Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Just like to look at a few scriptures, brethren, in connection with the Lord meeting with his own or his own. Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke, 2nd chapter, first verse. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be taxed. Everyone.
Into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a Manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them. The glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a Manger. And suddenly there was with the multitude, with the Angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God, in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another.
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem.
And see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a Manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all that heard it wondered that those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. While I was just thinking of three instances, brethren. First of all, here we find these shepherds coming to be around the Lord, the babe lying in the Manger.
Later on, the wise men coming from the far country, and then we find after the Lord's resurrection, his own disciples coming to be around him in the place that He had appointed. And I trust it's precious to our hearts too, to be occupied with Him. But we see here first of all what God wrought and how He worked in their hearts. And then we see the result that was produced in their lives. And I think.
This is very lovely. I think there are quite a few details that we can notice here that surely speak to us. And that is, first of all, we see how God set the whole world in motion in order to accomplish His purposes. No, sometimes we get disturbed by things that happen. We say, why did this happen and why that? But if we could only see behind the scenes, we would see that God's hand is, in all the circumstances, absolutely nothing.
Happens by chance, even if it's a taxation, even if it's an enrollment, even if it's something that seems at the time very disturbing. And if we look at this in a practical way, it must have been exceedingly disturbing that this should take place right at the time when the Lord Jesus was about to be born and saw that Mary, instead of being able, as she had no doubt expected, to have the child at home. It was all planned so that.
At the very time when it was hardest for her to travel, why it was necessary for them to make this trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But we can easily see those of us who can look at this circumstance by faith that God's hand was in this. Had not the scriptures said that the Lord Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem? Could the scripture be broken?
If Mary and Joseph were down in Nazareth, was it not a simple?
Thing for God to set everything in motion in order to bring them to Bethlehem. So perhaps we have plans. We don't realize that there are plans, they're not his. And God sets about in a very strange way, perhaps to disrupt our plans, but his hand is in it. Let us learn, brethren, to see his hand in our circumstances, to see that he moves behind the scenes and that absolutely nothing.
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Happens in our lives.
By chance. And so here they have to make this journey up to Bethlehem to be enrolled. There could have been, as I say, a lot of complaining as to why this particular thing should have taken place just at that time. But there seems to have been submission in their hearts and they come up there perhaps expecting, well, at least the Lord will help us and find a comfort.
A comfortable spot for us when we get there. Some of us were.
Traveling and you know very well how perhaps you come to a place and you think, well, I hope we can find a room and here they came to Jerusalem and.
And they arrived there and there was no room for them in the end, no place for Mary and Joseph, no place for the Lord Jesus to be born as some circumstance happened like that in your life, you said I thought it was pleasing the Lord, but it just seemed that nothing seemed.
To work out God's hand was in this circumstance, this precious One who was to be born the Lord of glory, was to be and is despised and rejected of man, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. What a wonderful thing, as someone has said, the only person who had the right and the power to choose where he would be born.
You and I had no choice about where we were born, but he did.
And he wasn't born in a palace, He wasn't born in comfort. He was born in a Manger. He came down in lowly grace to identify himself with us in all that we passed through here in this world. How wonderful to think of that blessed One, the Lord of glory, to be born in a Manger. So the Lord Jesus was born and it says wrapped in swaddling clothes. I believe it's just another little instant.
To set before us the poverty, the great poverty. For the Lord Jesus had not a place to lay His head. Usually when a baby is born, why everything is ready for the baby clothes and all are ready. But here the Lord of glory come into this world, no place for Him in the end, only a cattle shed, only a Manger, and then not even nice clothes. He was wrapped in swaddling.
Clothes and lying in a Manger.
Well, who is it that God makes known to about this wonderful event? Was it the great and mighty of earth? Oh no, it was those, shall I say, if I can speak in this way, who had time to listen to the voice from heaven. You know, we're living in a busy world. It's very easy for us just to keep so busy all the time that we have no time for God's word, no time like.
Sit at Jesus feet. But it's nice here to see that these shepherds watching over their flock by night, there's a message comes to them. And so as it was remarked before, it's very important for us not to allow our occupation to make us so busy that we have no time for the word of God, no time to listen to what the Lord has to say to us because.
The most important thing in our whole life here.
Here in this world is to hear his voice, to have his direction because it's a trackless wild. We don't know the way as we sang in the song. We need his guidance for every step.
Well, these shepherds, as I say.
They were keeping watch over their flock, but they had time to listen to this message, says The glory of the Lord shone round about them.
And the Angel said, fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Oh what a message reached them. And so it is in all a busy world, and we have to earn our livelihood as our brother said, perhaps some losing their jobs, the anxieties of life and all.
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But isn't it wonderful that God can bring to our hearts that which comforts us and encourages US1 Thinks of that verse in the 16th Psalm, speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yeah, I have a goodly heritage. Was the Lord's pathway a pleasant? 10 He was the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, but all he was always in constant communion with.
His Father, And no matter what happened, even when he was rejected by the great and mighty, he could look up and say, I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. I think one of the hardest things for most of us, at least I can say for myself, is submission.
To take things from God, to bow to His hand in things that perhaps are not easy or pleasant.
But did you ever notice that in that passage in first Peter 5, where it speaks about casting all your care upon him, 40 careth for you, the verse before says, Humble yourselves unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, And that other is part of the same sentence, casting all your care upon him.
Did you ever find out? I found out.
That very often the reason I couldn't leave my cares with the Lord was because I hadn't first submitted to his hand in the trial. I first of all was really saying, Lord, things must be changed the way I'd like them. And I pray to him and I try to leave the burden, but I'm really actually telling the Lord how I'd like things to turn out about. The Lord says, first of all, you just bow to my hand and then.
I'll take the care. I care about you. I'm concerned. And so here we find that these shepherds, they heard this voice and they heard this wonderful message, a Savior, Christ the Lord. Oh, what a message. It's our only hope. We have no hope apart from him, apart from Christ. It's a hopeless thing as we read in our chapter in Ephesians, having no hope and without God in the world. But what has brought hope into our.
Lives. It's because we know Christ, because we know the man of God's counsels, the one who is head over all things to the church, which is his body.
And then it tells us in this 12TH verse, And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a Manger. Perhaps you have wondered just why that is given as a sign. Well, naturally enough, these shepherds would have expected that if Christ the Lord came into this world, if the true Messiah of Israel came.
Surely he would come.
In a way that would be accepted. Surely he wouldn't have to be born in a Manger. Why, if an important person visits Ottawa, where I live, he's given the best room in the city, and you'd never expect to find him down in a barn somewhere on a pile of hay. Oh no, you'd expect to see him in a nice place, but here?
They were to expect to find the Lord in this world as the rejected 1.
And now this comes a point, brethren, and I believe it's an important point. Is there someone here? And you say, well, I'm really seeking where the Lord would have me to be gathered and I'd like to find company with whom He would have me to be gathered.
And you may be very surprised when you find just a small company in a despised place. But this was assigned to them. The Lord is not yet in His place of power and glory. He is the rejected 1.
And if you and I must expect to find him, we must expect him to be still the rejected one. Our brother just read to us of a glorious time when all his own will be gathered to him. If you had been looking for David in the time of his rejection, you would expect to find him in a cave later on. If you had been looking for him, you would have found him crowned king.
All the 12 tribes. But there was a time when to find him you had to be willing to share his rejection. Onusiphorus was looking for Paul in the city of Rome, and he didn't find him a fine large building that was glorious. No, he found him a prisoner in chains. So this was the sign given to them.
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But what is so beautiful here is these multitude of the heavenly hosts crying glory to God in the highest. If man didn't recognize him, God would see that he was acclaimed and all that. Blessed One is yet going to have His rightful place. And if you and I are in communion with the thoughts of God, we're honoring Him now.
We're honoring him now, I say. And so these angels hear.
Crying glory to God in the highest. You know, today people like to use this and use this 14th verse. Glory to God on the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward man. But if you carefully notice in the 19th chapter of Luke, when the Lord Jesus was going up to Jerusalem there to be crucified.
When he was acclaimed then they didn't say peace on Earth.
The cry was Hosanna, peace in heaven. Why the change? Oh, the Prince of Peace has been rejected. Are you expecting peace? The Prince of Peace has been rejected. But he's going to. He's going to set things right another day. But there's peace in heaven. He is our peace, who hath made both 1 and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. We look up and we say He is our peace. So we don't expect to find.
Here, but we see it in Him, the one who is now crowned with glory and honor.
Now to me what is very beautiful to notice too, is that as soon as this has taken place, why, it tells us, the Shepherd said one to another.
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
What I wish to call attention to is that when they had received this message.
Immediately they say we must go. We must go and we can ask ourselves, brethren, does the truth that we know produce action in our lives? Doesn't do us much good to know the truth unless it has an effect on our lives in a practical way. And knowing this had an effect upon the lives of these shepherds, and it wasn't tomorrow, they said, let us go now.
Delay in the things of God is always dangerous.
When the Lord asked called upon Abraham to OfferUp his son.
He rose early in the morning.
And I would suggest that the reason he did it was if he had delayed, he could have thought of a great many reasons why he shouldn't do this. Here was the Son whom God had given the Son of promise. Should he really do this? And then we think of Gideon later on. He was called to throw down his father's altar. He knew there would be opposition. He could have weighed that and said, I just can't face that kind of opposition from my family.
But it said.
The same hour, the same night, he took ten men of the city and threw down the altar of Baal. And let me say, if the Lord has made something known to you or to me, let us act on it. Let us not delay, because obedience is the path of blessing. So they, they came. I, I don't know what they did about their flocks. You say, well, I don't think I could do it right now. I can see things that I have to.
Sort of straighten out a little bit.
First, Well, how did they manage to get away from their flocks? They were watching their flocks by night. Well, I don't know what they did, but I say this. They put First things first. They put First things first, and whatever arrangement they made.
They saw to it that they went to Bethlehem to see this and they weren't disappointed. They weren't disappointed. What did they go for? Did they go to see a nice building? Did they go to see?
Some grand place and all. They went to see the one who was as it says.
Christ the Lord, a Savior, that's who they went to see and they weren't disappointed. And if you and I follow the direction of God's precious word in obedience, we won't be disappointed because the most blessed thing in our lives is that we should, as it was brought before us in the young peoples, that we should be in the company of the Lord Jesus. That's the most wonderful thing. That's what's going to make heaven, heaven to us not.
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Gates of Pearl and the streets of Gold. Not that now himself.
And so here we find that they they weren't disappointed. They didn't come away and say, oh I was so disappointed. 2 poor people and a baby on a pile of hay. You wonder whether it was worth the effort. Is that the way they talked? Oh no, they came back praising and glorifying God and telling everybody what they had seen and heard. They weren't disappointed because they didn't go to see anything but the Lord of glory.
And you know, this is something for us, brethren, and I believe it's something that we need for our own souls. We're living in days of weakness and breakdown. We're living in days when if we're looking for something in God's people or even in ourselves, we're going to be disappointed. But the Lord is not a disappointment. He's always the same. He's always the chiefest among 10,000 and the altogether lovely 1. And so when they had been there.
Why, it says in the 17th verse. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things that were told them, which were told them by the shepherds. I'd like to think that it wasn't just what they said, but it was the way they said it.
Now when somebody tells you something and they don't seem to be affected.
At all you wonder if they're really concerned or interested, but you know, there is such a thing as being so, shall I say, so, taken up with the person that everybody can see.
I always have thought about that woman in the 4th chapter of John when she came back and said come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. What made the people willing to go with her? Well, I think that it was just her shining face. I think that they they knew something had happened. She had been in the presence of one who so had affected her. That was reflected in her face. And you know, brethren, sometimes we can talk.
Talk about truth and we can talk about it in such a way that people wonder if we really believe the things that we say. But oh, I'm sure if these things lay hold of us, it'll have the effect like it had with these shepherds. They were, they were just overflowing and tells us in the 20th verse. And the shepherds return, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them, as I say.
What had they heard? What had they seen?
And nothing that would attract a natural man, but everything that would fill their hearts with rejoicing when they were seeking the Lord of glory there to be where he was, their hearts were satisfied. And so it produced in them a desire to talk about it. Now let's turn to this other passage in Matthew chapter 2, verse one. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod.
Beholder came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews, For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him.
Then when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet. And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah. For out of these shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men.
Inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him also.
When they had departed, when they had heard the King, they departed, and lo, the star which they saw in the East went before them till it came, and stood over where the young child was.
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Star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were coming to the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country.
Another way.
Just notice the 16th verse just.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise man, was exceeding wrath, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from 2 years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
I just call attention to this because.
According to popular ideas, this event is simultaneous with the one in the second of Luke, but you can see here that it was two years later and the Lord was not in the Manger at this time. They found him in the house. I I call attention to it just to show that.
This is a further event that took place.
But I think there are things that we can learn from this too, which have a practical bearing.
Had seen the star in the East and it was a very long journey from where they were. Now, just what place they were in, I don't know. But apparently it took them close to two years to get there, to find this babe that had been born as the king of the Jews. Isn't this an amazing thing? Because I've heard people say, well, you know, I'd like to go, but it's too far to get to the meeting. It's, it's such a long distance.
But here were people that considered that even 2 years wasn't too long to make the journey. What for? Because they wanted to see this one who was born king of the Jews. I believe that they realized that Israel were God's people and that the true God was in Israel. But perhaps we can see that if we really have the thought, brethren, of meeting the Lord, of being where?
Is then the question of distance or time is not so important? If there's someone that we love, we know we'd cross the continent to see them because we love them. And if someone said, why would you call that far? Oh, we immediately answer without hesitation. I wanted to see so and so that person was dear to us. And so these May or May saw that star in the East. Just a little thought here. People say, well, what about the heathen?
Well, friends, never limit the power of God. God can reveal himself. He called Abraham when he was a heathen in ur of the Chaldees, and he left his country and his kindred and came out at the call of God. I never limpeth God's power to make himself known. I find a lot of coldness in my own heart, but I don't limit God's power. He can reveal himself.
It's quite striking here that these from the far.
Country from the east, they saw the star. Those who had further light, who lived at Jerusalem, which was only a very short distance away, they had the oracles of God and it didn't move them one bit. But those who had that message from God in the far country, they traveled all this distance. And so it tells us when they got to Jerusalem.
Herod was troubled.
And all Jerusalem, because, you know, Jerusalem was just going on with its solemnities, going on with formalities, not interested in Christ himself. This is a religious world. Many people go on with the forms and ceremonies of religion, but it's a person that God sets before us for salvation. It's a person who is our gathering center.
And so they come there and they.
Enquire where Christ would be born and now. Isn't this an amazing thing?
These scribes, chief priests and scribes of the people, they had the oracles of God. They knew where Christ was to be born, and he had been born 2 years before.
And he had been brought up when he was eight days old to the temple, and Simeon and Anna had been there, and they hadn't recognized who he was. But these people with all their religion were unmoved for two whole years. Oh, what an empty thing. Well, there might be somebody here. There might even be someone brought up in a Christian home. Knowledge will not keep you.
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Knowledge will not be enough, dear friends. It's a person whom you need.
The Lord Jesus is the Savior, and the Lord Jesus is the gathering center. Well after they had received further light. And I think there's something instructive here, that when God begins a work, He finishes it. If he revealed himself to Abraham and UR of the Chaldees, he got further light when he came into the land of Canaan and when these came into the land where God's word was.
Why then they received further light?
And God will always give more light, it says.
If we it says, you know in the word of God, to whom much is given, of the same shall much be required.
So here we find that.
In the ninth verse, when they heard the king, they departed, and lo, the star which went they saw in the east, went before them till it came, and stood over where the young child was. Oh, the Lord was still guiding them. He guides us by His word. He guides us in particular ways at times, and here we find that He directed them. And it says in the 11TH verse, when they were coming to the house, they saw.
Young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him. Pausing this lovely first of all, notice it doesn't say the mother and child. There are quite a few mothers with children here and we talk about the mother and her child. Why does it say the child and his mother? This was the Lord of glory. The Spirit of God takes care.
To bring before us something of the glory of this person.
Here and then too. Who did they give the gifts to? Sometimes you and I might give a gift when a child has arrived, but we give it to the parents, don't we? But they presented the gifts to the child. And who did they worship? Did they worship Mary? No, they fell down and worshiped him. Oh, how beautiful this is we find them.
That these wise men from the East in the case of the shepherds.
They had to leave their flocks in some way, perhaps in the care of others, so that they could get to where the Lord was. And they acted at once. These people didn't mind how great the distance was. They came just the same, and they weren't disappointed. Why weren't they disappointed? Because they had come to see Jesus.
They were like the Greeks who said, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Us, we could ask ourselves, brethren, why do we come to meeting? Do we come to meet our brethren? Perhaps your friends say they're going to church and you say, well, I'm going to meeting. But have we stopped to think who we're coming to meet and not just coming to meet the brethren, We come to meet the Lord. What a privilege to meet Him, the one who is in our midst. And so it tells us here.
They opened their treasures and presented unto Him gifts. And I am sure too, that if we realize more of the Person who is in the midst of His own, gathered according to His Word around Himself, why we would have more worship in our hearts. Perhaps the gold brings before us the glory of His Person, and frankincense what his whole pathway was to God as.
Sweet incense, and then the myrrh brings before us, I believe, His sufferings, all that He was to endure. And those are things that occupy us in our worship too, as we gather around the Lord. We love to sing, Lord of glory, we adore Thee. We love to, as we often sing, O Lord, when we the path retrace which Thou on earth has trod. And then we think of His sufferings and all that He went through.
Well, I may have done all this. In the case of the shepherds, it tells us that they were telling everybody what they had seen. But here it doesn't say that they said anything at all. It says in the 12TH verse, and being warned of God, that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
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It had an effect on their lives in the 2nd chapter of Luke. It gave them a subject to talk about. And we love to talk about the Lord Jesus too. We sing Let's talk about Jesus more and more. We like to talk about Him.
But does it affect our lives in this way that they went into their own country another way? They didn't go the same way that they had come. And I believe that if we realize.
What it is to be in the presence of the Lord when we go back to our homes, it would have an effect upon us. There would be another way, so to speak, not in company with this world that has crucified and cast out our Savior. But there would be that separation from this world which is under judgment. They went into their own country.
Another way, I hope, brethren, that when we return from these meetings, that.
Even those who know us at home will.
We'll see the difference. I was thinking of Ruth after she had been in the presence of Boaz. It tells us that when she came to, when she came back to her mother-in-law, her mother-in-law, Naomi said, Who art thou, my daughter? Who art thou? My daughter? Didn't she know her?
But she saw something different, something that saw. It filled her heart that she couldn't hear. She had this, this six measures that he had given to her. She had the prospect that he really was interested and cared about her and her mother. Even mother-in-law even wondered who she was. Oh, it makes a difference. We're different people. Perhaps when you got saved.
Your your loved one said you're a different person. Well, we are different people.
Where new creatures in Christ Jesus Now just one more passage in Matthew 28. This at the just before the Lord was taken away to go to the glory.
Matthew, Chapter 28.
Verse 16.
Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded.
The Jew, and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Well, here's another occasion where they met around the Lord. The Lord Jesus had risen, and now he appointed a place where they would meet him.
It apparently wasn't anything that would attract a natural person, It just says.
A mountain where Jesus had appointed them. You and I desire to be directed by him. Well, they had to listen quite carefully, I'm sure, as the Lord gave them directions and told them it required spiritual energy on their part to seek out this spot where the Lord had appointed. And then it says.
The 11 disciples went away and came there. Well, we know that when the Lord Jesus comes, as we mentioned before, all His own will be gathered to him. But we can say that if it is a God-given center, if it is according to His word, why it will be on the ground of the whole Church of God. It will include every member of the body of Christ, whether they're there or not.
So we find here that the 11 disciples.
Went away. And I say again, if it's a scriptural ground, it will be a ground large enough to include every child of God, although there will have to be separation from evil.
Well, they came and they weren't disappointed either when they saw Him. They worshipped Him. Well, that's the effect of being in His presence, of really seeing Him in the midst. There is worship produced in our hearts.
But there's also something else that comes out here. It says, but some doubted. You know, I'm sort of glad that comes in there, brethren. I say I'm glad because many times we might come into the Lord's presence, perhaps to remember Him or on other occasions. And we say, well, I don't find the response in my heart that there should be.
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Well, here when we find the disciples all together.
There were some who were lacking in faith.
And I've often said that Thomas, he outspoken, he was outspoken and he, he said he expressed his doubts. But there's a lot of us that have many things hidden up in our hearts. We, we don't tell everybody, but those things are there and we feel kind of ashamed. Sometimes I do, at least when I sit in the Lord's presence, I feel kind of ashamed because I see just those kind of things in my heart. Is this a reason to stay away?
No, they were all there but the.
Lord looked into their hearts and he saw now you may not have doubts about salvation, but you may have doubts about a lot of other things. We we can have doubts about why did this happen and why did so and so do that or say that we can have all kinds of things crowd into our minds all kinds of reasonings and questions that come up. But isn't this beautiful what the Lord did on this occasion and Jesus.
First came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
He didn't answer every individual problem. I suppose every one of them had a different problem. Every one of them had something else that was perplexing them, but this was the answer to every one of them. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Brethren, there isn't a problem we can be in that the Lord couldn't take us out of it if He saw best. If He saw it was best, He could take us out of it. I say again, there isn't.
Problem and so this is the answer to all those doubts. All power is given unto me and oh, you say, I know he has all power up there, but in earth, yes, in earth too. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Is there anything that's bothering you today? And you say I don't know why the Lord doesn't come in will rest in this verse.
To me, it's just as if the Lord who was in their midst came to each one of them into individuals.
Usually because it's rather a strange expression, isn't it? They saw him, but Jesus came and spoke to them just as if he came to each one individually and says I have all power.
And oh, I just want this to sink down into my own heart. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Oh, if we just rested in that, if we just realized that, oh what happy Christians, we would be what? Rejoice.
Christians, to know that we have found Christ, the Lord our Savior, that we have found that He has a way that we can gather around himself according to His Word, and that He cares about everything that perplexes us. All the doubts that concern us, that He actually would come and say, I have all power, just leave that with me, casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. And then he said something else too.
That must have been very comforting to them, and that is that He was going to use them. Don't you often wonder how the Lord could ever use such poor, failing things as we are? Don't you often say, how could He ever use me? I'm so ashamed at the doubts I see in my mind, and even when I sit in His presence, I have so many wandering thoughts. He has to tell me that He's going to use me. I never could believe it, but he says, Go ye and teach all nations.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, bringing them, perhaps we could suggest, into that blessing of Christianity.
Of course we know baptism is not salvation, but it is that which introduces us into the place where God is fully revealed and made known. What a wonderful thing this is. And so here we find that they were given the privilege of serving the Lord and then teaching them to observe all things. Whatsoever I have commanded you, in other words.
We are, as Paul said, to declare the whole council of God.
Paul not only told the way of salvation, but he was burdened that the Saints might know all the precious truth of God.
And then this lovely expression at the end. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
1 is often commented that we need the enjoyment of the Lord's presence collectively, and we need the enjoyment of His presence individually to sustain us along the path.
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In these scriptures we've looked at, we had the Lord's presence. Collectively, the shepherds gathered around him. Then in the next instance, the wise men gathered around him.
And here in the first part of this chapter of this instance where we read, the 11 disciples were around him, but they had to disperse. They were going to leave that happy meeting place. But now he gives them a word of assurance. And he says, lo, I am with you always. And so, brethren, may we value the Lord's presence collectively. May we really desire to be.
Gathered according to His word, Himself in our midst.
And then till when we leave such happy occasions, may it be our desire to enjoy His presence individually.
As we drive our cars, as we sit in our homes, as we go to our business, we can be like Nehemiah, who was the King's cup bearer. And there he stood in the presence of the great king. And the king asked him a question and he prayed to the God of heaven just as if the Lord was standing right by him. And he said, oh, I have a need, I'll just ask the Lord right now. And there he did. And so how lovely it is.
We do have to leave these happy occasions when we're together, but we can enjoy His presence individually. Oh, may the Lord grant it may be so. It's everything to us, brethren, as it was brought before us in the previous meeting. What a wonderful thing. The Lord desires to have our company, and He delights to have that response in our hearts that we want to be in His company.
It may be as I say.
That it's a difficult, rejected place. It may be we have a distance to travel, it may be that we find doubts and things in our minds, but it's himself we need. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore.