Address—Bernie Roossinck
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Good afternoon, everybody.
Nice to see so many faces.
Lots of friends in here and a few new ones welcome.
For those of you that don't know me, my name is Bernie. I'm from the Fremont, MI assembly.
And originally from Newfoundland.
This address is on our card as just an address to.
Everybody. But I noticed that there are lots and lots of young people here and that really warms my heart.
And if it's OK, I'd like to direct what I want to share primarily to you young people and those of you that are my age or older probably still think you're young anyway.
So.
Hopefully we can find some encouragement together as we think about the Lord Jesus.
You know, as I pondered what to speak about this afternoon.
I was sitting in my dear blind, actually.
And.
The Lord gave me some thoughts that I believe it would be of Him to share. And two things happened when I got here that encouraged me. The first one was this little card right here with the two lines of this Him on it. And I had thought about seeing this hymn to begin, but I thought, man, it's pretty long.
So maybe we'll take up some of its themes, but we're not gonna sing that in. But I thank the Lord when I saw that because these two verses are the two verses that the Lord gave me in my dear blood.
And then Brother John when you read.
There in First Chronicles, I had that on my heart too, and I felt like the Lord's saying.
Go ahead.
And so I appreciated the encouragement that the Lord gave.
I would like to start by singing #26 in the appendix.
And I like singing, and I know lots of tunes for this hymn.
And sometimes it's a little difficult to know how to what's him the what's tuned to use in a conference like this. Because, yeah, we have folks here from both sides of the continent and a lot of different tunes. So I'm going to ask Kyle to help me start this.
Because there's a tune that he and I both like, and I hope it's OK, brethren, to use a different tune.
Go ahead, Kyle.
Well, dear young people.
I'm so happy to see so many of you.
And.
So I was thinking about what I wanted to say to you.
Just been pondering.
Many of you are in the valley of decision.
About a lot of things.
Maybe some of you young people are in the valley of decision about whether or not you should trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior. I know that you know the gospel. I know that many of you, most of you probably, have been raised in Christian homes and have been taught many of the precious truths of the Word of God.
Maybe you're asking yourself.
Is it worth it?
Should I carry on in that which I had been taught and instructed?
I think some of you are pondering decisions about relationships.
And.
Friends, some of you are thinking about career choices and what kind of study to take up.
I also know that the enemy of your soul is working as hard as he can to.
Grab your affections and to pull you away from the Lord Jesus and to take your heart and to distract you.
And so the first verse that I had on my heart to read, and I have a number of verses here, so.
I'll probably move fairly quickly this first ones in Jewel chapter 3.
And verse 14.
And it says multitudes.
Multitudes in the valley of decision.
You dear young people, my exercise and my hope this afternoon is that I can point you to the blessed Lord Jesus and to point you toward His calling upon your life and His love for you. You know I would tell you with all sincerity, beloved young people.
I love you.
And I know that the assembly here in Saint Louis has expressed that to me, that they want you young people to feel and to know that you are valued and loved, not just by those in this room, but so much more by the Lord Jesus himself and how He wants to come into your life.
And to have that place of fellowship and communion.
And guidance and trust.
Start over to Joshua.
24 This is a A.
Time at the end of Joshua's life.
And he was summarizing many of the things that God had.
Done for his people. This is kind of Joshua's last words, if you will. And last words can be very special and very meaningful.
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I Yesterday was my dad's 80th birthday.
But he's been with the Lord for six years, and I was sitting there in my dear blind before we had Thanksgiving lunch together, thinking about my dad's birthday, and I remembered his last words to me were the son I'm faint yet pursuing.
And it wasn't too long after that he was gone anyway. Last words are very special. This is some of Joshua's last words. Joshua 2415.
Just going to read in the middle of the verse here. Choose you this day, whom you will serve.
There's a choice to be made. Who will you give your affection to? Young people? Who will you give your time to? Who will you give your resources to? Who will you give your communion and your fellowship to? The Lord Jesus is wanting that fellowship with you.
I think about.
The Lord Jesus sometimes and I.
Sometimes I wish that I could have been there when the Lord was here on this earth. And we know that the apostle John was the.
Disciple whom Jesus loved.
And the Gospel of John is a very special gospel, a very A lot of easy words in John's gospel, a lot of.
Expression of the love of God in John's Gospel.
And the apostle John got to be an old man. And in first John chapter 2, let's turn to this a minute.
After many, many years, at the end of his life, he had this to say.
And by the way, young people.
The epistle of John. First John is really a letter to the family, so this is not about salvation.
This is about, this is a message written to those that are already in the family and this is what he says, Don't get me wrong, the gospel can very lovingly and wonderfully be preached from first John, but the apostle, here he is at the end of his life and he says this to the young people.
Says First John 215 Love not the world.
Neither the things that are in the world.
If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world.
The world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that death, the will of God abideth forever. I can just see this dear old man as he's writing there, perhaps by a candle.
Not sure if he was on the Isle of Pat Most when this was written, but anyway, there he is and he's writing out this last message. Young people.
Don't love the world?
Or the things in the world. Now this is not talking about the planet, this is talking about the system of mankind that's against God.
And the apostle could say, don't go there.
It's a desert, you won't find satisfaction in it.
All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. You know when I was a kid that the lust of the flesh was very evident.
And.
You get a bit older the less of the eyes become stronger and it's pretty easy for me to.
Look at Sebastian's trucker marks boat or whatever and that man, wish I had that. And you get older yet Maybe John, your rage, the pride of life begins to sink in. You can look back and like, boy, I traveled the world, done this, done that.
I.
Was pretty thankful I think Bob, you mentioned this.
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At Chicago conference about Eric Smith.
One of the things that he said, I've heard him say this in ministry. I didn't know Brother Smith, but I wish I did. I think I remember meeting him when I was just a tiny kid. He was an old, old man. My folks introduced him to us and we just wanted to get to the playground. Didn't know anything about who he was.
Now that I look back, I wish I would have paid more attention, but anyway, he said. Lord help me not to die a wicked old man.
And so these things can affect us. Young people don't love the world.
The Lord Jesus has your good and your blessing before Him.
I spoke to the young, young people at Carrollton about this. My son, give me thine heart.
And that's what the Lord would ask of you right now. My daughter, my son, give me thine heart. You know Satan would like to take your lives and.
Allure you out into all of the attractions of this world.
And then?
Basically.
Ruin your life if you're not saved, you would like to drag you into hell. That's what his goal is. And he would say, hey, look at all this stuff. I think about when Satan was tempting the Lord Jesus and it says he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He said, I'll give you all this if you worship me.
Interesting that it only took a moment of time to see it all right.
That is what Satan wants to do is promise you the bright shining, shiny new toy, if you will. The relationships, the.
The fun that the world promises to give, you know, there's there's no satisfaction in the young people. And the Lord says, give me thine heart.
That's what he wants from you. Give me your heart. You know, when Becky and I first became parents, that was one of our exercises for our own family was that our children would give us their heart. And sometimes we knew that we had it and sometimes it was really evident that we didn't, and it hurt. I think all of you that are parents know what that feels like.
The joy when your son or daughter.
Has given you their heart, and then they sorrow when they don't. But how much more the Lord Jesus?
Well.
Hope it's OK if I take one of these.
What I'd like to do is go through a number of people.
And these are not in any particular order, so we're just going to take them up in the order that they occur in the Word of God. So I'm not drawing any moral connection one to the other. These are a number of stories that came before me about people that had to make a decision with regards to the relationship with the Lord.
So we'll start at the beginning and we'll work our way toward the end.
Genesis 14.
Now, young people, this story is about.
When Abram delivered his nephew Lot, who had been captured.
In a battle and taken prisoner, and Abraham and his servants were, with the Lord's help, able to recover Lot and his family and and all the people and stuff.
And Abraham had a decision to make. So let's begin with verse 21.
The king of Sodom said to Abraham, Give me the persons, Take the goods to thyself.
Now, young people, that is what Satan desires.
Give me the people and you can have the stuff.
He is after your heart and your soul.
And the King of Sodom speaks to me that way. Give me the persons.
You can have the stuff and I love what Abraham says here in verse 22. Abram.
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Said to the King of Sodom.
I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, but I will not take from a thread, even to a shoe latchet, that I would not take anything that is thine, lest thou should say I have made Abram rich.
Well, here Abraham could say to the king of Sodom, I wouldn't even take a shoelace from you.
And the king of Sodom is like, give me the people. That's what I'm interested in. Give me the people, young people.
There's a decision to be made in your life.
You're going to lift up your hand to the Lord, the Most High God.
Or you go in with the King of Sodom to follow the stuff.
I would plead with you, consider that decision and do what Abraham did here. It's like, no, I don't want any of that stuff. I'm with the Lord.
And that decision is before you. I know I look into some of your faces. I've talked with a lot of you, and I know that you have a desire to please the Lord and to follow the Lord.
And yet this decision comes up again and again.
Young people, I just encourage you do what Abraham did.
And lift up your hand to the Lord, the Most High God.
The Lord will bless you in that and He will keep you in that.
And realize the enemy of your soul is in game as your destruction and misery.
That's the fact. I'll tell you a story I told this last Sunday in Fremont in the Gospel meeting.
A while ago one of my guys retired.
And so we were having a retirement reception for him and.
We rented a room above a restaurant in Grand Rapids to have this reception, and so a lot of his customers came and their spouses and a lot of my guys were there with their families and.
I looked out the window, it was this was a couple winters ago and it was snowing pretty heavily enough where he could see tracks made by cars in the road. There's a car out front running, had his lights on and there were no tracks behind it or in front of it.
At the outside, they spend there a while.
And it wasn't too long and a police came and.
And then another one and a fire truck and an ambulance. And I remember watching the policeman open the door of that car and this body just flopped out on the ground.
And another one opened the other side, the same thing happened.
There's two people.
Sitting there, overdosed right in the middle of an intersection in downtown Grand Rapids. And I thought that.
Is the end of those pleasures of sin for a season that's the end of the path. I hope that those men were resuscitated, but I have no idea. But I just really hit me in the gut when I saw both those people just flop into the snow bank as dead or just dead. I thought that's the end right there.
I I think of the verse in Proverbs even, and there's a way that seems right to a man.
But the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is happiness. And so when the king of Sodom says to you, hey, you want some stuff?
Do what Abraham did and say Nope, I'm what the Lord.
So much more blessed to have your feet in that path of faith. Well, we got to keep moving.
This next one we could turn to Exodus and read a lot, but we haven't got the time, so we're going to take it up in Hebrews 11.
This is some decisions that Moses had to make.
So let's read Hebrews 11.
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We'll begin with the.
Let's begin with verse 24.
By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Here's the word choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ Greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.
For he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Well, we all know the story of Moses life.
How that his parents saw that he was a goodly child and his mom made that little basket, put it in the river, committed him to the Lord, and then his sister was hiding in the weeds often. Think about that. Sitting in the bowl, rushes peeking out. Here comes Sparrow's daughter.
With her entourage to I guess the swim or cool off in the river.
And there's that little art, right? And he's discovered and oh, it's one of the Hebrew babies and how the Lord intervened and Moses mother was providentially.
Through God's provision, she's the nurse. And how they could instill in Moses all of those wonderful things about the Lord.
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And here they are slaves in Egypt. And I think they knew some of the promises of God and instilled in Moses, you're not one of them. And then the day comes that Pharaoh's daughter says, OK, he's weaned, bring him up to the palace and.
The separation happens and Moses is taught in the teaching and education and language and all that of.
Egypt, and I guess I don't know this for a fact, but I take that Moses probably was heir to great authority as he got older, perhaps even to be the next Sparrow. I don't know that I could historically say that, but he had opportunity. Let's just say that.
And he turned his back on it, and the Lord put upon his heart to take up the cause of his brethren.
And we know that he killed the taskmaster and buried him in the sand, and then he got found out and he ran.
You know, young people, I just think about the choices that Moses had to make and how easy it would be to to take all of the money and the fame and the privilege I go.
Too bad for you folks, things are working out really good for me. He didn't.
He was willing to choose affliction with the people of God.
Rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Young people, there is a reproach. To walking the Christian pathway, there is a reproach.
Particularly in Western worlds where God is so quickly set aside.
OK, you think about.
How godless the United States and Canada have become even in the last five to 10 years. How things have gone downhill so quickly.
And then you look at where Europe is at and they're way ahead of us, and God is a as mocked as a.
Weak crutch for the.
For the weak minded.
No young people, God.
Is in control, God is behind the scenes, God is supreme and sovereign. And Moses, I believe, had that in mind, that he was willing to take the reproach.
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Of suffer affliction with the people of God and to have that reproach. So I want to encourage you be willing to make that choice you know.
Those of you that know me well know I enjoy the Song of Solomon a lot and.
A question is given to the to the bride in there. And the question is, well, what's your beloved more than another beloved? And we've had that question put to us. I think all of you probably have basically, oh, what your religion better than ours? Who's who's this Jesus? Is he better than what I believe?
Yes. And then she goes into all of these qualities of her beloved, right? And then at the end of it, yeah, he's all together lovely.
I love that. And then the daughters of Jerusalem like, Oh well, we are, we're interested too. Where is he at? Spring and show him to us.
What a blessed pathway to.
Take reproach and to be able to what's your beloved more than another beloved, Oh the Lord Jesus young people is worth it.
Is so lovely and beautiful.
And we'll get back into the Song of Solomon here in a few minutes. Well, for the sake of time, let's keep moving. John, I'm glad that you read about a Messiah. Let's turn back to that again in Chronicles.
First Chronicles This young people is a chapter worth reading over and over and over again. David is a picture, a type of the Blessed Lord Jesus, and at this time David was. Although he had been anointed king, there was a lot of turmoil.
So had been hunting David like a Partridge is the terminology that the scripture gives it, and he was basically.
I think he said in Samuel to Jonathan, the Lord knows there's but a step between me and death, and he had a lot of rejection here. David was in rejection, but God had anointed him to be king.
And David was waiting. Now let's read verse 16. There came to the There came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold on to David. So here's David in hiding. I don't know where the hold was at this time. We'll say he was living in a Fort, maybe in the woods someplace.
Which as a kid I always thought would be great.
But I don't think as a kid living in a Fort, I never experienced somebody trying to kill me. So probably not so great. Hey, Steven. But anyway, what's what's this now? The children of Benjamin, These are Saul's men. That's who they are, the children of Benjamin. And they come to David where he's at in the hold.
Now verse 18 Then came the Spirit upon a Messiah.
Who was the chief of the captains, and said, Thine are we David? And on thy side, thou son of Jesse, peace, peace be to thee.
Now let's get into verse 32, the children of Issachar of the children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times.
To know what Israel ought to do.
Middleburst 33, Expert in war.
Which could keep rink They were not of double heart. Verse 38 All these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king.
Well, dear young people.
The Lord Jesus is in rejection today.
The world doesn't want them.
Yeah, sometimes we sing the gospel hymn. I hear the crowd in Pilate's hall and so on. I can't quote it all exactly, but the end of that first person that him it says.
Ashamed. In that crowd, I hear my own voice.
And what were they saying? Away with this man? We don't want him. Kill him. We will not have this man to reign over us. And that is?
00:35:05
Generally speaking, the reception that our blessed Lord Jesus gets in the world today, we don't want Him.
But here come these men. They had a choice to make. I think after Saul died, there was a period of time when Abner had anointed one of Saul's other sons to be king, and David had been anointed and there was some turmoil. Well, here they come with a perfect heart to make David king, and they had understanding of the times.
Young people, it's so important for you to have an understanding of the times.
And as dark as things look today.
Don't lose confidence that God is in control, that the Lord Jesus is working his counsel and working his will. And in grace, the gospel continues to go out. You know, we just had an election here in this country and there was a lot of talk about a red wave coming.
And Conservative politicians were going to knock off the Liberals. And why wouldn't this be wonderful? You know what, young people, even though I don't care really for a lot of the liberal politics that are happening in the Western world today, I would tell you this, there is no politician that's going to fix this world. There's no red wave that's going to fix this country or Canada or anything else, only the Lord Jesus.
Will do that only the Lord Jesus and I think that.
One of the reasons that there wasn't a red wave is it's so easy. It's our tendency to put confidence in man. Here's our guy, He's going to fix it. Nope, only the Lord Jesus is going to fix it.
Young people, are you willing to come with a perfect heart to make David King in your own life?
He's he is the perfect king.
He's the guy that.
Knows the end from the beginning, the 1St and the last ayah. I love when the Lord Jesus was here and the Pharisees or the scribes or or jamming him up on his pedigree and he says before Abraham was I am. I love that.
What did he mean? I was there before that. Yeah, we read in John chapter one.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That's the Lord Jesus. He is that supreme power, that loving man in the glory right now that says, my son, give me your heart, my daughter, give me your heart. I'm for you and all that I am.
Believe that young people and come with a perfect heart to make the Lord Jesus King.
He's worth it.
Well, let's keep moving.
It's amazing how fast time goes. We're going to have to skip a few of these. John Chapter 6.
This is a scene where the Lord Jesus, who often took refuge in the House of Mary and Martha, was there.
And we'll read from verse 66, I think John chapter 6.
Nope, this is the wrong one. But we'll take it up as like I just said, this scene is.
Many of those following the Lord Jesus here in this world were offended. So we'll read this and then we'll talk about it. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the 12 Will ye also go away?
And Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Thank the Lord Jesus felt it in his soul. Watched those people kind of turn like this and shuffle off and slip into the background. Sam I following him anymore, I'm out.
Yes, he felt it.
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And he says to his disciples here, are you going to go away too?
Who asserts my heart?
You know where it was mentioned? I think, Jonathan, you mentioned this. We're living in a day. Young people are very small things. There are literally ones and twos and a lot of your assemblies.
And it's difficult.
It hurts when somebody that you care about a family or a young person.
They, they kind of slip back and slip back and pretty soon you're like, man, I haven't seen this person in quite some time.
That's it hurts. The Lord Jesus feels it too.
And he says, are you guys going to go away too?
I want Peter's answer. Lord, to whom shall we go, young people? There's nobody else out there.
Worthy of your love and affection. It's other than the Lord Jesus. Yes, it is difficult to be in a small assembly with no young people or very few young people.
Perhaps you're an assembly where there is difficulty. I want to say this to you about the Lord Jesus. These are the words of the thief on the cross. This man hath done nothing amiss.
While the young people, is the Lord Jesus ever done anything to wrong you?
Never. Ever.
So when you're tempted to get jammed up with some brother or sister in your assembly, maybe at this conference, something will happen. You know, like how that guy, that woman, that young person.
Don't you ham up the Lord Jesus. This man hath done nothing in this that one thing, and he says, I love you, I am for you. Follow me, Come unto me, I will give you rest.
How easy it would be to say well, MFL one anymore I'm out.
You know it hurts this this happens to our family every week.
On our way up to the Fremont meeting room, we go by a place that is pretty new and there are hundreds and hundreds of cars in the parking lot.
Kind of stings. We get to our meeting room and there's about six cars in there, maybe four sometimes. And my girls have asked me, dad, why.
Well, I would just tell you this, young people never.
Be afraid to just simply be gathered around their blessed Savior.
On Sunday morning.
It's interesting. We had young peoples at our house and a friend of Mary Vandenberg's came along with her. So we're sitting at the counter and the rest of the young people were playing the game and she said I'd like to talk to you about your church.
OK.
So I asked her where she went. She is part of that group.
She says, you know, all we really do is have a rock concert. And then I just, I babysit the kids and we leave. I don't get anything for my soul. I like the hymns that you're singing out of this little hymn book. Now, I'm not speaking against that group of believers, brother, don't get me wrong. What I'm saying is don't be afraid to have the Lord Jesus be your only sustaining thing.
If you're doing what you're doing for fun.
People, music, whatever else in the Lord Jesus is not the focus in the center. You're going to be disappointed.
And I just want to encourage you, it's a day of small things, but don't give up. The Lord Jesus is worth following even when there's ones twos and threes.
All right. Now we'll talk about Martha and Mary, which is Luke, Tim.
This is the time this happened quite a bit actually. I think that the Lord could resort to this house and.
We'll read verse 38.
We'll start there. And now it came to pass as they went. He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, which also said at Jesus feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care? My sister hath left me alone to serve. Bitter therefore that she helped me.
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And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha.
Very careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part with some happy taken away from her. And what was the good part? That she chose young people? That she skipped out on the dishes.
Now the scripture speaks against laziness. The good part that she chose was that she sat at Jesus feet and heard his words. What a place to be.
Are you willing to just sit quietly at the Lord Jesus feet and hear his words? Oh, the Lord values that so much.
So I just want to encourage you, Yes, it's good to serve, but don't get the order wrong. Sit at the feet of the Savior and hear his words. And the Lord calls that the good part. Now I'm not taking it away. He says that's the good part. So you want the good part? There you go. Right from the words of the Lord Jesus. That's the good part. I'm not, and it won't be taken away. Sit down at the Lord's feet.
Hear his words.
We'll skip this next one because we're at a time almost, but I would just give it to you for some thought. Mark 10A young man comes running to the Lord is in earnest.
He's pious about his question. He says, Lord, what do I need to do?
And the Lord gives him a couple of tests. I'm going to lead you to think about these on your own. That young man made the wrong decision and he went away said. And the thing I would like to point out to you is says about him, Lord Jesus, looking at him who loved him.
But he wasn't willing to sell his possessions and take up the cross and follow the Lord.
The wrong decision was made. We could spend a couple of meetings on Jonathan. Same issue. Jonathan was a lovely young man, but he wasn't willing to leave the family or the privilege of the palace and follow the Lord in rejection now.
We got about 10 minutes left, so I'm just going to go through some of this quickly.
These are some things I've jotted down that I've enjoyed in thinking about the Lord Jesus and His heart for you right now.
Never have a hymn that really strikes you, maybe as a kid, and it sticks in your heart for your whole life. When I was a kid, we had a camper that was made out of an old bus that my dad built, and John, your dad painted it. And on the back of that bus was a gospel song passing onward.
And this is one of the things that's painted on the back of that camper.
Still we hear the fund entreaty of the ever gracious 1.
Come and welcome.
Tis by me, that life is one. Young people, you want joy in your life, You want peace in your life, You want rest in your life. Still we hear the fond entreaty of the ever gracious one. That's him, young people, it's the Lord Jesus come and welcome. Tis by me that life is one.
That is a life worth living.
1St Corinthians 514 where the love of Christ constrains us.
Young people, the Lord Jesus have your affections. It's like a magnet that attracts nails. You can't help but be drawn to the blessed Savior. The love of Christ constrains us. But you know, young people, the further that magnet gets away from whatever it is that's attracting. Let's say there's a box of paper clips over there by.
You, Sam and I hold up a magnet and nothing's happening. We're too far apart, brother.
You get close to the love of Christ right there with him. And that magnet is grabbing. There's that attraction. The love of Christ constrains us. But you got to be close. You got to be close.
00:50:01
Exodus 33.
The Lord was speaking with Moses, and Moses said to the Lord.
I can't do this by myself.
I need to turn to this one because I can't quote it properly. X is 33.
So this is a beautiful expression.
Exodus 3313 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee.
That I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he, the Lord said, My presence shall go with thee.
And I will give thee rest. Oh, I love that, Moses says. Lord, show me your way.
And the Lord goes, my presence is going to be with you, and I'll give you rest and I'll give you peace. Young people, I know that it's a tumultuous and there's so many things to decide upon. You get before the Lord and say, Lord, show me your way.
You get the same answer that he gave Moses. My presence shall go with thee, and I'll give you a rest. I want that in my life. Do you want that in your life, young people? I think you do.
Show me now thy way. Sometimes we have to do business with the Lord. Dave Hale used to say that. I was up in Pine Grove a couple weeks ago and Craig Kayo reminded me of that because Dad used to say we have to do business with the Lord. Here Moses was saying Lord.
I can't do this by myself. Show me your way and the Lord goes, I'm right here with you. My presence is going with you. I love that. Cling to that. Song of Solomon 2.
Some of this Brother Dave Mearns I got from you.
Young people study the Song of Solomon and Lovett.
It's a conversation between the bride and the bridegroom, and I want to apply it right now between the Lord Jesus and you. Song of Solomon 214.
And there's a lot of places we could read the whole chapter, and we have nearly enough time to do it.
Sometimes, even when you're my age, you got to go through the books of the Bible song to find the right chapter.
Um, first thing, going to read verse 3.
As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Young people, sit down under the shadow of the blessed Lord Jesus, and you'll find him to be sweet to your taste. Do that. You got to be really close to something to sit down under its shadow, and this was a lot different than I.
I've heard you talk about this before, Steven.
The Bramble, remember that, the Bramble said if you're going to make me king, come and sit under my shadow. You're not going to get much shade under a thorn Bush. Young people, sit down under the apple tree.
And enjoy the sweetness of the Lord Jesus. All right now, verse 14.
O my dove, that art in the cliffs of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs.
Let me see thy countenance and hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice in thy countenances. Comely well here the Lord Jesus could say to you, dear young person.
You wayward, miserable, unthankful young person. What is wrong with you? Is that what he says? No. Oh my dove. What a difference. That's how the Lord Jesus looks upon you right now. Oh, my dove, that are in the clefts of the rock. You know I often think about.
When Moses was sent up there to that rock to get water and the Lord said.
Speak to the rock and water will come out, and he goes up there and he speaks to the rock, and it cleaves open. What a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus.
And then later on when they need water again, the Lord told them go back up there and the first time it was strike the rock got it wrong. He goes up there and smites the rock and the water comes out. The rock is split speaks of the cross of Calvary. The second time he said now go speak to it. Well, Moses got up there and easily must I fetch water out of this rock, you ungrateful bunch of.
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Complaining people whack, he hits the rock with the stick and it cost him. There were consequences. He ruined God's picture, but God and grace still put the water come out. But anyway, back to our verse. Here thou art in the clefts of the rocks.
Young people.
Are you hiding safely in the finished work of the Cross of Calvary? That's this position of the Beloved here in the secret place of the stairs that tells me about.
Private.
Access the secret place of the stairs. It's only for her and him.
That's the position that the Lord Jesus wants to bring you into. It's like it's just me and you.
Special access right into his love and care. Then he says, let me hear your voice, let me see your face.
Well, dear young people, I would ask you this.
The Lord Jesus wants to see your face and hear your voice.
Is also asked you to remember him at his table.
Once a week.
And it's a wonderful thing to lift up your face to his.
And let him shine down onto your face and to lift up your voice and Thanksgiving and praise.
It's not difficult. You don't need to be gifted for that. Young people, the Lord goes, I want to see you. I want to hear you. Just come to me. You're my dove. You're hidden in the cleft of the rock. You're my special person. That's what I get from this passage. I love that passage.
All right now we are going out of time. I want you to read on your own Isaiah 55.
The whole chapter is a beautiful entreaty of a loving God.
I didn't even know what I could say about it without spending a whole other hour. Isaiah 55. I'll just quote this is this is something you need to decide on? Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread?
Young people, you got time, you got energy, you got resources. Why are you spending your time, money, resources, striving around for that which is not bread? The Lord says.
Come buy milk and I'm not even going to be able to quote it, right? Study this out, he says. Don't be striving around.
The it's like shooting a shotgun and they got all these pellets going everywhere. I hope I hit something. The Lord goes, no, no, no. Why are you doing that? Come to me and I'll just give it to you. And there are a lot of beautiful things in there too, about my thoughts or not your thoughts. My ways aren't your ways. You know, we try to do stuff in our own strength and it gets all messed up.
At the end of that chapter the Lord could say instead of the thorn Bush, who comes up the Myrtle tree? I think it is instead of the. You'll have to read it for yourself. Isaiah 55 is worth reading and studying. Do it.
All right.
We're out of time.
I I do like poetry. The Lord has given me a mind for memory.
So I want to quote just a couple lines of a famous poem to you.
About decision making.
If I can get it right.
Two roads diverged in a wood.
You're at the fork right now, young people. Two roads diverged in a wood and I.
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference, young people.
Put your feet in the path of following Christ. It is the road less traveled by. It's not the popular choice, but it is so, so worth it.
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All right.
We're done again.
We love you.
But so much more. The Lord Jesus.
Would have you come? I think about Joseph, you know. And he revealed himself to his brothers. Come near unto me.
That's what the Lord Jesus is saying to you. By the way, I hope it's not disrespectful to say this. I hope that when we get to heaven, there's a a video library that you can go watch some of these things unfold. I'd like to see that Joseph revealing himself to his brothers.
Come near unto me.
Young people.
I just want to impress and encourage you to do that. The Lord Jesus is worth it at every level and He will be your constant companion. It's not that every day goes great problems happen, but when the Lord can say, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. A yoke is two people hooked together and the Lord goes, we're in it, both of us, here we go.
Learn of me.
All right, now we're past time and I'll buy tendency has to talk too much. So I hope that you have found this to be helpful. Decide to give the Lord the number one place.