts that aside, and he institutes that which was going to be their memorial, their remembrance.
Of himself after he had gone to the cross, risen from the dead.
And return to the right hand of God. And so we are associated with Christ, not in Kingdom glories this afternoon.
But we're associated with them in heavenly glories, and we never want to forget the cost of the of our redemption, what it cost the Lord Jesus to have us in association with himself. And so we find that it was his desire to have them around himself. And he takes a loaf and a cup, and he explains very carefully how they were to commemorate him.
In his absence, you know, if the Lord Jesus had simply said to the disciples, I want you to Remember Me, I want you to commemorate me after I'm gone, they would have everyone of us would be left up to our own ideas as to how to commemorate the Lord Jesus. But he didn't do that. He spelled it out very specifically. He took a loaf, He took a cup, He explained the significance of the loaf in the cup, and he explained the format in which they were to commemorate him.
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And this really brings us to what we have confirmed in First Corinthians chapter 10 and 11.
Here now we find the Apostle Paul is writing to these believers and he is explaining very carefully.
2 Great truths. First of all he takes up the subject of the Lord's table.
I say that because it's really what we have in the end of verse 21, where he speaks of the Lord's table. Now a table in Scripture speaks to us of perhaps a number of things. It speaks of provision. The Psalmist said, Thou preparest the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. It also speaks of fellowship. And when we eat at the Lord's table, we're at the Lord's Supper. We're having fellowship.
With the Lord Jesus and with one another in the breaking of of bread, it speaks of fellowship. But I want to point out too, it's not Christ table. It's not the table of Jesus. It's the Lord's table. Because I believe that a table in Scripture denotes authority as well. If I am invited to a brother's home, who has authority at that table? I don't have authority at that table. It's the brother who invited me. It's his table.
And he has every right to ask me to leave if my conduct is not in keeping with what he feels is suitable conduct for his table. It would be very out of character and keeping. If I were to invite someone else to that table, could I go out and invite you to another brother's table? No, it's his table. He does the inviting, and it's where his authority is to be maintained. And I believe This is why it's brought before us as the Lord's Table. And you'll notice that it's the Lord's Table before the Lord's Supper.
Now they are two very distinct things, and we want to keep them distinct in their character.
Lest we become confused, but the Lord suffered, He desires for us to be eaten at the Lord's table. That's where he desires us to eat it. I realize there are many who partake of the Lord's Supper, but you know we need to be exercised again, like the disciples in the 22nd of Luke. When the Lord sent them to prepare, he didn't initially give them instructions. He simply said go and prepare.
And then he stopped. He waited for a response on their part, and it must have thrilled the heart of the Lord Jesus when the disciples turned to him and said, Where wilt thou that we prepare? You know, they understood from the Old Testament that it was never left up to them. They were never told to just keep the Passover and bring their sacrifices to any place that they themselves chose. It was never to be a place of convenience, or a place where they like the people, or somewhere where there seemed to be.
Outward peace and going on together.
No, they weren't. It was never left to them. God had told them, even when they were in the wilderness, that when they were established in the land, He would choose a place and put his name there. And we know that he did. And that place was Jerusalem, and it was to be the exercise and joy of every Israelite to come up to the House of the Lord at Jerusalem and keep the feast. And we know it was a very sad and grievous thing to the Lord when they chose other centers. And so we find here that he takes up, first of all.
The subject of the Lord's Table. And it's interesting. I was in a home recently and a young believer raised the question as to what makes a person eligible to partake of the loaf and the cup at the Lord's table. I thought that was a very good question. Now when I say it was raised by a young person, it wasn't just a young person whose age would qualify them for that category, but someone who hasn't been saved very long.
And they've been attending the breaking of bread, and they wondered what makes a person eligible to remember the Lord to partake of the loaf and the cup. And this was one of the portions here in the 10th chapter that we turn to, because it's interesting here that when it's the subject of the Lord's table, the order of the loaf and the cup are reversed. When it's a question of the Lord's Supper, it's the low 1St and the cup second.
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That's the way the Lord Jesus instituted it, and that's the way we always celebrate it, because the separation of the blood from the body was the proof of death. But here we find when it's the question of the Lord's table, it's just the opposite. We find here that the cup is mentioned first. Now I realize, and rather than I realize, that too many of us, some of these things we've gone over, we've enjoyed many times, they may seem elementary.
But you know, I feel the need in my soul of light to go over some of these very fundamental things. And sometimes we who are older, we feel like the young ones have heard these things before and we know them. And I would just say an encouragement to the young people, ask questions. Sometimes we assume you know things and perhaps they haven't been explained or explained very clearly. I said to a group of young people recently who were together for a little question period.
I said there's no such thing as a dumb question. There's no such thing as a dumb question. And if you're wondering about something, probably somebody else is, and maybe they're too reticent or shy to ask. And so it's good to ask questions. And so we might necessarily raise the question this afternoon. What does the cup speak to us of if we're left here tomorrow morning? On the table, there's going to be a glass of wine, and what does it speak to us of?
It represents the blood of the Lord Jesus and that's why it's mentioned here, first in connection with the Lord's table, because what qualifies a person to be at the Lord's table is first of all that they are washed in the blood of Christ. When someone comes and desires to remember the Lord, we want to make sure first and foremost that they know the Lord Jesus as their Savior that they have had applied to their hearts.
The cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus and that they are redeemed with that blood. And that is very simply why the cup is mentioned here. First, what makes a person eligible to be at the Lord's table? It's the blood of Christ. What is it that makes a person fit for heaven? We sometimes sing a hymn, Our title to glory. We read in His blood. And that's why when we get to heaven, the theme of the eternal song is going to be the blood of Christ.
We're never going to forget that we're washed in the we're washed in the blood of Christ. What it cost the Lord Jesus to redeem us to himself, was that he must lay down his life and shed His precious blood. And then we have the loaf here. Now the loaf has a different significance here than it does in the 11Th chapter. The loaf here. And it's one loaf. It represents every believer alive on the face of the earth.
It represents the body of Christ, made-up of every believer I say alive on the face of the earth at that time. And so again tomorrow morning, there's going to be a loaf on the table. It's not going to be wafers or crackers. It's not going to be rolls. It's going to be one loaf. And that loaf, when we look at it, represents to the heart of God. And we need to view it in this way too. It represents, I say.
Every believer alive on the face of the earth, that loaf young people, doesn't just represent those who are there here on this that that occasion. Nor does it just represent those who practically express the truth of the one body in the breaking of bread. It represents every believer whether they understand it or not, or whether they practically express it in the breaking of bread. And we need to see it in in that light.
If we see it in any other light, we become narrow and sectarian in our view. It's true that outwardly things have become fragmented. Man has failed in his responsibility in endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But thank God, the unity of the body, the keeping of the unity of the body has never been committed to man. Because whatever man, whatever man's responsibility is, I say he always fails. And God looks down this afternoon.
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And he says there is one body. This is just a little bit of side. But you know, sometimes we use an expression. We say the church is in ruin. And I realize what we mean when we say the church is in ruin. But that needs qualification because it's not really the church that's in ruin. It's the testimony that's in ruin. If we say unequivocally that the church is in ruin, we're saying that the Lord Jesus failed in the declaration he made in the 16th of Matthew, where he said on this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Nothing can touch that. What he builds, he builds in perfection. And even Satan himself can't smash it. But the testimony is in ruin, because I say, man has failed in his responsibility. And so again we find these two things. First of all, the cup, our title to be at the Lord's table is the blood of Christ and the fact that we are members of the body of Christ.
That's what makes a person eligible. That's what gives a person title to be there. And so again, when someone comes and wants to remember the Lord, we want to make sure that first of all, they are washed in the blood of Christ and as a result, they're members of the body of Christ. Sometimes I've heard people say, well, I don't feel worthy to remember the Lord. But you know, back in Egypt, the night they kept the Passover lamb, what made a person eligible to feast on the Passover lamb? It was the fact that they were an Israelite under the shelter of the blood.
That's what made a person eligible. And I say again that what makes us eligible is that we are members of the body of Christ, washed in His precious Blood. And so this is the subject of the Lord's Table. Now what's interesting is that between that and the Lord's Supper, there are many verses that intervene, and we might again raise the question why? If we were taking this up, we would probably have written it.
In side by side by side.
We would have taken up the subject of the Lord's table and then immediately taken up the subject of the Lord's Supper. I say it's the Lord's Supper in the next chapter because we have that expression at the end of the 19th verse of the 11Th chapter. But there are all these verses that intervene, because if we were to notice these verses and many other scriptures in the New Testament, there are things that would hinder a person from being at the Lord's table. There is sin, moral sin.
We know that was a difficulty at Corinth. There was moral sin, and it hadn't been judged because, again, God teaches his people that sin is a thing that is not fit for his presence or the presence of his people. There's doctrinal evil that's taken up in other places as well. There are ecclesiastical connections connected with a system of things that may hold doctrines and practices that are not according to the word of God.
And if a person is connected with such a system, and we allow them to come and eat at the Lord's table, we connect those two tables. And we want to be very careful that we don't connect something with the Lord's table, that is, is not according to the mind of God. And so we have all these verses. And then he takes up the subject of the Lord's supper. And here we find that he reverses the order, because as I said.
In Luke 22 in the upper room, the Lord Jesus first of all took a loaf. And the loaf here in connection with the Lord's Supper, represents not every member of his body here on earth, but it represents the physical body of the Lord Jesus given in death for us. And so when we break that bread tomorrow, it is to be a reminder of the Lord Jesus body given in death for us.
And then the cup again is a reminder of his precious bloodshed. Forest again, I say the separation of the body, the blood from the body was the proof of death. And that's why it's not all combined in one, combined in a wafer or something like that. No, it's given separately, and that is the way we celebrate it. But I do want to say this before we pass on, because I've heard different ones say, well, I can remember the Lord Jesus in my heart.
Well, it's true. We need to remember the Lord Jesus in our hearts. And I trust that every day, more than once a day, there is a reminder in our souls that we stop and consider something of what the Lord Jesus suffered on Calvary's cross to bring us to himself. We need to remember the Lord Jesus in our hearts every day. But God always gives us a way that we can give expression to what's in our hearts.
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And so we find here that we are exhorted to eat and to drink. You've heard me say this before, but I've sometimes said, I wish that the words eat and drink were printed in capital letters in our Bible. Because when we come together tomorrow to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, we are to eat of that loaf and drink of that cup. And before we pass on, I want to exercise your soul and mind. There are many who, like myself, by the grace of God, have had the privilege of breaking bread for many years.
But maybe there's someone here, and you've never remembered the Lord. Maybe you say, well, I remember the Lord, and even when I look at the loaf in the cup, I remember the Lord in my heart. But he's asked us to give expression to it. He's given us something physical that we can do to give expression to what is in our hearts, and that we desire to honor this one, to show forth his death in the world that spit in his face, crucified Him, cried away with him.
That we seek to honor this person in that request that he made this do in remembrance of Maine. And how long is it for? It's till he come. And he wouldn't ask us to do something if he wasn't going to provide a scriptural basis or ground on which to do it. He never asked us to do anything if he isn't going to maintain a place to do it on a scriptural ground. And so I believe that there is a way where we can still amidst all the confusion of the world.
With all the confusion of the Great House or Christendom, we can find that place where he desires to sit down in the midst of his own collectively, and have them remember him in the breaking of bread. Other privileges too, But we're particular. We particularly have before us this afternoon, that precious privilege. And when it says often, don't we need a reminder Often, You know, as you go through the book of the acts, you find that it very quickly became the exercise.
And joy of the early believers to come together on the first day of the week to break bread. And when the Lord Jesus instituted the feast, he knew not only what the hearts of his own on that occasion would be like, but he anticipated what my heart would be like. And he knew that I was going to need a reminder and that I was going to need it often. And I think this is one of the most precious things about being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And that is that we have the privilege, not just on a special occasion or.
Months or twice a year or something like that. But we have the privilege, and we have it often. We need this privilege. We need a reminder time and time again. We're not going to need it When we get to heaven, we're not going to need it there. We're going to see those wounds in his hands and in his feet and his side, and they are going to be fresh and constant reminders in that day. But until then, we need to show forth the Lord's death till he comes. We need to eat and drink, and we need this reminder often.
Now let's go to the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 13.
Let us therefore let us go therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. And now I want to go back to two Old Testament instances which I believe bear light on this statement. The 1St is in Exodus chapter 33.
Exodus Chapter 33.
And verse 7. And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp.
And called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of the congregation.
Which was without the camp, and it came to pass when Moses went out unto the Tabernacle.
That all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses till he was gone into the Tabernacle.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle. And the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillars stand at the Tabernacle door. And all the people rose up and worshiped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle.
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And then I want to read a further incident in the 11Th of numbers.
Numbers 11 And verse 25 And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the 70 elders. And it came to pass, that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp. The name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other was me, Dad. And the spirit rested upon them. And they were of them that were written, but went not out under the Tabernacle.
And they prophesied in the camp and there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and me dad do prophecy in the camp.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Envious thou for my sake would God, that all the Lords people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them. Well, just to go back to this expression we find in the end of Hebrews, you have to understand in its context there that the apostle Paul or the apostle. I believe it was Paul from some scriptures. But we don't want to be dogmatic but the apostles.
Was writing there to the Hebrews, to Jewish believers, and to a mixture, too, of profession and reality?
As there was when they went up out of Egypt, a mixed multitude went out, and so on.
And he speaks there at the end of the epistle of the camp. Now it is true that for them the camp was Israel.
It was hard. It was Judaism. It was hard for a Jewish believer to separate from that which he had been steeped in and brought up in, because the Jewish order of things had been established by God in the Old Testament. And it was right and proper that the Jews go on in those ordinances and so on. But that was all set aside in the book of Hebrews, because Christ had come.
And 13 times we have that there was something better for them, those Old Testament types and shadows and sacrifices and ordinances, they were just pale reflections and feeble foreshadows of what was really in the mind and heart of God. And it had all been fulfilled in Christ. And so for them, at the time it was Judaism. But I believe there's an application for us because it says let us go forth.
And what are we to go forth from? Well, if for them, the camp spoke of Judaism.
I suggest that for us it is anything that takes on the characteristics of Judaism. And isn't there much in professing Christendom today that takes on the the uh trappings of of Judaism, the things that are for the senses. The religion uh of Judaism was for the senses what they could see and hear. The beautiful music, the uh robes, the curtains, the gold and the silver, what they could smell, the incense. Everything had to do with the natural senses. It was for man after the flesh.
But he says now that we're to go forth from that not to be associated with that which takes on the characteristics of Judaism.
We find too there are many who take up with an earthly priesthood and so on that had to do with the old order of things. But to really understand what the camp is and apply it to ourselves, I believe we have to go back to these two illustrations, these two instances in connection with the children of Israel in the wilderness. And first of all we find in Exodus that failure and sin had come in amongst the people of God.
Here they were at the foot of Sinai, and they were worshipping the golden calf. And we know that they had broken the first commandment, and that was that they were to have no other gods before them. And so we find that Moses takes the Tabernacle. Now this is not the Tabernacle. The way we usually think of the Tabernacle, it hadn't been built yet, but this was some kind of tent that denoted the presence of the Lord collectively.
Amongst his people. But again, he couldn't. Sin is a thing that is not fit for the presence of the Lord or the presence of his people. And so when sin came into the camp, he was to take the Tabernacle, that which denoted the presence of the Lord. He was to take it outside a far off from the camp. And it says that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the to the Tabernacle of the congregation. That is, there was a special blessing.
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For separating from the evil that had come in amongst the people of God. Now I want to make something very clear. We never are told in scripture to separate from true believers. What we are told to separate from is sin, evil. And if that means that there are true believers that I cannot go on in fellowship with, then I have to say so be it. But it's not true believers in Second Timothy chapter 2. The thought is they were to separate from evil.
Yes, it meant that there were vessels that they couldn't associate with, but it's evil that they were to separate, that a man is to purge himself from. And so it's a very important principle. We are always to exclude evil. And so we find here that those who separated from the evil that came into the had come into the camp. Yes, they found separation from dear brethren as well. And I want to make it very clear that those who remained in the camp were still the people of God.
They were still the people of God, and they were no doubt many, dear brethren, and many perhaps had to separate from family. But if they were going to have a special enjoyment or sense of the Lord's presence, he was not in the General Assembly amongst the people. Now he was outside the camp, a far off from the from the camp, and I want you to notice too that every man stood up and worshipped in his tent door.
Because in the measure in which believers are in the enjoyment of the person and work of Christ.
There is worship. There is worship. And I'm not going to stand here. I want to speak very plainly for a moment. I'm not going to stand here and tell you that tomorrow morning this is going to be the only place in this area where there's worship. Because, again, in the measure in which individual believers are in the enjoyment of the person and work of Christ, there will be worship. And I've met many dear believers. They're perhaps not in fellowship with the Lord's table, but their appreciation of the person and work of Christ.
Has put me to shame. And so every man stood up and individually he worshipped in his tent door. But I say there was a blessing for those who separated and went out to the Tabernacle of the congregation.
And we find that.
Moses, He gets himself into the camp, you say? Why? Why does Moses do that? Well, you know the Lord doesn't forsake his people in the camp. But I want to make this very clear. There's a difference between the Lord being with us collectively and individually. The Lord is with every believer individually, but it is only in the place where we follow the man bearing the picture of water that we can claim the presence of the Lord in the midst.
And Scripture. All through scripture, there's always a careful denoting. Let me just quickly give you an example.
You remember the two on the way to Emmaus in the 24th chapter of Luke. They were really going the wrong way. They were discouraged. They were leaving Jerusalem and they were going to Emmaus, just the two of them. And it's interesting, it says the Lord drew near, I want you to notice this, and went with them. And it says as he talked with them and he went into tarry with them, He was with them even though they were going in a direction, to a place where they ought not to have been going. They ought to have been back with the other disciples.
There at Jerusalem. But they were going away. But he was with them now. As soon as they recognized him, he vanished out of their sight because they were in the wrong place. They ought not to have been at Emmaus. They ought to have been back at Jerusalem. But it's interesting that when they rise up and return, and they gather together with the others in the upper room. Now the language changes. It says Jesus came and he wasn't just with them. Jesus came and stood in the midst. They were back, if I can put it this way for our purposes this afternoon.
They were back in the place of corporate obedience. And so, brethren, there's a difference between the Lord being with us, He's with every individual, and wherever individuals meet to worship the Lord.
Or for Bible study or prayer, the Lord is with them. But that's very different than the Lord being in the midst. The midst has the thought of the central focus. The old wagon wheels had a hub in the midst, and that hub kept the rim and all the spokes together as long as that hub was in place. And so we find here that Moses gets himself into the camp. The Lord doesn't forsake. He's a picture of the Lord. He doesn't forsake his people in the camp. You know, Elijah and Elijah.
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Two of the greatest prophets, you know, we never read of them going up to Jerusalem. Never.
But they were men of God, and God used them even in a day of division amongst his people. God used them in a mighty way. And we're thankful that he did. But it's interesting that Joshua, he departed not from the Tabernacle of the congregation. He valued that sense of the Lord's presence and where the Lord was. And so he remained there. And that's my prayer for all of us, if there is a place, as we've been saying, where we can be gathered around the Lord Jesus.
Collectively, to remember him in the breaking of bread and for other assembly meetings. And if it's till he come, then the exercise of your soul and mine ought to be there. That we would be there by the grace of God and brethren, young people. It's only by the grace of God if we find ourselves where we feel the Lord is in the midst. To remember Him. Remember it's nothing special in ourselves. It's only the grace of God that brings us there, and it's only the grace of God that preserves us there.
But I want to notice another incident that we read in the 11Th of Numbers, because here we find failure had come in again, particularly on the part of Moses. This time he felt the burden of the people of God, and he complained and told the Lord that the work was too great. And so the Lord took part of the Spirit off Moses and distributed it amongst these 70 elders. You know, the Lord had given Moses everything that was needed to perform.
His service for the Lord and leading the people of God. You know, if the Lord raises us up for a service, He provides everything that's needed.
But nevertheless the Lord took some of the spirit off Moses, and he distributed it on the 70 elders. And immediately you find these two L Dad and me dad. And they prophesied in the camp, and someone came and told Moses. And Joshua says, oh, Moses forbid them. Moses says no. Now what I want to draw from this is that I am very, very thankful for those who propagate the gospel and the truth.
In any way, you know, we, as many of you know with the book rooms in the Caribbean, we deal in some 15 or 16 tons of Bibles and literature in a year.
And I never realized until I was involved in book rooms and literature distribution, how much tonnage of good literature through many organizations goes out around this world every day. And we're thankful. And most of the literature that we provide for the English Caribbean would go to those who we wouldn't be in fellowship with at the Lord's table. But they use good, solid material both in their ministry to believers and in the gospel.
There's been a great demand in the Caribbean for Bruce Anstey's pamphlets, and people are using it for their Bible studies and their youth groups and so on. Aren't we thankful for that? You know, Paul said whether in truth or pretense, Christ is preached and I therein do rejoice. Yeah, and will rejoice. And as soon as Moses complained about his responsibility, why the There were these 70 elders and two prophesied in the camp.
I I wanna say, and again, I I don't wanna say this critically, but I and I wanna say it very carefully. But you know, if the gospel effort depended on the gathered Saints, it'd be a very feeble effort. I'm not saying that much isn't being done amongst the gathered Saints, and I'm thankful for every effort there is. But I'm thankful for every effort there is amongst all Christians to get out the gospel. And so Joshua, he says to forbid them. Oh, Moses said, no. What does the Lord, all the Lord's servants, were prophets.
And that the Lord would put His spirit upon them. And so we can pray and be thankful for those who get out the truth in so many ways. It's true. There are many that I couldn't go along in fellowship with. I couldn't go along because of their practices, or perhaps something of their doctrine. I can't go along with them because we are, we read in Philippians. We're to strive together for the faith of the gospel. And if I go along in some work with someone who doesn't hold, perhaps eternal security or.
Take up practices that perhaps are not according to the word of God or connected with some ecclesiastical system that holds doctrine or practice not uh, that's contrary to Scripture. I can't go along with that, but I'm thankful for it. The Lord said to the disciples, he that is not against us is for us. And so let's learn to appreciate and pray for the work as it goes forth. There are many, if I can put it this way, who prophecy in the camp and we don't want to forbid them. We need to be exercised that we would be more energetic. I say to my own soul that we would be more energetic in getting out the gospel.
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In propagating the truth of God that we might be exercised, now you find again Moses got himself into the camp again. The Lord doesn't forsake his own. And in the measure in which the Spirit of God is given liberty in any Christian circles and with any Christian work, the Spirit of God is working. Thank God. The Spirit is working in the Great House today, and we can rejoice in it. But again, he doesn't encourage Joshua to go and join himself to them. No, Joshua, if I can put it this way, He remains in the place.
Of obedience. And that's really the place for us. And I just want to encourage our hearts. I know we've taken up this subject very briefly, perhaps very simply. I trust we've taken it up very circumspectly. But I just want to encourage our hearts. Young people. There is not just a path of faith for us individually, that's true. We often talk about the individual path of faith and how that characterizes the last days and so on. And that is certainly true.
But there is also to the end, a corporate side of things. There's a collective side of things where we can be collectively gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. I'll just give you a little principle in Second Timothy. You know, in Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Timothy is encouraged to continue, continue thou, that's individual. And he's to continue in the things he has learned and been assured of. He's to go on faithfully in Paul's doctrine.
The word of God, the fundamental principles of Christianity that were laid down, is to continue as an individual in spite of the day of ruin, in spite of all those in Asia having forsaken Paul and this one gone his way and another one the other way. Timothy was to go on individually, but I think it's very significant that before he tells him that when we back up to the second chapter, he says go on with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
He said, Timothy, in the great House, there's still a path of corporate obedience, And if you're faithful to the word of God, if you seek to own the lordship of Christ in your life, you'll find others who have the same desire. You'll have find others who seek, are seeking to go on in that way as well. Well, may we be encouraged, all of us, But particularly, I say to my younger brethren, be encouraged to go on. And the question I want to leave you with is tomorrow morning when we sit down at the Lord's table.
Are you gonna remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread? As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come. And don't you think it'll be a joy to His heart and yours when you see Him face to face? To know that in this world you availed yourself of that precious privilege of breaking bread in His request, this due in remembrance of me. Let's pray our God and Father. We're thankful for Thy word that we can turn to for its light and instruction.
And now we pray that thou encourage each of our hearts. We think of our precious young people. We're thankful for them. We pray that thou lead them on and use them in thy service. And two, that each one of us might have that exercise to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread from week to week. And so we thank thee for this privilege of being together, and commit the rest of the time to Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.