Address—L. Judd
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Possibly we could say aspect of his coming that I would like to look at, but before turning to them, if we could just turn for a moment to Ephesians chapter 5.
Verse 25.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.
And gave himself for it.
Christ also loved the Church and gave himself.
For it.
Now who is the church?
Of what is it composed?
And all for you, dear younger ones especially.
I want you to realize.
The church is composed of every redeemed child of God.
Everyone that knows the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Everyone that has been washed by his precious blood.
I ask not what denomination they may be of the questionnaires and the question in every heart.
Should be.
Am I redeemed by the precious blood of Christ?
If we know Him as our Savior, we are part of that church.
One of those that Christ loved and gave himself for.
Think of the relationship into which we've been brought.
Notice verse 29.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord, the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, of His bones.
Yes, beloved, Christ is the head in heaven, and we are the body down here on this sea.
And everyone that is redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Everyone that is saved.
Is a part of that body, a member in particular? Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Now notice verse 31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a Greek mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.
One flesh.
Obolog we could not be brought.
Into any closer union.
A part of his body.
Members of his body.
In very truth.
Now, dear ones, having been brought into such a relationship, what effect should that have in our walk, in our ways?
Oh dear ones. And I speak for my my own soul. If we only realize that relationship into which we've been brought.
And we only realize that at any moment we might be with Him in glory.
What a difference it would make in all that we do and say.
Think of Christ there in the glory.
Waiting. No. With what eagerness? He must be waiting for that moment when he can come and claim his bride and take her home.
He is longing for that moment when he can come and call us to Himself. But it's sovereign grace that is holy, and by all that the Father hath given me shall come to me.
There are a few given by the Father to Christ and they haven't come yet. He is waiting in long-suffering, patience and grace for those few to come to Him.
And then we will hear that call to meet him in the air.
Oh dear ones, that we might indeed realize that that could take place at any moment. We might be ready when He comes. Well, we could just turn to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 36. Out of heaven, He made thee to hear his voice.
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That he might instruct thee, and upon earth he showed thee his great fire.
And thou heard his words out of the midst of the fire, and because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seat after them, and brought the oath in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt.
He loved thy fathers. His love was before.
We came on the scene and now if we go back, we might just turn to Proverbs 8 for a moment.
Proverbs 8 and verse 30 for this is surely Speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.
There we have God the Son.
And God the Father.
God the Son, rejoicing always before the Father.
Daily his delight. Verse 31 rejoicing.
In the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men there in the past eternity.
Christ was looking onward to that time when He would have a bride from amongst the children of men.
Oh dear ones, I ask you, why was it?
That God spoke to you and spoke to me.
Why is it He has brought us to know Him as our Savior?
Why is it that we know and rejoice in that wondrous hope?
Sure uncertain hope that soon we'll be with Christ in glory. Dear ones, it was His sovereign grace that chose us in Christ. Before the world began, there was nothing in us. He simply chose to make us His own.
And so here I believe this love that we have brought before us, because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. I believe it would take us back.
To that past eternity.
When God set His love upon us, we might turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 7.
Verse 7.
The Lord did not set His love upon you.
Nor choose you because you were more in number than any people.
For ye were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loves you.
And because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the House of bondsman from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Oh, here we have that love displayed in Redemption.
Because the Lord loved you.
At the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the House of bondsman from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Well, there are two aspects of the cross of Christ we would like to consider.
Both of them shone forth. There's the Children of Israel were brought out of Egypt.
One was in the Passover.
And God said, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. His word had gone forth that he was going to slay all the first born in the land of Egypt.
Again for you that are younger, just notice it doesn't say he was going to slay all the first born of the Egyptians.
He was going to slay all the first born in the land of Egypt. And the children of Israel were in Egypt just as much as the Egyptians. They came under that sentence of judgment.
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And if there is one here?
That does not yet know.
The Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, even though you might have parents that know the Lord Jesus, if you have not accepted him as your Savior, if you have not believed in him.
You're still lost and you come under the sentence of judgment that has already been pronounced on this world.
Solemn thought.
But there in Egypt, they were instructed to take a lamb.
And that blood of that slain lamb was to be put on the doors and the doorpost, on the lentil of the houses wherein they were.
It was that blood of the slain lamb that sheltered them from the just righteous judgment of God about the fall in Egypt. They were sheltered from the righteous judgment of God by the blood of that lamb.
And so the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
Is that which has a tone his precious blood?
That which cleanseth us from all sin. But then again.
We find they were delivered from all the power of Pharaoh, and so we find who at the cross of Christ.
That, through death, he delivered.
Those.
Sorry, we'll turn to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 2.
Verse 14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same that through death He might destroy or annul him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to *******.
Yes, they're the Cross of Calvary. We have been forever delivered.
From Satan's power.
Wherever delivered from Satan's power, there at the cross of Calvary.
And all the beautiful illustration. First Samuel 17.
We find David smites Goliath with the sling of the stone, but then there's no sword in the hand of David. So David stands upon the Palestine and draws out Goliath's sword, and with Goliath's own sword he smites off Goliath's head.
All then we read the children of Israel pursued the Philistines, but all they did was take the spoil. David had won the victory, and David took the head of the Philistine in his hand and brought it to Jerusalem.
A picture, I believe, of Christ gone up on high with the proof of victory in his hand, but he put his armor in his tent. Oh dear ones, we still have a foe down here.
A defeated foe, but nevertheless, just as the Philistines were still the foes of God's people, so Satan is still our enemy.
And so the armor is left here in the tent, that which would speak of our pilgrimage in this sea, left here for us.
And all dear ones, we need to take that armor. But such is the wondrous love of God to us in redemption.
Meeting us in every respect.
Having.
Satisfied all the claims of a holy and a righteous God against sin. Delivered us from the power of the enemy. Set us free, free to belong to Him. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price.
Let us turn, then to Deuteronomy 23.
Deuteronomy 23 and verse 5.
Nevertheless.
The Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balam, but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
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The Lord thy God loved thee. Oh, now the children of Israel knew nothing.
Of Balak seeking to hire Balaam to curse them.
This was something that went on behind the scenes and they were not aware of, but God was aware of it and we find that God would not allow Balaam to curse his people.
Know how many times?
During our soldier down here, during our lifetime.
As God delivered us, no doubt from Satan's power, and we may know nothing of it.
Other times we do know how he has come in, in marvelous ways.
And delivered his own from the power of Satan.
One thinks of an instance with dear brother Eric Smith. I'm sure you've all read of it or heard of it, how the Indians had been persuaded to attack him.
In his little cabin that he had.
And they heard them coming inflamed with drink.
And they got down on their knees and started to pray. They knew their only resource was in God. And the Indians kept coming until suddenly they turned and fled. And they knew of no reason why they should flee, but they did.
And then later on when the matter was investigated by the authorities.
They asked the Indians, why did you flee, he said. The light, the light.
And so the authorities asked Brother Smith what light was that? And I believe his reply was the Angel of the Lord in campus round about them the theory, yes, they had caused those men.
To see a light, although Brother Smith knew nothing about it, and they turned and fled. Well, dear ones.
That is only one instance of the delivering power of God as we go onward day by day. Turn to Hebrews Chapter 7.
Verse 25.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost.
That come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth.
To make intercession for them.
Now this has been used in the Gospel.
No objections for being so used, but its primary meaning.
Is to you and I that know the Lord as our Savior, we who belong to Him.
There is no circumstance in our lives that He cannot lift us out of. He is able.
If we bring these things on ourselves, he may see fit.
To chastise us, but nevertheless He is able to pick us out of any circumstance in our lives. You think of Abraham, he went down into Egypt of his own will and he got into trouble there.
Sarai was taken from him and there is no way that Abraham could deliver himself from Egypt, but God came in and rebuked Pharaoh and caused that Abraham be sent out of the country.
Yes, God was able to pluck him out of those circumstances into which he had gone by his own will.
On their ones such a God is ours. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. We think of Peter, he said, The Lord said to Peter, Simon, Simon, Satan that desired to have thee, that he might sift thee his wheat, but I have prayed for thee.
All we find that intercession before Peter had ever fallen.
Well, such a one is our goal, Interceding for us, the Lord Jesus Christ there at the right hand of the majesty on high, interceding force such as the one that is watching over us, keeping us and guarding us as we go through this life.
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Then we may turn to Deuteronomy 33.
Verse 2.
And he said the Lord came from Sinai.
And rose up from seer unto them.
He shine forth from Mount Peron.
And he came with 10 thousands of Saints. From his right hand went a fiery law for them.
Yeah, he loved the people.
All his Saints are in thy hand, and they sat down at thy feet. Everyone shall receive of thy words.
Oh, how lovely this is.
Yeah, he loved the people.
He loved the people. All his Saints are in thy hand.
Oh is not a blessed place to be in His hand.
We read in Revelation.
Chapter 2.
And verse one.
Under the Angel of the Church of Ephesus rite these things, saith he.
That holdeth the seven stars in his right hand.
Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks?
Beloved, we are safe in that right hand of power.
That hand will never lose its power, and we are safe in that hand.
No man can pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave to me, is greater than all.
And no man can pluck them out of my Father's hand. Dear ones, that is good for time, and it's good for eternity. We are safe in His hand.
They sat down at thy feet. Oh, what a blessed place it is to be at his feet.
Mary sat at his feet and heard his word.
And the Lord commended her for it. Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
We might be found habitually at his feet, hearing his word.
They sat down at thy feet. Everyone shall receive of thy words.
Now I've enjoyed in Exodus chapter 19.
Now the Lord brought them out from Egypt.
That he might bring them into the land of Canaan, that place of blessing.
But in Exodus 19 verse four, ye have seen what I did under the Egyptians.
And how I bear you on eagle's wings and brought you.
Unto myself, Oh dear ones, yes, He has blessed us, blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. In Christ. The dear ones, He has brought us to Himself.
Is brought us to himself.
Christ also loved the Church and gave himself.
For it, and we have been brought to himself.
Brought to where he is in the midst. Oh, I ask you why, Sovereign Grace?
Its sovereign grace that has brought us to know Him as Savior and to discern where He is in the midst. It is His Spirit that has gathered us around the person of Christ. He has brought us to Himself.
And all that is where God has ever desired that His people be. He came down to talk with Adam in the cool of the day.
He said to Moses, let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. He wanted to dwell in the midst of his people, and in Revelation 21.
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Verse three And I heard a great voice out of heaven say, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.
They shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. He will dwell with them.
No, some of us this afternoon we're looking at a verse in Zephaniah, Zephaniah 3 and verse 17.
The precious verse.
The Lord thy God in the midst of the is mighty.
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy.
He will rest in his love to notice the marginal reading. He will be silent in love.
Oh, can you not see two people?
Man, his wife or two young people sitting together.
No words passing between them, none are needed. They are satisfied in each other's company, satisfied to be with each other. And I believe this is what we have before us here. God is satisfied in having His own around himself. He will joy over thee with singing.
That God is longing, His desire is right from the beginning.
To be able to dwell with his people, to have them around himself.
And now we have been brought to where Christ is in the midst.
Surely this is a love which will go on throughout those endless ages of eternity. We have His love from a past eternity, His love and redemption, and His love as we go on day by day down here. And that love that we will know throughout those endless ages eternal.
There with the Hebrew servant in Exodus 21.
We find him saying I love my master, God must have the 1St place, my wife.
There I believe we have the Church, my children, those others that will be brought in, I will not go out free. Oh, Christ could have gone back to that glory at any time.
He was sinless, undefiled.
But accept the corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die to bite us alone.
But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He would not go out free, He would not go back to that glory alone. He would go to that cross of Calvary and there.
Accomplishing that work of redemption so that He could have us in that scene of glory with Him.
Turn for a moment to 1St Corinthians 15.
Verse 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall put down all rules, and all authority and power, For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, for he has put all things under his feet.
But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, that put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
God put.
The dominion of this world in the hands of Adam the 1St man, and Adam failed. Sin came in.
Now God has committed everything to the second man, to Christ, the last Adam.
And when Christ has brought everything back into subjection so that God can again pronounce it good.
Then he hands all back to the Father.
Fully glorified God about the question of sin in every respect.
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Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, and for all things under him, that God may be All in all.
All He would not go out free. He should serve him forever. And so Christ remains a man in the glory forever.
That he might have us with himself, and that we might be with him.
He remained the mind and the glory forever. All the love such.
Gives us little glimpses of that wondrous love he has in his heart toward you and I.
Well now then, maybe we could turn to 1St Thessalonians. First Thessalonians, chapter one.
And verse 9.
We think of that wondrous love that's been shown toward us, and this is the one who has such love in his hearts to us. It is coming to take us to be with himself.
For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you.
And how ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus.
Our deliverer from the coming wrath. It could read as I read it there.
They turned to God from idols. They had found something infinitely better than their idols.
Oh dear ones, maybe the world wonders why we do not go with it. The reason is very simple. We have found something infinitely better.
We have someone, not something, but someone so far superior.
That the world is simply eclipsed.
They turned to God from idols.
To serve the living and true God.
That was one purpose.
And to wait for his Son from heaven. From the moment they were saved, they were waiting for the Lord to come. They were waiting for the Lord to come. These dear believers in Thessalonica.
Disturbed because some had died before the Lord came for them. That is how much they were looking for Him for his immediate return.
Now, nearly 2000 years later.
A lot we are still looking, and he that shall come will come and will not carry.
Or that we may not give up looking for him. It's not when they gave up.
The thought that he was coming at all. It's when they said my Lord delayeth his coming that evil began to creep in. Declension the Lord let us hold fast through that precious truth that at any moment we may see our Lord and Savior face to face.
Now going on to the second chapter and verse 19.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at His coming, For ye are our glory and joy.
Again, the apostle was looking forward with joy.
To seeing those dear Thessalonians.
In glory the results of his laborers in Thessalonica. You have the same thought in Philippians chapter 2.
And verse 16.
Holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ.
At that moment when we'll be with Christ in glory, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain.
Neither labored in they. Yes, again, He would rejoice in seeing those dear ones from Philippi there in glory, the fruit of his labor, and Philippi for dear ones. This touches our service then. And so not only is the Lords coming connected with our salvation, that ever present hope should be of every believer.
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But also with our service while we wait for him down here.
We read in Luke how he delivered to his servants.
10 lbs and he said occupy till I come.
Occupy till I come. We're to be occupied in His things until he comes.
And So what are we doing day by day? Are we living for the Lord? Are we living for self? What is the motive?
With which we are doing what we are doing.
You can wash the dishes.
You can weed the garden. You can do your daily work.
As unto Christ.
Carrying out His injunction that we provide things honest in the sight of all men and doing it for Him, that it might bring glory to Him, or we can do it for self to get ahead in this world, to gain something for ourselves and the love. There's a big difference. Notice Hebrews. Hebrews 4 and verse 12.
For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul that I believe refers to the old nature and spirit that's the new nature and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Lord discerns whether the thoughts of our hearts.
Are the fruit of the old nature or the fruit of the new nature? He discerns the intent.
With why we do something, do we do it for So do we do it for Christ? Oh dear ones, that all that we do day by day might be with the sense of doing it for His glory, for His approbation.
And 1St Thessalonians chapter 3.
And verse 12.
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do toward you. To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father.
At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
Now this refers to his appearing that time, I believe, when rewards would be given.
And I believe it refers to our conduct down here.
The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do toward you. To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father.
Well, Peter would tell you, Be ye holy, for I am holy.
We went back.
To Numbers Chapter 5.
Is command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone that is a leper, everyone that has an issue, everyone defiled by the dead?
Our dear ones, there must be that separation from evil.
Or goes on to say that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell. It's because the Lord is in the midst.
Because He has brought us to where He is in the midst, there must be that separation from evil, separation from evil in our walk, in our ways.
Separation from all that is contrary to the Word of God.
Association.
Often not realized, but association or contact with evil is defiling.
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Not only when we send ourselves are we defiled, but we are defiled when we come into contact or association with people. If you go to the 19th of numbers.
It's been most striking to me.
Eliezer the priest.
And one that burnt the heifer, one that gathered up the ashes, one that sprinkled the water of separation. Every one of them were clean to start with. Every one of them were doing exactly what God told them to do.
And every one of them became defiled, became unclean.
Dear ones, it's a solemn fact a contact or association with evil is defiling.
We need the washing of water by the word and how careful we need to be.
Of our conduct as we go through this scene, remember we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We belong to him, ye are not your own. You're bought with the price and consider the price he paid for us. We have cost him everything.
And dear ones, how we should shrink from doing anything that would bring this honor.
On him.
Well, we go on.
To chapter 5 and verse 23.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.
And I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, we belong to Him, spirit, soul and body.
Or we may indeed be kept of him.
Turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 6, verse 15.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?
Verse 19.
What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and ye are not your own, For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
Yes, dear one's.
He has given everything for us. I think of that parable of the merchant man seeking goodly pearls.
Where he had found one Pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought.
He sold all that he had, he gave himself for us.
Dear ones, we have cost Christ everything. He has purchased us with His own blood. We belong to Him.
For the little while, we are left here in this scene.
May we seek to walk pleasing unto him.
Ever bearing in mind, at any moment we may see that Blessed One.
Face to face.
He said Surely I come quickly, quoting the words of another. That is the last promise of scripture. Surely I come quickly.
Amen.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
May that be the prayer of our hearts and we find it's the last prayer in Scripture.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. The last provision and all that grace is what will see us safe. Hope to the guard, to Him be all the praise and all the glory that one who has loved us with an everlasting God. Therefore, with loving kindness have I grown.
That One who has given everything for us, all our hearts might indeed be drawn out in some small measure for the great love wherewith He loved us, we love him.
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Or we love because he first loved us.