Open—Brian Schoen
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I'd just like to share something. I think I've got about 12 minutes.
Umm, but I do I I wanna say something because I think it helps us Orient ourselves. We've been listening so much to the wonderful love of the Lord. We had the hope that we talked about in the reading meeting and the hope of being with the Lord. And the Lord loves us so incredibly. But I wanna say something because it might help us Orient ourselves. And that is.
This world has everything we need.
And this is all there is.
And now I'm sure, as you said, as you hear those words, immediately you've got a ping in your gut and you say, oh.
That's that's not right at all. And we know that's not right, but yet sometimes we wonder what's going on in our lives and.
The Lord says I know the thoughts, I think towards you, saith the Lord, Thoughts of peace and not of evil, that I might give you an expected end, and yet without a doubt.
As we journey on in this scene, we are having trials and tribulation. We know that the Lord said that what happened to us. I'll say one other thing. Those that go on and Don talked about this with the rich man, those that go on without the Lord certainly seem to do fine and end up happy and effective in their life. And you see.
Headlines and everything that this world is spinning out of control because we know without a doubt these are the last days.
And yet sometimes in our heart we do settle down, we do forget to walk with the Lord. Matthew 1128 says, Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. And so as Don talked about the that exchange there being yoked up with the Lord.
Walking with the Lord. Certainly when I made those statements that you knew that were wrong.
Hopefully when you look at the inverse of that, which is yoking up with the Lord and walking with Him through the scene, that is the path of life and happiness for us. And we know that this is our life is but a vapor that appears for a while. So we're here for a short time, but the Lord has left us here. He tells us in John chapter 17.
He said, he said, Father, I pray not that thou wouldst take him out of the world.
But that thou would keep him from evil. So we are here for a reason. Why are we here? So that we might become more like the Lord. So let's just look at umm, a few verses. First, Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter 2.
Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verse 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the Sinner he give us travail together and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of the Spirit. And so in our lives, how many times have we spent time on a pathway where we've not been close to the Lord and you felt.
Leanness to your soul and you've just carried on. Anyhow, we have all done it. But as you hear those erroneous statements I made in the beginning, might they speak to your heart to say this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is a new beginning for all of us. As you've come to this conference and made this effort to be here, I would encourage you to.
Take a different step in your life from this day forward.
And to always have your eyes focused on the Lord. Umm, turn with me to Genesis.
I think it's 42.
Genesis 42, verse 36.
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me, have you breathed of my children? Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me. And I know our life can feel like that sometimes. It does press upon us. We do have challenges, we do have disappointments, we do have heartaches. We are left in this scene, but the Lord is someone that we can join up with and walk with and get.
00:05:10
The strength and the wisdom and the knowledge to be different and not be conformed to this world and have different homes and different relationships and different friendships. And it tells us in Colossians chapter 3 that we should do everything heartily is on to the Lord. So if you're a single brother in the meeting here.
Do it heartily is unto the Lord. Be the best single brother that you can be. If you're a single sister in the meeting, do it heartily is unto the Lord. Be the best sister you can be. If you're a husband. Love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. We are so tremendously blessed in the Lord. He loves us so much He's given us. It tells us in Peter everything that pertains to life and godliness.
The question is, do we believe that somehow we let our hearts and minds get blinded in this scene, but instead.
Let's be transformed, and let's be the best husband we can be. If you're the wife, be the best wife you can be. If you're the grandparent, if you're a parent, raise up your children in the way that they should go. And when they're old, they will not depart from it. Do not lose heart. Take courage. Stay on the path of faith. Don't let the enemy deceive you. Jacob looked at these things. He said. All these things are against me.
You start getting under your circumstances.
And we start looking horizontally instead of looking vertically. We have the hope to be forever with the Lord, and God cannot lie. His promises are sure, and we can count on them. So Jacob had the wrong perspective here. Turn with me to Jeremiah, please.
You say well, but the these things are against me. Well, let's look at Jeremiah chapter 24.
Jeremiah chapter 24, verse 5. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel like these good figs, so I will acknowledge them, which are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. And so when we experience challenges in our life and we're left here, we're left here because God has a purpose for us and he's trying to transform our lives to be more like His Son. So these things go on.
It's not like Jacob. All these things are against me. These things are for our good. And why verse seven? And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord and they are my people.
And I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And so whatever place you are at in your life, God is the God of new beginnings. And you know that because when you look at the people that the Lord has used in Scripture.
The end of their life was was different than the beginning. You look at Peter. Peter denied the Lord with those with oaths and cursings, and yet he was used mightily of the Lord.
Joseph went through some trials, he was mightily used of the Lord. David went through some trials, he was mightily used to the Lord. So I encourage each of you to remember that the Lord is working things together for your good, that you might be conformed to the image of a son. Umm, please turn with me to first Peter.
And before we do that, umm Philippians chapter 3, verse 13.
Philippians, chapter 3, verse 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark.
For the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And so whatever has happened in the past, don't focus on it yesterday as poured concrete. It is not gonna be changed. But we need to press on towards the mark. We need to run the race that is set before us. We need to look on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was joy.
00:10:03
Joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame. First Peter. Chapter one.
First Peter chapter one, verse three blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his.
Abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we have a risen Savior in heaven who is waiting for us. That where I am, there ye may be also. We had those verses earlier in John chapter 14, the end of verse 3.
To an inheritance, incorruptible, non defile, which freighteth not away reserved. We have a reservation in heaven for us by a God who is unchanging. This is permanent. We can count on it reserved in heaven for you who are kept guarded by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season if need be. You are in heaviness through manifold testings.
For that the proving of your faith, being much more precious than of gold, which perishes though it be tried by fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. So do not lose heart. The Lord loves you, and He's working things together for good. Your life and your experiences in life are ordered of God, and love to do you good at your latter end.
Harry Hale used to say all our failures, whether sinners or Saints, spring from unbelief of the goodness that's in the heart of God towards us. So remember.
To do what's right and do your best and keep your eye on the Lord Jesus Christ who loves you more than we will ever comprehend. And lastly, just turn to Deuteronomy chapter 6.
Deuteronomy chapter 6.
Verse five. Well, let's we'll start with verse 40 here. O Israel, the Lord our God is 1 Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And then verse 18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee, and that thou may goest in and possess the good land which the Lord swear unto thy fathers. While we are pressing towards the mark of heaven, we have that place reserved for us. We have.
Salvation that cannot be taken away. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. God has given us this earnest, this down payment.
For what is reserved for us. But as we journey on in this scene, I encourage you to keep the love of the Lord before your heart. And another thing that Harry Hale said, I remember listening to a tape and I backed it up like five times because I thought I misheard him. He said, never try to love the Lord any more than you do. And I heard that and I was like, oh, this isn't right. I must have not heard that. So that's in the old days of cassette. So I'm hitting reverse, back it up, play it again, set it over and over. Finally I let it play through.
I didn't listen, I let it play through. Finally, just sit down and think about how much the Lord loves you. The Lord sold and gave everything so that we could be with Him where He is in that coming day. And so don't lose heart. Do what's right, do your best, do what hardly is unto the Lord, and you will receive a blessing. It may be well with you and I. Again, I don't mean it's easy because we've been talking.
About the manifold testings and trials. But we know this world is a wilderness and a desert so don't be blinded or try not to be. I know we will all mess up, I've messed up more than too many times, but keep your eyes on the Lord.
And we sing #46 in the back of the book #46 in the appendix.
00:15:46
And I thought my heart will pressure.
Continuously.
I'm on my mind progress.
To her.
Umm.
In my travelling to my.
I want, I say.
Oregon.
Umm.
It'll strike with me.
You'll fall asleep.
For me.