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General Meetings, Des Moines, May 1973. First reading Meeting.
00:05:40
25.
Verse 5.
While the bridegroom carried.
They all slumbered and slipped.
Hebrews, chapter 10.
Verse 37.
For yet a little while.
They shall come, will come, and will not perish.
The hymn we've sung together and beloved. Might I suggest a portion from Titus 2?
Verse 11.
If we could read to the end of the chapter from verse 11 and of course that would open up.
Many, many aspects of this wonderful theme that is before us.
The two verse 11.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
Teaching us, but denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works? These things speak, and exhort and rebuke with all authority, that no man despise thee.
Been said that these few versions give us the summary.
Of all the ministry of the apostle Paul.
When we consider that it was freshly addressed to the slaves.
It's touching to our hearts to think the Apostle.
In addressing the slaves would give us.
The most marvelous truth.
This fullness we have in these verses, and they're the ones.
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That are exhorted.
That they might adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
Those who didn't even own themselves.
Working for a master that only was famous. Any other property yard.
And yet to that very class.
They were exhorted to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
So if the apartment.
Would bring the truth down to the level.
Our poorest.
That could be found.
Surely it will be meat in due season.
For all God's people, I'm sure.
It has also been said that from verse 4 to 15.
Christianity really is. And so the remark of our dear brother is very opportune.
Yes, I believe this does depict what Christianity really is from verses 4 to 15.
Grace has appeared.
And not only has grace appeared.
It bringeth salvation.
And for the younger ones here.
We might just remark that if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved.
Eternally from the guilt of sin.
But.
There's another aspect of it.
The Lord Jesus has gone back.
On high and there he lives.
A glorified man in the presence of God.
And he saves you, dear one.
And may we emphasize this, this what it means by being saved by his life. It's not his life here, but it's life up Yonder, glorified there. He saves us every moment of our Pilgrim journeys.
From.
Sins. Dominion.
From the power of sin.
And the slavery of sin.
But that's not all concerning salvation.
When the Lord Jesus comes back again, and this is before our souls now.
He will then save us from the very presence of sins. Now what a wonderful savior we have.
Saved from the guilt of sin.
Saved from Sins power.
Its dominion and its slavery.
And saved from the very presence of sin.
When he comes back, it could be today. We trust that everyone sitting here is ready.
Everyone to meet him.
That would not save Brother Smith in connection of what you've been remarking. That's in these verses 1112 and 13 particularly we have the scope of the whole New Testament.
Verse 11 brings before us the gospel, the gospel where the Lord Jesus was here on earth, and the manifesting grace and proclaiming grace.
In the 12Th verse we have the epistles in which the child of God is taught.
The not only the ways of God, but it taught how we should behave ourselves here in the scene in the Church of God. Then in the 13th verse we have the work of the Lord Jesus in judgment here in this world and putting down sins so that when we come to the end of the book of the Revelation.
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We find all things of God's sin having been finally put away.
It appears to all men, doesn't it?
Just the largeness of the full truth that was revealed to the Apostle Paul, isn't it?
It is reached out to all men, It's not limited to Israel or anyone nation any longer. And so the grace of God has reached out now and God has revealed his heart fully at the cross of Jesus.
And it comes from God.
It comes from God.
God is the author of this salvation.
It's not of man at all. God is the author of it.
Oh, it's wonderful to look into the faces of men and women of various.
Standing in life and various languages, and to be able to tell them, beloved, that the gospel the good news.
Is from God. God is the author of.
This is something that is a very great privilege for any servant of Christ to make known this glorious fact that the gospel, the glad tidings God, is the author of us.
Him 179 We read this verse, the second word.
Came from God.
Foolish glory.
Down to Calvary. There for war no one high before we bow, before thee dreams of phasers, scissors, floor all the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a crazy program, that precious Saviours the Creator.
God. The song came down to bring to the full the grace of God to force in the guilty Sinner like we were. What a grace, what a great Isn't anyone that we're going to praise him for All the counselors, ages of eternity, this wonderful precious thing.
And the world doesn't want yeah.
And we wouldn't have hugged ourselves, but hadn't been for the grace of God.
That worked in our hearts, some of us, when we were quite young, going on in the things this world, caring not for heavenly things, the Lord revealed himself to us.
Revealed to us that were poor lost sinners. And then revealed the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who loved us and gave himself for us, and let us the trust in Him when we were quite young. And we can thank the Lord for that much less grace.
And the first thing the grace of God brings is salvation. Doesn't start telling us to live a good life, to break our bad habits, to reform, but it brings the full salvation to our souls and then teaches us to walk a path that supports and agrees with that salvation.
Which we've already received.
But in christening them to a large extent, they put the cart before the horse.
Live a good life and to.
Change your ways and to break your bad habits and then hope to be a Christian to get saved when you get to heaven.
How? How poor that is and wherever we turn in this subject to this subject.
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We find the same thing presented by grace. Are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works with any man should boast. And then you get that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, until good works which he hath before.
Ordained that we should walk in them.
That far.
So you can trace it through the word. It's the same wherever you go.
It was the only thing that could lead us in our need. And so grace that says it's grace wherein we stand, and it's grace that will be brought unto us that the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And it's very important that the heart should be established in grace.
Because, as our brother remarks, it's not only the salvation of our souls, but it affects every part of our lives. How often when difficulties arise, we're liable to say Why did this happen to me? This shows that we have failed of the grace of God.
Did we deserve anything better had we gone on in such a way that we could say we claimed some special blessing or favor from God? Oh brethren, let us remember that if God dealt with us according to what we deserved, it would be judgment. And this is not only true before we were saved, but after. All his dealings with us are engraved and all our dealings with one another should be in the same way and grace, as we noticed in this chapter.
Never, Lord God, standard of holiness. It maintains it to the very highest. If anything depended on our work, then the standard must be lowered because we're for failing things. But since it all depends upon grace, God maintains the standard at the very highest.
Makes known that he has met us in that grace that we didn't deserve at all. But that favor is toward us and we can't lose it because we never deserved it in the 1St place and couldn't lose it because we didn't deserve it. And I'm sure that if the heart is established in there.
It not only brings the salvation of our souls, but oh how wonderful brethren it, getting salvation in every circumstance in our lives, that we receive everything from the Lord has allowed of Him for our good and for our blessings. Think of that lovely verse in the ace of Romans that says he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
So if there's something happens in our lives and we say, why did this happen to me? The answer is the grace thought that it was necessary that we should learn something more of our own unworthiness and of His desires to bless us not according to what we are, but according to the largeness of his own heart.
All we need beloved grace to sustain us in this present evil world.
And more so, with so many rifts being made into the manner God's dear children. We need grace to sustain us. And I like to think, too, that we need mercy to restore us.
To communion. This is a something that is very important, don't you think?
Grace to sustain us, beloved, and mercy to restore us to communion.
I suppose that those two expressions are often confused. Are they not mercy and grace and possibly?
In some minds they mean the same thing, but I suppose we could say mercy is included.
In the thought of grace. But when you think of grace as our brother has just expressed it, it's it's something that came from the heart of God that our poor hearts would never have thought of, that God had reached out in the way he has.
To sinners.
Now one might have hoped for mercy.
But never to think, Beloved, that we'd be among those that would be with the have a portion with the inheritance of the Saints in life, and then to be conformed to his son.
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To be to be brought into those eternal councils that God had hid away in his heart long before there was ever a blade of grass, or created things. Well, these are things that.
Bow our hearts and worship as we think of.
Of God's thoughts, not our thoughts. They never entered in man's mind that they came from God and God alone.
Now it's a wonderful thing to enjoy mercy, to have our sins forgiven, but to be brought into the family of God.
To be brought into that relationship as children and to be associated with the Lord Jesus as his bride. All of these are the councils of God, purposes of God, and that to the Gentiles who deserve nothing.
Owing that first brother Hale, that the heart be established with great, and the rest I believe not with meat, which hath not provided them that have been.
It's in Hebrew 13. What is the rest of occupied there in? Yes, occupied therein. Well, doesn't that mean that the danger with God's children is to just establish a form like Judaism?
Certain religious duties.
And just go through the ritual or formal way of in our Christian life. And instead of being established with grace, that is to be reminded continually what the grace of God has done for us. It was often our hearts. It would make us more.
Humble in connection with our brethren.
It would keep us from that side, that hateful thing, that.
Is ever arriving to hinder us? Because what is it that has brought us into such favor? Wasn't our dessert, it was all of His grace. So it's a large subject to be established with grace and to avoid the effort of the enemy to just have us go on in a formal way.
Come together on Sunday morning to break bread, as though that fulfilled our religious duties for the week.
And neglect our our real position and testimony for the Lord.
It speaks of the grace of God here, and I was thinking of how nice it is to connect that with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in Second Corinthians.
Chapter 8 and verse 9.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor. That he through his poverty might be reached. What would we know of the grace of God?
If it had not been expressed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.
And coming into this world leaving the riches of glory.
And coming down into this scene becoming poor, what race well really that brings before US1 side of Grace taking the low place.
It wasn't the thing for him to be grasped after to be equal with God, because he is God.
But yet he made himself with no reputation and he came way down here.
Into this world became a man, and became obedient unto the cross.
Even the death of the cross obedience led him all the way, and he took that low, low place. Oh, what Grace, we might say that.
The fact is that it's the grace of God, but the expression of it is in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Somebody blessed us to notice that almost in every one of your personal the Apostle fall he begins the salutation in connection with the assembly Gracie unto you, and peace and the source of it from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And then when he speaks to individuals, he put something else mercy.
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Great mercy and peace.
Almost in everyone of the epistles begins with that very blessed salutation that.
It's very good to take notice of it because encourages our heart grace until you and pee from God our Father, the source, and from the blessed Lord Jesus Christ and oh how we need the grace of God today.
Bottles that grasp individuals like Timothy or Tagus, they added. Mercy. The church has to its standing is not on the ground of mercy, but.
Individuals are we're in constant dependence and we can't take a step in our own strength, and so there is a need of mercy all along the journey.
And they're thinking of this too, in the 12Th chapter of of Hebrews.
Family.
15th verse looking diligently, lest any man fail, of the grace of God.
Lest any root of bitterness bringing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled goes on to show our crabs and serious consequences can come about by failing in grace and going on.
Then the apostle Paul? Or wasn't the apostle Paul kept very humble and low as he contemplated the grace of God, working in his own soul from the beginning to the end. And when we contemplate the grace of God, should it not keep all of us very, very humble?
Considering it was the grace of God.
Something undeserved. There's a favor of God upon each one of us, whether we be brothers or sisters, and if we want to get along with one another.
Let us manifest that grace that has been brought to us.
His Grace is never the passing over of sin. Sin was.
The law is driven by older the grave and truth changed by the price. And God don't withstand according to all of those horribleness and his holy presence of Trump and thou grave thrown out on pictures. That's the only way I would need to be glad he was the oldest. The Old Testament was on the principle of grace. So he finds that upon all them. If I have found grace in my sight, if I am not saying.
Better not in the judgment with my service or thy faith shall no flash living be justified. God always dealt with man. That person will bless them. He could be blessed, but the man doesn't like it. He doesn't even find the much Speaking of God as well.
I love a person because.
Love, but great, is something that the magical heart ever can see, so.
Affection, but that's the heart of God. That's the way it is. Killing themselves. I was thinking all the way. Second Corinthians 11, Where's?
Transformed and the dangerous place at space minister that answers righteousness and that is.
Police and not the great deal about righteousness. And we find out that involved there's a great deal of righteousness.
My family realized all your position a 60 LB build up the righteousness of God.
And we have to watch that even among ourselves that we don't set ourselves being better than others. And we can do the enemies work in setting ourselves up as being some better than others. Every one of us here this morning and we're saved, are the recipients of grace and we never deserved it. And I believe, Brothers Barry, that that's what is referred to in the failing of the grace of God. The context in which it comes in is in regard to disciplining Now, that is, God deals with us in His ways.
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And the dependency is where? A month before to think, well, why did this come to me? I think I deserve something better than this from God. And then as we look at other instances, God's hand doesn't seem to be upon them, but it's upon us. And then we fail. The grace of God, we say, well, why didn't happen to me. And I tried to do what was right and it didn't happen to them. Rather than there's not one blessing that comes to us because we deserve it.
Comes in the ground of grace, and on that ground God can bear blast. A violent Sinner. He can bless the most careless Christian. That's the only ground in which he blesses. It's true that he would have us to walk in holiness, but let's not claim blessing on that ground.
To be the result of the enjoyment of grace in the soul. The grace of God teaches us how to walk. I believe this is a very important thing, and might also mention that I believe that's why in the gospel, in the Epistles, it's grace followed with peace.
Because peace in the soul is always the result of the enjoyment of grace, and when we realize that salvation is by grace, then we rest wholly upon what Christ has done when we walk in the sense of grace, there's peace in the soul in the circumstances because we know that they're allowed by a loving Father for our good and blessing.
In connection with Joseph's dealings with his brother.
Through exercise of grace in the soul of Joseph. And yet he had he spoke roughly to his brothers. When they came back and said that they were all true men, well, Grace couldn't come in then and just throw.
Let him throw his arms around them and receive them back. But when they came back after the finding the silver cup and Benjamin sack and Judas took the lead and.
So humbly owned that they deserve nothing during they were poor wretched man. By then he could throw his arms around them, But how slow his brethren were to learn the grace that was in Joseph's heart.
Because after Jacob was taken by then they thought that Joseph would take advantage of them and require.
The the way that they had treated him in the past.
There's a passage in Ones I'd like to read in Romans 15, verse 14 and 15.
Romans 1514. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that she also are full of goodness.
Filled with all knowledge.
Able also to admonish one another.
Now this this verse has been often used and can be used I'm sure, and encouraging.
But I believe in connecting it with the next verse. There's a message for us here in connection with Grace.
Nevertheless, brethren.
I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort that's putting you in mind because of the grace that is given to me of God.
When?
The heart grows cold in the things of Christ.
The outward forms may go on just the same.
There may be even the manifestation of goodness.
There might be a great deal of knowledge to be set forth.
And what else was it? Knowledge and.
The ability to admonish all these things may be present.
And brethren, still there may be the absence of grace.
The Apostle Paul.
Was concerned more.
That he be in the good of that grace.
That was provided in and this is what he exhorts Timothy to in his last epistle. When he's about to leave that he's to be strong, not in the truth merely, but to be strong in grace now.
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When the Lord in the 21St chapter of John the last time, the third time he appears to his disciples, there was a a fire bill with coal.
Fish laid there. Are you recall that passage?
We have the same thing with Elijah. When he was discouraged, there was a fire of hot There were hot stones with a cake, bacon on the coals.
And.
I believe here we have something perhaps that might be connected with ministry. In the spirit, I just suggest this.
It's a wonderful thing to have knowledge.
But this alone?
It can turn either one way or the other, brethren. It can either gather the Saints to the true center to Christ, or can scatter them one of the two. Because the thing we should be more concerned about in these last days am I walking in the power of the Spirit of God? Do I have grace?
And so we find the cakes Bacon on the coal were presented to Elijah in his discouragement.
Was he not a servant? Indeed he was. But what was he doing? He was speaking against the people of God.
He is the only prophet whose record of failure is recorded, I believe, in the New Testament.
Now, what does it mean? Now, I'm not trying to say this is all it means, but I'm suggesting, dear brethren, that if you and I have gained the truth.
In trial and affliction and suffering, it'll be from God. But if it's just something we've gathered because we have read, it's not true presented in grace.
It's that what's going on with God in the past is the apostle insisted with Timothy, not only that he have that truth, the commandment that was delivered him, but that he walk in it, and that he be maintained in the good of it, in communion, so that he would not only save himself but those that hurt him. That is in the pathway down here. Now there's a passage I want to read in the Psalms, Psalm 126 that may illustrate this.
And this is true in the gospel too.
Psalm 126.
Verse 5.
They that sow in tears.
Read. Enjoy.
He that goes forth and weepeth.
Bearing precious seeds.
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Brethren, this is what we lack today. It isn't that we don't have truth, but to feel it.
Now the picture I believe in this Psalm is the Jew who has a little feel.
And he has just so much seed. He spared enough for his food for the year, and now he's out sewing how the first crop has failed and he has to dig in his reservoir of that which is so precious to him, that which he spared for his food for that year. He's digging into it so he can sell the 2nd crop. The first one fails, and as he saw, he weeps.
Now I understand this is this has been often the case in Israel.
Where the store would go out weeping because he was using the seed that was going to be for his own food.
For the year he had to use part of it for the sea. Well, if this is the way truth is ministered, Beloved.
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Of that which I need myself, then I believe it's grace and it's of the spirit of God. But if it's just something beloved that we have prepared to give others, I'm afraid of it. I'm afraid of it.
Am I right, brother?
Do we not also have an example in the 11Th chapter of Acts where the Barnabas going down to Antioch?
Acts 11.
Verse 22.
There's assembly wise. Then tidings of these things came under the ears of the assembly which is in Jerusalem, and they set forth Barnabas that he couldn't go as far as Antioch, who when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad. But he didn't stop there. He exhorted them all with purpose of heart. They would cleave under the Lord or.
Abide with abiding with the Lord.
How necessary that is the 2GO together.
Unless we're abiding with the Lord, going on in communion with the Lord and fellowship, we can talk all day long about grace and not know anything about it. Well, the rest of the verse shows that was in that state because it says for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and a faith.
Well, that wasn't just head knowledge.
That was a man.
Filled with the Spirit of God, but in order that the Spirit of God may have the material to use.
At a time like Barnabas was used there among those young converts, Antioch there must be diligence in the words and speaking about head knowledge and so on. We're not in any way.
Discourage anyone from gathering all the truth they can for for their good and trusting the Lord it might be used and blessing to others.
The Spirit of God doesn't perform a miracle and just suddenly fills the mind with Scripture and with truth to give out in times of importance and need.
That is the result of constant diligence and.
As Paul says to Timothy.
Gives attendance to reading.
And meditation.
And so he speaks of giving myself holy children so that if there is that constant diligence and.
Not only the reading of the word, but the enjoyment of the word.
Enjoying it in one soul.
Then there is that preparation, that when the opportunity is granted by the Lord, the Spirit of God has a vessel prepared to give out what will be a blessing to others, but just to read the word in order to become.
A Bible student or to be a good speaker or a good teacher or a good preacher.
Well, we got there's the wrong object before the soul, but where there is the reading and the presence of the Lord and and communion with the Lord, while then the heart is prepared for whatever the Lord may see fit to use in one's life.
The subjection to the circumstances that are brought into our lives in connection with it.
Because objection is is a wonderful thing. We may not understand why God allows things in our lives.
But, brethren, this is what settles the word in our hearts and gives us to understand it. And that's what it means, really, I believe, to have the truth from God, not just to have truth, but to have it from God, because he brings circumstances into our lives and trials.
To deepen in our soul the enjoyment of the truth, to receive it directly from him.
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In the book of Acts, chapter 27, there is a little verse that I have enjoyed very much lately. I'd like to pass it on to you, dear Brevin has been made very pleasure to my heart and I'll pass it on to you this very precious words Acts chapter 27 and verse 9.
This is very blessed indeed when we what we read here typically.
As individual and as a group of people, we can take something for our heart, for our conscience. Now, when much time was spent and when sailing was dangerous, do we have dangers in our way? Distress.
This individual as an assembly, that is what these people did because the past was not.
Fast falls admonishing, And I was saying to my own conscience, in my own heart, all blessed Lord, that might not be so with me.
So to speak that I lay aside one of the most wonderful privilege that I have without of a praying and supplicate before God. Oh, we need that. And so the Apostle Paul admonished them of the danger, because the fast.
Was now fast, or that I might not be so with me beloved presence, that we might give ourselves to prayer and supplication. And I believe that God will come in and bless us and restore us and deliver us from the trouble that afflicts us as individual, as what is assembly Sometime beloved parents. But this is very significant. There was a danger in the cell, and the fast was already passed. I have enjoyed a booklet, dear brother.
Salem will fall from militants and we have a wonderful example in the Old Testament. I like to read it with you. You better just a minute of your time. Second Samuel, chapter 21. Second Samuel, Chapter 21. I have enjoyed one thought I'd like to pass on to you, dear brother. And I have enjoyed them. It's not the case of.
Second Samuel, Chapter 21.
Verse 9 is also the age, the word of God. The David took seven of the sons of soul, and he delivered them to be hands.
And two of them there were the sons of a response, and none of what she did understand. Beloved Raven. Oh, how that spoke to my own heart and conscience. What a lesson we can learn from this here woman in the Old Testament, and reisbar the door of it a high.
Took cyclone and spread it for our upon the rock from the beginning of the harvest until the water drops.
Upon them out of heaven, and suffer neither avoid of the air to rest on them by they, nor the beast of the field by night. Well, what a wonderful lesson we don't find this woman.
Risked by complaining against the deed that David did against our Tucson, but just grasped and sackled cast ourselves upon the rock, and I will raise on the question to myself. I say, Well, suppose you read, you were to ask this woman what is the meaning of you casting yourself upon the wrong?
Oh, I believe that this year woman will say. Why don't you know? It means that I'm casting myself upon Jehovah, who is the rock of Israel. And so I believe, with the love of brethren, that we can learn a wonderful lesson for this woman just to cast ourselves upon God.
And it will come in, intervene and bless us and deliver us.
She was one of the children of Esau.
And she appreciated Grace.
In connection with what was said about ministering the truth, I was thinking of what is mentioned in First Corinthians 13. We know in part and we prophecy in part. Now that is.
Where none of us can say that we have fully entered into the truth that we ministered, but we seek to give it out as that which we desire should be made good in our own souls. And I believe the Lord often tests us about things that we speak of.
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We may speak of things in this very meeting, and then the Lord will afterwards pass us through situations that test us as to whether these things have been made real in our own soul. But for any of us to boast and say that we have fully laid hold of all the truth that we minister wouldn't be honest before God. We know how suitably we enter into it, and we confess this as we minister it. But they administered in that spirit of humility.
Recognizing that we're all in the position of learners.
We never graduate from the school of God as long as we're here in this world, but we can give it out in humility and in the sense of grace. I believe that's important because there might be some here that would feel well. I dare not speak of things because I don't know that I've entered into all these things. Well, there is a manner in which it can be given out as something that we desire to know more about. I think the Apostle Paul's expression in Philippians 3 is an example of this.
He speaks the price of the object in Philippians. 3 And there he says that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death. I suppose there was no one that knew the Lord as well as Paul.
He knew him so well, he wanted to know him better. There was no one who had gone through so much as Paul in suffering for Christ, but he said he wanted to know the fellowship of his suffering. So may the Lord give us grace to speak the articles of God, but to speak of with humility, by careful, lest we would think that we had attained to all the things that we speak of how much we have failed in doing this, don't you think? Is the danger, brother, hey ho, of our pressing.
Truth upon others who are not ready for it. Oh, indeed, the Lord spoke the Word to people as they were able to bear it. And one has thought a lot of what the Lord said, and they shall be all thought of God. We might minister the truth, but we don't receive it until God Himself teaches it to us. And the soul has to be in that state where God can communicate it to the soul and make it good.
And that's to an empty vessel, isn't it? Yes, this becomes legalism when we insist that others take up things that we are selves might.
At least see in part. But we insist that they take them up. That's legalism. It's not grace. It's just the opposite of grace. And I believe that this is the tendency when we are self grow cold in our souls.
That we no longer exhibit that grace. And so we take up simply the truth in itself and we make an issue of the truth. And this is very, very dangerous.
It makes people hypocrites, really, because then they pretend to be something that they're not, like the Pharisees in the Lord's day. And God hates hypocrisy. He wants us to be real beforehand. He wants us to have praise to the object, but not to pretend to be what we're not.
And if we pretend to have more spirituality and more knowledge than we actually have in the presence of God, this is exceedingly dangerous, and to push us all beyond his own spirituality will make him that unless he learns the truth from God and does what he does to please the Lord.
The word of God is quicker living on powerful and sharper than any two edges sword. And I was thinking how that even though we have given us the word to those that were not ready for that particular part of the world yet in the world that is living.
And I know in my own experience, there were, there was teaching that I had heard of when I was quite young after I was saved.
And I didn't. I didn't walk in the path that the Word of God taught for quite a number of years.
01:00:04
And then they came out to this country and was serving the Lord for years and one of the well known sects in the country.
But there came a time when I saw around me the sect drifting into modernness and giving up the word of God and denying the deity of Christ.
And then the Lord brought back to my mind.
The things I have learned many years before.
In regard to what the path of truth was marked out in his special words as being gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord brought those tools back to my mind with power and I saw, well, here's what God's word says and there's the way that they sex around this are going on. And so I became exercised about about the matter and then began to search for where are those people that walk according to the word of God? Where, where? I didn't know any of them. I didn't know where they were, where the meetings were.
And we began to make inquiries.
Found out that in Des Moines there's a little group of sins guide on the principles of God's precious word. I'm not quite aware of where are those people? Where where do they meet? And we found out where the net and I and and some of others that were going through the same exercises we we dropped in one night to a reading meeting and the little old hall and Des Moines.
Where was just a very a very small meeting at that time. The little old hall of snow going on to one of the freeways Freeway took the the hall and the and the runner Freeway right through where the hall one stood. Well, we began to attend the meetings and inquire and through and in the short time brother amateur came to the mind of some meetings and were told that there was a brother having some meetings and the Lord's coming in the Tabernacle.
And we, my wife and I, and some of these other young folks, we began to attend those meetings.
And the truth who set forth of God into the precious name of the Lord Jesus, brought woman power to our souls.
And quite a few of us left our our sack and what we were ministering our so-called ministers and came into the little meeting where he Steven the little gathering and the number 11 old brother when we when we asked to be received in the meeting. There's one old brother he's going to build the Lord many years ago because this happened 58 years ago and I'm telling you about.
And when we're asked to receive, the brothers hardest meet with them and began to inquire us to assist. And then this old brother said, I never forget what he said, he said, Well, brother said I hope you're not coming. Want to come among us because you think that we're a very nice, a very nice group of people because you'll soon find out that we're just a set of poor, broken 6.
4 Crooked Sticks Well, of course we're all cooking sticks, you know, our crooks and our twists and our our ideas. But the truth is the truth, and we were received at the Lords table 58 years ago this summer.
And through the grace of God, we've kept going on with our brother and where we have our failures.
But who doesn't? But we have the grace of God.
To guide and direct us and when we stumble to pick us up and started on the way again, and what muscles gracefully we have received from the Lord and hurricane thank the Lord for it.
Here are the lot of things that you're speaking about.
With, with ministering the words.
Are you confining that to those who are definitely out serving the Lord in His work?
Although I was thinking of it firstly to encourage any. Although there are many small meetings represented here, and I know if I can speak of myself many years past that to speak of the truth of God, especially when one is a little younger, as though we had entered into a fully we just remained silent. So we seek to give it out as something that we have enjoyed, something that we feel that we are learning but recognizing that.
01:05:27
We all have much to learn, and that in many things we all offend. No, I think it's an encouragement, not just the one who devotes most of his time to the Lord, but all of us. It's an encouragement to seek to give out the truth in communion with a desire to walk in it, yet with a sense of our own failure too, don't you think?
Well, but you would bring that in, in connection with Sunday school work or work among children.
Those who who are asked to take a Sunday school class to sell without a tie to them. Sisters as well as brothers.
And very lovely to see the testimony of ones who were just saved, like the woman who said come see a man that told me all things that ever I did. He didn't know very much, but she had been brought to know him and then he was all charges.
He preached in the synagogue that Jesus was the Son of God. Since I've been the revelation of Christ to his soul, who was precious, and he gave it out. And so one who knows very little can speak of what he has learned of Christ, and God will be pleased to use it, won't he?
Remember a case in my own life, brethren, when I read a portion of written by Mr. Darby. This was when I was seeking to go out and serve the Lord.
He wrote this and it impressed me so much I remembered him by memory.
Men go forth into God's service from a place of strength, realizing their own nothingness, their own nothingness. This is a great secret, isn't it? In any service for crime, brethren, We are just poor, Jacobs.
That's all we are, poor Jacob, but we encourage our hearts in the fact that the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. So that impressed me. What?
Late Brother wrote, men called God service gold for fall from a place of strength, realizing their own nothingness.
Well, we've we've built on verse 11 and we noticed that.
Possessing this grace, beloved.
The Apostle would teach us.
How to walk in this world?
But the time is nearly gone but from verse 11 it goes on to 12.
Possessing this wonderful thing we call grace, the grace of our God.
Then by the Spirit of God he would teach us in this next verse.
Our ongoing.
Teaching us now why? It's in view of an event which is going to take place very soon. This is where the Apostle is aiming in his teaching. In this portion, it's in view.
Of their blessed one was soon coming.
And so he says, teaching us that denying ungodliness.
And worldly love we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The Apostle is preoccupied concerning these their souls who have been saved by the grace of God.
He's concerned about them.
In view of that special event.
That is to take place and at any moment, well, this is very, very important to keep this before.
Isn't that one of the greatest dangers, Brother Smith today?
01:10:06
Ungodliness. Now I suppose we can distinguish this from open sin. Ungodliness is leaving God out, isn't it?
It's just leaving God out entirely now the believer.
In measure can do this.
He can become overcharged with the cares of this life to such an extent that he leaves God out. And I'm sure that I've been guilty of this, and others may have to confess the same, that the present things may so engross and take up the mind and heart that we get at a distance from God. And so I believe this is distinguished from what comes later.
The world he loves, ungodliness, is simply.
Leaving God out. And this is what will characterize the end days as we get connected with flock and so on. Just leaving God out.
Well, would that be using the sharp knife or circumcision? That was the first thing that Joshua required of the Israelites after they had crossed the Jordan and.
To enter the promised land instead of starting out with banners floating where they have to use the sharp knife.
And that is really self judgment, isn't it? Denying ourselves these things that the old nature loves them would seek after. So it's a constant thing with us to use that sharp knife.
That's the first thing he said, to make sharp knives and then they were to be circumcised.
That's so related.
Soberly would be.
Bring the thought of applying the truth to ourselves practically and is not being overcharged with the cares of this life in the light of the precious truth that we have received? Is it not sin? Now we have cares, but to be overcharged with them, and to allow ourselves to be so taken up with present things, become sin in the light of the precious truth that we have when we're so near.
The coming of the Lord.
Passage that speaks be careful for nothing, or careful this old world, which means full of care, overburdened, or the cares of his life. And so there's that danger of of being overburdened. Instead of casting our burdens on the Lord, we go out and carrying our own burdens ourselves, we sometimes we throw them on the Lord to win and pick them up and go on again.
And our telecommixed journey and that's that's really the side all those all those worldly things and and.
The things things that were supposed to be done with casting all your care upon him, all your care upon him for he cared for you. Not merely to just cast the big heavy tears on the tree that we feel oppressed or bowed down by, but casting them all.
Because little cares make make big cares.
And the burden gets heavy and we get the mourning and complaining and discourage.
And the Lord wants to cast them all on him. The Lord Jesus took the burden of our sins on the cross, died for them all, every one of them, nor the judgment they deserve. And so He wants us to to cast our trial, our sorrows all on Him, leave them all with him. And born are we rejoicing the force to test the Philippines. Rejoice in the Lord.
Always. And again I say any choice.
The narrower we get to the year jubilee I'm using an Old Testament illustrations, the less the property was worth.
At the Year of Jubilee, it all went back to the original owner and we're getting very near brethren to the deer of Jubilee for the Saints and the last things here are worth because of it. Is that right?
01:15:14
This is a great remedy I found in my own little life, beloved.
The one day I was reading from the Song of Solomon, thou hast doves eyes. So I said, Lord geez, what does this mean, doves eyes?
Well, in Bolivia they have the army keeps loads of many of these carrier pigeons because there are many of them and they use them for carrying messages.
Well, it came to me this way, that a dove, a pigeon, has eyes for whole. Let me illustrate it. One day there was a one of these carrier pigeons on the roof of one of the friends there, and it was sitting there for hours. So he got a ladder and climbed up and picked up the little bird didn't it didn't try to fly away.
And he wondered whether it was very sick. Nor it wasn't sick. He notes the tag on its little red leg. Do you know how far that bird had flown? 3000 miles.
That bird had eyes for home, Beloved in this wicked world, if there's anything that will keep our hearts happy in the law.
And also.
Concerning our problems, if there's anything that will keep a break on them, it's to have eyes for whole. Do we have eyes for whole?
Have I eyes for home?
Well, it's a great truth.
In the denying of these things.
After all.
Worldliness.
And lust of these things that accompany us, if we would live in the very anticipation of that blessed man.
His coming, his imminent coming. If we would live like that, we would be have eyes not only for home, but we would be in full enjoyment of the Lord Jesus himself. We would enjoy him more and more as the object, bright and fair, to fill and satisfy the heart. Well, I thought of that when thou hast dove's eyes. Eyes for whom all the love? And have we eyes for whom?
The apostle is bringing these believers to this glorious fact that there's someone coming, and so we get a list here of things that do not permit us to keep our eyes fixed.
On hold on their blessed One. I wonder if John Bunyan had that in mind when he described Christian and faithful.
In pilgrims progress, I'm sure they were conscious of what the grace of God had wrought for them in delivering them from the city of destruction and accompanying them along the way. But when they came to Vanity Fair, if I remember it correctly.
They didn't turn to the right hand on the left to criticize or find fault with what was going on. They had eyes from home, too. They were thinking about the Celestial City that was before that, and they went right through Vanity Fair with their eyes straight on ahead.
They didn't have too easy a time either, because the folks around them didn't like that attitude very well and tried to drag them.
To the right hand or to the left. So perhaps a sense of the grace of God that has delivered us, that is continually with us as we get into one verse, and the blessed hope before us will make it a very real and practical thing that we be delivered from those things mentioned in the verse in between.
Maybe sing 286 just one word. We have a very touch with him, 286.
286.
01:20:01
So God.
Will come again.