Open—John Kemp
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I won't speak very long. Zachariah Chapter 2.
I lifted up mine eyes again and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hands.
Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And behold, the Angel that talked with me went forth, and another Angel went out to meet him.
And he said unto him, Run, speak.
To this young man.
Saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls.
For the multitude of men and cattle therein. For I saith the Lord will be.
Unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her well.
I sometimes think we pull out the measuring line.
And we use it when we should not.
This man here is portrayed with a measuring line in his hand.
There was failure.
Serious failure in Jerusalem.
That's the reason why the book was written.
Hagee Ayah was a prophet of the Lord.
You know well his prophecy.
Consider your ways. They were building their sealed houses. They were occupied with their own interests. The House of the Lord was neglected for six or ten years, I forget the exact time. They were occupied with their own things, and Hagee Isle was raised up to speak to their conscience.
To stir them up.
To take an interest in the Lord's things and the Lord's glory. You know, Zechariah is a little bit different. He looks on to the glory. But Jerusalem was in a sad condition. The walls were broken down. That's why Nehemiah came from the Persian court. Things were in a weak state.
They might be discouraged. Perhaps you're pulling out the measuring line in your assembly.
And you're saying, well, I can look back.
So all of us here can look back some years and remember how things were different. Much larger, more spiritual power, more edification. We take out the measuring line and we say there's not much going on here down the street. They're so active in the gospel and there's.
Souls being saved? Good.
Let's pray for that.
But that doesn't mean that we should become discouraged and say let's join this other company. This is happening. The assemblies are becoming smaller in many places because they're taking out this measuring line and they're saying what is going on here, this little company?
It seems to be.
Dead. To speak plainly, there's not much interest in the gospel. There's not much interest in reaching out to the lost. That's not exactly true. There's a lot of gospel work being done behind the scenes. Many sisters work hours and hours in preparing text, bookmarks and so on. That's all part of the work of the gospel, but the point.
I'm trying to make is let's not compare the little assembly where you are, as our brother mentioned, gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on scriptural ground. You know, there's a sister once said to me, and I was a little surprised she had a family. She was saved. She says there's two things precious in my life one.
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That I was saved. I thought the next thing she would say I have a wonderful husband than she did. She said the the truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
She didn't have a lot of knowledge, uh, to explain it, but it was precious to her. Remember that Josh, uh, that Moses took the Tabernacle after sin had come in really apostasy with the golden calf. He took the Tabernacle and he pitched it.
Away, outside, far from the camp and those that sought the Lord.
They went out to the Tabernacle outside the camp. Was there a large company there? I don't think so. It doesn't seem to be. If you read Exodus 33, I think there was a small number. Joshua was was Joshua was there.
But you know, Moses went back into the camp.
And, uh, you might say, was that right for Moses to do? Of course he was the leader of the people.
But he did go back into the camp.
Uh, and he in that way identified with it. So remember that there is work going on in the camp. That's the religious systems around us that are not gathered to the Lord's name. There is work going on and they could stand up and worship the Lord in the camp.
But the Lord's mind was for them to separate from the camp.
And to go out to the Tabernacle where, uh, the Lord's name was placed, where the Lord's glory was upheld because sin had come into the camp Christendom, as we had in Jude, it's permeated with wrong doctrine and uh, sometimes very serious doctrine as to the person and work of Christ.
If you leave the assembly and identify yourself.
With a denomination.
You're sure to be identified with some error. It may not be fundamental, but it will be something contrary to the word of God.
You know, in India, where I have been often the worst disgrace, that's a disgrace. A daughter, a widow. Never in India would that be allowed.
And So what happens? Or a son? They marry their children as long as they get married. This has been a burden to me. That's the. That's the important thing. Yeah, I marry a believer that wouldn't. But some of them even.
Sync to mar uh, giving their children to Hindus, uh, which is terrible disobedience to the word of God, but no, some of them will marry their children to those in systems.
All right, believers. But still, as I say to them, they're departing from the Lord's Table and they're sure to encounter error. I'm finished in a moment here in this chapter. Zachariah says don't look at things as they are. You say the assembly is so small and there there's not much.
Spiritual power here.
Remember that it's the Lord's Table and to be gathered on scriptural ground as our brother mentioned, as members of the body of Christ, members of the body of Christ, and to give expression to that is precious to the Lord. You'll never be sorry for remaining where the Lord has placed His name. There will be a reward for that.
You sisters who come here faithfully, week after week.
While not at the conference, I mean in the assembly, you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. So the Zechariah is told to look on to that day of glory when, uh, Jerusalem will be surrounded with people. And we know that that will happen.
Jerusalem will be the center of government and glory for the whole earth.
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Zachariah says don't pull out the measuring line and look at things as they are. You'll get discouraged. All of us are subject to discouragement.
When we look at things from man's standpoint.
But Zachariah says look on to that day when the glory will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea, and Jerusalem will be at the center well to apply it.
To the Church, now Christendom.
He's in a sad state.
Apostasy is is beginning. The signs of apostasy are there. The apostasy will be after we are taken, of course, but uh, there is a grave departure where in the days of Laodicea, but.
Remember that the day is coming when the Lord will have His rightful place, and He will not forget those.
Who through much weakness and failure, brethren, because we are part of the ruin, we're part of the ruin, We've contributed to it. Let's not lift our heads up. We can't do that. We have to bow our heads where we have to be in the dust. But let us not compromise the truth of God, which is being done.
Around us and seek a wide path work of the gospel.
May the Lord energize us afresh to take the gospel of His grace out. You don't need to leave the Lord's table to do that. There's doors open everywhere. I was in Brazil for a month with my beloved wife Eleanor this past summer.
In the gigantic city of Sao Paulo.
Which is 20 million counting no end nor side. We had a wonderful time distributing the word.
In that city of Sao Paulo where you can give out 5000 tracks today and not meet the same person tomorrow. Well, the point is there are opportunities for the gospel everywhere. The doors are still open. The Lord is long-suffering. He hasn't closed the door of grace yet.
Why hasn't he come? We long to see him. We'd be joyful to have him come today.
But why is he delaying? He wants to have his bride with him because there are souls to be saved, yet there are still some to be brought into the fold. And uh, he can use us. Not angels. They don't have the privilege to be a channel of blessing. But let us have. You can't have one foot in the assembly and the other foot in the world. That doesn't work.
Let us be faithful to the truth and look to the Lord for grace to go on the little while that may remain to us. Thank you.
We sync together 166.
Lord, Thou has drawn us after Thee. Thou let us run and never tire. Thy presence shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desire, our present Savior, while more fear nor sin can come if thou art near 166.
Lord, thou hast gone.
Yeah, very high. Bloody president.
On Thursday, I don't know, I saw me in my life.
Nor did I.
I'm a person today, so I love you. No one. Did you make anything? No, you ain't. No, no, no. I've never together.
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I want to hear our dress through together.
Our strengths are still in the heart. Thank you.
I love you more than I.
AM.
I won't be over thus far from.
Oh my. Pretty sure thyroid. Thyroid.
Breathe like mirror and I've got to hear what I want for you to be drinking my true love.
And I don't remember.
Getting out of the Spirit.
Uh.
-Huh.