Titus 2:12-15

Duration: 1hr 30min
Titus 2:12‑15
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General Meetings, Des Moines, May 1973. Second reading meeting.
Titus 2:00 and 12:00 is it.
11Th verse to get the connection.
Titus Two and verse 11.
For the grace of God that bring us salvation has appeared to all men.
Teaching us that 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 in all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good work.
These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority that no man despise thee.
We were noticing, brethren, that from verse 11.
In verse 12 we have.
The necessary instruction given us.
Concerning war in this world, and it's in anticipation, of course, of that moment of all moments.
That Blessed one himself would come.
Oh, what a, what a.
How necessary it is to be found walking.
Well pleasing before the lawn waiting, that blessed one. I was thinking concerning verse 12. If we look at a verse in 2nd Corinthians 7 and verse one.
Having, therefore, these promises dearly belonged.
00:10:04
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.
Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
It was dear Mr. Darby who explained this in this way.
That perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Is the exclusion of everything from our life and testimony, which would be contrary to my to God's mind and to God's nature. That's just simple quotation from what he wrote, the exclusion beloved of everything from our life and testimony.
That would be contrary to God's mind and to God's nature.
Oh, how solemn that is. That's what he calls perfecting Holiness in The Fear of God.
Well, we have it here in Titus.
Teaching us that denying ungodliness. We've already remarked on that and worldly must.
How strong the lusts of the flesh are in you.
And how strong the lust of the eye in middle age folks, and the pride of life in older people.
None of us are exempt, of course, and as we read the life and testimony of.
Brethren in England.
So many of them didn't end as well as they might have. We rejoice.
In the teaching, and we rejoiced years reading through carefully their writings.
But how sad it was that some left that divine ground.
Well, we cannot trust ourselves.
When we.
When we think that we're strong, we're weak, but his strength is perfected in our weakness.
Well, I just comment that.
In view of his coming. But it's also a note of warning, beloved to us.
Wasn't it Mr. Wigram who prayed every day?
That God would never permit him to die a wicked old man.
How sad, How solid.
You think, Brother Smith, that the three that you've mentioned?
They looked at.
They add 1 to the other.
That which is common in youth we have added to it that which is.
Characteristic of one who is a little older and then the pride of life adds to it. And so we have to be on our guard as to all of these three things that are mentioned.
I was thinking too.
Too in this connection.
We have the Word soberly and righteously or justly, and then the Word.
Godly.
Are I wonder if the thought is not this, another translation says piously.
It might suggest I'm just proposing this.
It might suggest the complete submission to the will of God. Is that the thought, Brother Barry, I think it has, you see, soberly, has to do with ourselves righteously, has to do with our fellow man, and godly has to do with our responsibility to God. So that the subject is very full here.
Takes in a full view of responsibility, and you can weigh, we can weigh the words soberly, righteously, How important it is.
00:15:06
That there should be sobriety on God's people when you realize the condition, the awful condition, the moral breakdown of everything. How we need to be sober and to realize.
How hateful the conditions in the world are to God, so that we will not in any way yield to these things that are developing all around us. And I believe that soberly sobriety has to do with self judgment. It's a constant state of refusing and judging. And something like that verse in the I believe it's the 96th sound. Is it he that?
Loved the Lord, hate iniquity. Is that the verse?
Not only to, just.
Let these things go by.
Where the.
An indifference, but something that is hateful to God.
Is that the sound, brother?
Yeah, you code it, will you brother 97 is it? Yeah, I won't saw them all.
Ye that love the Lord hate evil.
That was the that was the attitude of the.
Have the experience of Psalm 139 thou searched me and known me.
Sifted, and he discovered that God knew him, knew his thoughts are far off.
And then at the end of the Psalm 139 I believe it, it reads.
It seems like it's a new subject and it doesn't fit the Psalm, but it it fits it perfectly because it says.
For the the 20th verse, For they speak against the wickedly and thine enemies Take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee and them, and not, I agree, that those that rise up against thee.
I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies. Now I know this is this belongs to Israel in the coming day. But the principle that our brother suggested is not only to avoid something, but to to take the place that God takes in regard to evil.
On his side completely, I believe, is the thought here.
Thinking of the word sober.
I know it has in it the sense of sobriety.
But I suppose it's somewhat the same thing. Sobriety and soberness.
It's not going on in a light spirit. Now it's true that a child of God.
Can be light hearted.
He should be light hearted because he knows that his sins are all washed away and the judgment due to them is all gone. He's not coming into judgment, he's passed from death unto life. He can rejoice because he has peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well.
We can have that kind of rejoicing, that kind of pleasure and delight, but I suppose when it speaks of soberness, it's in connection with what the flesh delights in, what the old man can take pleasure in. And we're to be sober and so have sobriety in that connection.
We have this subject before us in our meeting. I believe it was last Lords day in the adult class.
And we were reading this scripture over in First Peter chapter 5.
And I was struck with what Peter connects with soberness.
First Peter, Chapter 5 and verse eight, he said. Be sober. Be vigilant.
Be sober. Be vigilant. Vigilance means be watchful.
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In connection with Peter, the Lord had told him to watch and pray that he entered not into temptation.
Watson prayed. Well, it seems that Peter was taking lightly what the Lord had told him, the warning that the Lord had given him. He wasn't taking it seriously. It didn't sober him to think that he might deny the Lord that he might forsake the Lord. He didn't take it seriously, didn't sober him, And then he didn't watch. The two seem to go together.
I remember once.
I was traveling from 1 village to another in the Congo going about preaching the gospel and I usually had a caravan of men with me to carry my things and we only had a path to walk in.
And at a certain point we came across some lion tracks, and there were huge ones. And we could tell that there were more than one lion, perhaps a pair of them.
And there was grass bushes around and we couldn't see where the lions were. They might be around there, but as soon as we saw those lion tracks we got pretty sober. There wasn't any more frivolity. Then we became really serious and we were watching.
Too Well, this is what Peter is is thinking about. Surely he's speaking about Satan going about.
As a roaring lion, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
And the opening to Satan's getting hold of us, And he gets hold of us by means of the flesh, because that's what he gets hold of in US, is the old flesh, the fleshly nature, and it should sober us to think.
That Satan might get hold of us. And when we're not sober, that is, we're going on in a light spirit, frivolous spirit, and we're trying to enjoy the things that appeal to the flesh. Well, Satan is getting hold of us right there. That's the beginning of the fall, and the first thing you know, he's ruined us. Oh, how important it is to be sober, that is, as far as the flesh is concerned.
But of course we need not be sober as far as the Spirit is concerned, because the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace.
But it's in connection with that thing in us that enemy inside that Satan can get hold of and draw out, and all causes all kinds of sorrows.
And then the word righteousness.
That's important too.
For we have a nature in this that is not upright, and we need to be on our guard and doing this.
So on that we're walking an honest, upright ways. Remember hearing brother Potter give a warning on time at Montreal to his brother and he said there were two kinds of talks that the Israelite was forbidden. One was a Nighthawk and and he brought out that that's taking advantage of someone at night or in the dark or catching him on the fly.
As well as an open deal that wouldn't be quite so underhanded as the other. Well, we have to be careful. I know of a place where there was, once I judge, a happy gathering that went to pieces and there's no testimony there, and there hasn't been any testimony for many years. Someone told me that the leading brother in that meeting would short change you if you had a chance.
Got to be known as a man that was crooked, although seemingly a spiritual man that.
Well, he was a helpful man and the meeting took nice part and everything and I guess was well taught. But he had a sly way of doing dishonest, tricky business affairs. Well, we all need these these warnings.
Because we have within us that nature which is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. So we need that sobriety as to our own personal walk that Brother Anderson has brought out so well. And then we need this practical righteousness as we go on among men. And then the last subject is godly.
00:25:30
Walking with God and communion with God and what's going on with what is due to him.
Because we could be much concerned about conditions around us, and we could be upright in our ways, and yet neglectful of that which is due to the Lord, and to not be giving the Lord His proper place.
You say, Brother Mary, that?
After bearing testimony within the circle that is our circle of fellowship, whereas in the third chapter is that testimony that we bear on the outside.
However, you can apply both to the assembly as well as on the outside, but here I believe the.
Emphasis is laid on our testimony within the assembly as we go in and out amongst one another and as you've just related this brother that did not have that uprightness and how these things do mar the testimony.
And the outside of the first part of the 11Th verse.
Connecting that with the first part of the 13th verse, looking for that blessed hope, that is the rapture, and the 12Th verse verse which we're looking at in light of the appearing or revelation of Jesus Christ.
Is there not a connection there? Yes, the Revelation is, and everything will be brought to light. The hidden things of darkness will all be exposed at that time. And we need to call attention also to the last to the verse in this present world.
Well, we live in a very different age than some of us when we were living in our younger days when we'd never seen a car nor ridden in a car.
Now we're in a highly developed period in the world's history. Now in Pauls Day, they didn't have trains. Even there would be, it would be considered in those days very backwards. But whether it's Pauls Day or whether it's the days of some of the brothers that have departed this scene, it's still its present world. It never loses its character.
And when you read about Demas, Paul says Demas hath forsaken me. Having loved this present world doesn't say this present evil world. I believe as you get in the first of Galatians, there we get.
Well, a better turn to it and read it.
In Galatians 1.
Great CDU and the third verse of Galatians 1 Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father.
Yeah, may not give the importance to the facts that the Lord Jesus not only suffered on the cross to put away our many awful sins, but one purpose in his death, in the death of Christ has brought out there, is to deliver us from this present evil world. It was just as much a purpose in his death.
To deliver us from this awful, wicked world as it was to put away our sins.
And let's remember that, beloved, that if we allow ourselves to be drawn into this.
Evil age. The world in which we are passing, that which has rejected Christ and has no place for Him. We're really ignoring the sound facts of what the death of Christ was, the one great purpose in the death of Christ, to make little of his sufferings on the cross.
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And view of what he would deliver us from.
Was the standard that this?
Maybe at times different from what we get in Scripture. In business, I mean, and there may be things in business that the world may be free to do that the Christian would not be free to do, even though it may be accepted in the world. So I believe we should, we should notice that because the man of the world will immediately criticize the Christian for doing a thing that he himself would be free to do. And another thing.
We must remember that no man lives to himself.
Now if.
If we give an offense in anything, it affects the whole testimony of God. Here it affects the assembly and assemblies have been thrown into confusion simply because of one brother and his bad business dealings or other things. And that's a very sad thing. We must remember that we're one body in Christ, and that what we do affect all the Saints and the fellowship that we're in with the Saints.
The of John. We have these words where that's the second chapter first John.
Verse 15.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Well, the Word. The Word world here is not God's creative world, brethren, but it's this diabolical spirit that pervades everything in it. And this is where the Saints get caught.
We are capable of anything, beloved, unless he keep his hands of love upon us.
To recognize a conscious weakness, and there's plenty of it among us. We all own that and bow our heads and shame. But what God hates is a false piety. A false piety. This is something that's distasteful to the Lord well.
Then verse 16 for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, where we just mentioned that.
And the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Now we're all capable of anything. We're capable of it.
We we must never think that we are exempt from all this.
But let us remember one thing, beloved, that the world passes away with its must thereof, but he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever. Oh, what a wonderful verse that is. The world passes away with its lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever.
The whole world is government.
Saw that the tree was good for food. That's the lust of the flesh poisoned to the eyes. That the lust of the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise. That's the pride of life. And this is how sin came into the world. And so this is what Satan has been working on ever since. He may use different things to tempt us. He might use food as it was there, but there are other things in the flesh which it might desire.
And then there's the lust of the eyes, the things that we can see. And then there's position in the world. We find that when Satan came to the Lord, he used these same three things he presented to the Lord, the.
Temptation, command, that these storms be made bread. That was the lust of the flesh. And the Lord Jesus answered, Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He wouldn't turn stones into bread without a word from his Father.
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And he showed them all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them a wonderful traveler. But the Lord said that he wouldn't bow down and worship Satan to have all this. And then he brought him to the pinnacle of the temple to cast himself down to get public acclaim.
And this was religiously. And so we see that Satan tried this with our first parents, and they fell. He tried it with the Lord and found there was nothing in him that responded to these temptations. But he tries it with us, and there's plenty within us that respond to the temptations from without. And we must not think that these lusts merely apply to those things that are, shall I say, in the world, we can.
Find these same temptations even among the people of God, and this is where we have to be watchful.
And that's why we're told not to be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That is, we can find much that would appeal to us. We can get occupied with food and all this sort of thing, even among the people of God. We can get occupied with fine buildings and all the appeals to the island. We can have actually a sort of a competition to have the nicest home, and yet it's not what the world is among the Saints. And then we can strive for a position among the people of God.
And take honors for self, and this is the pride of life and another form. And one dear brother said, Before I was saved, I wanted to be a great man in the world, and after I was saved, I wanted to be a great man in the Church of God, and I had to learn that both were wrong.
So we must realize that we don't have to go out of the assembly to find these things, and we can seek them right inside. And when we do, we can do as much harm within as if we went outside seeking after them. Because these things ruin the happiness of communion, they spoil the fellowship of Saints, they spoil our testimony before the world. And all because these things work from within. But I believe these are very.
Solemn warnings to us because.
We all have these very things within us, and Satan knows just how to present to us all things that appeal to the flesh. And unless we're very near the Lord, we don't realize that we're falling. We don't realize that the moon springs of our hearts are not Christ, but some of these things, even something that may give us acceptance and importance among the people of God, that self is the basis instead of Christ.
Last prayer for Philimon Garnika.
My heart has been broken.
There's a man I led to Christ in the Jackal Wall in 193422 years served. The Lord faithfully, is the Father, spiritual father of all those Saints in the South of Bolivia.
There are 73 in fellowship there when they're together.
And his downfall was this.
He was elected mayor of the town.
And from that day, Philemon's testimony has been nil. Well, I pleaded with him.
22 years of faithful service.
A matured man over 60 years of age.
Fell snared by one of the rich families there, a divorced woman.
Paul could say I know that in my flesh.
There dwelleth no good things.
Was a sad ending. We are praying for him that he will come back and confess to all the people who've known him so well what God can do for a repentant St. He'll be a a lame priest from that from this on. But if we could pray for him to come back and confess.
What God can do for a St. who has been tripped up by Satan?
Now none of us are exempt.
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That be a man he has walked those miles.
His feet have traveled hundreds of miles of the gospel, and he's traveled it over with Dong on donkey. Back at last. The truck. We got him a truck.
But he's failed.
Oh, how subtle the flesh is.
How terrible.
Well, the answer the Lord gave to Satan each time he came with his temptation.
As the provision that is given to us, it is written, the Lord didn't reason with Satan. He didn't tell Satan. Well, I know I'm going to have all the kingdoms of this world someday. They're promised to me. But he gave him the scripture and left it there.
And brethren, how important it is.
In these days of looseness, that there is obedience to the Word of God, that's our one protection against all the attacks of Satan, not only to know the Word, but to be subject to the Word, to bow to it. And when we see a plain scripture, instead of trying to get some excuse for ignoring it or taking some other path, that the Word condemns.
To submit to it, and then there will be that deliverance from the attack of the enemy.
I was thinking of the last three verses of the ministry of.
In the official the last two verses of the ministry of the apostle Paul, John in the epistles. And there we have that which is positive, that which will keep our heart, and verse 20 and then the warning, and verse 21 and verse 20, that which is practical, that which will keep us, That's the person of the Lord Jesus, isn't it? And we know that the Son of God is come.
To do away.
Was all the Satan did with the first parents, as we had upon the third chapter of a revelation of a Genesis, and had given us an understanding that we might know Him. That is true. And now something very precious has happened with us, and we are in him no longer, with all its deceitfulness. We are in him, although we still have the whole nature in US, and we have heard very solid one and concerned that our own nation and all nature we are in Him. That is true.
Even in his Son Jesus Christ, this is the true God, that eternal life. And then he concludes the ministry in the Epistle with his very solemn way. Very simple, very short, but to the point. Little children, keep yourself from idols in the plural. And it doesn't mention what kind of idol is, but it's in the plural and I believe, and they speak to my own heart and conscience, anything that stands between me and the blessed Lord Jesus that comes between me and the blessed Savior as an idol.
As an eyeball.
Now we have something entirely different in the next verse, don't we?
It just takes us away entirely from ourselves and all our failures. And this is good too, with there are times when we should be exercised.
About that which is in our lives as contrary to the word of God. But this is what keeps us, isn't it? This blessed hope of the Church that the person before our souls, It is coming again here, perhaps a different aspect of his coming. But still it's the blessed hope looking in a general sense, is it not? The brothers said we have two aspects of it here together, do we not?
The One is the Lord's coming in the air for his people, and and then his glorious appearing is when the Lord returns with his Saints. Both are brought out in the Word.
Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his sinks, That's the appearing. But when you read, the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout to the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now that's the blessed hope. But it's lovely here to see how he brings the two together.
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Time the Lord comes in the air and then after we have been with him.
For we know more than seven years while then he returns William Saints to set up his Kingdom, and that is the time when the Saints are rewarded.
Rewards always are connected with the appearing and not.
With the Rapture. The Rapture suggests that the joy that will be the portion of the Saints when we meet the Lord in the air to see His face, to hear His voice, find ourselves eternally and comfortable with our blessed Lord and Savior. There's no thought there of being rewarded. That comes in later.
This would also include the pharmacy to see the president, wouldn't it?
View of the responsibility and of our walk in verse 12 I mean.
It's always seemed to me that.
When you have the marriage supper of the lamb, you might just turn to it in Revelation.
The 19th chapter.
He says in the seventh verse of Revelation, Revelation.
19.
Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen read that the righteousness says.
Of Saints.
Well, the fact that she's ready and clothed with.
With white, raiment, clean and white shows to me that the judgment seat of Christ has taken place.
And all that is in our lives that is not for the glory of God, or wasn't pleasing to our blessed Lord. Willow will be burned up there. Any man's work are burned. He shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. Yet so is by far so. The view we have of the bride here is in her bridal rose.
At the married supper, everything is just suited for the occasion.
And I would take it that the judgment seat of Christ has taken out.
All that to be contrary to the mind of the Lord, it's all gone. And how thankful we will be at the judgment seat when we see all our failures and all our mistakes and.
All our shortcomings and all that has only hindered the Lord's have left hand. The Lord's work all burned up forever, never to have to do with it again. He'll have gone with us over the whole pathway, and everything that is contrary to his glory will be gone. And then we find the bride arrayed in this fine linen, clean and white. And of that he says, which is the righteousness, says no.
That's important. It isn't the righteousness of God. We get the righteousness of God in the third chapter of Romans.
As a result of having accepted the Lord Jesus by faith.
Perhaps we should read that verse that I have in mind the third chapter of Romans.
The 21St verse. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ underwall and upon all them that believe Or there's no difference. That is whenever a poor Sinner accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal Savior.
He's perfectly right with God. He has, or rather, he is the righteousness of God in Christ.
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But that's an entirely different subject. So it's not the righteousness of God, but it's the righteousness says.
All Saints, it's the faithful walk.
Those things that were done just for the eye of Christ, that God is taking account of might be the faithfulness of a bedridden St. Who is bowing to the will of the Lord in her affliction, or his affliction.
The Lord has taken notice of all that that has gone on.
In the life of that state and all that is registered up there, and when this judgment seat has taken place, all that was for the glory of Christ is.
There brought her before us.
As that wherewithal bride is Arabian.
Suffer, and then if you followed on in the chapter where the next thing is, the Lord rides out of heaven on the White Horse, and the armies of heaven follow him on white horses, clean and white.
That's the appearing, but each one has been given their special place of honor.
And reward at that time.
Then shall every man have praise of God? Is the verse you would connect with it First Corinthians three. That is, it's at that time that the praise will be given. That is, God approves of that which his people have done. It isn't simply the the things that we failed in, is it? He's going to reward all that which is done in the name of Christ, even the cup of cold water.
Then shall every man have praise? That is, if there's praise to be had, thought that every man having praise but the praises of God.
And the question is, are we seeking to get the praise of man down here? Are we willing to wait to get the praise of of God up there? If we want the praise of man now, we're forfeiting getting the praise of Gods at that time.
I will think.
Blessed hope so that there is something ahead.
Now there was a verse our brother Gordon read from Matthew 14, which was, May I just comment a little, please?
Verse 25 of.
Chapter 14 of Matthew just returning on this question of the hope, the blessed hope, that himself of course. And in the 4th watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea.
Well, Brother Gardner was impressed as you read this.
The Watchers. Concerning the Watchers. You remember, brethren, that the Hebrew watch.
Was from 6:00 to 10:00 and from 1:50 and 2:00 to 6:00.
3 periods of four hours. But after the captivity, if you remember beloved, the Hebrew watch was changed to the Greek and the Roman watch.
Thus we have 6 to 99 to 12:12 to 3:00.
3:00 to 6:00.
Periods of three hours.
4 periods.
Well, what about the midnight crime?
Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.
Surely that's passed.
That is past that will never be repeated.
And the cockroach.
3.
Letters passed and at the close we're not setting times. Of course that's all wrong, but we just mentioning at the close of the 4th watch Jesus.
He appears with he goes to them walking on the sea.
Well, we do know that this has a great deal to do with the Remnant, and I believe that When the Wind ceased in verse 32, we have at last the Remnant and rest there in verse 32.
Peter would be a type of the Jewish remnant, perhaps, brother, but what about this fourth watch?
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Wasn't it Mr. Dunlap who in his day said you could see the streaks of the morning, the streaks of the dog in the sky?
Brethren, do we really believe that we are at the very, very close of this dispensation of grace?
I believe if we really had that in our souls, we would sit.
Very indifferently to certain things in our life and testimony that would spoil that spoils and do spoil our joy.
The fourth watch.
What is the left, beloved?
It seems to me I never thought I would live to 80 years of age and see the things that really passed before my eyes.
I never thought. I never dreamed I would see these things, brethren, but.
Think for a moment.
Of the things that pass before our eyes just now.
It's marvelous to even contemplate them, surely?
We could hear the shout at any moment.
Calling us away, is there anything that would keep us on tiptoe expectancy like this?
John Wesley evidently believed in the coming of Christ for the bride. John Wesley was asked what would he do if he knew the Lord were coming next morning. He said I would die for pure joy right now.
Is this joy in our souls, beloved? Oh how we would sit? Very.
We wouldn't have too much interest in things.
In this scene, would we?
It doesn't say here. Waiting for that blessed hope doesn't.
Looking for that blessed hope, the Lord in the 12Th chapter of Luke speaks of a service that are found waiting, and then he speaks of the servants that are found watching. So it's really those found watching.
That that's the exhortation here.
Looking, expecting.
That the Lord may come at any moment of the day or night.
Well, sometimes, you know, just to go over in our minds those verses in that speak of the Lords coming in our quiet moments is often calms our souls and brings that hope fresh before our minds.
Were those verses I quoted in in First Thessalonians four of the Lord Himself?
Descend from heaven. Maybe when we get up in the morning, repeat those verses to ourselves.
And then that verse in First Corinthians 15 and 51.
Hold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we all shall be changed in a moment and crinkling of an eye at the last Trump saw. And then who shall change these?
Of our bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. So true say we don't want to just have them in our in our head like some would say, Well, I hold the premillennial coming of Christ as though that was all that was needed. I've got it clear the price is coming before the tribulation. But no, the Spirit of God would have us.
The daily expecting.
And watching for his return.
It is not true too, that this would really be a very precious thing.
His heart. If he were to look down and see an eagerly watching and waiting people, it's true that our hope and the joy of it in our hearts would affect our whole life and bear a testimony that I believe would make the gospel that much more effectual.
For if we preach the gospel message of those who heard, it could see that we really.
01:00:00
Had something that was far more delightful and satisfying to us than anything they had ever tried. It would be, I think, effectual, but I think of what it must mean to the heart of the Lord himself. I remember when I lived and worked in Ottawa, we lived for a time on Hilton Ave. upstairs.
And one of the joys of each day was anticipating coming home after 5:00.
Because I knew that as I walked down Hilton Avenue, I was going to see a little face looking out the upstairs window. Gracie was always there.
One day I had to work a bit late and I came down the street and I remember thinking, oh, how glad she will be to see Daddy this time, because I'm a little later than she expected. And I looked at the window and she wasn't there.
Well, I admit I felt a little sense of disappointment. I had really looked forward to seeing that happy little face in the window. I came upstairs and she was quite innocently and very happily playing with her dolls on the floor. She looked up and said, oh, daddy and I said, Gracie, I didn't see your face at the window. Oh, I just stopped watching. Well, you know, I just stood there feeling, Am I going to have to say that too? I just.
Stopped watching. She had been watching, but I was a little longer than she expected and she went back to that which was perfectly innocent. Nothing to be condemned. But I think I missed that face a lot more than cement seeing her daddy that day.
Looking for that blessed hope. What a wonderful joy to our hearts. What an effect on everything that is around us as far as we look at it is concerned. But all to think of what it must mean to him to look down and see a looking, waiting people. I read something very touching, brethren, concerning an old Jew. He was blind and he was lame.
And he was desirous of returning to Palestine.
He couldn't. He had no ways of getting there. It was 16 miles away to the nearest plain, where a number of Jews were getting on board to return to Palestine. So he was so desirous of going, his son said, Father, I'll carry you, I'll carry you. And he carried his poor old father.
16 miles.
Got him up the ramp, the plane landed, got him down the land, the ramp and his feet touched the ground and he said Son, is this the land?
Is this the land?
And the son said, Father, this is the land, and the old man gets down on his face and kisses it.
And dies right there.
All brethren.
Is there a longing in our hearts like that? He was waiting to see a land, the land of Palestine.
Are we waiting to see that land?
In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go, I will come again.
Oh, I was so touched with that. Brother Albert. Was something you brought me to my mind. What you said is this the land? This is the land.
Guessed it and died a piece of land.
We're not only waiting to see the glory land, but we're waiting to see the person who fills that land with his presence. We're waiting for the person. That's what we're saying. Like Jesus in that place of light and love, supreme once man of sorrows.
Full of grace, heavens blessed and endless theme, we're going to look upon His blessed face.
01:05:01
My late brother Smith that one of the translations gives that passage in the 25th of Matthew.
Simply, behold the Bridegroom is it not? It's not so much the fact that he's coming that's precious, but I believe so many scriptures are that way that they they bring the person before us, and that's the important thing.
We have the same in John, don't we, in connection with evil coming in. It's it's the person. It's Jesus Christ who is come. It isn't the fact that he's come into this world, but it's Jesus Christ is the point, isn't it? And that all the Spirit of God this, this afternoon would present to us.
When it says the blessed hope.
It's the person of Christ, is it not? That is the whole.
It's a precious thing that he's coming, but he's in our midst. Let's remember that.
The Lord sent it under two figures In connection with these two things we have here the blessed hope and the glories appearing.
The Lord is presented to us as the morning star in connection with the blessed folk. He's presented to us as the Son of righteousness in connection with the glories of period.
And makes me think of that scripture where it says that the children of Israel journeyed toward the sunrise.
Well, if you're journeying toward the sunrise early in the morning, what are you going to see? First of all, you'll see the morning star, then after a while you'll see the sunrise.
We have to be turning in the same direction to see both, and both are the figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, the same person.
It's always the person and we need to remember that. The morning star. Well, I've seen it. I know how it shines out so brightly there before the sun has come up just in the dawning.
OK. But then after that, go ahead, brother, and we'll see that what you're saying reminds me of an incident that I sometimes tell about. It's quite striking.
I was done in Old Kentucky at.
Staying in the home of our dear brother here.
He was a bit younger than I was that time and guest still is.
But I was sleeping. My sleeping quarters was an open porch upstairs that was screened in.
And I lay there alone and at the open porch in the summertime we're having meetings. But he kept meeting at the time, perhaps, and as I lay there, a week and very early in the morning.
And I looked out to the screen and in the distance I saw the bright and morning star.
And I thought it was the Brighton morning star shining away there in the heavens. Well, I close my eyes and thought, well, I think I'm going sleeping not stay awake now. It's too early yet. And after a while open mice again and there was no star inside at all.
The sun hadn't listened. No star insight. But well, what's happened?
Something happened to me or something happened to the star. What's the switch? And I moved a little bit and there the star shone as brightly as ever and I discovered there was a leaf of a tree that was growing outside the porch. The little 11 lick of the tree had come right and directed line with my eye and the morning star. And that little leaf kept looking. Seeing the morning star, I thought that sometimes it looked like us as Christians.
They some little things things of the world creep in to our lives and we we lose that that state of the morning star, the coming of the Lord for her sins take him home to glory people themselves there and the glory something intervenes and the the Lord's coming for his people lose its attraction, lose its joy for our hearts, and we get occupied with a little leaves, dangling leaves and the things of this world.
I thought, well, as little does it take to do that, open our souls.
01:10:05
Speaking about the Lord's joy and about our joy. And I was also thinking of that in Ephesians 5, where it says that he might present it to himself a glorious church without having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish.
And so I believe these thoughts are brought in here, too. There might be someone that you wanted very much to see if you love them intensely, but you see them in a condition that makes you sad, because perhaps they're not well, perhaps they're not in a way that's suited and pleasing to you. But isn't it a lovely thought, brethren, that when we see him we shall be like him? Now this glorious salvation is so complete, there's not only the putting away of our sins through that work.
But that when we hear that shout, then we'll be morally and physically like him. But then there's more That when it speaks here about the glorious appearing. And then it goes on to say, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people tell us of good works. Isn't it lovely to think that not only through his blessed work, as he has given us this great salvation, so that we'll be morally and physically like him, but now?
By His spirit in US, and by the new life that has been given.
Producing that in us which is well pleasing in his sights and that will be manifested in that day. And our brother read to us in the 19th chapter of Revelation about the fine women being the righteousness of things. I think sometimes as Christians we lose sight of the real force of this, because supposing a girl, we're going to be married and she says, well, he doesn't love me for the dress I wear on the wedding day.
Any old house dress will do well. It's perfectly true that he doesn't love her for that, but isn't it nice, the effort that she puts forth to be pleasing to him in that day? How well rewarded for her effort if he is very, very pleased with her appearance.
On that day, well, isn't it an encouragement to us, brethren, There's our joy and feeling there, but there's the Lord's joy in having us there. But there's that deeper thought to it, too. And then He gives us the privilege here and now of doing those things in our lives which are like stitches on that garment.
They it says his wife hath made herself ready. And another thought that I have thought too was it tells us 1000 years later we have a view of the bride in the 21St chapter, the same one who has been seen in the 19th of Revelation prepared as a bride and there and she's made herself ready. But 1000 years later, what does it say? It's the same thing.
It says he is there, prepares the bride adorned for her husband. No fading of the beauty, no loss of appreciation on the Lords part of all that which has been done for him. We forget what others do for us. Our appreciation wanes.
1000 years will not change his thoughts about us, or his appreciation for us and for what we have done for him. Well, what an encouragement this is for us then to live for him and the joy that he will have in presenting to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
You take it, Brother Hill, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify himself a peculiar people.
Zealous of good works has to do with our practical Christian life rather than the Lord's atoning work when he bore our sins and put them out of God's sight by bearing the judgment that our sins deserve. Is that the way you look at it?
I was wondering if I was right in that I noticed the new translation in place of iniquity, says Law, which really speaks to our hearts because.
We might say, is the thing wrong or is it not? Well, the point is, who are we seeking to please? Flawlessness is just doing our own will, isn't it? And so he's delivered us from that. He has brought a new will into our lives, and doing His will is the joy and pleasure of the new man. The Lord Jesus said that the good pleasure of thy will, O God, is my delight. And oh brethren, there's a real peace and joy in doing His will, and He has given us.
01:15:10
That this new life that delivered us from self will to live according to his will.
And that's what makes us a peculiar people. It isn't that we dress like some sex in a very driveway so that we'll impress people with the the fact that we are peculiar people. But if there is that character of being a peculiar people because.
We are walking in obedience to his words, and zealous of what is due to him and.
Walking according to his word. Well, that's the character of being peculiar people that we can thank God for.
Himself I was thinking of of reading the Gospels, how the person of Christ in all his ways are brought before us, the various gospels. It's been said by others that the object we have is what forms us, forms our lives.
Now this is a very sad thing when we allow worldly objects.
To take over it becomes idolatry really, doesn't it? But here we have one pure object that can fill the heart and mind of the believer. And this is what practically purifies the believer in his ways. Down here, the object that we have before us.
Lundeen is a thought of being zealous, of good work. What are those works that that's it's again.
Well, we were created unto good works, really in Ephesians where we not? Is that what you mean?
But God has foreordained that we should walk in them as the rest of that verse in Ephesians, showing even the works that are pleasing to Him are not the works of our own choice, but what he has chosen himself. And so that requires much diligence in the word, so that we might be found.
Going on doing those things that are pleasing to Him in obedience.
To His Blessed and Holy Word word, I'd like to read a few verses in Psalm 45.
Connection with the garment we were Speaking of.
Familiar passage, but I think it's nice. Although it may have a special application to Israel, but the principle I think is good.
Psalm 45.
Verse 13.
The King's daughter is all glorious within.
Her clothing is of rot gold.
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework. The virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee.
With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought, they shall enter into the King's palace. I was thinking of the Raymond of Needlework.
There is a sense in which Israel will go through the great Tribulation, not the church.
But, beloved, we have the needlework now. It's the the constant work of the Spirit in our lives, the little things constantly. But in that day, we're going to see the other side of the tapestry. You'll have a pattern on it. We see the frayed ends of it now, but we're going to see the other side in that day. And will that will not. That exalt Christ. Indeed.
Work accomplished. Let us not overlook this expression on the 14th verse, connecting it with the end of the 13th. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, will never exhaust that truth. Who gave Himself for us throughout all the ages of eternity in the Father's house. And that is our portion now.
Seems to me that the Spirit of God would emphasize that work accomplished whereby we have been brought into this blessed position.
01:20:01
Not only that he gave his life, but he gave himself.
And gave himself for it is another verse that expresses the same thought. That is, he did give his life that oh, he lives for us he has.
Separated himself in the heavenly glory as he tells us in the 17th chapter of John. For their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth the Lord didn't to arrest when he left the scene. He went there above and girded himself to service in our pathway down here. So He is serving us now.
And more in the sense of having the towel in the basement, washing our feet and keeping us, restoring our souls, keeping us in communion.
In connection.
Inefficient. Chapter five, we have.
The three four points Bless the Lord Jesus for us in verse 25. Has the past He gave himself for the change? Well the person in connection with the PewDiePie unto himself a peculiar people. I believe that it's verse 26. Isn't he brethren our chapter 25 of the efficient that it might sanctify and cleans up with a washing of the water by the word? This is the constant work of the Spirit of God, and the intercession of the blessed Lord Jesus in heaven.
And then the future verse 27, that he might present it to himself a glorious change, not having a spot or wrinkle, nor any such a thing. But I should be holy and without blemish. You have the threefold voice of the blessed person of the Lord Jesus, and this evils on our behalf, isn't it? Bless you. And I just want to leave a little thought before when we close, which is very blessed indeed, First Thessalonians.
Chapter one, verse 9 and 10. I just want to pass on just a little thought and I'll close. These are two very precious words in first Thessalonians in connection with what you have this afternoon and the effect that had in the life of these deals. Thessalonians verse 9 and verse 10. For they themselves show us what manner of an entrance in we had unto you.
How he turned to God from idols to serve the living and through God. Now this verse 10 is very precious. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which which delivered us from the wrath or judgment to come. And someone, a believer, rose the question the other day, Is there any scripture to be fulfilled before the Lord Jesus comes for the change?
For the believer and we read this verse and the Thessalonians from the very beginning of a church history. They were not waiting for any fulfillment of the scripture, but they were waiting for his Son from heaven is the correct one.
Everything 173 A little vile. The Lord will come. We shall wander here no more. You'll take us to the to the college.
House home, where he for us gone before well with him to see his face and sing the glories of His grace.
173.