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Hi this is chapter one verse 5 for this call is left on the increase in its attitude set in order the things that are wanting and ordained I'll lose in every city as I had appointed they if any be blameless. The husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God himself will not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast and faithful word, as he had been taught, that he may be able by sound doc in both to exhort and to convince the game Sayers.
Well, there are many unruly and veins, hoppers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped to subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not the filthy Lucas sake.
One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said the Christians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore reviews them sharply, they may be sound in the face of giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth.
Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work and reprobate.
His last verse is helpful to us to understand what he's trying to bring out here and the qualification of those that exercise the role of a Bishop was that there was profession a professor that they know God, but the the words denied that fact and he said being abominable disobedient.
And I'll do every good work, reprobate or the margin reads without judgment.
One of the things we commonly hear today is, well, you can't say or you can't judge and so on. And it is true, we're not to judge motives, but the Lord has set an authority, as we were hearing in this world, to make judgments. It's not a question of infallibility or faultless judgment. But the assembly has been said in this world that there is a place where moral judgments and matters, that things can be and binding judgments be made in this world. The world objects to that. They say you can't say.
But if we open God's precious word, it is unbelief to say we can't say when God has said so. And so the qualifications of the elder then or the overseer then is that they have proven that they are not self willed. And I think that the contrary to self will is disobedient. What goes along with self will is disobedience. It's used to getting your own way. We call children disobedient. We don't call adults disobedient. They're just self will.
And when we're older and we're heads of homes and so on, it's not a question so much of disobedience, but we have a way of ordering life around ourselves so that we get to do our our own way. And so childhood disobedience manifests itself in an adult itself. Will and a brother made this comment that my brother, who is excellent when he doesn't get his own way in care, meeting his evidence that he was never obedient as a child.
Somebody who comes to care meeting and he sucks because he doesn't get his own way.
Is somebody who is never obedient to the child and so I believe that that's what maybe these words are strong but I believe that that's why it exists here in our sixth verse is not being self willed. You know sometimes we get up in the gospel and we scold children very severely and mourn children about the effects of disobedience and then we get older. We think we're immune to that kind of exhortation but it's a very solid thing so that those that exercise.
Oversight in the House of God are not to be, not to be self willed.
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Boeing got his anger and you find that, uh, and you see that that was this particularly characteristic of the day in which we live is railing because anger. And if you don't get your own way, then you get mad. And, uh, and that is a characteristic of the way that people behave themselves today. If you, if, uh, I think some of us have this study, that book, the Wizard of Oz in school and he got, tried to get his own way by flattering people and charming people. And when that didn't work, he flew into a rage.
And so those two things get together. It doesn't say not to get angry, it says be angry and cannot let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Opinion of evil did not change. And so you have one thing that the Lord did at the beginning of his ministry and at the end of his ministry. That was at the beginning of his ministry. And Johnstock, while he turned the money changers out of the temple, he overturned the money changers tables and drove them out. And in Matthew's Gospel, I believe it was at the end of his ministry. And I think that's illustrated about the fact let's not the sun go down upon your raft, is that our opinion of equal is not to change with time.
You have a little picture. God gives us a little picture in Genesis chapter 18 of what is valuable to Him.
You know, one that is uh, uh, an overseer among his people. In chapter 18 of Genesis, in verse 19, he says of Abraham, I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to give justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him. So there was a path of obedience and faithfulness in Abraham's life and he said, I know him. So the Lord knows that.
Those that desire to, umm, bring up their children and then nurture and admonition of the Lord. See, we, we sometimes quote that scripture and it's, uh, we, we really don't think about what it says. And the nurture to, to feed our children with Christ, to give them nurturing in the things of God, uh, in their home and, uh, nurture the admonition. And then there's the correction. So there's food, but then there's correction. And the Lord desires this too, of godly Christian parents that desire to bring up their children for the Lord that there might be fruit for the glory of God.
For all eternity, those two things are connected.
As the nurturer side is the positive side, we bring up our children strictly, that's alright, and teach them to obey, but we have to give them that nurture. We have to provide them with something better than what we were saying. No, better not to go there because it's a worldly thing, but we've got to give them something better and we have plenty to give them. And if there is that nurture, the positive side, the children will grow up to know.
That the world says, oh, you don't need to obey your parents. A child that is brought up in a home under the nurture, in other words, they've got something better. They say to themselves, I know, but that my dad or mom and my mom are right. These kids around here, they're not right, but there must be that positive side to nurture, to give them the positive. Then they will say, I know what life is.
Worth living for, and that's Christ.
Get that in the assembly to go through a Hebrews chapter 13. It says they're at the same principle, the same order in verse seven. Remember them which have to rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation or their manner of life. And then a little further on in verse 17. Then you get the Ivanissa obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your soul. So those those two things and that's the godly orders and if there's food for and then there's admonition and if there's fruit for God.
For His glory.
We did that, uh, great, well brought out, uh, umm, in, in the first, uh, Samuel 15 and verse UH-22.
But you said, uh, Neil, I want my own way. I'm gonna have my own way. But what does Samuel say to solve? And Samuel said half the Lord is great delight in Burt Hopkins and sacrifice as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold to obey is better than sacrificing to our country than the Father rounds for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
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And stubbornness, so the inequity and idolatry, because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord.
How solemn it is to think of it. And if we want our own ways, we're really fighting with what we get here.
I think it's important to realize what we put out there in the order there in Hebrews with the word of God first, and it's the obeying second. And so this is not the subject of education of man's conscience to, to, uh, to man and the opinions of men. So it is the word of God. So there's a nurture there.
The the thought is that it that if I don't obey God myself and I'm not subject to the word of God myself.
And I can't really expect it of my children. And that's really what the issue is. And it's not by simply ruling by I'm a criticist way of Gray hair or I'm older than you are, but it really is but the truth of the word of God. And so that is what that is really the word of God has authority. And we we see this later. It's not up to me to set aside the authority of God's word because we're stewards.
It's not up for you if if a brother says you will brother, I think that we should have.
I think we should have the sisters running this thing here in the assembly. It's not up for you to set aside God's Word, is it? Because or I think that such and such should take place. It's not up for, no, no matter how old we are to set aside the authority of God's Word, that the faithful steward himself, a man with a credit manager and a company, he has that faithfully with his company's assets. He's not free to give them away just because he's been placed in that place of stewardship.
And so that's where the commanding comes in is we have, we're, we're to be faithful stewards of what God has committed to us. And then if there's unruliness in connection with keeping that, then, umm, then that's, as you point out, it's a very serious thing.
Isn't it wonderful we have the Lord Jesus throughout the course in Philippians chapter 2 There as one who became obedient, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross when an object for our hearts, if we would be instructed in the word of God by those that would be exercising oversight and bring the word of God to bear upon certain situations.
What a lesson lesson thing that would be that there would be submission and that there would be joy and peace as a result of submission to the Word of God and obedience.
It's remarkable to realize that.
I just on these, all these verses that have been read to us today, he was addressing, he was addressing Gentiles and at least he was being instructed on how to help to bring order amongst a Gentile assembly. And who was he? Well, if he turned just for a moment to uh, to Galatians 2:00 and 3:00.
POC.
But how appropriate it was that Titus would get this instruction.
Galatians 2 and three, but neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek at the Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.
Well, you would think.
Like Timothy was, Paul consented to his being circumcised, but Titus wasn't. So Titus was a very suited person to speak to these gentiles and say, well, we're not forced to go back to the Jewish traditions. We have got something far, far better. So when each one of us is called to a work.
Second Timothy 213 says of a man therefore purged himself from these, he shall be a vessel on our honor, sanctified in meat for the masters use and prepared.
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Until every good work when the Lord gives you a, a, a something to do, you are equipped for it by him. Second Timothy 213 makes that very plain. So what is needed is for us to be in subjection to the word of God and not be going by traditions. And so this would enable.
Tim, uh, Titus to be able.
To bring this message from the Apostle Paul adieu to these people Gentiles.
Is dropping back to the third chapter of Second Timothy just across the page.
Verse 16 One of the three si one of the the three sixteens of Scripture which is good for us to remember.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
Our every scripture really.
And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction in righteous, in righteousness and, and, and instruction and righteousness. Well, Paul's epistles do that, don't they? And especially thinking of his writing to tigers here. But just notice what it says verse 17, that the man of God may be perfect. Now that doesn't mean he's gonna attain to perfection.
But he's fully equipped. We're talking about that between meetings here. Some of us, the, the child of God is fully equipped. How does he get, how do I get equipped to meet, uh, these needs being furnished through the word of God? This is how I get it. I don't get it because of my intelligence or my college degree at all. I get it by the word of God. So it says that every scripture is given by inspiration for us. Wonderful to know, isn't it, that we have in our hands.
God's inspired word, and we can gather this precious thing from it, but what I'm particularly noticing was that the man of God may be perfect or throughly furnished unto every good work. That is all the things that we need to be to be equipped, we find in the Word of God. God equips us for that, for that particular duty or responsibility that we may have as we've been having here being.
Committed to to this, these things by Titus, Paul by Titus. But God has given us all this equipment. Do we need anything further? You don't get it anywhere else. We can only get it from the word of God itself.
Every scripture. So if you go through that, you see there's, there's doctrine that's, that's, umm, uh, wrong. Hebrews we find, uh, reproof is in Galatians, correction is in Corinthians and also instruction in righteousness is in Colossians.
Doctrine is teaching. You say that for the young people to help.
Each time you see that word, Doctor Meekin put in their teaching. So when we're in a reading meeting, it's so important for us to list.
The young people that are listening are going to be blessed.
I've already blessed.
What you said Norman, about, uh, if the Lord wants you to do something, he's going to, uh, supply you with all that you need. And we get that very, very much in Gideon, how he was so tenant and, uh, how he didn't want to go, but yet the Lord told him to go and told him what to do. And even, he even picked out his own transform. Gideon didn't even have to pick out his friends.
The Lord and He has something for us to do.
You look after every detail.
As an indoctrist here, there's several things that are found in in Titus that are found and one of them is doctrine. In verse nine it says Abel by sound doctrine.
Being really solid, uncorrupted doctrine, the teaching of God, uh, the teaching of the apostles held and, and taught, not corrupted and not something that's added to it. So we have sound doctrine in verse nine, and then we have in verse 13 of our chapters found in the faith really means solid in the faith, not one that is easily shaken in the, when the truth is brought before them that, uh, it's, uh, they're found.
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Faith, uh, of God. And then it says uh again in chapter 2. Sound speaks out of things which become sound doctrine and sound in the faith in verse 2.
Let me just say two things about not a striker not given, not given to filthy lucre. Umm.
We're not Christians, but we are Gentiles, most of us in this Western Christian world. And the character of the Gentiles to, uh, settle matters is to fight it out in the battlefield.
You know, I kind of chuckled sadly when I saw the headlines that there was peace in hospital. So you see how the Western Christian nation solved the dispute. They went in there with $5 billion worth of bombs and dropped it on a little area of the world. And, uh, when everybody suddenly calmed down afterwards, they called that peace. But that's not the way that we accomplished the work of God, but it, that's our way by nature. Rather said, you know, they have union in Europe, but they don't have unity and.
Those are ancestors. Our recent ancestors killed 75 million of each other on the battlefields of Europe and they've got union, but they don't have unity. That's the way of the Gentiles is to fight things out. And so there's a tendency, you know, to do that. And so this is not a striker or a lover of Sophie, Luke or given the Luther. This is the exact expression there. I think it's important to see this, that umm.
Uh, not given to selfie, Lucas, There's nothing wrong with being rich.
And, umm, we should just read a verse in Timothy in connection with this, where the snare comes for young people and for us, especially when we're heading out in life. I think that, umm.
First nine of First Timothy, chapter 6.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a spare, and then in many foolish and hurtful luck, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil.
With some having which while some coveted after they have erred from the face, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou old man of God, pleading things, and fall after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
The desire to be rich.
Very plain as to what it's gonna lead to. And so I just stated that the Lord entrusts that to those that are able to carry it out. And the ambition to be rich is to cause a great deal of grief among many and four many. But it was given to filthy Lucas. That became their object.
And so I just say that because we shouldn't look down on those that have more than we do. Umm.
That brings with it a special challenges, but that's what it was saying here is that the characteristic of this one was not to be given. But there is a prosperity gospel. I mean, what Scripture instructs us to do is when you hear it, run the other way, please.
Don't run, don't walk when you hear that kind of thing. But God's given some people good heads and business heads and so on, and that's the that's of God.
Mr. Garvey's translation uses the word here.
And find it uh.
Is very umm.
Not seeking gain by base means.
Not seeking gain by base means. And that's really, uh.
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We have, the world has its terminology, uh, a get rich quick scheme. And, uh, you know, sometimes we as doesn't, there's no age limit to this. Uh, sometimes the, the world is taken up with, uh, get rich quick schemes and the lottery tickets and everything else that go along with it. But the believer is to be characterized as receiving what he has from the Lord. And so it says in first Corinthians chapter 4, what hast thou that thou hast not received?
So the believer has the.
That would be a steward would be one that would be dependent upon the Lord. He's not trying to get rich quick. Uh, he doesn't have that tendency and he seeks to what he has from the Lord and then thankful to the Lord for what he has. He doesn't reach out and take something that isn't his.
The 17th verse is the admonition, the one who is already.
Great how remarkable the word of God is. It says charge them that are rich, not seeking to be rich as the other verse said in the 10th verse.
Nice here too, that in our verse, in our chapter verse 9, holding fast the faithful word doesn't say this doesn't say holding fast the word. Holding fast the faithful word, whose word was it? It's the word of God, isn't it? God is faithful as we find that in first Timothy and just so beautiful to think of this holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught.
Now all we have to do is we don't wanna talk about it, but think about a few years ago.
What did we find find those that had been taught. Now they soar above their brethren and they go beyond and they dispense with things that they once taught as the truth so that it's not truth anymore as God's word changed. Never, never did and never will. So I just thought of how beautiful it is for us to hold this is this whole fast. Don't don't let it go. Don't let something come along and cause you to say, well, I wonder now I wonder about that.
I question that. Don't question the word of God. Hold it fast as it says. Hold fast the faithful Word as He has been taught.
Now, now comes the responsibility that he may be able.
By sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers sound doctrine that which he has been taught that which was from the word of God a faithful word. So I believe we find here a binding together of that which is of God and this is the thing that will keep us and be and we that we were able to be an encouragement we'll be able to exhort we'll also be able to.
Help those that are especially they have a circumcision of a jewel here and uh, so it will be those that will will be able to help them. Otherwise we will not be able to help them. If I don't consider the word of God myself applying to me, if I'm not holding it, how can I expect to teach someone else or help anyone else? So I believe it's very important. I was thinking over just going over to Ephesians chapter 4 just.
Thinking again of this dispersion and despair, despairing of the truth of God. Just forward to Ephesians 4.
Versus uh, and here's a good word for us.
It's good for the young people, good for all of us.
Ephesians chapter 4, verse 14. That we henceforth be no more children.
To and fro with every win of document by the sleight of men. Cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive, but holding the truth. Verse 15. Not exactly speaking the truth, but holding the truth in love.
May grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
I'm doing the whole body. But you know, I just thought of putting that together with what we have here. Holding fast, a faithful word as he has been taught.
We'll do that seven years, the perfect number, and we get it here in uh, verse 8 and 9A Lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just holy tempered holding thoughts. The faithful word is Southeast 7.
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The word sober it means so as to be, uh, so as to be right.
Regarding the translation uses the word discreet there for that word sober. I wonder whether that might give us the, uh, the direction, you know, the Spirit of God would have those that are in a place of oversight to be discreet in connection with the issues that they deal with among the Lord's people sometimes and overseer will have someone come and speak to them about a personal matter perhaps and.
There's a matter that needs to be discussed and taken up, uh, privately and, umm, and even in things of God when perhaps there are times when, uh, we get off on a path of disobedience or worldliness and one of those overseers perhaps sees a disorderly conduct coming in. He goes over and speaks to that one privately. And then maybe he speaks another time privately and he's doing it so that, umm, you know, if there's disobedience, continued disobedience in the, in the pathway, in an assembly, why then the Lord has to come in, perhaps in governmental ways.
Deal with the situation. But here it really speaks to umm, of a woman is sober, discreet. He doesn't broadcast the matter amongst the brother. Why he keeps it quiet. He keeps it between himself and the individual that is involved and he just deals with it quietly. And it's not the character of the Lord and how he deals with it. You know, he spoke to Solomon three times. The first time, umm, I guess I, I'm gonna have a hard time.
Uh, just quoting them. So we'll just turn them real quickly. I think it's First Kings chapter 3, the first time that he speaks to Solomon. And in verse 15, Solomon awoke and behold, it was a dream and he came to Jerusalem.
So the Lord spoke to Solomon that first time, and then he spoke to them another time, a little further on in First Kings. And, uh, he built that house, uh, for the Lord.
And then, umm, the Lord appeared to him after he built the host.
I guess I can't find it here, but uh.
And the third time, yes, it's chapter nine, first Kings, Chapter 9. And uh, verse one, it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the House of the Lord and the Lord and the King's house and all Solomon's desire, which was he was pleased to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. And then you find third time in Chapter 11 That it becomes a public thing, Chapter 11 of 13 and verse nine. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord's audit Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.
And has commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods. So God had had a private conversation with Solomon twice about this issue of idolatry and this issue perhaps as the wives that has taken his heart away. But then, you know, the third time through the public thing. And so the overseers discreet, he takes up these issues. He sees that the disorder is creeping into the assembly, uh, perhaps into a family, whatever, and he seeks to correct the matter.
Just briefly privately takes the matter up, but then you know, if it persists, why then the Lord oftentimes makes it a public thing.
Coming back to our chapter in verse 9 just for a minute.
I think it's it might be helpful to see, uh, three things.
In the middle of, uh, the second line of, of uh, verse 9, uh, as he has been taught, uh, being taught, being taught, that's the foundation we need to be taught.
But what's the next thing? Going back to the first part, holding fast the faithful word as the end is taught. The second thing is to be living what we have been taught.
It's one thing to know the Scriptures, but it's another thing to walk in them. And then the third thing is the end of the verse. We're going to be able to help others. John's gospel says He that believeth on me got to have my hand on The Fountainhead. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said out of his belly, has to have an effect on my life and to live it.
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Then my other hand is going to go in.
Blessing, uh, seeking for the welfare of others, but I must have my hand to the top and then to live it, and then I'm gonna be able to be used in helpfulness to others.
Oh, close to some I believe, therefore I've spoken. I didn't get that all close to Thomas connection to ministry I believe, therefore have. Yes, yes, that's the order. There has to be a personal laying hold of it first.
Yeah, so they believe you're in connection with the unruly, that there was discipline putting away, Properly speaking, Mr. Darby says it's not discipline at all. If I put my son out of the house and I say you can no longer be in my house, you so corrupted my house that you have distorted and distorted my house. I cannot call you my son and I can't let you come in. I there's nothing more I can do with you that's putting away from a large table.
And properly speaking, that's not discipline at all. But it's admission that all discipline is failed.
But here we have get the plumber, the absorbing, and there's the convincing of the game stayer. And then there was even even here whose mouths must be stopped. It doesn't say you can. It says they must be stopped. And the comment was made recently that there should be as many loosens as there are bindings. But whole set of Timothy have no man like mine is. You will naturally care for your state. But here we see that there are many deceivers in vain talkers.
When I was young, somebody talked about the parable of the prodigal son, and he said we shouldn't really call the parable of the prodigal son's this prodigal son's. There are lots of, but how many fathers are in there like that? And here is the question. There's many deceivers in veins, hawkers, and it's not an optional thing. It says his mouth must be stopped.
To convert whole houses using things which they ought not to for filthy lucrative space or for gaining space. And umm, that's it. There is the injunction there, but they must be stopped. And what it takes, the Assembly has been given very broad powers to deal with that. And it said whatsoever are you buying on Earth?
Is is the power of the assembly to stop that are unlimited?
But it it's not an optional thing here. And so we have we see this in connection with that because it was unruly there from teaching things that were contrary to the doctrine and wanted to let it stray. And so the elders at Ephesus left and then came in and so dared. And we have to look back at what has happened and we have to say, have we fulfilled our responsibility to stop unruly talkers and they have the circumcision? Have we delivered our young people into the hands of those that were unruly and would not?
Would that rebelled against the word of God, and I see that in the Book of Kings, where?
Solomon favored, uh, favored Jeroboam because he was an industrious man who see that maybe we should turn back to that. It's from first king.
Because maybe it leads on with what our brother Robert was saying, what he failed to judge in himself. He kind of turned a blind eye to his own son.
I think it's uh.
After 11/26 11:26.
Umm, yes, it's actually 28. That it it, Well, yeah, 26 you should start there. And Jeroboam, the son of Neba, an appetite of uh, Miradiya, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Deruya, a widow woman even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the 'cause that he lifted up his hand against the king Solomon, Phil Milo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David's father.
And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor, and Solomon seen the young man that he was industrious. He made him a ruler over all the charges of the heights of Joseph.
Well, you can see your recipe for disaster.
Solomon knew a Jeroboam was, and yet he thrust him into the very place of ruling over all the House of Joseph when he knew what he was.
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And so we have a solemn responsibility in connection with these things. I think we find in the Word of God, the sin of Jeroboam is mentioned 38 times, and it was the sin by which all other sins were measured in the Old Testament of the king, 38 times, I believe you'll find is talking about after the sin of Jeroboam. And we see the beginning of this. Well, Solomon was given wisdom. It wasn't that he lacked the wisdom. God gave him the wisdom to deal with the situation.
And we often say we didn't know what to do, but we did, and we didn't have the moral courage to do it. And so we see here that, uh, what Jeroboam's beginning was. And so he can't give this order to Timothy, to Titus rather, whose mouths must be stopped because then those that are younger are taken away. Whole houses are subverted. And we see their sorrow that is brought in and, uh, into the assembly and into homes because.
There was not a carefulness in connection with these things.
Let me just comment on the last umm, 3, umm, 3 words actually of, uh, verse eight. They have to do in the connection with what you were talking about. Brother Neil, uh, a brother A1 That would be an overseer ought to be, uh, just ought to be fair. We ought to recognize the, the character of one that is umm, has the ability, so to speak, to size up.
A situation and to be fair about it and also to be pious or holy. And this is what perhaps was lacking in Jeroboam. And he was not a pious man. He was industrious in scripture records that he was industrious, but he wasn't characterized as one that was highest and temperate self-control. He needed to have that self-control. And uh, we learned later on that, uh, because Israel to sin because he didn't have.
That conference in his life?
You know, my brother asked me, I think some people know that we're called Tunbridge Well, brethren, because there was a, a division over a little decision that a little country assembly or Tunbridge Wells made over a man named Mr. Strange.
And uh.
I was in a home in France and his young brother, nice young brother, he said, uh, I know that they had to do what they had to do with Tunbridge. Well, so why did they have to do it? So that's a strange question. And then he gave me a perfect outline of why the brethren had to do what they had to do at Conridge. Well, but he said, but if they hadn't done it, then we'd all be together and all happy.
But you see, another brother asked him what took place in Tunbridge. Well, it was a man named Mr. Strange, and we had an open meeting today and he got up.
And you would say things like, all our blessings come from the devil. You know, if, uh, Satan had attempted ease, then there would have been no fall and there would have been no, uh, need for salvation and so on. And so it was just that kind of thing. And what other answer to their answer to that than to say whose mouth must be stopped? But here, thousands of assemblies literally in Europe were swept away in division at the division of Tunbridge Wells because they didn't realize a simple principle that the assembly has authority to deal with this kind of thing.
And, and not even the assembly, but in oversight that these things have to be dealt with. And here's a young man 90 years later scratching his head saying why do they have to do it?
But Paul says in Corinthians put you like man and there is the there is some other influence, if I may say that, but I'm asked not to put on that with pertaining to a woman. We hear the other side of that. But there is the mothering influence and it's wonderful. You know, our wives even how they pack the children's lunch and so on and how they arrange everything and they're very thoughtful how and that's what is increasing in Hebrews and says Hebrews.
And you do it with joy and not with grief. So we can make it a very difficult, very difficult.
Thanks for those that have overseas to oversee but it's a necessary thing and we see the results installments host with Jeroboam that 10 tribes of Israel were taken away in division and to this day to this day that there's still Israel is still divided because of Jeroboam stands. And so as our brothers did. Maybe we don't like to hear that some things we cannot do and the Lord will be will be brought back in the Lord's time.
That he is faithful in his faith.
00:45:00
The results of solving failure and Jeroboam that we read about have perspective to this very day.
At the end of that 12Th verse for the young people again.
That's saying something or teaching something that's going to be popular and.
Therefore, being able to have a bit more money because.
Uh, there's nothing said that it would upset anybody. So the, uh, it says there, uh, for filthy lucre's sake, saying things for the benefit that they might have financially.
At the guarded against that.
I have no pleasure in you saying.
Offering at your hand. So there was in Malachi the remnant day. Those that were ought to be new service to the Lord in the temple, but they wouldn't do it unless they got paid. And so this is something that is to characterize those that are doing the work of oversight or anyone that doesn't work for the Lord. Don't do it for money. It ought to be done. The apostle Paul says that I may preach the gospel of God without the charge.
Why don't you preach it without charge? He wasn't going to take the collection.
Sunday school and here one that is characterized you can identify the character of this one that he served in himself and not serving the Lord.
That he's really wanting that filthy roofer. He's trying to do the Lord's work and using base means serving himself.
We got to do what we do in front of our cheerfully Lord.
The motives. Every action has a motive. Why we do things.
And when we stand before the Lord Jesus.
The Great White Throne, we're going to have all our life reviewed and he's going to show us the motives that we have. And it's very important. I can't judge the motives of others, but the Lord is going to show us why we did those things. So it's it's in important, isn't it, for us to have a pure motive.
What is that motive? To exalt the Lord Jesus Christ?
That should be our motive for every action.
In Revelation.
That is, it's not knowledge, it's a magnitude of power. In Psalm 33, I think that's 331111.
Oh, the thoughts of thy heart.
The entire word of God.
Especially the Old Testament are the thoughts of the of the heart of God. See, it's not intellectual. It's not until you are.
And there are three verses in Proverbs 22 and I would like to briefly.
Do.
522.
August 22/19/2021 Now if you think that this is just a word from Solomon to Jeremiah.
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And I submit that we have a very intellectual approach to the scriptures.
But you notice there's a three fold high eye that made known to me. Verse 20 I have written to thee. Verse 21 I may make you know the circle. And then there's a free fall day I admire known to be. I have written today I might make me be. Now say I think this. These are versions like John 316.
I have to realize that the eye is the Lord speaking to our hearts. We have to put our name in there questions and every individual the leader of this debate.
Reader with the right attitude apart.
She's a David. When a visitor comes to the city, I don't know, but in your city they are an honorable visitor comes, they give them the keys to the city. And it really speaks of authority. It's a symbolic thing. And the Lord has the keys of David. He has the keys of it now. He has the keys of authority in this world. And it's a wonderful thing that though Philadelphia had little strength that kept his word and not denied his name, that the Lord still has the King's heart.
In his hand as the rivers of water and he directs the government. And so he's in control of things. We can leave the government with him. Uh, so if somebody higher than the Prime Minister, the president, have you got a problem? Go to the one east and I have to report to. And he's got his hand and his, his heart in his hand. And so the Lord is in control of the governments of this earth. And so we don't need to get down to the level of the world with those things, but we know the one who has the keys of David.
And so it's a wonderful thing there in that first.
So just point this out in connection with Gaines because, umm, it's not just with money, although it's cleaning money. Mr. Darby made a comment when he visited this cotton and he said there's a lot of lovely believers over in North America. He's writing back home, he said. But in the churches there, everything is numbers and money. And I don't think things have changed much in the last 150 years after everything was money and numbers in the churches here. But it says in First Timothy chapter.
This umm.
In connection with this nitrous to allow my application of this first.
That, umm.
Verse five. Her verse Disputings of men, corrupt minds and destitute of the truth. Supposing that gain is godliness from such, withdraw yourselves.
So there was to be withdrawing from these perverse reasonings that if we had 5000 at this conference, it would be evidence that there was more government here. I mean, we are living in the days of the two or three that I've kept my word a little strength. And we shouldn't be looking to either money or numbers as a measure of the Lord's approval, but the word of God. I just say that it's a broader application to this question, but really measures success by money and in the churches they measure success by numbers. But the Lord said we're two or three are gathered together under my name. And it's a question of being faithful, Of course, what has been committed to us, not the numbers that have attracted.
1St 12 is really, uh, an indication of the character of the nation.
One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said Christians are always liars and equal bellies. So sometimes the national characteristics, as you say, umm, everything has to do with dollars and cents, Mr. Harvey said of of these assemblies of North America. Well, the assembly is increased. Why it was known that.
The the national characteristic was lying and evil be slow bellies. They were gluttonous, and so on. This was just the way the nation was and and so.
As a Gentile assembly, the assemblies that were there, Titus was to help to restore the order and to admonish them that they weren't to continue on in the character of that Gentile nation, something that.
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You know, we, we speak of the terrible people, we have some image that pops into our minds to speak of French people. We have an image that comes into our minds. And so the Christians here, the Lord said you have something to say.
Our young people today.
Are facing some of the same thing.
Quite the same, the characteristic of so-called Christian lands now is if it feels good, do it. In other words, self indulgence. Well, you're dear young people, you're exposed to that and you need to strengthen yourself in the things, the truth of God in order.
Not to be applying those ideas to Christianity. The Word of God is firm, unchangeable, since it was written. The only divine thing in the whole world is this book, the Word of God. And let's strengthen ourselves, your dear young ones, in order to be able to discern the spirit of the age.
And it's just plunging down faster and faster.
And we need to be using the time to strengthen ourselves because you do young ones that the Lord doesn't come soon. You're going to be facing situations that have never been known before and their only safeguard is to cleave with to Christ with purpose of heart.
I I worked in verse 12 Valley. I've got it written beside my Bible there lazy. You know how I would just see that today is normally just said that people in the world today they don't want to work as long as they can get the welfare or whatever it is. They're hockey to have a job like that. But I guess there's no seniority on that and you don't get bumped off of that so.
They're happy, but we're told as Christians can get out and work.
And it says here that we're going to re reduce them sharply.
For that.
Gabriel.
Had.
Not so. We're seeing gardens tested and.
250 miles off.
Call patients for the old, they're very similar, but we're looking for stimuli. Whatever. He ignored their qualifications for elders and here's qualifications for over here and they're very, very similar. And so it shows that the standard doesn't change because of our natural.
Damage. It's not the next infection. Germany and half Irish.
Natural assembly.
No excuse.
By the door.
To confirm.
Looking into what you want us to do. It's just it's always mentioned to do this, you know?
Talking about this thing that's it is now they've gained as much as I guess, something.
About all that was mentioned before, what happened to Motors, why we do we do what we do is what we do. It is very important because I can say something here are in my home assembly, a small assembly, something for running old games and one around one area to see my reputation or to cover up something that I've done or to for somebody's notice why I should say something to be helpful.
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Spirit of God records the 1St 4 words in verse 13. This witness is true. Sometimes accusations are made or insinuation is made that.
Things are in this order and there's someone is plain enough to say what the disorder is and to actually bring scripture before for us and to say this is disorder and it needs to be corrected. It's not according to the mind of God.
I think that is here, this witness is true. So we need often times the natural characteristics that, that, uh, we've been speaking about, uh, the Irish, the German, the French and so on. We all have natural tendencies and perhaps characterized by the Gentile nations, uh, in their, uh, distance from God, their departure from God, but to bring, umm, ourselves into subjections of the word of God.
Is required. But this witness is true. We find that we live in a day of denial.
Because we don't want to admit that we sin, that we made a mistake. Maybe there are there are those that will say, we'll go as far as to say I made a mistake. Well, I'm excited, God, that may be true. That was a mistake. But it's truer to say I think I have sinned. And so then there comes repentance through repentance before God and restoration. And so this is really why they were to be rebuked sharply that they may be sound or solid in faith.
Let's not just say we made a mistake. Let's say we stand before God and on our faces.
Our departure can be restored.
Sometimes we're sorry, but it's we're sorry because we're caught.
That's not repentance.
Somewhere I read that this.
In verse 12, one of themselves, he was a, he was a writer among them years ago. And I understand it was epimetitis back in the 6th century that, uh, now to verify this, I am not going to say I don't, I don't know, but this is what I read that.
E it says who's, uh, who? Subvert or no, One of them sells even a prophet of their own Epimetodus way back in the 6th century.
We see umm.
Said that accretions are always.
Liars, evil beasts and slow bellies. Credit statement, isn't it made by one of their own? If that's a true statement and God takes it up to them. And I was thinking too about evil beasts that he's speaking about a lion or a tiger. No, speaking about man. Man, you know, man without God is nothing more than a beast.
We're told that in the Book of Jude, aren't we? Book of Jude brings that before it was just over that looking. Umm.
And the epistle of Jude.
MMM, uh.
Looking for the verse.
Umm, thinking of first ten right, That's the verse, but uh, well, just dropped back Michael the Archangel in verse 9 when con uh, contending with the devil to he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a really accusation, but said the Lord rebuke. But these speak evil of those things which they know not, but what they know naturally as brute beasts.
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In those things they corrupt themselves.
Not talking about lions and tigers, talking about men. And I believe the same thought is brought out here in our epistle of Titus. Evil beast and slow bellies. Sad condition isn't it, for man to get into.
OK, so these two thought would be violence.
The deception and violence.
Violence was at the beginning of the church history.
When Satan was like a roaring lion.
And that was characterized by the man. In the Scriptures, the end of the church period is toward the woman, and the woman is.
A deceptive A picture of the deceptive side that is the hissing serpent. Roaring lion violence, The hissing serpent deception. The man.
Second Timothy, chapter 4, verse 3.
A little light here. Second Timothy 4 and verse 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own left shall they heat to themselves. Teachers have been itching ears, and and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned on disabled. But watch thou in all things a fable is just a tail or a myth, and so there are good stories.
That are brought in among the Lord's people good stories they sound good, but they're myths they're they're not the truth of God. And so Satan has counterfeit these desires to counterfeit the truth of God and we can be sure that we can be found in the faith by giving heed to the doctrine that that brought out holding fast the faithful word as he had been taught verse 9.
We need to be careful on the watch for for those tables not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn away, that turn from the truth. There is such a thing as a good story, but that's not the truth.
The itching ears are not the speakers, but they're the heroes. We have to be careful what we listen to, and we might have itching ears. In other words, you want to hear oh, something a little bit different or entertaining or so on. We have itching ears and this is the warning against.