Open—Neil Whatmough
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.
Let everybody follow.
There is love and all, I believe.
I'd like to reread two of the.
Parts of the hymn that we sang in the desert. God will teach thee what the God that thou hast found. Patient, gracious, powerful, holy. All his grace shall there abound. When to Canaan's long loved dwelling Love divine. Thy foot shall bring therewith shouts of triumph, swelling Zion's songs, and rest to sing.
I'd like to look at two passages of Scripture, one of which was read to us at the beginning of the prayer meeting yesterday, the 84th Psalm.
A really most lovely Psalm. And then to read in the book of Numbers the story behind this Psalm.
As you're turning to it, I'd just like to mention something which I think is known to all of us, perhaps not to some of the younger ones, that the order of the Psalms and the numbering of the Psalms, I believe is inspired because the they're quoted in the New Testament, and also the headings of the Psalms, because reference is made to those as well. And so this 84th Psalm says to the chief musician upon Gitteth, a Psalm for the sons of Korah.
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts?
My soul longest ye even faintest for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Yeah, the Sparrow has found in house and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, even thine altars. Oh, Lord of hosts, my King and my God, blessed are they that dwell in thy house, and they will still be praising these. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is indeed whose hearts are in the ways of them who, passing through the valley of Baka, make it a well. The rain also filleth the pools.
They go from strength to strength, everyone of them, and Zion is the purest before God.
Oh Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed, for a day in Thy courts is better than 1000. I'd rather been a doorkeeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is the Son and a shield, and the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing, while he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts blessed, it is the man that trusteth in Thee.
Well, this is the most lovely Psalm and the confidence expressed in the Lord, but there are two tenths mentioned in this Psalm.
And, umm, it's quite remarkable, I believe, because this was for them to sing.
I believe these sons of Korah in the temple, which was not a tent at all, but was the permanent resting place of the ark.
But it casts back the mind to the.
Circumstance that happened in the desert.
And to 2/10 that were there and we'll come to that, but I'd just like to look at this.
What they sang. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts?
These sons of Kory, they valued the dwelling place of God.
And they valued the place where the Lord was attempts to just something to us is that do we go camping? And I say this to the younger ones. And we don't live in a tent permanently. And we're reminded that we're just pilgrims here on this earth and that this world is a wilderness wide to us. But there was a place where they could meet with the Lord and to enjoy the Lord's presence. And this is what his heart was after. And we had in the last meeting about having an object before our hearts. And I really believe that if when it comes around time to go to meeting and our heart is set on an object, the Lord and that's what will draw us there to meeting, not out of a sense of religious obligation or duty.
00:10:35
Or even routine, but a real desire to be where the Lord is. And I don't say that we don't sometimes feel and some aren't hindered by.
Real hindrances such as things like headaches and things that our brother mentioned, but where the heart is, their desires to be where the Lord is.
And that's what stirred these ones to be in the courts of the Lord. It cried out his flesh cried out to be cried out for the living God. There was an object there. And if we have an object for our hearts, our lives are morally formed by the object that our hearts are set on. We often wonder why people follow such vain and frivolous things. Well, that's the object that their heart has been set on. But if the heart is set on Christ.
That cries out for the living God. That's a pure heart. You wonder what a pure heart is. It's not a question of intelligence, but it's a desire with purity to be where the Lord is.
And this is what this one went wanted. You know, men may set the object on winning the gold medal and something they'll sacrifice absolutely everything for that.
And we know you don't have to tell them, well, you've got to stay away from practice because you've got.
Other things to do or?
They're eagerly thrust themselves into it because there's an object for the heart. And here these sons of Korah.
Their hearts cried out for the living God, for an object, and they got put their hearts desired.
And so they speak on and I just want to Passover this that.
He said that course first they they sing. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they shall still be praising thee.
And blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, whose hearts heart.
Are the ways of them is that God knows the heart and they had a heart that was fixed on the dwelling place of God and then in the sixth verse it mentions I'm just passing over this briefly because I want to turn to the book of Numbers.
Who passing through the valley of back or tears make it a well And you know, often when we get into discouraged state or we're going through a time of tears that we may get turned away from the pathway of the truth, perhaps its affection for somebody else.
And it may cause us to turn our footsteps aside and to.
Some difficulty and we give up and we say, what's the use? But these sons of Korah, they could sing that in passing through the valley of Tears they make it a well. And not only that, but that the rain, the rain from heaven was going to fill it with pools. And so there was going to be refreshment for the soul from heaven and so.
This trial that they were passing through was a source of blessing.
To them.
And they go from strength to strength in Zion appeareth before God. Zion speaks to us of grace.
It's not as we were saying, a man and man's strength, but it was of grace. It was the sovereign goodness of God as we're going to see that preserve these sons of Korah. God acting for man and it was just a produced this worship that I believe that we were Speaking of this morning. Oh Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob. I love that expression. The God of Jacob. Jacob was a usurper.
He was a tricker. He desired the blessing of God. Esau despised the blessing of God.
And he despised the blesser.
Esau sold his birthright, the birthright rather, for a bowl of lentils.
But Jacob desired the blessing, but he thought he was going to get it by his own energy and his own means. And the time of Jacob's trouble isn't over yet. But he is the God of Jacob.
And so the Scripture tells us in sovereign grace, Jacob hath I loved.
But he is the God of Jacob, and so as you trace Jacob's life, you see all the struggling.
And Jacob's life. But at the end of his life, he's a man, though physically blind.
That his spiritual vision is clear and he's leaning on his staff and he's worshiping.
00:15:00
We have that most blessed scene. Here was a man who struggled and wrestled for everything that he got and tricked to get what he got. And at the end of his life, unlike his father, though blind, he could cross his arms and in spiritual intelligence give the blessing of the first born to the second one. I know it, my son. He knew what he was doing and what a way to end the pathway. And so you may feel and I may feel, we've been through severe difficulties and testings and trials. But his scripture says here who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well, and the rain also filleth it with pools.
And I was struck me in this chapter that we had before us yesterday, that here was Paul caught up to the 3rd heaven.
And things were revealed to him.
There, and we may enjoy the highest truth given to man.
But when it's going to be made real to our souls is in the difficulties that we face in life. It was the thorn in the flesh.
And it was Paul confronting in grace the situation at Corinth where they were arguing and despite it disputing and debates, that Paul met that in grace and that this, what he saw in glory, so to speak, became real in his life here on earth. And so God is going to, through the difficulties, make real by experience what we know objectively, what we've learned in the word. And we can say, yes, I see the truth of the assembly and the Scripture and so on, but it's in the difficulties that the Lord, if we really look to the Lord and it's in the valley of tears, that the Lord is going to make these things real to our soul.
And we're going to really appreciate them deeply in an abiding way. And so he says, the Lord, behold our God, our shield, look upon the face of thine, anointed for a day in thy courts is better than 1000. I'd rather been a doorkeeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Now this takes us back to the book of Numbers. You know, it's a wonderful thing to be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord. I always used to remember that when I would go to Toledo and I would see brother rule there.
Always the first one there sweeping off the step and waiting at the door and to do those small things and to him that was we talked about what takes us to meeting. But I believe that was important to him. Perhaps more important to him than what he I know more important to him than what he did during the day. And I this was the desire of these and God will give us the desire of our heart. Delight yourself also in the Lord. He's going to give us the desires of our heart if our hearts delighted in the Lord.
And so here was.
This.
Situation that he mentions here, the tents of wickedness.
He said, for the Lord is a son and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, if there's uprightness of heart to walk before the Lord with integrity, to leave matters with the Lord, it's a hard thing to do.
It's impossible for the flesh, and Jacob had to learn that was just to leave matters with the Lord, but just to walk in faithfulness.
And uprightness before the Lord. And not to be like Jacob trying to arrange, and to finagle, and to twist and to.
Make the crooked straight, but just to walk in integrity and uprightly before the Lord, in obedience to the Lord.
And God's not going to withhold any good thing from such a one. You know, it's as if God would ask us to do something and then not give us the power to do it. Let's just turn back here to the book of Numbers and look at the origin of these sons of Korah, because the story is the most sad one in many respects is to both what happened there.
Numbers chapter 16 and verse one.
Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan, and Abiram the son of Eliab, and owned the sons of Pelas, and the sons of Reuben, took man, and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel. 250 Princess of the assembly, famous in the congregation, man of renowned. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you.
Seeing all the congregation are holy.
Everyone of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord.
And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and he spake unto Korah.
And unto all his companies, saying, Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his.
00:20:01
And who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him, even him who he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. This do take you sensors, Cora, and all his company, and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow. And it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy. Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
And Moses said unto Korah, Here I pray you, ye sons of Levi, seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the Lord God of Israel, that hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, bring you near to himself, to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation, to minister unto them. And he hath brought thee near unto him, and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi with thee, and ye seek the priesthood also.
For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord.
What is Aaron that ye murmur against him?
Just maybe we should.
Slip down and.
Verse 26.
Verse 25.
Sorry, verse 23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from the Tabernacle, from about the Tabernacle of Korah, Nathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan, and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, I depart you from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs less.
Ye be consumed in their sins. So they got up from the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram on every side.
And Nathan and Abraham came out, and stood in the door of their tents, with and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own mind. And if these men die.
The common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men.
And the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open up her mouth, and swallow them up with all that appertaineth unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, he shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.
This is really quite a story to think that the sons of Korah witnessed this, the ground opening up and swallowing up their father.
And their brethren. And then to go on in that place, and singing this Psalm that we just sung.
Often think of what it would be like to have actually watched the ground open up. I enjoyed something Mr. Lundeen said, and I'd like to be corrected. I don't like to misquote people, but he said that stories in the Old Testament are not written so that we might know the eternal destiny of souls, but they're really here to see the ways of God with man on earth.
And so if we consider this story in this way, that as far as Cora's life on Earth was concerned, it ended him by him being swallowed up by the Earth.
And as believers, I'm not Speaking of our eternal destiny, but that may be the end of our pathway, that we may be swallowed up by the earth.
And that is just to be consumed in the things of this earth and to lose all usefulness to God is to practical service here and the possibility of, as the sons of Cora did, of standing in the Tabernacle of the Lord and singing the praise of God. And so we ought to solemnly consider God's ways with us governmentally while we're here on earth in connection with our attitudes and the way that we conduct ourselves towards the Word of the Lord.
Now, you know, there's a very common saying among people and a common way of expressing themselves is that I just follow the Lord. I don't follow man. And that is right, is that our heart is to be fixed on the word of the Lord.
And.
That, and every man shall be taught of God.
But God uses instruments, and I'm not going to speak about that now, but God uses instruments. And so a person may say.
00:25:00
I had a student once, he was a professing believer and he said I only obey God and he didn't obey anybody in the school. Oregon, anywhere around.
Well, I can't believe that he was obeying God because God puts us into subjection to those that have the rule over us.
And so there was a government of God and I don't wish to speak about that particularly now, but Korat in rejecting Moses. Moses was a meek man and he didn't take this personally when he himself was spoken I'll of he fell on the fell on the earth was face to the earth and he himself was humbled by it. But he wasn't consumed by a sense of personal offense at himself, but the offense that had been done to the Lord. Perhaps you'll permit to me to tell you a little personal story that happened to me this last.
Couple of weeks. Is that at work? And we all know the way the world is becoming a very ungodly place.
And everything that's established of God could be for man's good and blessing is being corrupted but.
My director has given me very clear instructions as to what to do with certain papers.
And I went to ask the secretary for these papers and they had come three weeks ago, but his clear instructions were that I deal with these matters the day they come in.
And he said, I want to know if you don't deal, if you have any trouble dealing with this matter as soon as it comes up. So I went to the woman and I said, why didn't you give me these papers? She said, oh, well, you don't need to do that. You don't need to worry about that. And I said, well, the director has asked me to do that. She said, oh, well, you don't need to be doing that. What do you concern yourself with that for? And I said, well, that's my job. And she said, oh, you get worried about nothing. So I did as the director asked. I went to him and I told him.
What had happened? And he said, well, it's very important to me that that matter be dealt with right away. So he said you take the administrator back and demand that those papers are given to you and that it's made very clear to this woman. She's to give them to you when the day they come in, I came back with the administrator and she said, oh, you great big baby. You just if you don't get your own way, you go running to the bar. And that's the spirit of the world. And it's infected the assembly as well, if there's any subjection to God.
Is that man? Is there's just shameless evil as to rejecting what God has established for the good and order and blessing of man?
And here was Cory. He wasn't railing against Moses, and Moses may have taken it personally and said, well, who am I to say this? But he had been sent with the word of the Lord, and he had been set in a position by the Lord to do something, and he had a responsibility to the Lord to carry that out. And here was one seeking to interfere with what the Lord had given him to do by plain direction of His word. And I believe that that's a very solemn thing, that we should participate in the undermining of what God has established for man's good and man's blessing.
And this is what occurred here in this story. And so they gathered themselves together against Moses in verse three and against Aaron and said, you take too much upon yourselves.
I just want to Passover that now, but let's just look down and I don't want to take too much time with this.
But.
We see the response of Moses heart if we.
Meditate on this is how he fell on his face before the Lord and when he heard these things, but he nevertheless acted in faithfulness to the Lord and you know there's a verse that says the righteous are as bold as a lion and there is a boldness to faith that counts on God and doesn't does not terrified by man and nothing terrified by your adversaries. And Moses acted in faithfulness to man despite the terrors that were inflicted upon him by these ones and there was quite no mean company, so to speak, that had come against Moses some.
250 Princess of the assembly, famous in the congregation, and men of renown, had risen up there against Moses.
Well, I just do want to Passover this story. Perhaps I should have read it first before the Psalm and I want to leave others time to time to speak. But it just struck me in reading this very, very lovely Psalm that these sons of Korah were descendants of this very man. And our brother spoke of repentance last night. Taking sides with God against yourself. And sometimes that involves even.
Family connections and so on is just being faithful to the Lord first of all.
Just going on faithfully for the Lord in spite of what there may be family connections and difficulties and it may be a valley, a real valley of tears to do that. It's just to.
00:30:02
Go on faithfully to the Lord and to acknowledge to walk uprightly before the Lord. And I just thought that in reading this Psalm is that the Lord did preserve the feet of the righteousness that there is a pathway for faith that God will preserve for those that walk uprightly before him. And what a blessed thing. What a beautiful Psalm to consider to see that God had marked the pathway. But if we do as we said here, I should perhaps just read it a little bit farther down in the chapter. You know, these ones were swallowed up.
But there's an even more solemn thing.
In verse 41 of Numbers chapter 16.
Let's just read these verses that but on the Morrow all the congregation of Israel, the children of Israel, murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of the Lord. And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tabernacle of the congregation and beheld the cloud that overshadowed it. That cloud that covered it in the glory of the Lord appeared, and Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
And they fell on their faces.
Let's just slip down to the 49th 1St.
And they died in that plague 14,700 beside them that died in the matter of Korah, that far more died in the matter afterwards than that died in the matter, have killed the people of the Lord.
Was it Moses that killed him? Or was it the Lord that dealt with the situation and we need to stop to see?
Seeing the hands of man, and we need to see the hand of the Lord, and what the Lord allows in our life. It struck me in reading the word of God that some of the most wonderful prophecies were uttered by men we will not see in heaven. Consider the words of Balaam, the words of Caiaphas.
Consider the words of Shimmy eye to David that Shimei revealed to David something that nobody else revealed to him.
That these men were all perhaps used as instruments in the Lord's hand, but we're not going to see them in glory. We need to see the hand of God in things, not to just see the hands of man. And when we get taken up with wrestling with men and trying to arrange things with men and so on, we get into difficulty. But if our object is really pure object is really to see the Lord in the circumstances of what the Lord allows, then we won't be screaming to Moses, you know, you've killed the people of the Lord, but we'll really see the hand of God in a situation.
And it'll really give us to walk uprightly in the situations. There are many very difficult situations. I just told you that little personal story. But I suppose if we wanted to start to tell stories like that, we could be here a long time to see the absolute open, uncovered evil, that raw evil that there is in the world and just unsettling all that God's established for man is good in man's blessing. But it's the most lovely thing to consider. These sons of Koran that they just submitted to. What God had done no doubt was very difficult, but there was preserved for them.
Most blessed position and a most blessed song to sing and to be recorded forever in the Word of God.
Please turn with me to.
Two Peter, one.
Two Peter, one.
And verse 3.
According as his divine power.
Hath given unto us.
All things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
That's an immense statement of truth.
His divine power hath given unto us.
All things.
That pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.
That have called us the glory and virtue, the knowledge of Christ.
All things.
His divine powers given us all things.
00:35:00
We don't lack for our pathway anything that is needed.
For life and godliness, God has seen to it.
And one other scripture in Second Timothy chapter 3.
The Second Timothy, chapter 3.
Verse 14.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of.
Knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And that from a child thou has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And is profitable for doctrine for reproof.
For correction. For instruction in righteousness.
That the man of God may be perfect.
Thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Fully equipped.
We have in this book and by his divine power.
All that we need for our pathway.
His word is profitable for doctrine, for teaching, and we've had a good deal of it in these days.
For reproof, and we've had some of that too, which is needed.
And for correction. And we've had a bit of that too. And we've had instruction in righteousness.
And having this book and we don't need any other, we don't need the wisdom of man.
Because this book will enable us to be perfect thoroughly furnished for.
Every good work.
What does God say about the wisdom of this world?
Let's just read that in First Corinthians chapter one.
Christ is our wisdom.
He is our righteousness. He is our sanctification and our redemption.
Is all we need First Corinthians 1.
He says in verse 18 the preaching of the cross is to them that perish.
Foolishness.
But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom?
Of this world.
For after that, in the wisdom of God, in God's wisdom.
He determined that the world by wisdom by its own wisdom.
Hath not known God. Man will never find out the knowledge of the true God by his own learning.
By his own wisdom all the accumulated knowledge of the sages of the ages.
The wise men of this world has never come to a true knowledge of God.
And God is determined in his wisdom that it will be self that man will never.
Find him out by his own intellect and mental powers.
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Why then, do so many Christians go to?
Human sources of wisdom.
To get help for their problems.
When we are told that He's given us by divine power all things that pertain to life and godliness.
We're told that all Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully furnished for every good work that we have all the answers in this book. The problem with us, with me, with each of us is that we don't follow the the road map that has been given to us.
00:40:03
We will say sometimes when the word of God is brought to bear upon a situation in our lives.
Yes, but don't you think? And we bring in the thoughts of men, we consult with others when we don't get the answer that we want and when it's been shown to us from the scriptures.
Of all the things that Brother Chapter Brown taught, there's one that I remember very vividly and he said.
We're never wiser than Scripture.
Never wiser than Scripture.
The problem is we don't put it into practice. The problem is we.
We don't know enough of this book.
To pull out the answers that we need.
I've noticed that that very passage in Corinthians that we were looking at in the previous chapter and all the problems that were underlying the difficulties at Corinth, same thing. It's same thing that we've been going through, same thing. All the answers, if we would but read it right, are found in the Word of God.
But the diligent soul shall be made fat. It's the one that is earnest in the scriptures.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
One brother after speaking, someone came to him and said I would give the world to know the scriptures as you do, and he said that's what it cost me.
The world. You can't have both.
You cannot serve God in Mammon.
The third chapter of One Corinthians.
Verse 19 Let this verse sink down into our hearts.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness.
With God.
For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and again the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise.
That they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours. And so on.
These Corinthians, they were prosperous in this world. They were gifted. They came short and no gift, it says in the first chapter.
And yet they were a carnal bunch, and he couldn't speak to them as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
They were saying I am of Paul and I have of Paulus and I have Cephas and I have Christ. The last is the worst of all because it makes Christ the head of a party and he's not the head of a party, he's the head of the church.
All being subject to him.
But they were carnal. Then he asked the question which to ask implies an immediate answer. Is Christ divided?
The answer is no. Now, just before I sit down, I want to read a few more verses in Colossians chapter 2 please.
Verse one for I would that she knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. And in the 4th chapter he says to them that they should see that this epistle addressed to the Colossians would be read to those in Laodicea. In Hierapolis there are three assemblies, all in a cluster if you look at the map.
And he says in verse 16 of chapter 4, when this epistle is read among you, 'cause it be read in the Church of the Laodiceans.
And that she likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
And another place he mentions Hierapolis too.
It's instructive that of the seven churches in Asia that John writes through, the first was Ephesus.
The last was Laodicea, and of those two we have two epistles, 1 addressed to Ephesus, one addressed to Colisei.
That was to be read at Laodicea and the very thing that developed into Laodicea.
Which was self love and self promotion.
He deals with here in this very chapter.
And he tells them the remedy, the solution. Scripture has the solution to all our problems.
He tells them the remedy for what? Because they didn't take heed to it.
Developed into Laodicea full blown.
Thou art miserable and wretched and poor and blind and naked, lukewarm.
00:45:04
I'll spew thee out of my mouth. He wasn't even in that assembly. He was outside knocking.
Inviting any who was in that might be real in that Laodicean state of things.
To open the door, and he would come in and fellowship and Sup with him, he with me.
Individual. The collective thing was over with there. The collective is in Philadelphia.
Verse two, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.
To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ and in the mystery.
Are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?
God has revealed His full mind to us.
Until the mystery was revealed, there was a part of revelation that hadn't been given yet, but it was given to Paul to complete, to feel full the word of God. And now it's striking, isn't it, that in this 20th century, after the the full truth of God has been recovered some 180 years ago, Saints gathered to the Lord's name with the word of God and with all that we have and all the accumulated knowledge throughout these years.
We can go to human sources for our problems.
And I've never been, never been. So many problems amongst us.
I mean individually and family problems, difficulties.
And then we go to human sources. If you go to the Christian bookstores, you'll see shelves lined up on psychology.
And philosophy.
And if you go to the Christian bookstores, you'll see shelves lined up on psychology.
And philosophy.
And the wisdom of men, and the worst form of it is when Christians think that they can integrate.
The Word of God, which contains all that we need with the witness.
Of both worlds and put that together.
They don't mix.
Philosophy and psychology and psychiatry begin with a false supposition that man is not ruined.
That down deep there is good in him I'm talking about.
Psychology means the study of the soul is what the word means, the study of the soul. Well, who knows about the soul of man? The medical profession studies the body and it knows how the different members of our body function and they can deal with it. It's something concrete. They can see it and feel it and and operate upon it, but the soul is something they've never seen.
And they only come up with their theories based upon the founding Fathers.
Of that religion, it's not a science, it's a religion.
Deny the fundamentals of the Bible. How can you integrate that system of wisdom with God's system of wisdom? They don't go together.
The one says that man is not ruined, that there's some good in man.
And the other says that he's totally bankrupt and ruined and needing a new nature.
A new life.
God has made us new creatures in Christ, so he speaks of this mystery and he says in him.
In whom or in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? What folly then to go to other sources of wisdom?
For guidance in our path.
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words, lead you astray.
To buy that lie, and it's a lie that's been promoted and has been bought.
The Christian leadership throughout Christendom.
They then beguile, they've been deceived, they've been LED astray, so he says.
This I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joining and beholding your order.
And the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, how did we receive him?
00:50:02
We came bankrupt, we came lost, we came with nothing that we could rely upon in ourselves. We received him by faith.
We trusted Him to take us out of our ruined condition and save us. So he says. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walkie in him. Continue in that same attitude of mine.
That we cannot rely upon our own intelligence, our own wisdom, our own understanding.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him. He shall direct thy past. O Lord, we know.
That the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 10.
It's not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
What directs our steps? The word of God, the Spirit of God-given to us.
We have all that is needed, given us all things that pertain to life and to godliness through the knowledge of Him.
And we're told to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He's the truth. He's our wisdom. He's our counselor. To go to these human sources is to deny that this book is all sufficient for us.
Oh, I don't intend that you say no, I'm sure that you don't, but it's tantamount to that.
Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Established in the faith, going on the way we began as we received him.
With nothing in our hands to bring simply to thy cross, I cling, O Lamb of God.
I come, I come.
Then another warning. Beware. We need these warnings. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy. That's the world's wisdom.
And vain deceit. That's the world's religion.
After the tradition of men.
After the rudiments of the world.
And not after Christ, for in him, in him dwelleth all the fullness.
Of the Godhead bodily.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him, in that blessed man.
And then he goes on to say, And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power, complete in him.
With all the wisdom at our disposal that we need for our pathway to guide and direct us through this life.
He says beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy. That's the love of wisdom.
But it's man's wisdom, which God has said is foolishness.
Foolishness. And yet.
We don't avoid it sometimes. If we would heed this book, we would avoid it.
And go to this book for our wisdom, for our instruction.
For our guidance.
You go to the.
Psychologists of the day, they lay you on the couch and say, now go back, go back to your boyhood, go back to your girlhood, go back to your childhood and resurrect and repeat to me all the evils that came upon you. There's that, There's that hidden child within, that injured child within which you have to deal with in order for to get deliverance. The word of God says it's the opposite. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press towards the mark.
Some of the most godly Saints going on well with the Lord had the worst childhood you could think of.
But that's all in the past, that's all behind them, and they've got Christ before them. That's what we've got in Philippians 3. Christ is our object. He transforms us.
Two Corinthians 318 We all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are transformed according to the same image, from glory to glory.
Even as by the Lord the Spirit quoting Mr. Darby's translation.
We have a power working with that object to transform us.
What folly? Do not heed these warnings. Beware lest any man spoil you. Whether it's the world's wisdom or the world's religion, both are terrible snares.
00:55:02
To the Christian that wants to go on with the Lord.
Again, verse 18, another warning. Let no man beguile you.
Of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. Are we to be occupied with angels? Are do we to be occupied with those things that we really know nothing about, that God has told us in his word very little about? Or are we to be occupied with the head? Well, he says, and not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increase it with the increase of God.
Holding the head, having Christ before us.
That's the solution to all of man's enticements, man's wisdom.
Man's misleading thoughts.
Wherefore if he be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world here it's not dead to sin, but the very principles that this world operates upon were dead with Christ to those principles. And when we go back to those sources, we are not acting as though we were dead. If you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world are you subject to ordinances? That's man's religion. Or an ordinance is something that I can do. I want to be able to do something.
Isn't there something we can do to enhance our acceptance with God? Do we have to depend entirely upon His grace? Yes, we do.
There's nothing we can do or ever have done or will do that will contribute one iota to our acceptance before God. It's all by grace.
And then he sums up the whole Jewish system. Touch not, taste not, handle not. That's the principle of Judaism. That's the principle of legality.
These are things that they had to observe in Judaism, which are all the perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men.
And these things, he says, haven't indeed a show of wisdom and will worship and humility.
You see, we want to be able to do something. We want to be able to contribute some way to our salvation, to our acceptance. It could be a humble thing. It could be the punishing of our body. It could be something that brings credit to ourselves. He says not in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body. Not in any, not in any honor. That is treating the body as though it is a sinful thing. Our body is not a sinful thing. We have a sinful nature within the body.
But the body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, and we ought to treat it as such.
That means that has a lot of meanings, a lot of ramifications. You might say that is.
I shouldn't eat to excess.
I shouldn't drink to excess, I should do all things in moderation.
I should keep my body under as Paul says in One Corinthians 9, not with the thought that it's going to enhance my acceptance before God, but because the Spirit of God resides in this body and I should keep it in as fit a condition as I can.
So he says, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. Those that monk light punish the flesh, and deny themselves.
Earthly comforts. They do it because they think it enhances their acceptance with God.
And he says in doing that, they're not giving the proper honor to the body that it deserves. Well, I don't want to.
Take much more time. May God help us to understand these things and these warnings, these warnings that are given over and over again.
We have everything in Christ. His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and to godliness through the knowledge of Him.
Who have called us to glory and virtue and we have all in scripture for our pathway till we get home.
The return, please, to Ephesians, chapter one.
The first chapter of Ephesians.
And I want to read.
01:00:02
Several verses here.
Beginning at verse one, Paul an apostle Jesus Christ.
By the will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated on us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
To the praise of the glory of His grace, where any ethics made us accepted. In the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, According to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven.
And which are on earth even in Him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who work with all things after the council of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory, Who first trusted in Christ, or pre trusted in Christ, in whom He also trusted. After that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In whom also after that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
Unto the praise of his glory. I was thinking of these verses as their brother was speaking how that we have all things God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And I just want to point out here in these verses that we have read as as you've read them, and I have too. I'll ask you one question.
What we've read here. When did it take place?
When did it take place? Before you were ever born?
Has God missed anything? Has God-given us a partial blessing?
No, Everyone of our blessings are in glory, and they're eternal.
And who gave them to us? God did. Did we deserve it?
No, we didn't, but I want to point out here in these verses that we've read.
That we have the fullness in this way. That we have God the Father.
We have the Lord Jesus Christ and we have the Holy Spirit.
Confined in these verses, God is a God who gives liberally our dear brother. I quote our brother Norman here. He spoke about the superlatives of Scripture. How beautiful it is to see that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
And when you, I just want to point out, I want you to see here in these verses, I'm sure most of us have already.
But just notice from verse three down through verse 6.
Now if you read this carefully, you will see that it refers to God the Father.
God the Father? What about God the Father? What did he do? He sent his Son into this world.
The Lord Jesus Christ but notice what it says. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with some know all spiritual blessings in in the heavenly places in Christ. You know your blessings and mind are up in glory and they're reserved. Peter tells us so they're reserved in heaven for you no one can take.
One of your blessings and truly, if we were truly speaking, you haven't seen 1 yet.
We have many mercies, we have many things that God allows us to have while we're here.
And they are the mercies of God, but you haven't seen any of your blessings yet. But how blessed it is to think.
That God acts in you know, we know the word Trinity is not used in the scripture, but how else could we explain?
01:05:03
The Godhead, Father, Son, Holy Spirit and God has acted for you and for me in this lovely and beautiful and eternal way before we were ever born.
Beautiful, glorious truth. And again, as our brother has been pointing out.
Do we enter into this?
Am I enjoying it in my soul? I have the Spirit of God. You have the Spirit of God that seeks to make this good to you and enjoy it. You know, we're in a world that's opposed to God and everything that has has been pointed out to us, everything is against the truth of God, but the Spirit of God is here. I love that. In John's first epistle, it says greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. What is that? The Spirit of God is here indwelling and John's epistle is the family of God.
How beautiful to know that in that family of God, they're the babes, they're the fathers, they're the young men, and they're the babes.
And in that, in that lovely epistle, we find that God has made provision for us to enjoy no matter what at what age we are by the Spirit of God. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the spirit in the in the in the world. And so here if you notice these verses, verse 3.
And verse four, according as he has chosen us, who chose us God did.
He has chosen us in Him, in Christ.
When was this? Before the foundation of the world? Can you enter into that? I can enter into it, but all I can enjoy it because God is my Father and He did this before I was ever born or before you ever were ever born, and it's all yours.
He wants us to reach out and take it, doesn't He? Not just salvation, but the joy of knowing that we have before us. As our brother has already been said, instead of looking back, we're looking on to the day of glory, when we're going to enter into that scene of glory where the Lord Jesus Christ.
And enjoy forever those eternal blessings. And so here it's just in following this out a lot. I don't want to take all this time up, a lot of time, but just to notice that.
He chose us, God chose us in him having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, through the praise of the glory of His grace in verse 6, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. Who did this? God did it, the Father did it. He sent the Lord Jesus.
And we've been he says he's to the praise of the glorious he hath made us accepted in the beloved God the Father did this. And I think it's beautiful to see here in these first few verses that we've read that we see God the the work of the God the Father. And now if you just go on verse to verse seven, in whom now who is he speaking about? He's speaking about the person of Christ, his beloved son. Now we see the work of the Lord Jesus.
Or the position that we've been called in through the Lord Jesus, He says in whom we have redemption. All that occurred on Calvary Cross that blessed One bore the judgment for your sins and mine. The Father sent him. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. We know this is not a gospel meeting, but all the truth of God comes out, doesn't it? And to for the enjoyment of art, not only for our conscience, but of our hearts. And so he says here in whom we have redemption.
Through his blood the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
You know, we were speaking up this morning, some of us, the motel. I don't believe any of us know truly what Grace really, really is.
The grace of God.
That bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Have we received it just we don't need to understand it all, but to accept it and we will never really fathom the grace of God and so just going on here wherein he has made it. Verse 8 wherein.
Wherein? How the grace of God, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself. And we see in this the work of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ.
01:10:01
Both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him, even in that Blessed One.
In that coming day, all things are going to be brought together. And how isn't it lovely that those of us who know the Lord Jesus now have the privilege of entering into all these things? All things are yours, year Christs, and Christ is Gods. Has God left anything out? Nothing, not a thing. If there's something you're not enjoying, it's only because you haven't entered into it, because you haven't accepted it. How beautiful it is to reach out and accept not just the Lord Jesus as Savior, but as the One who has.
Delivered us from this present evil world, and his desire is that we might be found.
Walking in paths pleasing to him and in the enjoyment of that Blessed One. And so just going on here a little bit, we we see here in whom it says in whom again?
Also, we have obtained an inheritance in the person of Christ.
Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Council.
Of His own will that we should be there, the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.
And then he goes on and it says in verse 11.
In whom he also trusted. After that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
In whom also after that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So we see the Spirit of God here. We see the work of God in sending his Son. We see the the the Lord Jesus accomplishing redemptions work for us. We see the Holy Spirit now making it good to us as he says.
Which is the verse 13? In whom also that you trusted after that you heard the word of the gospel of your salvation? And whom also after that you believed you were sealed?
God has sealed you. He sealed me for that eternal blessing.
No one can take it. It's yours. It's yours forever, for eternity. And it's marvelous and precious truth to see that again, going back to our brother Chuck's remark, all things he has made, He has given all things for our good and for our blessing, and all things are ours. And then just notice what he says, which is the earnest in verse fourteen of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of His glory. What are we waiting for now?
You know, we have the salvation of our soul already according to these precious truths that we're reading here, these verses. We're waiting for the redemption of these bodies of ours. And I thought of it today as we were speaking about presenting our bodies, a living sacrifice, why God is interested in the fact of testimony for you and for me. And how do we, how do we face up to the world? People look at look at us. They can't see our soul. They can't see what's in our hearts, but they can see these bodies of ours.
How do we present them? Are we presenting them as a living sacrifice to God? Is it are we going on in that way of holiness or desire to please God? Holiness is the abhorrence of evil. Are we going on to please God? Well, I believe it searches our hearts, doesn't it, to see all that God has brought us into and what he's already done for us. But right now, again, we go back to this thought that he's seeking to bring this our state, our our state up to our standing. You know, we we can be declined. The, the, all the elements of this world are downward. It it's always down. There's a gravitation that pulls us down to this world. He wants to lift us up.
And so when we read these precious verses, how beautiful it is to see that God is interested in you and me. He's interested us in us. The Father is interested in us, the Lord Jesus is interested in US, and the Holy Spirit is in US and very much interested to bring us into the enjoyment of that which God has already wrought in our hearts. All may the Lord use these few little comments just to quicken us, give us the thought of searching His Word and finding out.
What he has to say to us and the different portions of the word that would give us the joy of knowing these things.
God wants you to know it. As our brother has already said earlier in these meetings, the Old Testament Saints didn't know.
Why they did certain things. You and I should know Why? We should know for one reason. We should know where we are when we're gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know. We should know why we're there.
God wants us to know that. And so I think I just enjoyed these few little thoughts in connection with this. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit that are all in accord and union for your blessing and for mine.
01:15:45
Our Father in the first time.
I'm not sure.
Whatever it is.
Oh.