Toledo Conference: 1973
Table of Contents
The Assembly
Address—E. Smith
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
November 1973 address by Eric Smith.
169.
Lord, we can see by faith in Thee.
A prospect brake and paling.
Where God shall shine in light divine.
The glory.
Ever faded a home above of peace and love, close to thy holy person?
They Saints aware, see glory for him.
And time as I reflect, 169.
Lord, we can see by facing me.
So.
00:05:00
May we read together from the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.
The 16th chapter.
Of Matthew.
Verse 13.
When Jesus came into the coast of Cecilia Hillard.
He asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, ends?
And they said some pay thou art, that thou art John the Baptist family liar.
And others. Jeremiah were one of the prophets.
He saith unto them.
But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said.
Though after Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed without thou, Simon Barjona.
For flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee.
But my Father, which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, Thou art, that thou art Peter.
And upon this rock I will build my church.
And the gates of hell, or hey be, shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.
And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And whatsoever loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Then he charged his disciples that they should tell no man.
That he was Jesus with Christ.
Well, we'll read just that far from now.
I would like Father as the Lord enabled to stress certain points.
Certain first principles.
That we do need our field in these days.
Confirming the assembly.
We notice here the ones that.
Prophetically.
The assembly.
Is.
Notice it's intimated.
For the first time.
But when we turn over to the Acts of the Apostles.
We find that the assembly there is historically presented.
These are simple clues that we know, but they are very necessary to remind our hearts concerning them.
And when we turn over to the epistles, of course we know that.
There the assembly is.
More, shall we say, formally addressed.
In the Epistles, and then we turn over to the book of the Revelation, we find that the assembly is distinctly, distinctly presented.
Now, these are just basic things, beloved, and things that we ought to dwell upon a little more, perhaps than we do.
So that prophetically this gospel intimates the assembly for the first time.
And as we might, we might repeat as the Acts of the Apostles.
Historically.
Present the assembly.
The epistles formally addressed the assembly.
And the revelation distinctly presents the assembly. And when we speak of the assembly, dear young people, we don't speak of a building.
00:10:05
That the spiritual edifice.
And it's the material is composed as you know of souls who are born again, saved souls. This is the material of the assembly. All this equation as we have at new original or a called out company.
I called out company of born again soul.
This is Mark. Merely religion, the one this is.
The assembly, the Eclipse here or the called out company?
Of Redeemed 1.
We do know too that it's center or head is the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the.
And.
What of the power there?
Where we turn to the Holy Spirit Himself.
He is the power.
And what about the authorities?
The apology is the word of the living God.
Dear young people.
This book, which we hold in our hands, is the Word of the living God.
I wasn't taught that at one time. I thought I was taught that it's contained the word of God. So I said to the beings that wouldn't be sufficient for me, Sir, because I believe this book can cover to cover that. Holy men of God wrote as they were born along by the Spirit of God. This is the word of the living God. The young men and women, this is the word of the living God.
Or, as Walter Scott, I used to hear him say, it's opening our hands tonight. It'll be open in heaven forever.
Never passed away.
It will never pass away.
He has exalted it above his name forever, O Lord.
My word is heckled in heaven.
So that this called out company.
Composed of born again soul.
Have you, dear ones, experienced this new birth?
Oh, how was thankful is it?
I have known their soul go on for years.
That even that be at the table of the Lord.
To discover.
Thank God that they had never been born again.
We must be born again.
As the child is born into the world.
So the child of God is born by the Spirit of God through the world, and after the next World.
Well, we love to think of it that Christ is the center. Now I'm not taking up every aspect of this thing, but I'm only making certain suggestions which discuss.
Will be our little help to some young person.
Christ is the center.
And the one the body one, body two is the ground of the assembly.
And This is why Satan is making such tremendous attacks upon us today.
We're not going into any controversial things by saying this, beloved, but we do know this.
That if Satan can get the Saints.
Misunderstand this glorious fruit. That's the one body. Truth is the ground of the assembly. Satan can get you to believe. Anything else will scaffold you.
He will. It's his specific work, the battle.
The same.
Yes, but the one body truth.
Is the ground of the assembly.
00:15:01
The Holy Spirit is power, as we just mentioned, to lead.
And to guide them.
There must be no use of patience of the Spirit of God.
In our ministry, in our service, in our worship.
Or we become.
Like the rest of Christendom today.
Well, these are important matters.
And the Word of God is the sole authority.
What about his practice? A young person came to me today saying, Brother Smith, what is the effect? What is the practice of the of the assembly? And I believe it's holiness.
And when we speak of holiness, dear young people.
To perfect holiness in the field of God.
Is it not to exclude everything from my life and testimony that is country to God's mind and to God's nature?
Surely this is sold?
This has been brought up to my soul as an old man.
That holiness is the exclusion of everything from my life and testimony that is conscious of God's mind and to God's nature. Are we doing that?
We trust that we are.
Well, we mentioned that the acts of the apostle.
Historically presents the assembly, and so I'd like to turn now to to Act 2.
You'll notice in Matthew 616 the keys were mentioned there. I'm going to go back to that a few moments before we pass on to one day. I was standing in front of that Magnificent.
Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the old city of Porto Sea. It's a beautiful building and I was talking to the chief cashier of the bank, whom I thought English to. He was very desiring to learn some English, so I taught him some English.
And taught him with the Gospel of John, but it didn't seem to impress him that man has died without Christ.
Said I feel about him a very, very distinguished Spanish American.
So I said to him, what are those keys over the door of the cathedral stuff voices. These are the keys of Saint Paul, of Peter, St. Peter. He says the these are the keys that are open to get into heaven. He opens the deeds.
Well, I said, supposing we look up the scriptures about that and see what the scriptures say about that, and you find that they're not teas of bronze.
North of I am but.
They are.
He announcing through the lips of the apostle Peter the gospel, the grand title. Well, I don't know whether he got the point. Anyway, we went through that quite a bit with him.
And so here the keys are mentioned in Matthew 16.
Deceased Well in at school people uses the key.
And opens the door of grace to the Jews.
In that coop. Maybe just read that for a moment.
Verse 36.
Of X2. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus.
Whom you have crucified.
Both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles men. And then what shall we do?
00:20:01
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all them, to verify off even as many as the Lord God shall call. And these many other words did He testify and exhaust them. Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Well, for the one then they had gladly received His word, were baptized the same day, were added unto them about 3000 souls. So here we have the birthday of the Church of the Assembly.
60 days after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now here are some important methods which we need to face in these days, beloved.
Verse 42.
We find that these continued head fastly in the Apostles doctrine.
This is something, dear young people, we need to pay special attention to in these days. There are so many.
Series abroad today.
That it really demands discernment from the part of the young believer.
It demands discernment to distinguish between what is according to the Word of God and what is not according to the Word of God.
Take, for instance, my dear wife was listening to what another sister had to say. All she said, Francis, you should have heard. You should have heard the preaching of that particular man. I never heard anything like it.
And would you like to listen? He's going to speak right away. So, Francis, I don't usually listen, but I please you. I'll listen to what he has to say.
Now this sister had.
Listen to this man for several years.
And no doubt used to save man, but on this occasion he preached that the church would never would have to go through the tribulation.
And Pope Francis drew the attention of this particular sister through the error.
And she said, honey, the church will never go through the tribulation period. The Lord is going to come and catch us away before that period, she said, I never noticed that all the years. That was his patience. So we need discernment to see young people. We need discernment to distinguish between the truth and what is not the truth. These continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, noted the singular.
I would like to read a little portion here from one of our old residents.
About.
These matters that concern us.
Confirmed the Saints in those days and of course it concerns us these days.
He said.
I'll read from the Spanish.
To confess openly that which we are.
In the presence of that which God is, is always the way to peace and blessing.
Even when only two or three are gathered before God, if it be thus with them.
There will be no disappointment.
Nor deluded hope.
The word for the remnant is sanctified, the Lord God in your heart.
The Holy Spirit does not gather Saints around near views, however true they may be upon which the Church is. The assembly is upon that which the assembly has been, or that which it may be on the earth. But He always gathers them around that blessed person.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.
Where two or three are gathered together up to my name, Jeremiah and the mission. Dear young people, this is a great truth.
All some of us have paid dearly for.
There's no place so blessed on the face of the earth.
00:25:00
Has been gathered to the precious name of Christ.
Are we becoming indifferent to this beloved?
Do you young people really and truly?
Say Amen to this or not.
It is true, we need to be very watchful. It goes on to say again, both things, you need to be still in the presence of God.
For there is much independence.
And health will.
And looseness.
Coming in among us.
Written years ago by one of our old English writers concerning the testimony.
No, this is not.
In any way boasting at all, beloved, this is something that's practical.
Are we becoming indistinct to these Apostolic injunctions?
These continued steadfastly in the Apostles Gospel.
1.
In Fellowship.
In Fellowship.
And if we walk in the light?
As he is in the light.
We have fellowship one with another.
And the blood of Christ.
God.
Cleanse yourself from all things.
Then is the breaking of the breast.
I always ask to be a young Christian who are going to look for work.
Don't go too far away from an assembly to get your job if you can help.
Stay close by the assembly where you can remember the blessed Lord.
First day of the week. Don't go too far away from the assembly if it's possible.
And in prayer, these are the four Apostolic anchors. Dear young people.
I'd like to turn over for a little while to Act 27.
Where we get something of the ruin.
That went on with the shipwrecked there.
Notice there are 4 anchors that were cast out of the ship to try and save it from going on the rocks in verse 29 of Acts 27.
Then feeling lest we should have fallen upon rocks.
They cast 4 anchors out of the stern and wish for the day.
Here we get 4 anchors cast out of the stern of the ship.
Favor from being raped.
But alas, these anchors were cut.
All of the ship went upon the rock.
270 odd persons aboard, including the Apostle Paul.
And we get some special.
Polite ministry here, of course, in this chapter, which we're not going to dwell on now.
But what we need, what we want to express this afternoon that.
The assembly.
The church.
In the mind of God is ever perfect. All dear young people never forget that.
The rule is great, the profession church is in ruins, but in the mind of God the assembly is ever perfect. It couldn't be otherwise.
Well, he is the anxious that cut away.
And we find here 200 free score and 16 trolls.
In verse 37.
Lightning the ship.
He made taking a little food to strengthen themselves. They lighten the ship, they sprout the wheat into the sea.
00:30:04
And when it was they, they knew not the land, but they discovered a certain creep with the shore into the which they were minded as it were possible to bust in the kids.
And when they had taken up the anchors or customers resource.
They committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rubber bands, and hoisted up the mainstream to the wings.
And made towards y'all.
Though the testimony is enrolled in the professing church, here we have the apostle Paul saved and those with him.
It's a little remnant testimony verse 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on broken piece of the ship.
And so it came to pass that the escapes all saved the land.
Now I'd like to dwell a little while.
On what occurred afterwards.
And then come back.
To the teaching that's upon my soul.
First one of chapter 28 and when they were escaped then they knew that the island was called Malika.
And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, but for they kindled a fire, and received us everyone, because of the present rain, because of the cold.
And when Paul had gathered the bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, they came a Viper or a serpent out of the heat, and passed on his hand.
And when the Barbarians saw the venomous beasts hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is American, whom though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffered not to live.
And he took off the beast into the fire.
And felt no harm the young people, which is the teaching of Romans 6.
Then he shall not have dominion over you.
Roman 6.
He shook the beast into the fire.
And felt no harm.
I want to tell you a story or two and I hope you not get too excited about this.
In the tackle war.
Where I have the privilege of preaching to thousands of troops during the three years.
In that section there are what you call Python.
And I have never seen such immense creatures in my life.
One of the officers made a friend of one that was 20 feet long.
And he used to shoot a pig, a wild pig or a hab believe they call him in Hispanics. They're wild pigs.
And see this Bruce.
Once a week.
With great Booth would wind itself around the pig and make a long string of pig, all the bones broken, and begin the operation of swallowing it.
Well, that brute began to know him.
I was scared of that thing, but it got to know him and they got to love him.
So that every time you saw this conversation, rise up on its tail. And by the way, they can sing just 20 feet. If they're 20 feet long, they can jump 20 feet. So lookout for one of these pythons.
They hang in those jungle trees, you know, and drop on the wild pig and on the wild deer of that jungle area and wind around them and make a long string out of the coaching so they can follow them.
Well, whenever this group saw this officer rise up on his tail. And what do you think he did?
It wound its tail, ground him so lovingly and so quietly.
And then relax his grip.
And fell at his feet and made a big coil of service.
Well, after the war, the officer said I can make some money out of this.
So he took this route in a special cave till a path to capital.
00:35:01
And he had a building specially prepared with lights that were subdued and imitation jungles.
And the big screen.
Hundreds of people died to see this event.
This great creature was on the platform in Coil.
We would suddenly there would be a flashlight turned on the creature, and he would walk towards his numbers, would stand on his tail and wind itself round him. You know some of the women fainted the thought of it.
Painted.
And then a straight.
Down the.
Would fall the blinds.
Please.
Well, this went on for some time.
One night.
It was a real squeak, Sweet crawler. He wound himself around that poor man and you could hear the bone cracking.
What had happened? He played too long with a snake.
He played too long with the snake.
He's played too long with the serpent, dear young people.
Let me warn you concerning one important matter.
Yummy nano.
Can be the safeguard of your moral.
Or they might not be the safeguard of your mother.
I repeat that.
Your manners might be and could be the safeguard of your morals.
Or they might not be replaced out of your mouth. Dear young people, beware of the.
You know my old teacher of Hebrew, the little I know of Hebrew, an old Jew from Poland who taught me some Hebrew.
And I said to him.
So what is the meaning of certain in the heap?
And so he wrote it down NACASH which is just simple, not pass.
And you would be surprised that many of the eagle words are Hebrew words.
So it was intensely interesting to me.
Intensely so. Not kind.
Will I said explain it? He said. You know, Adam was imbued with special power of intelligence.
God made him that way. He wasn't an unbeliever in that sense like some of them.
And as these animals passed by, Adam gave the name.
And suddenly a brilliant creep who went by.
Who writes that we had as if he would hold his hands up, couldn't look upon. He was so bright and he said not past.
The The shining one. The shining one.
All dear young people.
May I just warn you again?
Of the serpent.
The serpent says he's a shining one, and you know.
There's a word in the ink, that kind. It's near Pence, and it's hidden.
And what do you think it means?
It means suffering.
Who compromised?
Who compromised?
That's the work of the enemy.
If Satan can get you beloved young men and women to make a compromise with the devil with a certain he'll do it.
And he will do it on one thing.
This blessed book.
For along with that word.
Compromise in the Inka tango. Hebrew.
It supplicates.
Suffering to compromise of possible.
00:40:01
Now you see, I'm coming to that point that's upon my soul.
Are we going to compromise truth?
Or not.
Am I compromising truth?
I am at the front of life.
But there's one thing I would make known to you, dear young people this afternoon, that the great danger today is compromised with proof.
Home command.
To please someone.
To please another person.
Will even tell the truth.
This is the workplace.
Now that I don't want to hop on there too much.
But I'm talking from the depth of my poor heart.
Is it possible, beloved?
Old and young.
To compromise with pro gusted please our human beings.
Are we willing to compromise divine truth?
To please.
A poor human being.
Just to keep on the good side of someone.
God forbid.
Now we must minister truth and love.
And loving food. And I believe that the teaching of the epistles of John.
Loving truth and truth and love.
But let us not play with a certain.
Too much and compromise.
With the truth of God's Word.
All. How faithful.
To do so.
Someone said where you won't have a friend in the world.
Oh yes you will.
Mr. Darby, on commenting on the Whitestone of the Book of the Revelation, says it's peace.
Of God's commendations.
And beloved, would you sooner have the commendation of your Savior than all the applause of this for Him held going well?
Now back again, just for a few minutes.
To move you.
For all of them, that's Matthew 18.
And 20.
Verse 20.
Where two or three are gathered together.
Really is a little word with three letters magazine unto my name.
Where am I in the mid season?
And years ago I got out a little.
Word for the Saints from this word in this way.
I'll put it into the English.
Where?
The divine place.
Where do all three?
The divine testimony.
And that is the lowest plurality, beloved.
Our desert.
00:45:03
The divine preparation.
And preparation, by the way, is not a favorite word among many of God's dear people, but it's through Christ.
Really.
Separation to Christ.
And consequently.
From this world, it seems.
It ended system.
I remember reading what Mr. McIntosh wrote many years ago.
I was still in system and I picked up, got ahold of, well, I really got it from my beer Barber Hughes, a full set of PHM on the Pentacles.
And I read their report.
That impressed me in those early days.
He speaks of the privilege of being gathered through the name of Christ.
He said this place into which we have been diverse.
Is a precious place.
Then he went on to say.
That to remain there and to make it more.
Is not present, but faithfulness to God. Faithfulness to God.
Our gather divine separation.
Unto my name, the divine sufficiency.
There are mine, the divine presence.
In the mid.
The divine Center.
Of them.
The Divine Approval translated from Spanish.
No, dear one.
One day, a missile came to tell you. Play for tell you.
And led him to Christ as a staff Sergeant in the war.
In 1930. The beginning of 1934.
He has gone on ever since.
To the law, which is something to play the Lord for. They don't all go on. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not talking to perfection anywhere.
Because they are mortals like anybody else, but their table has gone on for God all these long years.
He hasn't looked back.
One day I miss, you said.
Why don't you join up with us?
We notice that your ministry is graceful.
You're just a few here, why don't you join up with us?
And he looked at that mission, man, you know what he said? He said, Sir, can you have any more of the Lord Jesus with your hundreds than we have with the tools of the thieves and.
Quoted this verse.
Where two or three are gathered together under my name.
Where am I?
In the midst of.
Well, Needless to say, the missionary has nothing more to say.
He had nothing more to say.
Will singer hymn now?
Would you kindly turn to 1 number?
99.
On Christ salvation, rest secure.
Morocco ages Master Bureau.
Nor can that they fill the throne.
Which rests upon the living soul.
No other hope shall intervene on him will, on him willing.
Of the foundations we the soul and build on Christ.
The living Stone.
On quite sounding.
00:50:06
On where?
You are.
The Path of Faith
Address—A.C. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings. Toledo, November 1973.
Addressed by Albert Ejole.
Hymn #171.
He bids us come, His voice we know, and boldly on the waters go to him, our God and Lord, we walk on lifes tempestuous sea. For he who died to set us free hath called us with his word. 171.
A bit of calm, his voice way more.
Hurried up.
And down the road?
More Ephron, him we turn the heart.
Away.
Hooray for unbelievable.
Lord.
That in heaven.
Lord the way.
Unbelievable.
And green.
Laura.
Mama Maldives. Maldives.
Like you to turn with me please this afternoon to 2nd Corinthians.
Chapter 5.
2nd Corinthians chapter 5, verse 7.
For we walk by faith.
00:05:05
Not by sight.
For we walk.
By faith.
Not by sight.
I suppose that there are many who look upon faith as being a rather vague and obscure and indefinite thing, something that we perhaps turn to and make use of when we haven't anything else to lean upon. But beloved, it's very, very sweet to read these words by one who really knew whereof he spoke, and that was the beloved Apostle Paul.
We walk by faith, not by sight. Notice, please, to that this verse is embraced between two other verses, both of which speak of supreme unshakable confidence. Verse six. Therefore we are always confident. Verse eight. We are confident, I say.
And between the two comes this delightful expression for.
We walk by faith, not by sight.
They love a young friend. It is my particular desire to speak to you this afternoon on the subject of faith and what it ought to mean to everyone of us.
At the first prayer meeting yesterday morning, a verse was read to us in Acts chapter one, the ninth verse, where the disciples having enjoyed the company of the Lord Jesus.
They're in their midst from day-to-day. They had seen that one whom they had learned to love.
Body In the ninth verse of Acts One they see the Lord Jesus visibly taken up from their midst, and the scripture says.
A cloud received him out of their sight. Out of their sight. He was gone now to the natural eye, hidden and hidden to by a cloud.
I have sometimes felt that that verse could be an encouragement to us when, perhaps, in the midst of difficulty, or trial, or testing of one kind or another, we look upward, and shall I speak plainly, all we see is a cloud. Have you ever had that experience, dear young friend? Have you ever in time of difficulty, in time whenever a decision of great importance is before you?
And you look up and there is a cloud, even a cloud above.
Oh, how wonderful to read those words. A cloud received him out of their sight. Where they downhearted, where they discouraged. Oh no, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. For they knew that on the other side of that cloud was the one who had loved them, who had proclaimed, and who had demonstrated his love had died to reveal that love. And now they know that on the other side of that cloud.
There was the one whose uplifting hands had just gone from their sights, and you and I do not see him by sight today. Beloved, we're going to before very long, faith is going to give place to sight. You and I are going to look into the very face of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the meantime, there is a wonderful privilege of looking up and realizing that beyond that which may seem so dark, so filled with clouds, there is the one whose hands will ever remain uplifted until he calls us home. Now, in Speaking of this word, faith, I believe first of all we ought to remind ourselves of the way in which it's presented to us in Scripture.
Concerning the need of a lost soul, for I can't address a company like this this afternoon without feeling that there may well be present in this company.
00:10:08
A number of the dear young people who are not yet redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
We read in Romans 5 verse one. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. My dear young brother, my dear young sister, what a delight it is to know that we can look up and know by faith in Him who took our place upon the cross of Calvary.
That we have peace with God. But may I ask that each heart here be searched about this matter at this very moment? Have you, with the hand of faith received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have your lips ever been open to confess Him to anyone?
I want to repeat that, for I feel greatly troubled to think that the only confession that has ever come from the lips of many that I know.
Is a rather hesitant yes, if you ask them, do you know the Lord as your Savior? Never have I heard them voluntarily and with joy and reverence mentioned the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, my dear young friend, I want to ask you very pointedly, very plainly at this moment, will you please answer this question?
Have you ever at anytime in your life?
Voluntarily confessed the Lord Jesus to anyone.
Does that sound like a surprising challenge to those who are older?
Do you, do you conceive it possible that there ever could be young people who would have to hesitate in answering a question like that? I think the young people themselves know that this is a needed question, and I'm going to repeat it. Have you ever, at any time in your life, to anyone?
Voluntarily confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You find that question rather searching. You know very well, my friend, that the word of God says, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord teaser.
And shall believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved again. We find that element of faith in Ephesians chapter 2, the eighth verse. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. The arm of faith reaches out to receive the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As the one who loved us, who died for us, who shed his precious blood to purge away our guilt.
All Could it be that anyone here has never confessed Jesus Christ as Lord?
I ask you, friend, could there be a better occasion, a more challenging opportunity for you to do this than to do it this very afternoon? What I have to say on the matter of faith is not applicable to you at all unless you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, unless your sins are washed away by the precious blood of Christ and you yourself have peace with God.
It is impossible to walk the path of faith. It's possible to make a very good imitation. It's possible to deceive your father and mothers and maybe those in the assembly too. But you know deep down in your own heart.
And his eye knows, as he looks over this company tonight, whether you have personally accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior. And thy not only address myself, myself to those who would be considered young people, but the children too, the boys and the girls who have been brought here by their parents. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?
00:15:11
Have you confessed his precious name, perhaps to your dad or to your mother?
I remember confessing that precious name to my mother a long time ago.
I had known the Lord, I'm ashamed to say this, for some time.
Before I had Shall I dare to confess it? Before I had the courage to confess the name of the Lord Jesus to my own mother?
And one night she came in.
To kiss me goodnight.
As he always did.
And I said, mother, I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I'm a Christian now.
My dear mother said, well, I hope you act like one. And she hurried out of the room. I was disappointed. I thought she would say more than that. But I'm a father now, and a grandfather too, and I know my mother hurried out of the room. I know just what she did too, although she's never told me. I know she went to a room and got our knees to thank God and to pray.
For that wayward son.
That had just confessed the Lord.
Oh, as I speak of faith, beloved, it's such a marvelous provision of God for a journey like this. It means so much, even in a little measure in which I've known it, that I want you to know it. I want you to enjoy it. I want you to look around at that which surrounds us and realize that it all will pass away and that you and I have a challenge and the privilege by the grace of God.
Of walking through this world of sight with a walk of faith.
I wonder if we could turn please to Hebrews Chapter 11.
Hebrews Chapter 11, verse one. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen here. I believe we have a different view of faith. Not exactly that transaction by which your soul and mind has been brought to know the Lord Jesus as saviors. Not that transaction by which through the grace of God we possess peace which we never knew before.
But here, dearly beloved young people, we have put before us, I believe, that which is demonstrated in the lives of many of the people of God whose testimony is recorded in this precious book. We find a number of them mentioned here in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews. And perhaps in Speaking of faith, there's no better way of seeing it demonstrated than in the lives of some of God's dear peoples.
Reference was made in the meeting this morning to the sad choice made by one whose name was lost.
And the wise choice made by Abraham.
Lot's choice was made according to the natural. I lost. Choice was made by sight, with a view to temporal things. Abraham's choice was made with the eye of faith. And perhaps if you or I had observed these two men for a while.
We might have felt that Lot had made a pretty good choice. He was what you would call, at first at least, a very successful man.
And, you know, I noticed sometimes that when the dear young folks see someone driving a very fancy, expensive car, their first question sometimes is, what's his job? They want to know what kind of job will bring you those status symbols that are so envied in the world today. Don't worry, I'm not pointing the finger. I've got the very, very same thing in here that you feel stirring within you.
00:20:05
The very same tendency to walk by sight, The very same tendency to look upon that which the natural man would admire and envy.
Oh beloved, when I think of those of old who with the eye of faith look beyond all that which the world had to offer, and I see their pathway recorded for our benefit in the Word of God, and I see not only the end of their pathway, but I suddenly realize their pathway has been written up.
And you and I in Toledo in 1973 can read of the choice that Locke made a long time ago was lots choice and that which caused him to make that choice known to God. It's recorded in this book. And do you know, my dear friend, do I realize?
These things are still being written up.
Your choices mine your footsteps.
Mine, they are being recorded and they're going to be reviewed.
That God, who's kept a record of the choice of Abraham and the law, is keeping also a record of your choices and of mine. And it may be that others look on and feel that we have made wise choices because things are going so well. But beloved young friends, I remind you, and I need the reminder that our lives are being written up and are going to be reviewed in a day that's coming.
Oh, as we look back upon some of those men whose lives are written in the pages of the Old Testament.
We know from God's stamp of approval that.
That the life of faith.
Is that which you and I surely would want for ourselves.
And for our families. But how can we expect our families to walk by faith?
If we ourselves.
So continually, so often, are guided by that which is only a matter of sight, that which is temporal, that which is going to pass speedily away.
I suppose, too, we could think of the case of Moses. Moses in the land of Egypt with every natural advantage Moses already far advanced in the court of Pharaoh, and with such ability, and such wisdom, and such opportunity. But there came a time in the life of Moses when there was a comparison between sight and faith.
And I have no doubt that many a man considered Moses a fool of the strangest sort to make the choice he did.
Sight could see the glories and the pleasures of Egypt.
Faith could see. What could faith see? It tells us in Hebrews 11, and to me it's very remarkable. What did he choose? The land that flowed with milk and honey. That's not what Scripture says. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. That's what seemed to be before Moses in the choice that he made. But the eye of faith pointed to that pathway.
Moses made that choice, and he encountered many a difficult day as he walked the path of faith.
And it is said of him and of him alone in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews that He endured. He endured. Oh dear young believer, it is one thing to make a fine start. It is one thing to go along for a time. But Oh my dear young brother and sister, the faith that God delights to see demonstrated.
In your life and mine is that which can cause us to endure in the face of any difficulty.
I must admit I have wondered whether this particular expression used of Moses and Moses alone.
Was because Moses spent most of his time among the people of God who were such a source of sorrow and grief to his soul.
00:25:07
The other man whom we read of there in Hebrews 11 seemed more or less to walk something of an individual pathway, but Moses journey caused him to be continually surrounded by the people of God, and all the problems and difficulties that arose seemed to be laid at Moses feet. Moses this, that, and the other thing is all your fault. And they blamed him for the whole thing from beginning to end.
But Moses and George all the eye of faith, beloved, was upon that one who had called those people out of Egypt. And although the natural eye might see nothing, but either on the one hand, the honors and the glory of Egypt, or on the other hand, the distress and the problem of the desert, yet the.
Eye of faith caused Moses to endure.
And you and I know that the day came at last when the feet of that dear man of God, by God's grace.
Are found in the very land that was forbidden to him at the end of his earthly journey. For there on the Mount of Transfiguration, we see the Lord Jesus Christ, and with him Moses, Moses and Elias all. Beloved, there is a day coming. Dear young brother, dear young sister, there is a day coming when all that is seen to the natural eye, all that can be possessed and laid hands upon here, is going to be gone forever.
And you and I are going to be in the presence of him whom now we know.
By faith.
Well, there was not only the case of Abraham.
And of Moses and of Joshua 2 For as Joshua wandered through that wilderness for 40 years.
All that he could see with the natural eye was that which might have been very, very distressing to hear from day-to-day, the unbelief and the murmuring of the people, whereas he himself knew with certainty the wonder of the land that lay before him.
He also, with the eye of faith, continued on until he entered into that possession. The eye of sight could only see the giant and the great walled cities, but the eye of faith, the eye of faith, could see God's land of promise, the land that flowed with milk and honey.
You know, I suppose one of the greatest examples of all in this regard is the very one who wrote these words.
We walk by faith.
Not by sight, the beloved Apostle Paul.
Wrapped in his natural eye. See in the days of his youth.
His natural eye could see a great deal of honor and esteem and success in this world. But there came a moment in the life of Saul of Tarsus when he heard a voice from heaven, and with the eye of faith he recognized that the one whose voice he had heard was none other.
Than the Lord from heaven.
And from that day onward, the beloved apostle was guided by.
The eye of faith. The eye of faith.
Was it really worthwhile? Was it really worthwhile? What did it bring the Apostle Paul if he had continued to walk by natural sight?
If he had continued to deem as that which was really significant, really to be sought after, those things which he later called dung, what would his life have been?
Oh, what a tragedy, what a sad tragedy the life of that man of God would have been. But from that moment, as we read in Philippians chapter 3, what things were gained to me? Those I counted.
00:30:03
Loss for Christ, that's written in the past tense. What things were gained to me though thy counted lost for Christ. I believe as an old man he was looking back to the days of his youth, his manhood, when he had made this choice, when he had settled this reckoning and he had decided that those things which were gained to him.
Were to be counted lost. Why? Because someone shook their finger at him and told him that there was something far better than what he was taken up with. I'm afraid that never would have changed my mind. I'm afraid that all the scoldings in the world would never have turned my eyes from those things which can only fade away. But Paul says those I counted lost for Christ.
There was something so real to the eye of faith, should I say, someone so real, who had won the affection of this dear man, that from that moment onward that which at one time had seen so valuable and so worthwhile to him were counted as dung. For he goes on to say, yeah, doubtless, and I count.
He now uses the present tense. He's an old man. He's in prison. He can look back over a life which could have been a life of ease and comfort and acceptance and popularity. And he looked back over the whole thing and he says, yeah, doubtless. And I count. I have not changed my mind. I look back on the whole thing and I still count.
All things, it seems to me it's broader still. As he grows older, he looked back and says, what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. But now as an old man, he looks back and says, Yeah, doubtless. And I count all things but loss for the Excellency of a knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.
That strong language, and it wasn't exaggerated language.
The beloved apostle meant every word of it, Every word of it.
You know I have pictured to myself, and I hope you will forgive this, I have pictured to myself the thrilling experience of visiting with Paul in prison.
Would you care to come along and we'll go to that dark old prison in Rome? We'll inquire of the jailer concerning a man named Paul.
He nods his head. Yes, yes, we have a religious fanatic in here by the name of Paul. I'll take you to him.
And we're LED down that dark stone corridor and the jailer points to the door and says behind that door is the man whom you are seeking. And we walk in and we see.
An old man.
Chained.
Chained An old man Chained.
Is this the man that could have been so popular?
Is this the man that could have ended his days with honor and esteem and dignity? And we find him an old man chained in a Roman dungeon? Surely we'll have to encourage this poor, despondent old man. Surely we'll have to go to him and try and cheer him up.
Well, what do we find? He lifts up his eye from the page that he's been writing.
And his face is filled with radiance and with gladness, and we look over his shoulder to what he has been writing.
And we read the words, Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice.
Beloved young friend, in the days of your youth, do remember this that God has given us in His precious Book, the account of men of like passions with you and with me, men who would naturally seek after those things.
00:35:07
Which would give them reputation and esteem and honor and comfort in this world.
But one by one we see these men turn from that which sight would look to.
Turn to that which faith alone can see, and follow the course right through to the end. And what do we find at the end?
All an old man in prison waiting to be LED out and beheaded. And does he regret the choice that he made? Does he regret one footstep in the path of faith? No, beloved friend, he does not. He looks back over the whole thing and he gives us a list of that which he had endured in Second Corinthians.
You read that list and I think if I had experienced anyone of the things that Paul speaks of there.
I would think it was a lot to endure for the Lord's sake, but Paul because he felt forced to do so.
Gives a description. Could I just turn for the moment and read a few verses of it? Second Corinthians 11.
Verse 23.
Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more.
In labor's more abundant in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent in deaths off of the Jews. Five times received by 40 stripes, save 1 price. Was I beaten with rods, Once was I stone, thrice I suffered shipwreck, and night and a day I have been in the deep. We won't go on. You know the list. Does he really look back on all this and consider that the choice made in the days of his manhood?
With a choice for which he thanks God. It's true. Beloved young people, I'm not back there anymore. I've left the days of my youth behind.
And there have been decisions made in the days of my youth that I wish had been made with the eye of faith.
But I have a faithful God.
And a faithful and merciful and understanding High Priest.
Am I the only one that's here today that feels that His faithful hand has pulled me back time and again from bypass? That it would have led to sorrow? He has. I stand here to confess it with gladness that when those choices are made that are not for the glory of God, He does not leave us alone.
Perhaps we resent his interference. Perhaps we resent his hand that would tarnish or remove the idol, but he does it because he loves us.
He wants you, dear brother. He wants you, dear sister, to have a happy life.
An abundant entrance and a full reward. And He not only puts before you texts that are intended to stir your heart and deliver a message, but he puts before you the examples I see again of men of like passions with ourselves who had every opportunity.
For aggrandizement in this world. But we're guided by faith and not by sight. You know when I read these words of the beloved Apostle Paul.
And when I, from my own memory, recall a testimony of men of God who are now with Christ in glory.
Whose memory I Revere and I love.
I am reminded of the story that dear brother Jackson told us a long time ago in Smith Balls. He quite broke down when he finished the story.
But I'll try my best.
He told us of two dear sisters years ago during the time of the Inquisition, who were imprisoned, and they were awaiting the occasion of their being burned at the stake the very next morning. And they spent the night together in prayer, and they made this pledge. Well, they had been told that in order to make the ordeal more difficult.
One was going to be held back while the other one was burned before her eyes, and then it would be her turn.
00:40:04
And they made this pledge during that night of prayer that whoever was tied to the stake first would give some signal as to whether it was really worthwhile. You can't blame them, can you? You know, I've never faced anything like this. We face the mockery of some acquaintance sometimes, and we shrink from it. Don't we now? Don't we Now? I do anyway.
Well, you know, the morning came and the two of them were let out and one of them was tied to the state while the other one was held back to witness it.
And the flames arose, and she watched and listened so eagerly, and nothing happened.
And the smoke grows higher, and the flames burns more fiercely. And she listens, and not a sound. And all of a sudden, from above the sound of the flame, she heard a cry of triumph. Come on, it's true. Come on, it's true. Beloved, when I read in this book of those who walk the path of faith, I think I hear them turn back at the last moment and say.
Come on.
It's true, and I've seen it in those who are now with the Lord.
They have gone, but they have left behind them a testimony.
Of men and women, brothers and sisters, who were not governed by the natural eye, that governed by the eye of faith.
I like to turn to yet one more thought in connection with this same word found in the epistle of Jude.
So.
The third verse of the Epistle of Jude.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.
It was needful for me to write on the you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
Earnestly concerned for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.
Faith is spoken of in the Word of God as that by which a poor lost Sinner.
Trust in accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
And knows the joy of sins forgiven and peace with God.
Faith is also presented as that which should characterize the pathway, the day by day footsteps, and the day by day decisions of every one of us.
Oh, how easily we decide by sight. You know, I can't help but feel that in making reference to the Apostle Paul in his closing days in prison that perhaps we console ourselves by saying, oh, well, if I were in prison, I wouldn't have anything else really to be occupied with. I suppose if I were in prison, I might have something of the same experience. I might really be occupied with the Lord then, when everything else was shut out.
Now, beloved friend, what you, what I have been occupied with and enjoying during our lifetime, will become more and more evident in time of trial and distress. As Paul looked around that prison cell, the eye of sight, the natural eye, could see only the stone walls of that cell, and as he looked at the door, he knew that the day was near when he'd be LED out and beheaded.
For the Lord's sake, that was all at the natural eye could see but the eye of faith, what it suddenly brought into exercise. No, it had been the pattern of that man's life to walk the path of faith.
And I pause before referring more in detail to this verse, just to add one final word of appeal to your dearly beloved young people.
For it's not dungeon walls that are confronting you right now. It may not even be that which seems to be difficult or trying to face. It may instead be that which is so very, very worthwhile, so attractive, so much to be sought after.
00:45:21
Dear young brothers, dear young sister, this is the very time of life when you and I need to be on our knees in a very particular way, seeking before God that those vital decisions might be made by faith and in the presence of the Lord.
The other day in Cuyahoga Falls we were considering the 27th Psalm on the 4th verse.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire of him in his temple. And the thought occurred to us.
That very, very often we take a shortcut right through that verse because we're faced with some decision and we say, I know what I'll do. I'll go and pray about it. All I need to do is go out to my room and ask the Lord and he'll tell me what to do. And we get off into the room and we pray about it. And it seems so unsettled. It still seems so vague and we don't seem to receive what we hoped for.
Is it because we have taken a shortcut through that verse, and have forgotten that which precedes enquiring of the Lord? One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Enquiring, I believe, should be preceded by that which is described in that verse.
Oh, dear young believer, again, I say there may be as you're sitting here today.
Decisions confronting you and you know not which way to turn. And if you were to turn to your most trusted friend, they couldn't advise you either.
Turn to the Lord. He will hear that cry. He will call you to see the path of faith. I remember on more than one occasion going to my Father for advice in matters that were to me very, very important and vital, and I can still hear His answers.
Son, I'll pray with you about it.
That was his answer.
You didn't even say I think this perhaps that he said I'll pray with you about it. In other words, son, I can't pray for you and receive guidance for you, but I promise that I'll pray with you about it and I know he did.
Now we're told earnestly contend for the faith, all beloved, what a heritage this is. I don't pretend to appreciate or value it as I ought to, but I know this and I say it with Thanksgiving. I have been spoon fed with the truth from the time I was a little boy, and I'm not sorry for it.
I've been spoon fed with the truth.
I have from my very earliest memory been brought, as perhaps you have been brought, to the meeting where I heard this precious book read as the very Word of God, when I heard its wisdom, sought out as that which ought to guide the footsteps of the Lord peoples, and where I have heard the wonderful heritage of truth entrusted by God to His people unfolded over the years.
Word to God that I grasped it better and enjoyed it more.
But I know this as I read these words, that they are a challenge to my own soul. For I'm living in a day when the truth of God is being marked, ridiculed, thrown overboard, or in some cases, compromise suggestions made that perhaps it just doesn't mean this after all. Oh dear fellow believers.
00:50:06
There is a heritage and trusted to you and to me within the covers of this book.
To mean more to us than anything else that ever could be put in these natural hands of ours. You remember that in the days of Ezra.
When those men were about to return from the land of their captivity to the House of the Lord of Jerusalem, they put forth their hands, and there was placed in their hands treasures, gold and silver treasures. And they were reminded on that occasion that when they got to the end of the journey.
There would be an account found, written of everything that had been entrusted to them when that journey began.
And they were reminded that both by number.
And by weight, they would have to give an account.
When they arrived in the chambers of the House of the Lord in the city of Jerusalem.
Can you imagine how solemnly that opportunity, my heart?
Is it really true that God has kept a record of every heritage, every truth that has been entrusted to me from my childhood until this day? It has been kept. And I'm going to have to give an account by number and by weight. That's quite challenging, isn't it? By number? Well, I might be able to give an account of the truth of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I might be able to turn to half a dozen scriptures.
And outline from the Word of God the truth of the Lord's coming. I've got it by numbers, but do I have it by weight?
Is this an effectual, present, living hope that those who know me best would realize was an effectual daily hope within my soul? If on the Passover night you were to have seen a man with his loins girded, his shoes on his feet, and a staff in his hand, you'd say to yourself, without his speaking one word, that man is expecting to take a journey.
But I think there ought to be something about our testimony too. That would be tray to all the facts.
That we have, not only by number but by weight also that one glorious reality of truth. We're waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ at any moment. Am I exaggerating to say at any moment?
You know I'm not. Haven't you delighted recently, beloved, in opening this precious book and in seeing all around you the evidence of the near return of the Lord Jesus? Hasn't your soul literally thrilled and stirred within you? I never thought that I would live to see on the horizon of this world such a clear display of that which is going to materialize after we are called home.
We're going home, I say, very soon. One of the glorious, wondrous, precious truths entrusted to God's people. Earnestly contend for the faith. Why should I contend for it?
I have been guilty of contending because I know I'm right and I'm going to prove you're wrong. Have you ever done that? You know what happens, don't you? You get annoyed, you get upset, you get impatient because my contention has been based upon the fact that I'm right and you're wrong and I'm going to win this argument. No, beloved. To contend for the faith means that that which has been entrusted to us in this precious book.
Is so real, so precious, that we will not allow anyone to infringe on the very farthest borders of our spiritual inheritance. I think of that dear man Shama, to whom the challenge was presented, that he defend a field of lentils. No one else seemed to consider it worth defending. All the others fled and left him standing alone.
But he took his sword, and he defended that field of lentils against the host of the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a victory. Beloved, I stand with a heritage of truth and trusted, and a host of enemies around that would try to have us compromise or throw overboard this or that item of wondrous truth and trusted earnestly contend for.
00:55:21
Oh, I know that you never for one moment would think of giving up the wonderful reality of salvation through the precious blood of Christ. That oh, how subtly the enemy works.
I was just visiting the other day with a couple of elderly sisters.
I think I'm entitled to call them elderly. One was 95 and the other was not far behind. There were two sisters in the flesh.
There were eight in that family. Everyone of them gathered to the Lord's name.
And do you know what that dear old sister told me when I was visiting? She never had told me this before, though I've known her for many years. She said, you know, Albert, years ago, when we were little, my father, who was gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, became so unhappy, so disturbed, so troubled about the conditions in the home assembly that he stayed away for three weeks, didn't go to any meeting for three weeks.
He was plowing in the fields, and he thought of that verse. This man hath done nothing amiss.
They never missed a meeting again.
Eight of a family, all gathered to the Lord's name. What a tragedy of that man had said, I'm not going back, I'm not going back. Conditions are still the same as they were when I walked out. But that first, beloved, this man hath done nothing amiss among the wonderful, blessed things entrusted to us. To us is the joy of knowing what it means to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't think for one moment that Satan is going to allow that to pass by without trying to molest you, to disturb you.
This man hath done nothing amiss. May God grant that by his faithfulness these footsteps of mine and those of yours be found.
In the place where the truth of God would direct us, gathered around the Person and under the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, valuing this precious book and all the wondrous truth that is in it.
You know there are some things that impress themselves upon you and continually return.
We as a family, some time ago we're visiting in Europe.
And we were given the opportunity.
To visit one of those Inquisition chambers.
The dungeon where those who love the Lord and valued his precious words.
Had been tried, had been tortured and had been imprisoned.
Now we had read many books on those dear suffering Saints that long ago.
And there was one story that stood out in our mind concerning a young lady named Mary.
Durant She was arrested when she was 18 years of age. She had just become engaged to be married.
And at 18 years of age, he was arrested and thrown into a dungeon because she loved the Lord and because she possessed a Bible.
And she was put in that dungeon and left there for 35 years.
We went in that dungeon.
And looked at those stone walls and pictured what kind of faith it must have taken to stay in that dungeon for 35 years rather than give up.
You know, as I was looking around the walls of that dungeon, I saw on one wall what looked like an oversized fireplace with an iron grating in front of it.
And I said to the guide who brought us in, he said, what is This is not a fireplace? And he said, no, that is where we place the heretics. And he said that word with great relish, That is where we place the heretics if they refuse to recant.
01:00:09
And he said Marie Duran was in there for five years.
I said would you please put me in? I want to see what it feels like. And he did. He removed the iron grating and put me in.
I couldn't stand up. I couldn't sit down. The only posture possible was on my knees with my head bowed off. I raised my head. I struck the heavy stone above.
And there on the floor, Mary had scratched a French word which freely translated means.
Do not give up.
I'm not ashamed to admit that there were a few teardrops on the floor of that place before they removed the iron grating and let me out.
Beloved young friend, if you have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, do receive Him now. Do confess Him now. If you know Him as your Savior, remember that all that you see is someday going to fade from before your eyes and will be gone forever. The goals that you are seeking after will turn to Dustin, ashes in your hands.
Unless you give the Lord first place, He's worthy of it. And I promise you this, I can't stand here and promise it as one who has walked the path.
But I stand here and promise it on the authority of the Word of God, and in the failing measure in which it's meant anything to me. I tell you, come on, it's true.
And I tell you also that that which God has entrusted, and which you and I have heard ministered to us in these meetings, is that which we may yet have to contend for more prayerfully and more diligently than ever. If the Lord leaves us here. May God grant, my dear young brother, my dear young sister, that from this day onward you and I may remember and put into practice those words.
We walk.
Are you included in that? Am I really included in that? We walk by faith, not by sight.
Righteousness and Peace
Address—J. Brereton
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Toledo, November 1973, addressed by John Brearton.
Jesus our Lord, we know thy name. Thy name is all our trust.
Thou wilt not put our souls to shame, nor let our hope be lost.
#51 some brother would start it for us.
Well, dear young people, there are quite a number of passages from the Word of God that I would like to look at this afternoon.
But the first one I would like to look at is in the 85th Psalm.
Psalm 85 and verse 10.
Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Now I'm sure that many, perhaps most here.
Have enjoyed this verse before.
In connection with the work carried out at Calvary's Cross.
When mercy and truth met together.
When God in his wondrous mercy provided A Savior, and that precious Savior answered to God for all our sins.
Righteousness.
The righteousness of God fully upheld at Calvary's cross.
And peace that flows out as a result of that precious work.
What I would like to suggest to you, dear young people, this afternoon, that we also have in this verse.
That which we should look for.
And anticipate will be seen in the assembly, in the little assembly where you are, where I am in our company as we come together like we have for these last three days to see that which brings peace.
That which conveys to our hearts the mercy of God, His wondrous ways of grace with us.
And yet at the same time, that which becomes his house, that which is suited to the character and the nature of the one to whom we're gathered.
00:05:11
Just recently I was down in a city in Eastern Canada.
And I met a young lady there who is very seriously ill.
And she is suffering A considerable amount of pain.
And as far as her life here in this world is concerned?
I believe it is drawing to a close.
Well, this dear sister was gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ about two years ago.
And when I visited with her recently.
She spoke to me about the miracle.
That God had worked.
In her life.
Of opening her eyes to see.
That there was such a precious thing as being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The way she put it to me was in effect like this. She said that she had lived for quite a number of years as a Christian.
Serving the Lord in a foreign country for a number of those years and in all those years, she had never realized that it was possible to actually sit down in the presence of the Lord.
Well, I said to some afterwards I wished in some ways I had tape recorded that conversation.
Because, beloved young people, what I covet for you and for myself as that we might to value the preciousness of the privilege of being in the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to find there in the assembly that righteousness and peace.
Kiss each other. Could we turn now to Matthew chapter 18 for a moment?
Matthew chapter 18 and verse 18.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loose in heaven.
Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven.
For where two or three?
Are gathered together.
In or unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Our brother the other day touched on this verse.
He opened it up to us to see how we have here that precious divine ground upon which you and I are privileged to gather.
Gathered unto the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be actually able, dear young people, like we did this morning.
To sit in the very presence of the Lord Jesus, to have His promise fulfilled.
And to have the enjoyment of it in our souls.
There am I in the midst of them.
Now I would like to add 1 further comment in connection with that.
Beloved young people, the Lord has set His name.
In a place, and called upon you and I to be gathered to that precious name.
00:10:03
He has promised that where we are gathered together.
To that precious name, there he is.
Beloved young people, may you and I be kept.
From ever charging the Lord Jesus.
With being the cause.
Of dividing the Saints of God by placing His name.
And a number of different places.
The effect of such action could only be to divide the Saints of God, and we find here in this off quoted verse that it speaks of two or three gathered together.
I would also draw your attention to the fact that it says.
Two or three.
I believe the other day our brother used the expression the lowest plurality.
Let us beloved young people be very clear as to this.
The word of God says.
Two or three.
And consequently where there are two or three.
Gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have his promise.
There he is in the midst of them.
And we have an assembly. An assembly.
An assembly that may consist of two, but nevertheless.
An assembly.
And we have that.
Where we would expect anticipate to see righteousness and peace.
Meet together.
Now there may be, dear young people, some functions.
That 2.
Or three may not be able to carry out.
For instance, a very simple illustration would be a man and his wife.
Meeting together, gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the promise of the Lord Jesus there.
In the midst.
Faced with the question of writing a letter of commendation.
They would find that they would be unable to do so.
And the result would be that they would look to another assembly to a system in that matter.
Another more serious instance could be a situation where there were a man and his wife.
Two gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently, an assembly.
But faced with the question of dealing with sin on the part of one or the other.
They would find that they were unable to take any action.
And they would look to assistance from another assembly gathered similarly to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same ground.
We find in this portion that we've just read that the Word of God speaks about binding and losing.
And from this we learn, dear young people, that there is righteousness.
There is that which becomes.
The name to whom we are gathered.
And there is a discipline connected with the assembly.
The word of God says whatsoever.
Ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And consequently the act of the assembly.
00:15:03
And let us bear in mind that where it is possible, the assembly can be true that takes such action. The word of God says where the assembly acts.
It carries with it the authority of the name of the person to whom we're gathered, and that action is binding upon all other assemblies gathered to the same precious name, gathered on the same divine ground where the Lord Jesus is in the midst.
Well, brethren, that is what we, if I could put it that way, we might refer to as the righteous side, and it is a vital importance.
But I would like to look now for a little while on the other side.
The mercy and the peace side.
Would you turn with me to the 14th chapter of Acts?
God has not left us, dear young people.
Without a pattern in his precious word as to what he anticipates will be seen in the assembly.
It may be that you and I will see that.
In some ways, our low particular local assembly comes short.
In some cases, we may feel it comes very far short.
The exercise should be, beloved young people, for you and for myself, indeed for us all that we might conform to the pattern that God has laid out for us in his Word. If you notice in the 14th chapter of Acts.
And the 26th verse.
And then sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
And when they were calm, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples. And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses.
Ye cannot be saved. When, therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenix and Samaria.
Declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, And they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Antioch was a Gentile city.
And we find here.
That a very serious question has arisen.
There are those who have come down from Judea.
And they are teaching that which is fundamentally bad doctrine.
Of the most important kind.
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
This is adding something to the work of Christ.
Our most serious thing?
But we find beloved young people that there is grace.
To meet this effort on the part of the enemy of our souls.
To divide the beloved people of God.
00:20:04
And so we find that the decision is made.
That the question will be taken to Jerusalem.
And they're reviewed with the apostles and elders.
The first thing perhaps we should notice is that there was number such command in the word of God for them to do so.
They had no such thing as an earthly center to which questions should be referred. It's true the apostles were there.
But the fact remains that God Center is not a physical city.
Then or now?
And yet we'll see. I trust, dear young people, how God in his grace.
Worked with these beloved Saints to preserve the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
Now the first question that obviously arises is why?
Why should they take the matter to Jerusalem?
Were they not an assembly at Antioch? Indeed they were.
If you turn back to the.
13th chapter of Acts.
And the first verse.
It says now there were in the church Oregon, the assembly that was at Antioch.
Therefore we know on the authority of the Word of God. It was an assembly at Antioch.
The next question that would arise is the question of the apostles.
Well, now if you'll turn to the 14th chapter of Acts.
And the fourth verse.
It says, But the multitude of the city was divided, and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
You go down to the 14th verse, it says which when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes and ran in among the people crying out.
So we find that at Antioch.
There were two apostles.
Paul and Barnabas.
If we were to take the time to read through the 15th chapter of Acts word by word.
We would find that we are not told how many apostles there were at Jerusalem.
But we have to identify for us.
Perhaps I should say probably 2.
Peter was certainly there.
And a man called James.
I leave it to those who are much better instructed than I am as to whether this James was James the son of Alpheus, or whether it was James the brother of the Lord.
But the fact remains that at most we have to identify for us, and there were two at Antioch.
And so we perhaps can say that the assembly at Antioch.
Was supplied with at least the same number of apostles.
As are positively identified as being at Jerusalem.
The next question that might arise as to why Antioch would not decide this matter for themselves.
Might be the question of numbers.
You know, sometimes, as we mentioned before.
There are decisions that a assembly, or I should say, matters that an assembly consisting of two are not able to.
00:25:03
Handle.
There might very well be circumstances arise the.
Where the smallness of an assembly.
Would give that assembly.
Cause to very seriously consider.
The effect that their decision is going to have on the consciences.
Of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ elsewhere.
Well, if we turn over to the.
11Th chapter of Acts for a moment.
And the 22nd verse.
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.
And much people was added unto the Lord.
Well, we find beloved young people that the decision by the assembly of Antioch.
To take their problem to Jerusalem was not a result of numbers, because Antioch was a large assembly.
Another question that has arisen and may arise, beloved young people, and I am speaking very frankly this afternoon.
Is the question of an assembly where it is made-up largely of one family?
I trust that my comments at the beginning of the meeting have been sufficiently clear.
Firmly establish that too, regardless of name.
Regardless of relationship to each other, gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ constitute an assembly.
But the question may very well arise where the assembly consists largely of one family.
Or those closely related to seriously consider.
The effects upon the consciences and the exercise of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ elsewhere.
If a decision is made that is going to there, that is going to have.
Widespread ramifications throughout the company gathered to his precious name.
Now we find that God by His Spirit has answered this question for us too, in connection with Antioch. If you go back to the 13th chapter of Acts for a moment and the first verse.
It says now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas.
You recall he came from Cyprus.
And Simeon, that was called Niger. I have heard it suggested, and it may well be true, that Simeon was a *****.
Lucius of Cyrene. If you look at your map, Cyrene was on the coast of Africa.
Manian, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, one who had brought up, been brought up in the inner councils of the ruling families in Israel.
And saw who came from Tarsus.
So we find that God by his Spirit makes it very clear to us that here at Antioch.
There was number question about being largely one family. There was a diversity of families, but gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The next question that might arise, and again, beloved brethren, dear young people, this all question also can arise today.
00:30:07
As to whether the Saints of Antioch were going on well.
Sometimes this presents a serious stumbling block. An assembly is faced with a problem, but there is not the going on with the Lord. In the assembly there is the allowance of all sorts of things that make spiritual discernment difficult, if not impossible. And in such circumstances it might very well become such an assembly to recognize their state and look for assistance.
From another assembly.
What we find, God has answered this question for us too, in connection with Antioch.
If you would turn over to the 14th chapter again, I'm sorry, I beg your pardon, The 11Th chapter of Acts.
We'll read from the 22nd verse again.
Speaking of Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad.
And exhorted the mall, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
If you go down to the 26th verse.
The latter part of the verse.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
We find here was an assembly.
We find that Barnabas comes down from Jerusalem.
And he having been spent a long time.
In that assembly at Jerusalem.
Where there had been much instruction, much teaching the presence of the apostles, he comes down, and in this assembly at Antioch he sees that which gives him.
To be glad at what the grace of God had wrought.
But furthermore, we find it says that they were called Christians first at Antioch. Here was again the evidence for us that it was an assembly that was going on with the Lord.
And so the decision to refer the question in the 15th of Acts to Jerusalem was not a question of the godliness of the assembly at Antioch. Another question that might arise and can arise today.
Is where the subject comes up as to an assembly where there may be a lack of those who take the oversight, those who perhaps in the assembly feel that in their local assembly there is a lack of those who are grounded in the word of God.
A lack of those who are able to open up the Word of God and give the wisdom of the Word of God for the particular circumstances. And in such cases it may well become an assembly again to look for counsel and assistance elsewhere.
Well, God has answered this for us too, I believe in connection with Antioch, if you'll go to the 13th chapter again.
And the 5th at the first verse, which we have already read, it says there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.
No shortage at Antioch of those who were able to expound the word of God.
Here was an assembly that perhaps many of us here might covet. Where? Where were those who were ably qualified to expound, to teach the word of God? So the again, the reason for referring the matter to Jerusalem does not lie here.
And there's one last.
Question that perhaps we might consider.
And that is whether the best qualified.
00:35:05
The one who was most knowledgeable on the subject in hand? Perhaps he was at Jerusalem.
Well, let's turn over to Galatians for a moment. The second chapter of Galatians.
Do you recall, dear young people, what the question was?
These teachers said except they be circumcised, according to the law of Moses, they cannot be saved. That was what they were told of Antioch.
Now if you look at the second chapter of Galatians for a moment.
And the 11Th verse.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I, that is Paul, withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed, for before that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews.
Why compel us, thou the Gentiles, to live as do the Jews, we who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Well, dear young people, what do we find?
If I may put it colloquially, we find that the expert was an Antioch, not at Jerusalem. Paul was the one who understood more clearly than the law, the status, the standing of the Gentile.
And yet, beloved young people here we have a circumstance where we have an assembly at Antioch, and this assembly, as we consider it, had their own apostles, Paul and Barnabas. It was a large assembly, not composed of those who were immediately related to each other.
An assembly that was going on.
With God, an assembly that was endowed with prophets and teachers.
And lastly, an assembly where the very best qualified, the best instructed man on the subject was right there at Antioch.
And yet we find when we go back to the 15th chapter of Acts, that they decided.
That this matter should be taken to Jerusalem. Why?
Would you turn with me now? We'll be coming back to the 15th of action. Just a moment, but if you turn to the 4th chapter of Ephesians for a moment.
The 4th chapter of Ephesians.
And the first verse I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith your call, with all loneliness and meekness.
With long-suffering forbearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit.
Even as you are called in one hope of your calling.
Here we might say is the 7th.
Consideration and the one that I believe gives us to see the wisdom of God.
00:40:02
In the 15th chapter of Acts.
And endeavoring to keep.
The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I believe we have seen how Antioch was qualified in every way to make the decision that they were faced with.
But, beloved brethren, love in exercise.
The desire to keep the unity of the Spirit.
The looking to the Lord that Satan may not be able to drive a wedge between the Gentile assembly at Antioch and the Jewish assembly at Jerusalem.
LED them.
To decide that this matter should be taken to Jerusalem.
Now let's consider for justice a moment.
Such a decision.
We've already said, and I trust have shown from the Word of God.
That Antioch was qualified.
As an assembly.
And now the question that is before them is one that affects them, that is effects Antioch much more than Jerusalem.
These ones who had come down from Judea were trying to lay something upon them at Antioch.
The first thought that we would.
Naturally considered.
Would be Jerusalem would be the last place to go to to look for a favorable decision on such a question?
Would you go back to the very center, the very place where these people had come from, the very core of Judaism, to expect that the liberty of the Spirit of God would be shown toward the Gentiles?
But all, beloved brethren, that is exactly what they did. Counting upon God, they went to Jerusalem to consult there with the apostles and elders.
You'll notice too that they didn't write them a letter.
They went to see them, they went to sit down with them to discuss the matter fully and frankly, counting upon the God of all grace to work out in their assembly righteousness and peace.
The next thing you notice in the 15th chapter of Acts is in the 4th is in the third verse.
And being brought on their way by the church, they pass through Venus and Samaria.
Declaring the righteousness of the Gentiles. I'm sorry, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. And they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Here they were at Antioch, faced with a very serious question.
But all beloved young people, did they occupy all the Saints throughout their journey with the problem that they were faced with?
No, as they journeyed up to Jerusalem to take the matter up with the Saints there, they talked to the assemblies that they visited. They talked to the Christians that they came in contact with, of God's wondrous grace in reaching out and saving the Gentiles.
They talked about what God had wrought, they talked about the miracle of His grace, of his love, and they caused not distress, not heartache, not sorrow. They cause joy. There's the very language of the Word of God.
And they cause great joy unto all the brethren, all beloved young people, may we profit by it to see that God would have us occupied with His goodness and His grace. And the result will be that as we talk together about His goodness and His grace, we're going to find our hearts overflowing in praise.
00:45:20
If you go down now to the.
Fourth Verse. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
And there rose up certain of the sects of the Pharisees, which believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Now, dear young people, I believe we learn a lesson here too.
If you will compare what was said here with what was said in the first verse, you will notice there's a difference.
These ones that came down from Jerusalem said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, he cannot be saved.
Now these ones Pharisees rise up in Jerusalem and say that it was needful to circumcise them.
And to command them to keep the law of Moses.
They don't say that you can't be saved without being circumcised, but they say it's needful.
And that they should be instructed to keep the law of Moses.
Well, you might interpret this as an improvement.
And you know, beloved young people, this is one of the efforts that the enemy of our souls uses.
When that which is false is introduced amongst the Saints of God, and where the opposition to that false teaching is raised up of God, the next effort that you will find is that the enemy seeks to modify it to perhaps reduce the seriousness of it in an effort to make a less serious form of it palatable to the Saints of God. Well, we can see here.
That God by his Spirit resisted any such effort.
Peter rises up and says, no, not so. We can't put upon these people a burden that we ourselves as Jews could not bear.
You notice the 10th verse Peter speaking, he says Now therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples?
Which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear all beloved young people the grace of God.
Words coming from Peter the Apostle to the circumcision.
Words coming from Peter that says no, the Gentiles are not to be called upon to keep the law, not to be called upon to be circumcised. This burden we couldn't bear, and they should not be called upon to bear it either.
Then we find in the.
13th verse After they had held their peace, James answered.
Now if you remember the verse in Galatians chapter 2 That we read.
I believe it would be a reasonable inference from the passage in Galatians chapter 2 to believe that James was even more strict concerning the Jewish law than Peter was. Peter was quite happy to eat with the Gentiles when he was at Antioch until he saw some that came from James and then he was worried and he separated himself.
But now it's James, the one that seems to be even more strict in his application of Jewish principles. He's the one who stands up and says in the 19th verse, Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication, and from things strangles.
And from blood.
In other words, the James says we cannot call upon them to keep the law, but simply to observe the general moral principles that apply throughout the whole word of God.
00:50:00
And the result was that God in His grace, in his grace beloved young people, met an effort by the enemy to divide the Saints of God. And the result was righteousness, a decision that was in accordance with the Word of God, and peace between 2 assemblies, A Gentile assembly.
And a Jewish assembly.
This assembly that decided.
But they should act in this way.
Found.
That God was able.
To work that which was for His glory.
And for the blessing of His people.
Now in the 4th chapter of Ephesians.
We find there, if we could go back to it for a moment.
But it says with all loneliness.
And meekness.
With long-suffering forbearing one another in love.
I'm sure there aren't any of us, certainly not the speaker, who speaks on such a subject as this without feeling how far short we come in the exercise of these principles.
But the word of God says with all loneliness and meekness.
Now, if we were to turn over to the 11Th chapter of Matthew.
We would find there that it speaks concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
And says for I am meek and lowly in heart.
Now the Lord Jesus in his pathway here was meek.
He did not give offense.
And he was lowly.
In that he did not take offense in spite of some of the terrible things that were said concerning him.
When we come over to Ephesians chapter 4.
We have before us the subject of endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.
And here it speaks of loneliness first.
And meekness afterwards.
I would like to suggest to you this afternoon one reason why it is given in this way.
Brethren, we have seen.
To our sorrow.
Felt the reaction in our own hearts, I'm sure.
That things are done.
Or said.
And the result is that my heart.
My old nature reacts.
To what is said or what is done?
It takes exception. It rebels.
And the loneliness is not seen.
In other words, I take offense. I'm offended by what brother so and so said or did.
And the result then is that the response that is seen is not one of meekness.
It's not that which is to be expected from a child of God.
If I am not lowly.
I'm going to take offense and the result is I'm not going to meet be meek, but I'm going to respond in kind.
And give offence.
And the result will be.
00:55:01
That there will not be the keeping of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We find, the word of God says, forbearing one another in love.
All beloved brethren, we've had a little bit of this in the meetings this last few days.
About that love being in exercise amongst us.
That the world even may recognize that we are his disciples.
But that the machinery.
The assembly might be kept running smoothly.
That there might not only be seen simply the righteousness.
But also the peace, not just the truth, but also the mercy.
Now, beloved brethren, at the cross.
The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mercy was displayed and truth was not sacrificed in any way.
Righteousness was maintained, but peace was procured.
And beloved brethren, I submit to you and I submit to my own heart, that God has put this pattern for us in His Word to give us to see the exercise that there should be on your part and on mine to, as it were, sit down and take stock as to whether we are endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.
In the bond of peace.
It is not a matter of me simply as it were, sitting in my local assembly and saying we can decide it here and everyone else is going to have to bow to it.
Beloved brethren, the Word of God is very clear.
Whatsoever is bound on earth is bound in heaven.
But at the same time, the word of God establishes a pattern for me.
For you to see that which is becoming that which he looks to see in those who are endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Law, forbearance, long-suffering.
Loneliness, meekness. I believe we see it all in that assembly at Antioch that would grow up, make that long journey just to ensure that Satan was not to be allowed to divide the Saints of God.
Now I would add a further word of caution. It is the unity of the Spirit.
Consequently, it cannot be unity at the expense of truth. It cannot be unity at the expense of righteousness. But, beloved brethren, it is possible to have righteousness and peace. It is possible to have mercy and truth.
There is one body stands.
Thank God we have nothing to do with keeping the unity of the body.
But we are called upon to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. And beloved brethren, I suggest to you and I suggest to myself, it requires positive exercise. Not a matter of simply drifting, but a positive exercise to realize, as it were, that here I am sitting down in my local assembly and facing a decision, and to bear in mind that what we are about to do is going to affect all those who are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And how? How can we without insisting on our rights as an assembly?
Without insisting on our status in any way, but with loneliness and meekness, doing everything that is possible, consistent with truth and righteousness, that will keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Now, if our time is just about gone, if you'll go back to the 15th of Acts for just a moment, I believe there are.
01:00:01
Two other matters that I would like to draw your attention to.
You notice it says in the 15th of Acts and the.
22nd verse Then pleased that the apostles and elders with the whole church.
To send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas surname bar Sabus, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. And they wrote letters by them after this banner, and simply goes on to confirm what had already been said. Now if you go on to the 27th verse, it says We have, We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
We find beloved brethren again.
That they would commit to this assembly at Antioch in writing their decision, and they were very thankful to get it. But at the same time, they said we're going to send some of our company to make that long journey all the way back up there to Antioch to let those beloved bread and up there have it confirmed. That what we're saying here in the letter is really and truly the expression of our hearts that they might have it confirmed by word of mouth.
All beloved brethren, is it not a joy to the heart to see this care, this love in exercise that would send these ones on this journey simply to confirm what was already a gracious answer in a letter could loads again in the 15th chapter of Acts and the.
32nd Verse. And Judith and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words.
And confirm them, Not only did these two make this long journey back to Antioch, but God overruled in His grace and brought even further blessing out of it, that from that very place where those ones had come from, that brought the error, brought the evil teaching in, in the 1St place, from that very same place should come those who would build up the Saints. Confirm them.
And the path of the truth. All, beloved brethren, God is able. God is able where we look to Him, and where there is the meekness, the loneliness first, the meekness that doesn't insist in any way upon our rights, but looks to Him.
Now I would like to just read two other verses if you take the time to turn over to James chapter 3 for a moment.
James Chapter 3.
And verse 17.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Beloved brethren, we see here, I trust we've mentioned it a number of times this afternoon already.
But I would like to repeat it.
The wisdom that is from above is first pure. Consequently, the mercy cannot be at the expense of truth, but righteousness and peace can kiss each other pure than peaceable.
Gentle, easy to be entreated. Oh, that's what they found there at Antioch.
They were ready to go all the way up to Jerusalem, and when they got to Jerusalem, they found their brethren that were ready to listen.
Ready to help, and in the fear of God together render a decision that would be for the glory of God and that would maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Brethren, let us not give up the purity.
But, beloved Saints of God, may we never, never, never.
Abandoned.
The peace.
The gentleness, the easiness to be entreated. One other verse I would like to read is in 13th chapter of Hebrews.
01:05:08
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 7.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Beloved young people, there are many beloved brethren who have ministered to us the truth of God, and they have gone on. They have gone on to glory.
Even these ones that were involved back here in the 15th chapter of Acts going on to glory now, the word of God says imitate their faith.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-6
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Toledo, November 1973. First reading meeting.
3/18.
Oh, Lamb of God, still keep up close to thy tears of thighs.
It's only there in Saint We Can Abide #380.
Olama.
Milk.
Hey, I suggest first Thessalonians one your brethren.
For our reading.
Chapter One.
All them so famous and tumultuous under the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:05:08
Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work, of faith and labor, of love and patience, of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. Knowing. Brethren beloved, your election of God for our gospel came not unto you and word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance.
As you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received a word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, so that you were in samples to all that believed in Macedonia, and IKEA more from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, McHale, but also in every place your faith that God were to spread abroad.
So that we need not to speak anything.
So they themselves show about what men are entering in we had unto you.
And how you turn to God from idols, to serve the living and the true God, and to wait for a Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The wonderful thing to know where we are, brethren.
This first chapter tells us.
In God the Father, that's the position in which the assembly is addressed here.
And the second official is in God Our Father, I believe the Apostle bringing himself in with the Saints and that same.
Company all one. And so it's to know where we are that gives us to know.
The meaning of all the expectations that we have in Scripture for our pathway down here, because if we were exhorted on the basis of the Old Testament, it'd be quite different. But when we're in the God the Father, we can understand the relationship.
The basis upon which were addressed in the various expectations which you do have to follow. But I was thinking of the marvelous positions that the Saints had seen in here, and no doubt they were they were very young in the face, possibly the first Epistle.
That the fossil Rd. I'm not sure. But sleep that way and we see a reality here. And the simplicity.
That should characterize the Saints and God at all times.
Would you say that the actors were here? It's on the relationship. They never gone as their father and the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, yes.
Noticing in the strong statistics, certainly have the full title of our Blessed Lord nine times in this first Epistle the Lord Jesus Christ and.
11 Times in the second episode, 20 times in all, the apostles brings before them the Lordship of Christ. How important that is Today we often hear people say I know Jesus as my Savior, but speak to them about the Lord and know what you mean.
Here the Apostle brings before him the Lordship of Christ, and not one new.
The one who has more authority over him, over that man.
And I was thinking through in the first of First Corinthians 6 times in the 1St 10 verses we have the same title.
Corinthians, The Lord Jesus Christ, six times in the 1St 10 verses.
Apostle Paul was ever seeking to bring before the Saints the Lordship of Christ.
I mean, it's so important for today not merely to acknowledge him as Jesus, our Savior, and as our Lord. One has every right over me, the one I have, every authority over me. He has the right to tell me how to work, how to live, how to worship, how to walk, how to do everything.
00:10:19
So we have all authority over me.
Already to see the three names that are brought together here all.
Except there be the name of carnival to drop out a little. Self will on one occasion and he loves.
Superbly having as a companion in service for the rest of his life.
Well.
Taken with Fall of Companions and then they include Timothy on their first mission.
Journey and we find that Timothy continues with fall also to end the Falls light.
Sort of warning that is.
To act himself with for some personal reason, and it was a personal reason with Harnibus because he was self willed about taking his nephew Mark. There was relationship there.
Often relationships will interfere.
Well Praising the Lord.
Thought nor of praising his nephew, and of doing the will of the Lord.
So he drops out. Never read of him again. In the book of Acts, the stylist becomes devoted companion of the Apostles. He was with Paul when they were beaten in their feet, fastened in the stocks. So we find him going from place to place in company, where that chosen vessel would raise up on God to carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
Now thinking too that while, as you say, Brother Lundeen, that these.
Thessalonians were young believers.
Perhaps the first epistle that was written by Paul was written to them.
And the very fact that they were young believers, they could enjoy in a definite way what is spoken of here as being in God the Father.
When you have God's family divided into three classes, father, young men and little children are babies.
The little children are told that you have known the father.
So that comes in here very expressly and while it shows the simplicity of their faith.
And that there were young believers. Yet there could be nothing so safe and absolutely secure as being in God the following. So the youngest believer has the certainty of the security he has, and he accepts Christ as his savior. Or you know that he is in the hand of the Good Shepherd. He's also in the hands of God the Father.
And the Lord says as such, that they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. But here was an assembly that was characterized by the enjoyment of that special nearness to God as a Father.
Right before what Brother Gladding was bringing before us.
Has special emphasis here in this first chapter.
Our Lord.
Jesus Christ, when you got to the epistle of Jews and Peter, also you have those who deny the Lordship.
00:15:02
That's right. Now this is what will characterize the last day.
And Brad and Rihanna were in the last days.
Now we don't want to stick on any of this. Spirit, what's the weapon?
And this is what is all around us.
Now one of the ways in which we can take on the spirit of the world, and this is when we hear the word of God not to act on it.
Where to act on the word of God when we hear us? That's only the Lordship of Christ.
Because the flavors not only a part of the brightest stripes, but he's disturbing, too.
Every flavor disturbance.
He's a friend and John as well.
But still, is the servant, and there's a responsibility connected with the walk if they're not.
And there's a friend too. It has to do with obedience, For the Lord says in First Corinthians 15 Ye are my friend if ye do whatsoever I command you.
That's a special.
Position. The Lord brings those who are obedient to his word interest into that weight of friendship, my friends. That's something like Abraham was called the friend of God because God could communicate His mind to Abraham in a way that he could not to others.
So that those who walked in obedience to the Word have the.
Enjoyment of the fact that they are privileged to be among those the Lord called my prayer.
More than that, he made known his his ways of immortal, his acts under the children of Israel. They saw the working out of those ways. But Moses was in the secret of the Lord.
And others saw how those secret purposes of God were worked out as they went on. And I believe that the more we go on in obedience and subjection to the word, the more we'll have the mind of God that gives peace and rest to the soul in the midst of all the confusion and distress and uncertainty that's found in this world.
There are those in system generally have no spot whatever as to what is the head of this world. They think they have to make it better and try to improve it. They don't see that it's a condemned thing and that we're just pilums and strangers on our way to our father's house and we know the end of this whole scene.
If we get careless, maybe we'll get indifferent to this truth and think maybe there is something worthwhile here and not realize what is before us and what is before this world. Of course, as this lovely epistle brings so clearly before our souls is the coming of the Lord Jesus, and I believe our bright and saying that we get the Lord's coming and all five chapters.
The first successful and all the three chapters of the second epistles.
Show that among the first trolls that were taught to the Thessalonians Saints was the hope of the Lord personal return.
Is not also his presence in connection with his comings in the first epistle? That is, it is coming, but in the sense not simply of a general judgment, as it would be perhaps later.
But it's the thought of his presence at the time of his coming, I believe.
And also in this first chapter.
We see such freshness of first love because we see that the word was received with power and the Holy Ghost, and there was an answer to it from the heart.
00:20:13
It was reality with these who had perhaps come out of idolatry. Some of them at least.
And we're now in the enjoyment of.
That marvelous position of being in God the Father, but also the hope was fresh in their souls of becoming.
And I believe that if we allow the present things to rob us.
Of the enjoyment of eternal things, the hope of the Lord's coming will become dim with us.
And it won't be a bright thing with the state by day.
These were actually pagans. Pagans recently saved just a few weeks.
And apparently they were in the freshness of their first laugh, but they had doubts concerning the future.
They thought that they might not see their loved ones with eyes, and so the Apostle Paul and this wonderful epistle brings before them the new glorious cruise of the Lord coming.
The stand in Christ we rise 1St, and then we which reliable remain to be pulled up together. We want to meet the little stairs. I think that was here, that we have three of the greatest crews of the Christian estimate.
Faith, love and hope. Well, that's for now, listening. Just going down a little.
Memories about ceasing your work of faith when there's faith and labor of love.
There's love and patience, of course.
Lord Jesus Christ, So there we have faith and hope and love.
And further down we have that multiple proof that they turn to God from their idols.
To serve the living and the true God, and the wages come from heaven, so that.
They have heard the God from their idols in faith.
To serve the living and the true God. And there's.
There's.
Well, would you call that?
Love serve the living of the true God, and the weight is not from heaven, both through the twice over and the pistol realm. We do find these great central of the Christian testimony.
Faith, hope and love. And by the way, if we look over into the Revelation, we find something there that's rather contrary.
Well, rather that was lacking in.
Read just a verse and two.
To the Angel of the church. That's the second chapter of Revelation as little.
Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus.
Right these things, says he, that hold of the seven stars. I suppose these would be light bears, would they not, Prevents in his right hand, who walked in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labor and thy patience, and how the friends not bear them with your evils.
And thou has tried them, which say they are apostles, And our Norton has found them liars, and has borne, and has patience. And for my namesake has labored, and has not fainted. Now in verse four we find something that's very lacking. There nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Well, we can't lose it, can we rather bearing or we can leave it. Is that alright and so?
Here are the great essentials of the Christian estimates seem so to me.
00:25:02
Faith and hope and love and these recently saved pagans had these pre essentials.
In other words, you'd say, Brother Smith, that you get the labor.
The works and the labor and the patience. But it doesn't say a work of faith. It doesn't say a labor of love. It doesn't say a patience of hope.
It shows a danger that we need to consider and that is.
To just get into a Christian habit, maybe attending the breaking of bread regularly.
Not missing that opportunity.
But just there as a duty, as a as a form, as something that we've been following out.
Well, there's always that danger with us if we are not enjoying the Lord and keeping.
Near to him.
And going to him continually about all our affairs and reading his word and letting his words speak.
And power to our souls, and not resisting thought might affect our conscience.
In other words, it's abiding in Christ and living near the Lord.
Why then, those very same privileges are blessed to the soul? They're the enjoyment of his love and remembering His death. But if we get careless, neglectful of reading the Word and prayer and occupation with Christ, the very same privileges may continue.
And just a formal legal way. And I believe that perhaps was the state that emphasis had dropped into. They had left their first love, and so the very power of work and labor was no longer there. It wasn't a work of faith. It wasn't a labor of love. It wasn't the patience of hope. It was just a going on.
In a formal way.
And perhaps.
Clear the nickel, as a brother once said, and just as cold.
Referred to the second version of Revelation 2. Yeah, because we have those three things left out there, do we not? That we have in our chapter.
We we have the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.
And so the one who judges is standing there.
With the threat of removal of the Candlestick.
Except repentance.
Even in natural things that would be terribly distressing, but it's not.
The husband and wife were married for 10/20/30 years, and the wife deficiency in cooking, housekeeping and whatnot improved greatly during those years, but her affection gradually faded. Would you find a happy, satisfied husband? He would really be fat, even though perhaps her activities were even more diligent than at the beginning.
If her affection had faded, he would miss it, he would long for it. And you can't help but feel that this was what was on the heart of the Lord as he made his appeal to the Angel of the Church and effort. And it strikes me too that the appeal being made to the Angel of the Church is very, very searching. There was reference made quite a long time ago to a verse in the end of Joshua, and we were just reading that verse again uphold the other day.
In which we read that during the lifetime of Joshua, and during the lifetime of those who outlived Joshua, the people seem to walk in paths of athletes, godly orders. They walked in those things that were enjoying upon them by the Lord.
00:30:02
But it seems that the Next Generation gave it up.
And turned their hearts toward idolatry. Well, there was a generation that walked in the fear of the Lord.
There was a succeeding generation, and then the third generation gave it up. And it seems to me that the town is very, very, very searching and period. Why did the second generation keep it up and the third generation let go, I have wondered. Scripture doesn't exactly say, but I have wondered if that second generation perhaps could be in men like Joshua and those who were of his generation.
What you have just been referring to in First Thessalonians one that there was a reality and a fear of the Lord and a real faith.
In that generation whose way they could observe.
And could it be that they continued on in the outward activities and forms that they had seen in the generation before them, but without having the Lord personally before them? And the next generation was pretty quick to determine this.
And I'm afraid, President, saying this, that it searches us out, and if we see those who are not bothering the truth to wait, perhaps we seal it off to the values, those whose eyes are being turned away from the Lord and we not look within this, perhaps say to ourselves, can they really see enough that which we thought in the generation that is.
Pretty well gone home to be with the Lord.
No need to mention anything, but I certainly can sit here with.
Very thankful memories of those who not only walk in the truth of the word of God, but we knew that they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the joy of the Lord, and I feel it should search us out Now. This does not make a justifiable excuse for any generation to give up. I feel that it will certainly not be that which will stand in the judgment seat of Christ that anyone could say that the example before my eyes were so failing.
That time to be excused for my carelessness? No. Nevertheless, I feel that what has just been said could really hurt our hearts very, very much. To think of the Curry in the heart of the Lord and He looks down at us and perhaps feeds us carrying on with outward form that are according to the words, but perhaps our hearts are not right with you.
My brother Barry was just mentioning the Lords communist mentioned in every chapter in this first epistle.
I think it's nice to notice that too, in the first chapter is presented as an inspiring hope.
Young convert.
Second chapter is an encouraging hope for the faithful servants.
It's presented in the third chapter as a purifying hope for the believer.
The 4th chapter is the comforting hope for the bereaved.
Want to come to this fourth chapter has been and in the 5th chapter, a rousing host of the sleepy Christian.
So the Lords coming is presented in those five different ways.
Notice that the end of that third verse.
It says And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, and then in the sight of God and our Father.
Now there are two thoughts brought before US1 for the heart and one for the conscience.
Now when it's for the heart is God has been spoken about the fullness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a person we have as our savior, our friend.
Has been mentioned and we know is our advocate and our high priest well, in other words, he's our All in all that.
00:35:01
Blessed One fills the heart the more we think of His love, all that He has done for us and all that He has prepared for us.
To fill the heart with unspeakable joy and bliss, but of another word that is equally important. And that's for the conscience in the sight of God her Father that is.
Much as we can enjoy the person of Christ, we need to remember that we are living and.
Our life is spent in the presence.
Of a holy God, just like the one who said, thou God seeth me.
That no matter whether it's been the light or in the dark, his eye is upon US1 Thinks about Joseph when he was sorely tempted.
There was no idea of human eye to have ever exposed a sin that he could have committed, but he was preserved because.
He wouldn't have sinned against the Lord. He was in the presence of God.
We were speaking Sunday night about Elijah when for Elijah when Naoman came with the the all that gold and silver and said receive a gift of.
By service What? Elijah said no. He thought he wouldn't receive it, and here before him to take it, but he says.
In the book of being in the presence of the Lord, he said. I will not accept it.
Well, if Elijah had accepted that gift, he could have reasoned some very.
Wise and wonderful ways. Naturally speaking, he could make use of that money. He could have built a school for the sons of the prophets, educated a lot of young men to go out and serve as profits. I just want to read it so as to get exactly the fact that he spoke of being in the presence of the Lord. It's in Second King's chapter 5.
The 16 first of second Kings 5 but he said.
As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none. We urge him to take it, but he refused. How did he accepted that gift, That beautiful gospel story that has been used, I'm sure, but most of the Lord's service we know at some time would have been forth, because it would have.
Taught their lesson that salvation could be bought with money, whereas salvation is free.
And it's without money and without price. Well, you see how being in the presence of the Lord, he was preferred preserved from a fatal and awful mistake. Well beloved Saints of God, how we need to be asking and living and walking in the presence of a holy God, knowing that His eye is upon us at all times.
Our father would suggest.
The fact that.
He is the one who exercises discipline over his children.
We get that in heater, I believe.
You call on the father without respect of person to judge of every man according to his work.
So we get discipline connected with the father.
And that's another side of the truth, isn't it? When you think of disciplines connection with our way because he loved us and will not allow us to go on in ways that are not pleasing to him. I was thinking also of the second verse. There wasn't too much comment on it.
Have been questions asked recently about prayer.
00:40:02
We noticed here it says we give thanks to God.
Always for you all making mention of you in our prayers.
Wondered why the apostle could be such a man of prayer when he was so busy. Well, we know that there was part of his life. He was shut up in prison, and we know that perhaps he had a little more time to pray. And I was just wondering if some of us were shut up in prison, whether we would actually pray or not.
The disciples even had to say to the Lord teach us to pray and perhaps it's something that's much neglected today, prayer. We don't realize the value of prayer. But here the apostle, who no doubt is very near to these Saints, we do have the same thing in to the church. That's Philippi. I suppose he was very near to that assembly of Philippi and they were in his prayers constantly.
There we have.
A large list of heart open here to the Apostle. We give thanks to God always for you.
Making mention of you in our prayers, the Apostle didn't seem to have too much here.
To criticize the assembly for.
He was free in his spirit as he addresses God.
Order and maybe just say that prayer in scripture is general.
But when you speak of supplication, it's more specific to some.
Certain thing that you have in your heart. Some specific thing that you perhaps.
Go to God continually about, but then we we find intercession also. These are mentioned in Timothy and this would be for others.
But a doll was accompanied with Thanksgiving. I believe in stricter giving signs from the God and all things by Jesus Christ. So we have here, the apostle says, we give thanks to God always for you, all making mention of you and our prayers, not an expression making mention of you.
It might be easy for us to, in one suite, take in all the Saints in our prayer.
There is such a thing as having an interest in the Saints that they're not and.
In the measure in which we can, I'm sure it'd be a wonderful thing to have the Saints on our hearts individually, and I believe that's what the Apostle often mentioned in his prayer, especially at the end of the epistle. He named them one by one, though he has strictly on his heart for some specific purpose.
I think that's very helpful, Brother London.
I was enjoying that first verse of the first sympathy tools.
The other day.
It says first of all supplications. When you mentioned that, that would be.
Earnest pleadings. Did you say brother More Herman pleadings, supplication. And when you say that prayers would be more general petitions?
For general petition, but interpretations would be perhaps free and confiding.
Prayer and then it says and giving of thanks.
Well, it's not always easy, beloved, to give thanks, but there is when one does give thanks in trials or intention, is the sense there of of the half sense of failure with the law.
Sense in favor there is helpful. It's always has been some of the my soul.
I was thinking of apple fries to shut up in prison as he made the fervently in prayer.
Time to pray.
Occupied of the prison vows, but undoubtedly occupied of the Saints, and their needs relayed.
Prayer with me in prayer.
It was very intelligent prayer, was it not as the next with a particular ministry that had just been opened by the Apostle Paul?
They might stand firm and all the will of God, because in that epistle the the word of God was completed, and they're the full truth in regards to the mystery was made known. And now the Ephraim plays to this end of the Saints might lay hold of this precious bruise of Colossians.
00:45:18
For $6 that comes to my mind below it.
The anxious or be careful, Anxious for nothing.
But it's not always easy. But by the grace of God you can't be in that end to install, but by prayer and supplication, making requests known as God with Thanksgiving.
Well, that's not always easy, is it? But with the state.
Peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep.
And I do love that word. Keep it more like Garrison. Garrison, your heart compliance.
Sam should be around this building this afternoon. You wouldn't feel very insecure. Well, Mr. Thought, there becomes Garrison. Your hearts of 95.
We have some bananas, but this is.
I never think about one of some lines.
Who pray? I think your brother London is born out nicely and efficient sex, isn't it?
Season 6 and verse 18.
Now the Apostle says praying always.
With all prayer and suffocation in the Spirit, and watching there undo with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints, All Saints.
And then he says, And for me, don't forget.
And for me?
He was taking lampreys too. Felt the need of.
Remember the young brothers saying at the end of the prayer meeting one?
All right, if we, young brothers, say Amen to you, all the brothers, when you pray, I said, Well, it's a very easy way out. But the Lord says, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice.
I leave the moment, remind me to hear the voices of the young brother too.
That he thought of sufficient just to say Amen to another brothers friend.
With the order two in the verse that our brother Eric Smith was referring to.
With Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known. That's rather remarkable. It is not very, very often the case with us that we let our requests be made known with sort of an understanding that when we get the answer and if the answer is the way we want it to be.
Then we'll try to remember to give thanks, but the order of the verse is careful for nothing but in everything by prayer.
With Thanksgiving led to requests be made known to me. That is so very, very searching. And yet why should it not be in that order? For to whom am I making these requests? I'm making them to someone whose love and whose power and whose foreknowledge is absolutely perfect. Now, can I not give thanks, man, in preventing a request?
To someone whose love and power and foreknowledge is absolutely perfect, he is going to answer according to that love and that foreknowledge. So in presenting the request is the thought in the verse six. I can thank him even as I present the request, knowing that he will hear it, and that his answer will be according to that love and that for knowledge.
So the book. I ask him for a nice bright sun day tomorrow and I Blizzard.
Well, if I presented my request, went back, giving a piece of thought will still rain in my heart. For I'll know that his love and foreknowledge has chosen better than my wisdom in Athens. But if I omit that Thanksgiving, if I ask in sort of reserve the right to give thanks when I get the answer I want, I'll be frustrated very, very often. But I'd like to see in the Saints of God.
00:50:15
A thief. That's their mouth every circumstance. The problem? I believe it indicates that their prayers, their requests, have been presented with Thanksgiving.
With regard prayer, one would not be critical at all, but sometimes we hear the prayer finished in this way in the name of Jesus.
Well, I do believe it's more harming for the Lord to finish the prayer by saying asking the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not merely in the name of Jesus.
Yeah, I'm reminded of the story that was told me by our brother Clawson, who's now with the Lord of.
Bread and rhodium from Russia.
In regard to a Christian farmer whose field had been destroyed by hail.
And the Atheists farm across the road wasn't touched.
So the atheist neighbor thought he would go over to take a look at his neighbors field that had been destroyed and as he went toward the barn he heard a boy.
And so he cautiously crept up to the corner of the barn and listened. And this is what he heard. The Lord, I thank thee for sparing my neighbors field.
Well, there was prior Thanksgiving.
In this third verse.
Could I just call attention again to the verse that has already been commented on? But.
Your work of faith.
Could we say, brethren, that unless what we're doing is in keeping with the teaching of the Word of God, is not a word of work of faith?
There's such a thing as bringing our own ideas into the things of God, and I don't think that's the work of faith. I believe that.
Faith would always bring in the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. And unless we have the principles of the Word behind what we do, it is not a work of faith.
I suppose their work of faith here is in verse 9.
Who turned across arrivals?
The words of faith.
Sir, I've been living in the true God.
The labor of love and to wait for his uncomfortable.
Invasions of hope.
In the first chapter, the first verse, rather the grace and Ephesians we read by great life saying through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God. But yeah, I do not believe the brain here that would say it. Isn't it the grace which sustains them day by day insurance and I feel.
Could we connect with that then brother gladding what we have in the end of?
Hebrews 4 we.
Have a shortage of which we can approach. I believe this would apply not only to ourselves as individuals, but I believe in a collective way.
That there is great supply for timely health. And surely these Saints to whom the apostle was writing, needed help at that time in their persecutions.
But they had the great the promise of grace for them for timely help.
And they hadn't wondered whom they could go in there, indeed, and finding him the source of all grace.
You come to the fourth verse and says, knowing brethren beloved your election of God, I believe they would better translation knowing brethren below your election.
00:55:13
No election as a family secret.
That is, that every believer was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. We don't preach that to sinners. The word to sinners is whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.
I'm sure we've all heard the illustration, but it's worth repeating. And.
That it's like someone going to.
Arch And he sees over whosoever will let him take of the water of light inside the arts, he sees the fountain of the water of life. He goes there and drinks, and is refreshed. Someone says, Have you seen the inscription on the inside of the arts? He turns around, and on the inside of the yard she reads, Chosen in him Christ before the foundation.
All the world so after we have.
Found Christ as a Savior, then we discover.
The wonderful, amazing facts that God had us marked out back in eternity.
For this place and blessing that he has brought us into.
Under the very fact that, as he says here, knowing brethren, beloved, your elections.
Leads to praise to think that a poor unworthy creature like myself.
Was chosen in Christ to be brought into all this blessing and happiness and joy. When we see a world going on in darkness and unbelief, going on to eternal destruction, why did God choose you and me?
To have all this blessing that He bestows upon us.
If some of us remember the.
Form that runs like this, why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's rules, while thousands make the wretched choice and rather starve and come 12 The same love that spread the peace, that sweetly force me, and as I am still refuse to taste and perish in life in.
It's taking up the Great sufferance, and as you remember the Great supper in the 14th of Lewis, there's only one service there, and that servant is told to go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in. That my house may be built in Matthew 25, where you get the Greek dinner.
There its servants in the plural, and the servants are told to bend the guests to come in. That's all a servant like ourselves can do, is to invite lost sinners to accept the failure. But the servant, the Holy Spirit, can compel us to come in, not against our will, but he makes us willing on the day of his power.
Election is not a preliminary question of assessment before the Senate comes to Christ, but is the glorious encouragement after he has come in.
My father said the apostles who will never preach the election descendants, but he taught us the state.
We're doing a large amount of other barriers not against our will.
Well, I thought the next chapter, you see that's in the 14th chapter.
Is the 15th chapter where you get the return of the prodigal son the father divided his living, where the son who said father give us the fortunate falleth to us and let him go into the far country and live a ride of life, and then he comes to the end of himself, his money is spent and.
01:00:05
There in his great need and poverty and poverty and starvation.
He says I'll arise and go to my father. There is the steps, as it were, the way that it works, that the center is made willing when God's great acts in his conscience and brings him to the realization of his awful quality and his tremendous need. I don't know whether that would answer. You see, in the 14th chapter, you get the great supper.
And then the and the 5th.
Chapter against the Now the guests brought in.
I like to think of it too, in connection with that practice word draw.
In the 6th chapter of Dawn and the 37th verse, all of the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast thou.
Then again in the.
Same chapter.
44th verse No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. I love that expression. It seems to me to be just so very, very delightful. You and I are going to look back and thanks God for all eternals for his drawing power. Drawing, not driving, but drawing. To me it's a very practice, and also the way in which it's put.
In that 37th person, guest seems to me to be so beautiful.
We often hear the last part of the earth quoted him that cometh to me. I will, and no wise passed out a very beautiful verse. But the book, the whole verse, seems to me to be so much more beautiful. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me half.
It has come to me. I will in no wise cast out. I hope I may finish with all reverence, but in reading it you would just naturally think. But the Lord did the work He endured, the suffering He bore all that judgment. Does He not have the right to whom He will to be the fruit of all that toil? Having accomplished all that mighty work of redemption? He looked up and said, from all of the Father given me shall come to me.
He leaves the toy with the fathers, and so completely doesn't leave the joint that he says whomever the Father may choose to come to me, I will not cast him out. If the Father would choose to bring to me the one who put the spear in my side, I will not cast him out.
Makes it doubly beautiful because you and I can look up and realize that by sovereign grace we are the father's gift to the son. And the son in receiving this gift looked up and the father for that gift that has been remarked on. I know in 70s of John he looked up, I believe seven times to mention his delight in recognizing us as the father gift to him.
That word draw, I believe, is those practice.
I was thinking connection with that word draw. We have it in Song of Solomon, the first chapter.
Draw me, we will run after thee Now is that not the expression of first love?
The the Father has drawn, but now the soul realizes that they are beloved, as our chapter states here, beloved of God.
And now having realized this, and the answer of the heart is drawing.
And does it say I will run after thee?
I'll read, it says.
First of all, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For thy love is better than wine. That's the assurance of affection, because of the Savior, thy good ointment. Thy name is as ointment for For therefore do the virgins love me, draw me. We will run after thee. The King has brought me into his chamber. We will be glad to rejoice in these. We will remember thy love more than wine.
01:05:02
The upright lovedness. I believe that first law.
And when?
When?
The when the.
The drawing power in one soul brings him to express himself. Draw me Why he then he leads others in the same direction, to follow the one who has won his heart.
The 14th and 15th chapters of Lyrics Mansions.
And we might add 16 chapter. I'm either summed up in a simple way in the 14th Jasmine, the Earth and its Madness and refusing the Great Summer.
The fifth thing is chapter we have and is gladness.
Father receiving the son and the 16th Chapel you have hailed and his sadness.
Earth and this madness. Heaven and his gladness and hell and his sadness.
Very true to see on the 14th chapter you have Man's world in the beast where everyone was trying to get the best place. And isn't that just the character of the whole world in which we live? Everyone is pushing ahead, trying to get in the best place, regardless of the results that we'll have together just so we can push ahead and exalt himself.
But in God's world we have that in the 15th chapter, the very opposite, the one that becomes the joy of heaven, is the one that got down to the very bottom of everything comes in as a poor repentance center, so that there's joy in the presence of the angels of God over 1 Sinner that retain it.
We are forced to use a very delicate hands in the ministry to the strength here in the next chapter we have.
Is that he has a nurse, nurse with his children and as a father and the money should be children.
He doesn't work in the strange field with the Microsoft trend.
There were newly controversy, and we often pray for things when we hear of trouble. When we hear of difficulties or please, actually I do, I we're talking less.
Very much. Whoa. There's problem on the sorrow and but years that were going on well and he used delicate hands. He noted all the sisters first the doctrine. Common expectation to follow the Pentagon here.
There's nothing much to play, but it starts to their knees and mother when he speaks to children that they where she doesn't give them the strong meat, she she keep happy, keep them from crying.
Persecution to our year and he doesn't even mention the hope of his coming third is the common here is in judgment ethnic. They hope he presents in the 4th chapter afterwards because they were distressed about the ones that died.
But nevertheless it presents Christ to them, and encourage them to go on with praise for them. And in the freshness or love for them. We need to be attached to Christ. Onions, no matter what comes alone they can be living in a hard time. Living on everything is given up well.
Look for the time when I Smith London. The time and the white stone be given out Tuesday might be disapproval of our way. Because my proud and administration man, he's not right. I know he's not right. Well, we can look beyond that. There's a time coming. Then he'll prove it or have come from the right choice. And so he can invite him to go on and he's touched whether he loves them to come here onto what he says.
And because they were separated, he wanted for his life to stay longer with him. But.
He will come back and his heart long mistake for that they would go on because he wanted to go on and when the Lord would come.
01:10:02
Of the real encouragement from that illegal unfaithfully for the Lord.
Now in the fifth verse we read, for our gospel came not unto you and word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
We could ask the question, what is power?
I have thought that if that switch brings souls into the presence of God.
It isn't merely hearing.
A well worded discourse.
A very eloquent service, but it might be in feeble words. It might be poorly expressed, but if it has that about it that brings sinners right into the presence of God to realize their need and their loss conditions, there is where we see that power that the apostle speaks of here.
So it was the power and of the Holy Ghost. That is, it wasn't just man speaking and others listening. The Holy Spirit of God was making use of the Apostles to bring out a message that God could use.
And which he did use in the salvation of these Thessalonians.
So it shows that those who proclaim the gospel need to be near the Lord. So that's the Holy Spirit of God can make use.
Of such a one as a vessel.
To bring up what he has to bring before so.
Sometimes the person may be at a gospel meeting for many years and never received the gospel.
I wonder if this expression?
In the Holy Ghost would suggest what you've been saying, but also the fact that the Holy Ghost brings understanding.
That was true on the day of Pentecost. That's the anointing and.
You may explain the gospel to a person many times, and they don't understand this. They don't see it.
But when the Holy Ghost? When the Holy Spirit brings conviction.
It's simple.
Understanding. And that's what happened with these things.
Now in the Hebrews, the 10th chapter we have.
We have to prove the connection with.
The believers position.
10th chapter.
The 14th, 1St.
For buy one offering yet perfect, good forever then that are sanctified.
Where are the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us, For after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days of the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts and their minds when I write them, and their sins and iniquity.
Well, I remember no more. Now we here I have the Spirit of God opening up to the heart the understanding of what salvation was for the Jew of that day, and for any, of course, that this is written to the Hebrews.
I believe that it's absolutely necessary.
That the Spirit of God opened the heart and the understanding, otherwise there'll be no salvation.
So we should thank God for the Lord Jesus and that work at Calvary, that we should thank him too for the Spirit of God that opens our hearts to receive the message.
Our brother was Speaking of the power, and do not think that the power is recognized and and the result yourself and the much assurance receives when what follows is the case. And you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. There was a conviction that these men were telling the truth because they had acted.
01:15:11
According to the Holy Spirit and power.
The power given to the truth of all these spirits rather that cause them to speak the truth, and they acted the truth.
So there was a manner that gave force to the power.
That's very important, Brother Smith.
Is it not also true, brother, in connection with that fourth verse where it says knowing Reverend belongs, your election of God and even the apostle Paul had no specific separate revelation as to who the elect were.
The only way he could know what by seeing the result of the fruit of the preaching of the.
God. When the gospel of the grace of God has been preached and the effect was seen in the light, then he could say, knowing your election of God, is that not right? That certainly is, brother.
And he became followers of us.
Of the Lord having received the Word in much afflictions with joy of the Holy Ghost.
Shows again that not only.
And Paul preaching is like his behavior. His conduct in the city of vessel Naka had been such that those heathen people felt there was a reality.
About these men that were presuming the word to them when they received the message, their hearts were open to accept the Gospels. By then. The same man whose life committed the gospel to them is the one who's, like now was guidance for them as believers.
Becoming flowers of us and of the Lord. And we need to understand then that.
They didn't have the whole New Testament as we have it. I suppose there's very little of the New Testament written at that time and as it was mentioned that perhaps.
These pistols of Thessalonians were the first, the Apostle wrote. So the lives of those who?
Instructed the Saints was the Bible, as it were, for them to go by.
Often been sent the only Bible the world has of the Christian life.
And if our lives are inconsistent, if we're one thing one day and another thing another day where one thing in meeting an entirely different when we're not in meeting.
No brother that got completely away and I observed this, that in the meeting he was a very helpful brother.
Took a nice part that I was with him when he was talking to some of his business associates and when he was with men like that he used the language of the world. So you never know that what he was just as worthy a man.
As those he was talking to.
Well, that isn't right. That isn't pleasing to the Lord, and it proves to be true in the case of this man. When? When?
Temptation came when he fell away.
Which is just reality, doesn't it?
We have that in this first with much afflictions. It was during the days of the persecution that the Church grew, was it not? But it really tested those who made the profession to see whether they were real or not.
And.
It could be that the Lord will will yet test the profession of Christianity on the earth before He comes. It could be how good it is to be in the enjoyment of that verse, Knowing, Brethren Beloved, your election of God, to be in the real enjoyment of this cruise in our soul.
Being conscious of our position in God the Father. To be conscious of what we do is in the sight of God our Father, and we have reality, do we not?
01:20:14
November 8th, her brother says. Brother, I can't hear what you say because of what you do.
Well, that's the best.
We are officials, known and read of all men.
God would ever live day by day.
Community was himself the law of Jesus.
Well, in this for a good testimony.
In order that we enjoy communion.
That we have to keep short accounts.
Judge until Reverend, the moment we begun, we begin to think that we boast of something in the.
Danger we are just having.
Garbage presents so much of our own nothing.
Man called of God into his service, so he falls from a place of strength, realizing their own nothing.
I've always enjoyed that.
We see a nice picture of that in the Elijah and the 6th of Second Kings you're Speaking of when they.
Of Syria sent a whole army to get to catch Elijah. Elijah in the confidence that a thing of this in connection with the assurance the young man gets out early in the morning and he sees that the the two of them are completely surrounded by an army and Elisha doesn't even go to look, he just.
Speaks a short prayer, just says, Lord, open the young man's eyes. He prayed with such confidence. And when the man, young man, thighs grew open, he saw that the angels of God were surrounding them. Well, that's what we have here before. It's not really in the midst of all the persecutions that they add here. So I talk and pray with such assurance, and this is the way we can do.
I like the pattern of the increase effective versus 267 and eight.
Invert 6. Having received the word in verse 7 so that ye were and sample and in verse 84 from you sounded out the word of the Lord. I believe there's a very significant message for us there. I believe it was truly displayed in the testimony of the apostles.
Was it not Ezra also who had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel back to congestion?
Though I believe that order is that which we can really look to the Lord about having received, that's been passed by the grace of God being entrusted. Should there not empty a desire to be an example so fast. The sounding out of the word made by the good hand of the Lord be respectful. A very power that was spoken of, is. I believe it's proportional to the way in which this border is carried out. I think of that verse he did half no solar.
Let him sell his garments and buy what?
Well, I suppose every believer heroes survival with every one of them might be able to quote a few verses, at least from the word of God.
But who is there here that can use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, in a way that is effectual toward the Law?
Or among our breadth.
I believe that we can't help them feel the truth.
I believe that it's in the standard in which this is true. PAVA, selling the arm of my perhaps need more than one thing, might suggest the buying up of opportunities to become familiar with the word of God. But I rather look upon it as perhaps even surrendering that which might be our natural rights in this world, shall we say, taking.
The most place that walking as those who realize.
Our home citizenship is heavenly. Bearing such a testimony produces the use of an effectual source, receiving it and then walking as examples and then sounding it out.
01:25:06
Some of David's mighty men that could use their left hand as well as the right weren't there.
I think it's nice to brother out the end of the verse 8.
That I need not to speak anything off the ball, need to go around and say, well, that person is a Christian, I'm sure of that.
Every evidence of it in their lives.
Need to go around and tell people who they were. They were showing themselves as Christians. There was.
Every evidence, so the fact that.
Save the Lord as a savior, and they are standing out from where under God.
Everything 173.
A little while, the Lords will come.
And we shall wander here no more. You'll take us to the Father's boat, where he for us is gone before to dwell with him, to see his face and sing the glories of His grace.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Toledo, November 1973. Second reading meeting.
That number.
That number, 56.
Oh Lord.
00:05:03
Before we read Jesus of Thee, we never would tire the new and living food.
And satisfy our hearts desire and light, and thy blood.
186.
344.
Sure. Do we have something else?
The subject was scarcely begun. I think it was tonight.
So we read the whole chapter again.
I wonder if.
If it would be well to.
Read a part of the endings of some of the other chapters with it. What do you think, Brother Barry?
I think it would be helpful, brother, letting made those remarks about the different ways the Lord coming is brought before us.
And the end of the second chapter.
You get the Lord's coming in connection with reward and in the end of the third chapter, in connection.
00:10:02
With Bob purifies the believers and of the 4th chapter is what comforts the believers. And then I think he said at the end of the fifth chapter or in the 5th chapter, it's an arousing hope.
But perhaps if we just took up the OR just read the closing parts of the first second.
3rd and 4th chapters. What do you think of that?
I think that would be helpful.
We're at our close of our meeting yesterday.
We're commenting on the 6th verse and Brother Albert Kayle is giving us some very helpful thoughts on the 6th, 7th and 8th verses, which I'd like to hear repeated.
First Thessalonians chapter one.
And verse 6.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA, For from your son that the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia NECA, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.
But they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath of God.
In chapter 2.
And verse 19.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
And in the third chapter.
Verse 11.
Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. The Lord make you to increase and abound and love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do toward you till the end. He may establish your heart unblameable in holiness before God even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
Chapter 4, verse 13.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also asleep in Jesus, will God bring with him?
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God 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.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.
Whether Albert Hale would you give us?
The thoughts that you brought out on the 6th, 7th and 8th verses and both of the last meeting.
Well, I have noticed and enjoyed and I hope also been searched by the order that's mentioned in those three verses. In verse six it says having received the word, having received the word in much afflictions, then in verse 7, so that he were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and IKEA and then in verse 8.
00:15:02
Or from you sounded out.
The word of the Lord there seems to me to be a significant order there. First of all the receiving of the word, and then the next step is not sounding it out, but the next step is being an example. And then the third is the sounding out of the word. I believe reference was made to the 7th chapter of Ezra, in which we find that it is said of Ezra that he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord.
And to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Well, here it is our privilege in such a meeting as this to hear the word of the Lord. But I believe that there should be an exercise with all of us, that having heard it, there now is our responsibility to be an example to put into practice that which we have heard. Perhaps also the same thing is found in the 11Th of Deuteronomy, where that lovely passage is given concerning.
Thou shalt lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul. That's the receiving of the word. Then it bound upon the hand, and as frontless between the eyes, immediately having been received in the heart of the soul, it begins to have its effect upon the hand and upon the eyes. That which we do, that which we seek after it's also, it seems to me.
Brought by word and by precept an example before our children in the next verse thou shall teach them, my children, Speaking of them, when thou sit us down, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And then the next verse, thou shalt bind them upon the doorpost of thy house, and upon thy gate. That last little statement seems to suggest public testimony upon thy gates.
Well, it begins in the heart and in the soul. It proceeds through the hand, the eyes, the household, and finally the most public testimony possible to gate. So it was received, then it was effectual in their example, and lastly it was founded out through there.
Well, for us to notice too, the way it was received in much affliction, where joy of the Holy Ghost.
So that much affliction in no way hinders the joy of the Holy Ghost.
But it seems rather to promote us and.
To be the result.
So there's another asset Never fear persecution.
It will make your face shine as an Angel.
Many of God's children.
In different parts of the world are really suffering persecution.
For being in prison and banished and their employment taken from them and their families left in need.
But in this country we have.
Not faced such trials as that as yet, but the enemy is always busy to try to hinder and to prevent the work of the spirit in our souls.
So they are afflictions, bodily, or many problems coming up in our lives, maybe in our assemblies. And God allows all this for a purpose.
And if we receive them as permitted of him, For there isn't a circumstance in life that God hasn't permitted.
Brother Harry Hayes to this day so often.
Accept your circumstances from the Lord and take.
Your needs to the Lord. So if we receive everything as permitted by the hands of a loving Father, the result will be this, that there will be the joy of the Holy Ghost. Lord doesn't expect us to have an easy pathway.
00:20:06
Through this scene, through much tribulation, Paul tells the young converts as he and Barnabas travel together, they should enter the Kingdom of God, that is, enter into, in a practical moral sense, all that belongs to this present time of God's grace and blessing to his people while he's gathering out a company to.
The glorified with Christ on high.
We would not have had these wonderful epistles.
If it had not been through the sufferings of the Apostle Paul.
And some of the choices.
Things that we enjoy today have come from the pen of those who have suffered.
Much trial. Much affliction.
Remember telling you before?
That when I was preaching in the slums of Melbourne, there was a there was a special literature that came out of that section of the city that was full of joy and real happiness in those. Those poems were wonderful to read. So I made-up my mind to find the author and I haunted a long time and found.
The author of those beautiful poets.
It was a very poor house and I had to climb a very rickety, some rickety steps to get to the little door and knocked on the door and there was a weak voice said come in.
And brethren, I've mentioned this before, but what did I see?
A poor soul.
17 years on her back.
And only able to raise her hand a little bit propped up to write those poems.
And it just broke my heart to think.
Such beautiful poems could come from a sister suffering like that.
Well.
Brother Barry asked me of two or three years ago to quote one of them, which I'd like to quote. Just a few lines if you kindly wait.
Knows the bitter, weary way, the endless driving day by day, the heart that weeps, the soul that prays. He knows it all.
He knows all hearts so full of bliss that whilst on earth our joys we miss, we still can bear it. Knowing this, he knows it all.
So there was something from a poor sufferer.
That's been a great blessing to my own soul, especially now.
That would be in in keeping with that sound, he that goeth forth weeping, shall doubtless come again rejoicing. Bringing his sheaves with him, shows that that dear soul is going to have many of sheep of joy and reward in glory.
That also included the expression bearing precious seed, didn't it?
I was thinking of.
You know that little book that was mentioned yesterday that's just been republished? The land in the book gives us some lovely thoughts as to the.
The meanings of these Old Testament scriptures.
The Particularly the expressions used in connection with the Scriptures of the Psalms and so on.
In that 126th Psalm that's just been mentioned.
I believe the background is something like this that.
The man who goes out.
Weeping to sow his seed is one who has already sown A crop and it's failed. And so he's taking the very seed that he's saved for food for the year, and he's divided it up so he can still sow another crop. And the author of this book says that it was not uncommon to see.
00:25:20
A Jew, as he was, sowing his seed, weeping.
Because it was his very food. Now we have a faith connected with that he shall doubtless come again, rejoicing, bearing as she's with him. And so faith really, with a sense of this in their soul, that they're sowing the very food they need themselves. Is that not the way to give the gospel out, brethren?
The very food we need ourselves.
That we're giving out to others. I believe that's in keeping with these three verses that we've just had.
So that he were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia.
Well, isn't it a wonderful thing when the.
Lies and the walk behavior of God's children.
Because all that is required for a testimony as to the truth that they hold notice, Paul says.
So that we need not to speak anything.
For they themselves sure sure of us what manner of entering in we had among you well.
That should be true of us now, and it can be true of us, but it requires a walk in loneliness and dependence and consistent self judgment of everything that.
Manifests in any way the place in us. If we're walking with heavenly things as the goal before our souls, and heaven is everything to us, and Christ is the object of our affections, the same character of testimony can it's just among us. So that is really a word for execution for our souls.
Some of it here and visited the brother in Gresham and being brother helper has his name is Albert too. He's being on his back for 40 years and he's not able to write beautiful poems like you mentioned brother, because you're so terribly crippled and it's difficult to understand what he says. But our dear brother Oscar Fraser phrase, he goes to see him two or three times every week and by experience he has learned.
To a great extent what he says or tries to say.
And the brother went to visit him shortly, a little while ago. And he said, well, brother Elvis, I'm sure you'll you'll soon receive a crown.
And he made him understand, he said. I don't want the crowd. I want to see his face. I'm not after the crown. I want to see my saviour's face, the brother said. What a rebuke to me.
He was thinking more about the crown and save his face.
And you see, the testimony went even beyond.
Their own city.
Founded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad.
Well, it shows that godly testimony as there was there at that time in Thessalonica.
And traveled widely over much of the known world for those days. People could say, well, what a remarkable thing year of company of idolaters throw away their idols. And now instead of worshipping these gods with the heathen, have always believed they're worshipping the true gods. And they tell us that his son who was here and died on the cross.
00:30:06
Is coming back. That was the testimony that was read out of the lives of these Thessalonians.
I suppose they thought, brother Mary, that the day of the Lord had really arrived because of the affliction through which they passed.
They they were not clear concerning the difference between the coming of Christ or the Bride and the coming of Christ with the Bride. They were wrong, evidently, in their conception of the coming with.
Paul Rather, Paul of the Prize. And so we have this wonderful portion in the 4th chapter explaining in remarkable language how it would be possible. Don't you think, Brother Smith that?
Their special error was not understanding, just the way that the Lord would come for his own.
When they get to the second epistle, there were misled by false teachers there, telling them that these afflictions that they were suffering, showed that they were in the day of the Lord, or in the great tribulation, and so He.
Writes that epistle to set them right as to the fact that the Christian will never go through the great tribulations.
Here they were not clear as to just the way in which the Lord would come, and after this was read in the 4th chapter gives the answer the Apostle was.
Given for them at that time, and I doubt not, the Apostle never really understood the coming of the Lord so clearly as he did at that time.
When they wrote or sent to him to inquire about this matter, then he got a special revelation from the Lord as to the manner in which the Lord would come for his own.
You see, the Lord had plainly told his disciples in the 14th chapter of John, I will come again and receive you unto myself.
And where I am, there you may be also. But the way of his coming, the howl of his coming, was not brought out at that time. That was reserved for to be given as a revelation to the Apostle Paul. So I doubt not that their thought was this. Here they were accompanied.
And turned from the turn to God, from idols waiting for his son, and that he would come right there where they were.
And those that were waiting would be taken up to glory. What about our loved ones? What about those that have died? What part would they have in this wonderful coming of the Lord? Well, of course I'm getting ahead of our subject. That is more what is taken up in the 4th chapter. Here we get.
What the The simplicity of their faith.
Had given them to enjoy and believe that the Lord was coming soon.
And that they were just waiting for him to deliver them from the coming wrath.
I'd like to call attention again to the end of the eighth verse. Before we go on, perhaps there's something here for our hearts and consciences.
It says so that we need not to speak anything.
Someone asked a brother once if his son was saved. He said. You go ask him.
I said to a young man once, are you saved? He said. Who would think I wasn't?
Now, Braden, is that the kind of an answer?
You know, sometimes.
People take the place of being a Christian and past, but they really aren't at all. And then sometimes, you know, we grow cold in our souls and we do not leave a testimony, and the Lord has to bring something in to arouse us. If you'll turn with me just a moment.
00:35:24
Digression to the fifth chapter of the Song of Solomon, because I believe it's our affections.
Here in this book of Thessalonians that.
We should remember it's the affections of the believer who is found in God the Father.
With the blessed hope before him now in the 5th chapter of the Song of Solomon.
We won't read too much, but just the thought of the first bar is the 7th verse. The Watchmen that went about the city found me. They smoked me. They wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge your daughters of Jerusalem if you find my beloved that she tell him that I'm sick of love now.
What is thy beloved more than another beloved? They ask her. Oh, thou fairest among women, What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou does so charge us?
Then she goes on to speak of her beloved and in the end, she says.
In the 16th verse, this is my.
Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Now sometimes the Lord allows affliction not because we're faithful, but because we're unfaithful, and because we have gotten away from a sense of His love to us.
And sometimes someone may ask this question to us, just like the daughters of Jerusalem asked the bride, What is thy beloved more than another beloved? Oh, thou fairest among women. I remember hearing of a young man who was not saved, but he had had good bringing up.
And he met an atheist once, and the atheist put some questions to him that led to his salvation.
So you see here the Lord allows these things in our lives and we can well, ask the question.
Ourselves today.
Does someone have to call attention to the fact that we are a Christian, or is there evidence in our lives?
Is our manner of life such that we give evidence of this fact?
Now take Abraham for instance.
He He had the land. God-given him the land, but he dwelled as a Pilgrim there because it was still polluted. He was surrounded by that which did not speak of God's holiness or glory, and so he lived as a Pilgrim. He lived a simple life with simple habits, simple appetites.
A simple house, a simple dress. All these things go with the pilgrims.
And they gave evidence, did they not?
That he had something that the others about him did not have besides that when it came.
To power, he was able to deliver loss.
He was able to meet the circumstances around him because he lived in this manner, and so I just would read that into that verse again, the 8th verse, so that we need not to speak anything. There was ample evidence with these things of who they were. They belong to Christ, and they were waiting for his Son, for the Son of God from heaven.
Gave evidence in their lives that this was true.
I like to notice too that after the bride has given that glowing and beautiful description.
And the one whom she says, this is my friend. The very next verse is, whither is thy beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee?
00:40:01
Wouldn't it be nice if our testimony were such that others would say we want also the one who has won and ravished your heart? Whither is he gone, that we may seek him with thee?
The New Testament counterpart is.
The disciples and the early time of the Lord's ministry. It speaks of Phillips seeking Andrew, brother bringing him to the Lord. We have found the Messiah which is called Christ, and there were others that wanted to follow.
To know where he's well.
So this came down asking people of their slaves. I was once very severely rebuked by asking a young person in our meeting at the.
And was saved and the person went off crying and told the father. The father said you are causing trouble in the meeting by asking people if they are saved.
Well.
This person says just imagine brother gladding thinking I was not saved, but that person is no longer in the meeting.
So there's very, very little evidence that she ever was saved.
She's left the meeting.
So that is rebuked for asking that question.
Are you?
Isn't that beautiful? There. What manner of entering in we had, Auntie you.
That is all came from.
Berea driven out of Berea by the persecution of the enemy.
No, He had been in September and then went to Berea, had been driven out of Philippi, and now he he is used as the Lord to start a work of the Lord there in that city, and the heater themselves are seen.
On a wonderful entering in this man had in this city to see the results of people that have turned to God from idols.
Important to get the order there, isn't it? For us all. And we speak especially to the young people. They didn't turn from idols to God, but they turned from God to idols.
That is, if we have the right object before our souls will have all his imitations, his idols, behind us.
Get out of the heart right with the Lord, and there's no question about.
The interior of what should be rejected if the heart is fully adjourned in the enjoyment of the Savior's love portraits is there for that.
Which only ministers to the old nature and brings no real peace and happiness to the soul.
It's nice to see who it was who's had little children. Keep yourselves from idols. Was it not John who leaned upon Jesus? Brutal. There was very little chance of an idol coming between those two.
But poor Peter, He couldn't say that, says He followed us far off.
But John leaned upon Jesus bosom, and it was John who said little children keep yourself from idols.
It wasn't. It wasn't what was said that impressed them, was it in that ninth verse, where they themselves show unto us what the manner of entering in we had unto you. It was a life that was occupied with Christ, and the power of that life demonstrated that made such an impression, not what they said.
Brother Mary, do we have idols that we need to have behind us?
That is an idol then.
Well, we see little children, beautiful little children brought in here, and we're very attracted to them. And sometimes the mother might be so taken up with that lovely child that that becomes an idol. Anything that would come between the heart and Christ and the enjoyment of him can be an idol, anything good or bad.
00:45:16
My wife and I are very much impressed by that very thing in Shanghai.
When the Japanese found firing, there's one system. The missionary home made her one room. Certainly an idol. She was spending most of her time when she should have been on duty, polishing the floor on the furniture, and my wife and I were sometimes invited to go in and speak with her, and she'd set you on the chair and watch us. Who didn't scratch the liner with your feet? Got to keep quite still. She didn't say so, but you can see that expression of face.
Well, when the Japanese started firing, the first shot went right into her room, lured all the pieces, and I did. Sister had made an idol of her room, her little home, and the Lord destroyed it in the moment. So that shows that anything that which comes between my soul and the Lord can be an idol and rob me of the joys of Christ and communion with him Well.
Bob Allen did the Lord remove the idol, but he removed her too.
Which was a very sound thing. My wife and I went to see the room afterwards. It was just a complete wreck.
So the Lord can either remove the idol from you, or He can remove you from the idol.
It's a solemn thing to think about.
Well, this is really the happy ways of being separated from these idols, is what brother Gladding was saying. The Lord may take the idols away. And that's sad and solemn. And we do find those two ways that God has of drawing his heart to himself. Abraham didn't need what was required of lots.
To have a place where his heart was enjoying engaged and his interests were found to be destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven, and leave driven out of out of the city. So there is the wooling and there is the driving.
Trying that order in the 12Th chapter of Hebrews.
Perhaps it wouldn't take up too much of our time if we looked at that.
And the.
32nd verse of Hebrews 12 He says, But ye are coming to Mount Zion under the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, when numerable company of angels, the General Assembly, and the Church of the first born, and so on.
There is the Spirit of God sitting before the soul, the heavenly scene of glory.
To lean the heart away from all that would hinder its blessing in going through this theme. But then if you read on farther down in this chapter, you get a warning. The 25th verse, see that she refused, not him that speaketh. And then in the 26th verse, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Well, either the attractions of the heavenly scene of Christ in glory will wean our hearts from a ruined world, or else that's shaking that is spoken of here when God steps in and shakes the whole thing to pieces.
Brother. And may we accept the admonition, the left, the warnings of the Lord.
Here are precious holy persons, to be the object of our souls, delight to have the Lord before us, and to adjust our lives to that which is pleasing to him, rather than to have the Lord recipient like this poor woman that Brother Gladden is telling about, and having our idols destroyed, And then?
To be broken up over the sadness of what has happened.
00:50:02
Why? We're young. While the Lord is speaking to us, let's make the firm decision that Christ is the object from my soul. May He be everything to me, and may everything be formed in my life according to that which is for His glory.
And what would be according to his precious words?
There are two things especially characterizing the Dear Young Believers.
Says they turn to God from others to serve, to serve the living and true God and the next verse, and to wait for his Son from heaven. Well, surely those two things should characterize us. We should seek to serve God with reverence and godly fear, and to wait for his Son from heaven. What else are we waiting for? Are we waiting for?
World Betterment.
Or are we really waiting for the Lord to come? They were. They are waiting for God's Son from heaven. That was that one object and thought and desire to see the one who had saved them.
We mentioned the other yesterday.
They turned to God from idols. Well, that's.
Place is an exercise there.
To serve the living and true God, there's love manifested there and to wait His Son from heaven.
Hope. Well, we mentioned yesterday that the three great essentials of the Christian testimony.
Faith. Love. Hope.
And I was noticing yesterday concerning the unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in in the translation of the Scriptures into the Inca tongue, we noticed that that word in was dwelling.
So there was an intimacy, A remarkable intimacy, with these believers, even though they were so.
The saved so short a time they were dwelling.
In God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure you may have noticed that, brethren, to dwell means an intimacy there that's so precious.
Well, as we dwell.
In that blessed one.
The things of this world do grow strangely. Being they certainly do.
It's only as we have him, as the object of the soul's affection, that these other things fall off, beloved and of no value for the soul.
Well, I've often thought of the standing of the believer, the believer. The standing of the believer is in Christ. We are possessors of divine life. We have his life.
The object of the believer is Christ, and that's brought out in Philippians.
And the hope of the believer, you'll notice, is to be like Christ.
These are very wonderful.
Portions concerning our ongoing So these deals. Thessalonians in the midst of the afflictions they possess those three wonderful qualifications below us.
Faith and love and hope.
It's not what you're going to say, Brother Barry. Oh, I was just thinking that in addition to those two points that you mentioned that God weans or sometimes he removes the idol. But I believe that there's a third and a serious warning for every one of us here today. And that is that if these two don't take place, that there is 1/3 and that is that God will leave us.
00:55:02
As the warning was to Ephraim, Ephraim have turned to idols. Leave him alone. This is the worst of all. When God would leave us, let us go on in our own self will. This is the serious and dreadful path that ends in ensure disaster for the Christian life and testimony.
Is it not lovely, too, to notice that all this weaning is always preceded by very much wooing? I I like that thought, that the desire and the pattern of the heart of God toward us is that we might be wooed continually by his faithful love.
But if our poor hearts fail to respond to that, then the weaning process becomes necessary. But even in that, how lovely to know that the weaning that is necessary and sometimes painful is not because he looks down and says, I told you not to become taken up with that. Now I'm going to have to take it away from you. We as parents might do such a thing with questionable motives, but the heart of God in weaning us, in ever laying his hand upon those things that might otherwise take up our attention.
Even our affections. He does it because he loves us so much. What we have become taken up with is that which is going to fade away, or else our ability to enjoy it will fade away. One or the other assures we're alive and the Lord looks down and says, I want you to be in the enjoyment of something that cannot fade away. I want you to be in the enjoyment of that which will continually minister to your happiness.
And so if he lays his hand upon that which we are loath to.
Let's go. It's because he loves us so much.
I think that there is a repentance in connection with the frame later. I'm thinking of the 13th, 14th chapter and verse eight, he says. Ephraim shall say What have I to do anymore with idols? It seems as if he's learned the lesson. I have heard him. I have heard him and observed him.
Such as the love of God, and even to Ephraim, having gone that far.
We wouldn't get very far, would we, if it weren't that God came in?
And then also the the response from the heart of obedience. I believe it's very important to see this. Would you turn with me to Genesis 35 just for a few verses? Because I believe the subject that we have at this point is the most helpful. Now I'd like to introduce another thought in connection with this subject of idols.
That would perhaps help some of us who are parents.
We find ourselves in circumstances sometimes where we're not able to do anything.
We're helpless as to our children, as to our circumstances, and we're cast upon God. So we'll read the first few verses of Genesis 35.
And God said unto Jacob.
Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fled us from the face of he saw thy brother.
Then Jacob said unto his household, And to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments, and let us arise and go up to Bethel.
And I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange scars which were in their hands, and all their earrings which were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed. And the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them.
And they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob ninth verse.
And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Satan Aram, and blessed him.
God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob. Thy name shall not be called anymore.
01:00:03
Jacob but Israel shall be thy name. And he called his name Israel. God said unto him, Mine God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee king, should come out of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee, I will give it. Do thy seed. After thee will I give the land. God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place.
Talked with him, even a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink, offering thereon, and he poured oil there on Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him. Bethel, now the point I'd like to bring out here.
Is this?
That we find Jacob obeying the word of God. That's the first point.
We learned that.
In Philippians that.
The apostles said certain things before the Saints.
And he says, if you do these things, the God of peace shall be with you.
That's obedience to the word, but we notice also here that he pours out a drink offering.
Now this is really a picture of the soul overwhelmed with joy and what God has done for him in his life. We find Jacob had idols in his house, other things too, and he couldn't get rid of them. He was helpless, absolutely helpless. He doesn't seem to have control of his house.
But when God said to him arise and go to Bethel, he knew very well that he couldn't take his idols to Bethel. It wouldn't fit. And so in that simplicity of faith he says to his household.
It says here let us arise and go up to Bethel. I know in the second verse put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments.
Well, they did. So now God came in, and he did for Jacob what Jacob could not do for himself.
I believe this is always the case, brethren. If there is to be permanent blessing, it will have to be God coming in. But there is that side of it. There must be the obedience of faith, and it will result.
In joy, as we have in this chapter, it will result in joy in our household if we walk in the path of faith and obedience.
As God opens the way for us, He will order our circumstances.
Because he never disappoints faith, and we too will have that privilege of pouring out a drink offering. That's an offering that's put on top of the sacrifice to indicate joy. And remember, when that drink offering is poured out, there's always the equal amounts of oil with it. That's the spirit of God prompting it, of course, in that nature.
Brethren, we must learn a lesson in the 13th chapter of Genesis as well in connection with this matter we find in the.
13th of Genesis.
And the tenth verse, it says unlocks lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou cometh unto Zoar, we find the find that the time has come when Abraham and Locke were going to part.
And Locke had a choice to make, and he chose that which was like unto Egypt.
Well, the question arises, who was it that had given Lot a taste of Egypt? And if we go back to the previous chapter, the 12Th chapter of Genesis, we find brethren that it was Abraham, that it was Abraham who had taken lock down into Egypt. And now Abraham has come back, he has been restored. But now Lot is faced with a choice.
01:05:11
And what has been given a taste of Egypt, he has had, as it were, an idol set before him.
Something that appeals to him, but it was done by Abraham, and Lot found that which was like what he had been given a taste of. And he made his choice, and he went down to Sodom, because it was like unto Egypt.
And brethren, for those of us here, I say this to my own heart more than anyone that have families, young families particularly.
How careful we have to be that we don't allow that in our homes. We've just heard a word about our household. But to allow that in our homes, that is going to set before our children that which is going to cause them when the time comes for them to make their choice, to follow that which is going to lead them into paths of disobedience, to have things in our own brethren that sets the world before our children.
That put things before them, just like Abraham did with Lot, Lot. When the choice, the time came from to make his choice, what a sad, sad choice made and beloved brother, I said to my own heart as they say more than anyone. But how can we be surprised if our children choose Sodom, choose the world, choose the idols if we have been responsible as parents?
Putting that before them, which results in the idle being there, it results in their hearts being given a taste and an appetite for the very idle, which we then as parents, deplore for them when they make their choice.
I was thinking of the three things in connection with the children of Israel and.
Connection is what? The forest. There are three things that should characterize them. That'll be sheltered by the blood of the lamb. Then there was a feast upon the lamb, roast with fire. And the third thing was they'll put leaven out of their houses. Out of their houses? Not out of themselves, that's an impossibility, but out of their houses. My brother was speaking about the evils which can creep in the homes.
And houses.
And so they were told to put lemon from the first day, it says.
In the 15th, 1St even the first day, you should put away 11 out of your houses, or whosoever eateth leavened bread, from the first day of the 7th day, that someone should be cut off from Israel.
Well, we know the various things that are coming in, the homes and houses which are defiling to the children.
Many places we have been, we have seen this great monster, the children watching it with eager eyes. Well, it has a withering effect upon their soul and upon their parents too, and can do nothing else. Some people claim that this monster is educational. Well, I believe it educates children for health. That's the only education they get from us. It's withering to the soul. I think this is very important.
For each one of us, myself included, to keep 11 out of our houses, Is 11 a picture of evil in Scripture? Yes.
The nation is what our brother.
Prayers and the Speaking of what she was in the well watered plains of Jordan. Of course it was God that had provided well watered plains of Jordan.
A lot did not choose Sodom, but Sodom was worried. A lot went that is in the plains. And I think do think we need to be careful and we need to warn ourselves and our households that some of these things which we choose, which look like they're an advantage to us, that they don't draw us away into the place where evil is.
Because it speaks in Genesis there that when lot chose.
You know, the well watered plains of Jordan speaks of the men of Sodom being wicked exceedingly.
The evil was there, and Lord made himself a candidate for going down into Sodom and there to find himself a righteous man. But.
01:10:06
Trouble with the evil which is present.
Chapter closes with Jesus before us, doesn't it?
It says.
To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus are delivered from the coming wrath. So we have then the.
Resting upon the person of Christ in the end of this chapter, but it's his own personal name.
It's the one who was down here as man that's before us is now in the glory.
In connection with what has been said, there's sort of a negative attitude that a Christian might take two like that. Like, is it her? He got down beneath the two burdens, and he looked for rest and he found it. But the end was sorrowful, wasn't it?
That taking sort of a negative act, not going after the items, as it were, but just trying to seek rest in this scene where there is no rest for the Christian and he allows himself to be covered up with burdens of one sort and another.
That hinder the advancement that he should be making? Is that not true?
In order to that it says to serve the living.
And cruel gods the the gods of the heathen were really.
Instruments of Satan to degrade those who worship them. We have little idea how degrading idolatry was in those days.
It's not only.
Allowed the worst class of immorality, but gave those who followed thee followed these ways to think that was something, possibly a game to them.
Oh, now the gods that the Thessalonians had turned to does not like the God of Bill when they cried. The old bail hearers. There's no answer at all. There was a God they actually saw fulfilling his word, answering their prayers, and coming in fabulous and wonderful ways. But he was also the true God.
The God of holiness.
They had known nothing about.
In all their lives, in connection with false gods, to know a true God, a God who is infinitely holy, whose very natures of foreign to evil God was something entirely unknown. So it marks out of people in a very positive and distinct way. And we should remember that beloved in connection with.
All our affairs, that God is a holy God, and that he will allow nothing that is contrary to his nature. So after the Apostle John has given us that wonderful.
Understanding of the ones that was from the beginning and how we we can have fellowship with those who were with him down here.
That she might have fellowship without, He says. Then the next word is, and this is the word that we have heard of him, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
All the beloved John had heard the Lord Jesus actually see those very words that he has handed down in his epistle to us that God is light, and light exposes everything that is of the nature of darkness.
And will not permit it to exist where His Holiness is manifested. So we need to remember in going on that we have to do.
Where the God who is infinite in His Holiness.
Does that not become more and more prominent in scripture as the days become darker and darker? I think of June, the last epistle, where a very, very dark picture is presented. But the provision to the believer is building up yourselves on your most holy faith. That is a wonderful provision, and it's striking that it should be spoken of not only as faith or holy faith, but most.
01:15:18
Holy faith.
Wonderful privilege, in a day when public opinion has fallen so low, to be able to be together in this manner by the grace of God, to read His precious holy word and realize that it is our privilege and a very challenge in the day in which we live to be built up in our most holy faith.
Today, at this juncture in our meeting, give a warning voice against these new translations that are coming in.
And even creeping into our meetings like the this new International Bible and the way that the truth is cheapened and well such expressions are set of addressing the deity as thou as you will familiarity that is very unbecoming and often introducing thoughts that dishonor.
The person of the Lord Jesus, brethren, be careful of these new translations.
Get them out of your house and have no fellowship with this at all, because I believe that the enemy at this time is definitely at work seeking to corrupt the word of God. I'll never forget Shortly before our dear brother Potter was taken home, he called a number of the Lord's servants together and I was privileged as a young man to be with us and he pointed this out. He says, Brother, don't give up the King James translation.
He says. I believe that that was a work of God. He says there's never been anything like it. He said. Mr. Darbys translation is a wonderful help to correct some mistakes that are in the King James translation. There are.
Interpolations. And there are mistakes because in that time they didn't have all the manuscripts they had later.
But we can correct those, and I believe that the Spirit of God, in a very positive, definite way, since God has given us that translation, has been working. So that translation of God's word. May I pass that on, brethren? I believe our brother had the mind of the Lord and solemnly warning, and I know it occasionally as I go about.
I hear some praying and using the word you instead of thou, showing that they in some way have been rubbing shoulders.
Well, some who are aligned with new translations to come in among them and to have its effect on in connection with the things of the Lord. And another thing, Brother Barry, some of these writers, they speak of the Lord as our elder brother, which is a terrible thought. He calls us his brethren, but we cannot address him as our elder brother.
He's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have a real problem concerning Spanish, the Spanish translation. There's only one society.
From which we can get a good translation of the word of God. And it's in London, England. We've had to turn down the translation from the British and Foreign Bible Society. I'm Speaking of Spanish now.
And also the American Bible Society. I knew Dr. N who was the head of that society for years and was a saved man, but then a modernist got in there and so nothing could be very satisfactorily done with him, but.
And you can't trust the Canadian Bible Society either. Present in the Spanish language, there's only one.
Place.
I don't like the name of it. It's called the Trinitarian Bible Society.
01:20:05
But it's been functioning for the last 80 years or more, and that's the only society where we can get a real translation of the word of God. That's faithful now. That's something, isn't it? There's just one society where we can get the word of God translated faithfully into the Spanish tongue.
I think in that connection it's well for us to remember that the Word of God does say that what was communicated to us from God was communicated not in the wisdom or the words that man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. In other words, it was not merely the thoughts that were entrusted to these men, and they expressed the thoughts in their own words. No.
The very.
Words were given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. And I believe the most dangerous of all are those.
So-called Bibles, which are an attempt to be man's interpretation of what God was talking about, they're not honestly called translations really at all.
A man came into the store in Montreal just a little while ago and he said somebody gave me a a translation or he. I don't know how to use that word or not. But he said and I found it interesting. But he said that I thought I'd come into the store to see if you sold Bibles because I'd like to see what the Bible says.
So they told him, Lillian Brown told him, that we certainly do have the King James, that it was rather interesting that that man was really a searcher and.
It was the Spirit of God that was teaching him. He wanted to find out what the the truth was.
Noticed in reading Mr. Darby's ministry that practically always uses the King James translation, although he had a translation of his own which was very correct but he didn't use it unless there was there was a word that didn't express the right thought where then he called attention to that and then go on with that translation. Whereas you find that some other learned teachers of those days.
Who were a great Greek scholars like he was, almost entirely their own translations.
Since to me it indicated humility and.
Caution to us too. I know what Brother Porter said at that time. He said. If you read only Mr. Darbys translations, he says you will become a critical reader.
That is, you all want to look at this word. Is that exactly the Greek meaning? And so on. And you can become so critical in your.
Reading of the word that you you'll lose the real power and blessing of the Spirit of God.
Heather I remember a very interesting case of a certain minister made a present of a wonderful dictionary to an old sister.
And she loved these Saint James version and he said, this will throw a lot of light on the word for you. And I'll be back in a week or two to ask you how you got along. Well, he went back to see her and he says, how do you get along with this?
Dictionary. Oh, she said. Sir, my Bible throws a lot of light on your dictionary.
Holy men of God, very beloved, wrote as they were born along by the Spirit of God.
There are jobs and Pickles there.
That are inspired also. It's a wonderful book, but Holy men of God wrote as they were born along by the spirit of God. I think we have good instructions in the 17th of Acts in connection with this.
That we should be more like the Bereans.
Says of the Bereans, these were more noble than those in Bethel and Naika, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily to see whether those things were so.
01:25:12
Well, it's not important today to search the scriptures. They need to see whether the things that we hear us are in there.
I thought, Brother London, you might give us.
To understand what is meant by.
Delivered to deliver us from the wrath to come, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Or should read the Deliverer, shouldn't it? Here's a place where another translation is helpful, The Deliverer from the coming Wrath.
We don't have exactly the.
The Lord's coming here, as we do in the 4th chapter, Do we? This is the thought of His coming in vengeance judgment. That's the wrath to come.
But the believer will be delivered from this and will be at home long before. In fact, we will be saved out of that time of tribulation and sorrow that will come over the habitable earth, and then the wrath to come follows even that. So we're delivered and we're at home.
And we'll be on high to view this, I remember years ago.
When I was quite young.
Uh, just a boy. I was had the privilege of going to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, and it's a mile deep, I understand.
And I had a little cabin on the on the top and.
During the night there was a storm below.
And I could watch the lightnings and the storm in its progress below.
When I woke up in the morning, the ground was covered with snow all around me. But the storm had gone on below all through the night, and I thought of this as a picture of the believer in his safety at the time when this verse which it refers to the wrath to come, will be at home, will be when the father's house.
Will have bodies of glory, and we will be like those in the 4th of Revelation.
On the throne and all of the thunders and the lightnings and the quaking is going on, There won't be a stir. There won't be a murmur, because we'll be with the one who's over it all, the judge himself.
But the time now is the time, brethren, when we should be concerned about our loved ones, about those who will be left behind, because we can expect the Lord. We wait for him, and we can expect Him at any moment.
Could we sing #168?
The mind is far threatened, The day at a time no sign to be looked for. The stars in the sky rejoice. Then you say that your Lords own command reject.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, 3:11-13, 4:3-18
Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings, Toledo, November 1973. Third reading meeting.
174.
Colonians, the chapter 219 verse.
First Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 19.
For what is our hope or joy or crown or rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming? For ye are our glory.
And joy and in the third chapter.
And verse 12.
The Lord make you to increase and abound and loved one toward another.
And toward all men, even as we do toward you to the end, he may establish your heart unblameable.
In holiness before God, even our Father, is the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints.
Chapter 4 and verse 13.
For I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also asleep in Jesus, will God bring with him?
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout for the voice of the Archangel.
And where the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remains to 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Yeah.
00:05:10
Brothel says in the preceding verse.
Says therefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again. But Satan hindered us. Satan was determined to keep the apostles away from Thessalonica.
But often we find that Satan defeats his own purpose by his persecution because the result of his keeping fall from continuing there.
That the gospel was spread to other cities and the work went far beyond.
That's Venica.
As a matter of interest, we saw that happened just recently in one of the villages in Oaxaca.
Was a dear man there who was a tailor, and in the center of the town he had a little shop where he sold the goods that he had made, along with quite a few other lines.
And it was quite a strongly Catholic community.
And one night in the Gospel meeting, he very brightly accepted the Lord Jesus at his Seder. And of course it was very soon known in the community.
And his business began to drop until it faded away completely and he had to close up the shop. But instead of carrying on his business from the shop, he took his tailored goods and went out from village to village and took the gospel, of course, along with the Taylor goods.
And the Lord, has you said, really by His grace, to the blessing of those in villages that I don't think would otherwise hear the Gospel? So instead of closing the man's mouth and discouraging him, he just sent him out from this center to other areas to preach the gospel.
The 19th verse would certainly introduce us to some of the joys of heaven.
For what is our hope for joy or crown of rejoicing? Or not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
So the Apostle says, oh, I may not be able to visit you as I long to.
The days coming when I'm going to be with you.
In a scene where the enemy can never interfere.
Can never prevent the fellowship that we long for. Oh, what a wonderful quantitative of being together in that glorious scene where sin and all its where awful results will be gone forever.
Show that there's going to be a definite enjoyment with one another.
When we are in glory. But you notice this too, it says. Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?
That was mentioned yesterday. The fullness of that name very precious here. And while we'll enjoy one another's company and glory, yet it will be in his presence. He'll be with him.
Our Blessed Lord, when we will gaze on his wonderful face.
And see him at all his beauty, but there with him were to enjoy.
One another's company and brethren, the more we enjoy the Lord together down here.
The more we'll enjoy the Lord together when we're at home. And we need to remember that you're very young people. If you get out with worldly people and waste your time and your life and have your pleasures with those that have no heart for Christ, you're robbing yourself now and and in glory, there'll be a loss that you can never remedy.
00:10:02
The time will have passed and our brethren, we think of the little meeting.
Or whatever size it may be from which you come that little meeting represents.
A circle of fellowship that is most blessed and wonderful and find your enjoyment and your fellowship with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Never miss a meeting if it's possible. And isn't it lovely when we see the Saints together, perhaps after the meeting, enjoying one another and talking with one another.
They found their companionship among the Lord's people, and it will be something like this when the Lord comes with a shout in the air. We'll just change world to go on and enjoy more perfectly what we have begun down here.
Mr. Potter was asked if we would know one another in glory and he very cutely remarked, he said you think we'll know less?
There that we know now. Yes, we certainly shall.
There we certainly shall know. There's a thought there that comes home, Brother Barry. It's fully no, there's a fullness there. How full that will be, I don't know. But we noticed that in translation, that we shall fully know as we are fully known.
So there'll be no end to it in that day.
But don't you see this too?
That the Thessalonians Saints will be a special.
Crown for the Apostle Paul, and not in the same way for any other servant of Christ, where he says are not even.
Hope or joy or crown of rejoicing. So when we get to heaven we can fully expect to see the Apostle Paul.
Surrounded by his Thessalonian brethren that he was used to bring.
To the knowledge of Christ as you instruct and lead them on in the right ways of the Lord. They'll be his crown.
Nope, My crown. Not any other brothers crown.
As one way the crown is brought before us where we get different Crowns in scripture. But.
That's a very encouraging thought of a crown to those that we have helped on and the things of the Lord.
Of course, we never want to compare ourselves with the fossil Falls and the many that he was used in blessing too, but in our little measure, those that we seek to lead into a closer enjoyment of Christ and following Christ.
They become AI believe, a crown that we'll find when we get home to glory.
Will be. Would this be a for winning souls? Brother? There is this particular joy here, isn't it? The crown of rejoicing? And yet we never can count heads.
I was mentioning once that a young man came to see me in one of the Indian centers and I said, what brings you here? He said. My grandpa sent me.
He said 22 years ago you got off your mule.
And pulled out a book out of your pocket and began to preach in the Inca tongue.
But the priest had passed through the village and said, don't you ever listen to that fellow?
Shut the doors. But he said Grandpa had the door open. He was hiding behind it, and he got saved. And now he says there are 12 of us. Won't you go? Well, that meant we had to go to 15,000 feet, and I didn't feel up to it, but I got one of the brothers who's now with the Lord.
A laborer, and that's Sesatira. Cesar went to see the little group. We can't count heads, but there is something about this, don't you think, brother? The winning of souls.
This crown of rejoicing, it's a precious thought to my own soul.
00:15:04
As you say, there are many crowns. I remember taking up a series of them for the native Christians. It's really an interesting study.
I suppose there will be many who will be saved, not through the formal preaching of the word necessarily, but through the faithfulness.
Of the Saints that they observe, as we had in the first part of this.
Book, and perhaps also that there are many steps.
In the salvation of souls there might be those who have been.
Going on for years, dealing with certain souls, and finally they're brought to a gospel meeting and they make the confession. But the work was done before. Well, the Lord knows all about this, and he's a perfect judge of these things, and he rewards in righteousness, doesn't he? And so in that day, he's going to take account of everything that's done and the manner of life of his people.
So that everything that we do contributes or should contribute to the blessing of others.
An old man during 80 years of age down in Kentucky that had spoken to many times.
At last, come out and give a wonderful confession of Christ as his Savior. Well, if anyone that was conducting the meetings at that time.
Could feel that that was.
That was their convert. They were badly mistaken.
That poor old man had a wife that read the Bible to him for many, many years, faithfully and consistently. He couldn't read himself, but she read the Bible to him until at last the Lord brought the word one night in the tent so powerfully to his soul.
That he was saved and then you know his mind was full of scriptures. Where did he get it?
From that dear wife that had read the word to him all those years. So when we think of the one who will have the crown, I'm sure for this whole man it will be the faithful wife and not the preacher of the gospel.
I was going to mention, if you don't mind how I was saved, I was saved through my grandma reading the scriptures without comment to me at the age of nearly 12 years of age.
And for two nights I couldn't sleep.
The word of God, I knew I was a Sinner, and then it was born home to my soul that I was a lost Sinner. So at 2:30 in the morning I got out of bed and confessed my sins, the Lord and I said, Lord Jesus.
I'll go straight to hell unless thou does save me. And so when grandma got up, I said Grandma, she said. What is it? The Lord saved me last night. Do you know what she said? That's all she said.
Never said anymore.
As much as I hope it's real, but it was. Praise the Lord, it was. He was. But I'll never forget her grunt.
I could have gotten under the bed.
It was a good thing not to have any praise about this poor Sinner being saved by the grace of God. It's all of great.
The bed, brother. I come under a table. Once my brother came to visit my parents and he picked up the tablecloth. And boy, are you saved. And that was the beginning of my exercise. He'd been to my house before. On a spokeswoman, I said, You'll never meet me again, boy.
The last time you're going to challenge me next time I get under the table, and I did as a round table with a heavy cloth. Nearly touched the floor, so I heard him tell my dad when he was coming. I thought, well, you'll miss me next time. So I went in the other room, got on the table, sat there like a mouse.
Heard him talking, my father. All of a sudden the door handles moved.
00:20:01
He walked in the room, shuffled around a little while lifted up the tablecloth. Boy, are you saved.
And then floored me. Absolutely. I was. I was on the floor already.
Thank God. But praise the man. Wonderful experience. It doesn't mean, does it, brother, that one can pinpoint one's conversion. No, we wouldn't get that legal about that. But I do remember that so well.
To this very day, I can hear Grandma's name.
She was wondering if it was real or not. Praise the Lord.
The Lord saved this Sinner. Saved by grace. That's what we are, Brown. Just poor sinners saved. But the grace of God, Dear brother Jackson used to always talk about pure sovereign grace. Remember pure sovereign grace.
Getting the first chapter, we were considering where we're waiting for God's son from heaven. Now we're taking into heaven.
At the time the Lord comes and finds ourselves there.
With all the redeemed ones.
But how the Spirit of God would have us occupied, even in connection with that scene of glory, the blessed person of the Lord Jesus Christ, you notice in the last verse, he says, For for ye are arduous crown and joy. That's in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will give him the praise for all that he has accomplished if we're there when we're there. And that glory glorious queen, why it will be to appraise him for the fact that he has brought us there. There will not be one word raised or one note sung that will give any praise whatever.
To any but to the Blessed Lord Himself.
This is not death. This is that. He's coming, isn't it?
Quite a difference.
Some would like to use these passages in connection with the believer departing to be with Christ, but that's not the thought here, is it? It's at his coming that's before us.
There are different ways in which the coming is brought before us in these various chapters. But here actually in the presence of the Lord, I was thinking of John the Baptist when he actually got in the presence of the Lord. He said, Behold the Lamb of God.
Then we get Peter in the presence of the Lord. He says depart from me. I'm a sinful man, O Lord. There was there was real exercise on his part down here, but it'll be different up there, won't it? And the exercises should be now as to these things.
I think we could go on now to the end of the third chapter.
We find in this third chapter the somewhat of the continuation.
Of the desires and longings of the Apostles, to see his Thessalonian Brethren again.
And it's nice to notice before we get to the verses read in the third chapter.
The 10th verse, night and day, praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is racking in your faith. Well, what a prayer that was. The prayer of longing. A prayer of desire.
That he might see these paints again and be with them, and help them on for one who has been used in any way, and blessing to others.
He wants to lead them on and fall along, to lead these Saints on into a deeper knowledge of the truth and better acquaintance with the person of Christ. But I like to notice the next verse, the 11Th verse.
Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. So after having prayed so earnestly that he might be with him again, or he just leaves it all entirely in the Lords hands in our God himself, I'll leave it with God. His time is best so that he doesn't go on with any uncertainty about.
00:25:29
This matter, he's left it with God and he says your time will be the right time.
Now God directs me and.
The Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. What a fullness there is there. God the fallen, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Direct our way unto you and then we get the 2 verses that were read.
The person of the Father and of the Lord Jesus are so closely connected there that the word direct, I understand is is singular, not plural.
So there is one person that was speaking.
But while he is deprived of being with him and visiting them.
His interest in them and his prayers for them have diminished in the least. He raised them in the Lord's hands to lead them on. And so he says, the and the Lord make you to increase.
And abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you, where you have he had spoken about.
Perfecting that which is lacking in your faith, I would take that further instruction in the truth of God's word and the mysteries which had been revealed to him.
Them all into a deeper of Queens with the mind of God. But there's one thing the apostle could.
Speak about and that is that to make you increase and abound in love one toward another.
At all times, that's more important than even laying hold of a great volume of truth.
Something like what you get in the 13th chapter of First Corinthians after having said desire earnestly the best gift. Or then he says, I show unto you a more excellent way than the whole chapter about love and God gathering me have little truth and be very simple in their understanding of the word.
If they're going on in that character of love that you find in the 13th of First Corinthians is far happier and is far more blessing than if they were the best instructors among the people of God, and therefore the apostle longed for here to see them going on.
In that happy.
Love for one another.
Do you think perhaps the 18 first there of the second chapter and the 11Th verse of this chapter together would show us on the one hand the hindering efforts of Satan and on the other the guiding of the Lord?
Which, for a while at least deprived the apostle of the privilege of visiting them, And therefore he wrote them this letter, one of the.
Occasions when Satan defeated himself. Perhaps if Paul had been unhindered and able to visit them, he might not have needed to write this letter. So here we sit down and read this beautiful encouraging letter and we think, well, when Paul was hindered, he didn't realize perhaps that sitting down to write them a letter instead of visiting them was going to give us the joy of sharing in the privilege legacy of God for.
2000 years, you might say, for the people of God.
That's wonderful.
I think, though, that we also can enjoy this thought which has been expressed, but perhaps you should large enlarge on it just a little.
00:30:11
The end of the 11Th verse.
Direct our way unto you. That is, he was leaving it in the Father's hands. In the hands of God. The apostle had something committed to him, the mystery.
In the church, and we find in Philippians that he seemed to have the confidence that God would leave him here until he had completed that ministry.
Now I believe there's a principle there, brethren, with us.
Something to think about.
We learn in Lieu and Mark that he appointed to every man his work.
Now we may see things ahead of us that will discourage us.
And we're not able to complete the work that we feel the Lord wants us to do.
I believe the answer is here we we let God direct it.
Is God able for our circumstances? He certainly is.
Is he's able to supply all of our needs under those circumstances? He certainly is. He may test us.
But let's remember that if we're going on in communion with him, the end is going to be bright.
The work that he's given us to do is going to be accomplished. He may have to use someone else to help, like he did the Thessalonians, the Philippian Saints St. of Philippi, but he's he's going to use the apostle in prison to set forth further truth in the written word. At the same time, Now there's a verse in Hebrews that I've enjoyed in this connection.
It's in the 10th chapter.
And the 35th verse.
Cast not away, therefore your confidence.
Which have great recompense of reward. Now couple that with the next chapter.
And the six birds?
But without faith it is impossible to please him. That's God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God never disappoints faith. He tests it, but he never disappoints it.
That striking all the way he speaks of love one for another. The Lord make you to increase.
And abound in loved one toward another.
I don't know, Just toward all men is an italics here.
Would that mean all sinners and Saints and other places included?
One would think it's a disciples for the disciples here, Brother, don't you think? Supposing we read from John 15 a moment perhaps?
Verse 12 This is my commandment that he loved one another as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this than a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if he do, whatsoever I command you. Now verse 15. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth.
But I have called you friends.
All things that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you. Would you not think, brother, that this is the path of the disciple, not the Sinner?
Yeah.
Well, I thought so.
And Lord himself said, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, If he have loved one toward the lover, yes, doesn't say. By this you all the Saints know. By this shall all men know, since life would manifestation of love, isn't it? I think in feet of the pistol too. And connection was thought.
00:35:23
First Epistle, first chapter.
Verse 22 Seeing a purified your soul in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that she loved one another with a pure heart fervently.
Those two versions were given to my wife and me just before we married.
The laws make you to increase and abound in love one toward another.
And Thessalonians on this one freedom epistle see that she loved one another with a pure heart, fervently.
Two lovely verses to commence married life on. There are two words that we like to use in the marriage union.
One is subjection and the other affection.
Husbands, love your wives. Even as Christ loved the church and gave himself forth will. Brethren, the onus is on the man there. Sometimes we think of the wife as a more of a bump on the log and and say, well, now you've just got to obey me immediately in all this, But no, she's a health mate. And so there's the deal of.
Subjection on her part, which is always typical of a godly woman.
But there's the affection on the part of the husband. Husband, Love your wives. I believe the onus is on the man there, brethren, more than on the woman. I may be wrong, but I like to think of it that way.
Tell us in a piece that the wife is a lover husband. She is to be subject to him.
I suppose it's taken for granted that you should.
Is mentioned, is it not? The elder women teach the younger that they love their husbands. To me, it's very, very beautiful to think that submission is a delight when you know that the one to whom you're submitting truly loves you. Submission is very difficult If you're working for an employer who is a heartless sort of a man. Submission and obedience are pretty difficult, but submission and obedience to someone who truly loves you.
Is really a delight, and it should be the delight of the child of God.
To submit in thankful obedience to one whose love is perfect. And so, as our brother has remarked, if this pattern were displayed by us in family life, submission would be much more pleasant, I'm sure.
And I said in Ephesians, I'm glad you mentioned it, though.
Where are you find in the next verse?
This goes on.
Into eternity.
To the end you may. To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
So that the.
When it's carried out to the true and sincere desire to help our brethren, sometimes it requires faithfulness. As we know. When we have to take a stand against what is displeasing to the Lord, we just encourage our brother to go on in the wrong path. Seemingly to show love to him is not what Scripture speaks of is totally love at all.
But always will the most sincere and true desire to lead on those who are the Lords to walk in love. And then you get that in Ephesians 4 speaking the truth in love. Remember, Brother Gill saying. Sometimes even the tone of one's voice makes a great difference. The same thing said in an excited.
00:40:08
Or provoked voice?
My due untold harm. Whereas when it said in one feels in the way it said that it comes from one who loves.
Them with a sincere and true love. What a different effect it could have. And then, as we see in this verse, it leads on to an unblameable in holiness. Well, the Spirit of God never sets before us.
A condition that isn't perfect. So if he is teaching us about our walking ways down here, he can't give us a lower standard than what belongs to the perfect scene and glory, so that we're to have a little expression of what the fullness and completeness will be.
When we're done with this beam and or in at home with the Lord.
Yes, one of our old writers, Brother Barry says of verse 13. This is really the joy of the Lord.
Really the joy of the Lord here.
It's it's his joy. Peculiar joy. Well, I like that thought. Do you like that thought?
And you see, holiness is specially mentioned, isn't it? And that is in line with what?
Brother Grading spoke about at the first meeting. It's a purifying hope.
And as we go on, with the hope of the Lord coming before our souls.
It would need us to judge anything that would not be for his honor and his glory, something like the 10 virtue of the five wise virgins, when they awoke from their sleep. The word was the the bridegroom cometh go ye forth.
The medium go from go out to medium that is going out from everything that would not comport and agree with the meeting in the air. Then they began to trim their lamps, and that's what we need, is to trim off anything that would dim the hope of his coming before our souls. What is it? Are we connected with anything that is?
Inconsistent.
That is drawing the sins of the world that is hindering our joy.
What do we have in our homes? How do we spend our time? Are we allowing things to?
Robbers. Wow. Well, the greatest joy that's possible. Well, all that has to do with a purifying hope. Holiness at His coming.
The joyful anticipation of the 13th verse enables us to live the 12Th.
And don't you think, Brother Barry, that the more we see that character of love one toward another, not only increasing but abounding in love, it leads to that holiness that's going to be in full display when the Lord comes and wears there with him in a scene where sin can never come?
Is this the time when he will display the Church as his own coming with all the Saints?
It'll be manifested then, as it says, in another place that I have loved thee.
We all will know then.
Now there may be rejection on our part as far as formal religion is concerned, but then everyone will know, as he says, that I have loved thee.
I suppose all here perhaps are familiar with the two parts of the Lord's second coming.
The last part of the 4th chapter is clearly the Lords coming for his Saints, whereas in the end of this chapter it's the Lord coming with his faith.
00:45:14
Now we might wonder how you could say that's the same coming.
I read an illustration years ago that I thought was helpful.
Posing that a king in olden times.
Has a city that's rebelled against his authority.
Here lead this army to this city and before a shot is fired, he goes outside.
And invites all his loyal citizens in that city to come to him and they immediately leave the doom city and go out and join his ranks. And then after the city has been subdued.
The king with his army and with all those that have deserted the city and loyalty to their sovereign enter the city and triumph they come with him. But it would be the same coming because he goes 1St and calls.
His own way. And then he goes with him and sets up his Kingdom.
And do you not find beloved, that whenever the subject of reward especially in view, that it has more to do with the appearing than the Lord coming in the air?
Is can we not connect the?
The appearing that we've had before us.
These the 2nd and the 3rd chapter with the.
The 14th verse.
Of the 4th chapter.
Isn't that better? Explain it a little clear, brother? Well, yes, it's a great help to see that.
The thought that is brought before us is that the Lord is going to come with His Saints.
Well, the question might have been asked by these Thessalonians, well, how are we going to be there to come back where it said, where he speaks that will God bring with him? Well, that that would present a problem. How is how are they going to be brought? How are they going to be brought down? Well, he goes on now in that explanation in the 4th chapter to explain that first of all, we're going to be caught away.
It's almost it's like in reverse, isn't it? He explains.
There in the subsequent verses that we're going to be caught away up to the glory and then we're going to be brought back with him.
So the 13th verse of the 4th chapter would be the appearing, whereas the following verses are the rapture where he comes forth first.
That puzzled me for a long, long time, I will admit, because the 14th verse so very clearly says Will God bring with him? And then when you start chapter 5, you read. But of the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I run under you.
And both of them seem to refer to his coming out of heaven with us. And yet I had always heard of this entire portion as referring to the Lord's coming to call us home. And what our brother Norman Berry has said, I believe is very important and very helpful. The 14th verse refers to the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and our coming out of heaven with him.
And then Chapter 5 continues right on with that. And again.
Refers to his coming out of heaven with us to set up his Kingdom to pour out judgment. But perhaps we could say that beginning with verse 15 to the end of 18, we have the explanation, as our brother has remarked, as to how those who had passed away are going to be up there in order to come out with him. You and I perhaps now see it so clearly.
That we can't quite put ourselves in the position of the Thessalonian believers who look for who anticipated the coming of the Lord, and who were so bewildered when one of their own was taken away. Well, we know the Lord is coming. What about this one who has already passed away? Is he or she going to miss this, though I believe that to me it has been so helpful, but our brother has commented.
00:50:18
Verse 14 is the coming of the Lord with His Saints. No doubt about it. Chapter 5 carries on from there to show the signs of that coming with His Saints. But the brief and wonderful explanation between the two shows how we and those who have passed away are going to be up there in order to be able to come forth with him when He does appear. That's all. Yes, it is, Brother Hale.
And you notice in my 15th verse that really gives us the parenthesis.
For it is a ( 1516 seventeen and 18 is a parenthesis. And so he digresses from his subject at the end of the 13th verse, as you say, and takes up the subject in the 5th chapter. But when he takes up this parenthesis.
He starts out from this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.
He doesn't say. Enoch the 7th from Adam prophesied of this. Here was a revelation he received from the Lord, and I have thought this, that the apostle received the revelation at that time, for this was a real exercise. These Thessalonians Saints had lost some of their number through death. They were in great sorrow.
Would they lose out on the wonderful event when the Lord comes back? You see, they were waiting, as the first chapter tells us, for God's Son from heaven. They just looked for the Lord coming right down where they were, and there they would meet him. But oh, here's our loved ones. We buried them over there and and the grave will they share with us the joys of that time?
Well, that was they had communicated with the apostle about their their exercises, and I felt the apostle received this revelation at that time. So he says, Now we have this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord.
And that is.
An important subject, isn't it? Because.
The The appearing. The Lord's coming with his Saints is taught in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament.
We get it in Zechariah 14. The Lord my God shall come, and all the Saints William. But you can search the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi, and you'll find no hint whatever of the Lords coming in the air. For a people you may get it in tight, or they were hidden subjects that were never understood until the full revelation of the truth was given.
And then we look into the type. From there we see beautiful illustrations but no prophecy. Make it clear in that way that the truth of the church was hidden in God and not revealed until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. And when the mystery of the secret of the church is given, we also get the secret.
About her being called.
By the bridegroom, or the coming Lord, to take her to the home which he has gone before to prepare the place for.
The in tightest 2 we get in one verse there what we're on.
That's verse 13.
Looking for that blessed hope.
And the glorious appearing of the great Gods and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Will have often thought of the first epistle, with few exceptions, of course. You can write over at 4 coming 4.
00:55:01
The bride, the first epistle across their interludes here that we've just mentioned, which have been very helpful, but then in the second epistle it's coming more with, so we get the coming for the next event. Beloved is the coming of the bride for us.
Well, what's going to take place between these coming for us and with us? The judgment seat of Christ, A brother said to me. Well, we're the Saints. Meanwhile, they're in the Father's house waiting so that the the judgment seat of Christ will follow on after the Rapture, and then the marriage supper of the Lamb will follow on that, and then we'll come back with him.
To reign over the earth.
Is that all right?
You see the perfection of scripture partners. I'd rather use it well. I'm just going to say that the, the, the.
The hope of the Church.
Is the coming of the Lord for us?
But as you've been pointing out, it's important for us to realize that the appearing of the Lord Jesus is that for which we are to look forward and to hope. I was just thinking of Second Timothy Pauls last words. These are what we've been considering are his first, but in his last words in Second Timothy 4.
It brings it into a nice focus.
Timothy 4 and and eight.
Or read from verse 6.
For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that at that day, And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearance. Now there's a crown of righteousness for those who who just love that day.
The day when he comes for us, but the day when he comes with us. So this must never be lost sight of that. That is the day when the Lord Jesus Christ will have his rightful place and we long for that day.
There's a point here too, that.
We might notice and that is concerning them which are asleep, and in the 13th verse and also in the 14th verse.
So them also which sleep in Jesus.
Now this refers, I believe, to the body. It does not refer to the soul. We learned elsewhere that when one departs to be with Christ.
Paul says it's far better.
And they are consciously in the presence of the Lord, enjoying His presence. Now the body is asleep. But I do not believe Scripture speaks.
Or teaches soul sleeping, some teach no, and even it's a solemn thing for those who are unsaved. We get the hint in the book of Jews, but they're already undergoing the judgment of eternal fire. Not in their bodies, but they're in a condition which is not pleasant.
Do you think that to love His appearing perhaps would have a sort of double challenge to us? On the one hand, when you love someone very much and they have been maligned and falsely accused, you look forward to the day when all will be vindicated. And we love to think that not only are we going to be taken away, but our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is going to be thoroughly vindicated and we're going to see it take place. We love to think of the time when he will have his rightful place and the name that is now. So blasphemy will be in that day honored. But I've also thought about this in connection with loving his appearing as sort of a personal challenge that it may be the apostle had in mind in connection with the Crown.
That is, as was remarked at his coming, when we are called home, we will all be called home together, with no evident distinction as to whether our walk has been one of carelessness or faithfulness.
01:00:13
We'll all go home, everyone redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ. Excuse the illustration that has, I know, been around for a long time. But in a schoolyard you'll see a lot of children playing and the school bell ring.
And they all go in together, and you can see no distinction at all as they go into the school, whether they've learned their lessons and been diligent, or whether they've been careless. But when they enter the school, then they take their places in the various classroom according to their diligence.
According to the way in which they've applied themselves to their lessons, well, when the shout comes and we're called home, there will be no evident distinction, but the judgment seat of Christ will reveal God's appraisal of our entire life. And when we come forth with him at His appearing, there will be the evidence that display the manifestation of what took place. Be thou over 10 cities. Be thou over 5 cities.
This, I believe, will be evidence that his appearing, Paul says.
I long is appearing. I believe Paul may be suggesting I'm living day by day in the view of the fact that this day is going to be manifested in that day. In fact, I read the comment one time that Paul just had those two days before him during his whole life.
One was today and the other one was that day. Well, to love his appearing is to me, a very, very searching challenge. If we look at it from that viewpoint, it's going to be manifested. I think that's a good thought, brother.
In this scene of the Lords rejection of the Lord Jesus rejection, there is the vindication of his glory. And this is something in which we can love his appearing, because we're going to see.
We're going to reign over the earth during this period and we're going to see the Lord Jesus.
Vindicate his glory in that day in the in in the very scene where he was nailed to the cross of Calvary. This is also in the thought of the Apostle, as you've mentioned the vindication of his glory. In that we can rejoice too, brother.
And 2nd Thessalonians first chapter, verse 10. Does that apply to his appearing?
Says when he shall come to me glorified in his Saints.
And to be in mind in all then, I believe.
Because our testimony among you was believed in that day. What does that refer to?
I'm awesome. Yes, go ahead, brother. I've often thought of that coming day when he says to the Father, Behold, I and the children which thou has given me. Behold, I and the children which thou hast given me. What a wonderful thing that will be. Well, that's one thought that I had there.
You're right, brother Gladding. It is definitely the appearing there. It's not just coming for us, who's coming with us? And it's lovely. We have spoken of the Earth.
Now come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.
Brown had an illustration of that. Suppose in years of very expensive diamonds and it's surrounded by a circle of.
Very beautiful pearls.
Well, a Pearl surrounding that diamond in no way detract from the beauty of the diamond. They only enhance it. And so the Lord himself is the central object there. But he's admired in all those that he returns in glory with.
What a what a prospect, brother brethren, to think about coming back with the Blessed Lord in such a way as that.
01:05:05
Is that they're somewhat the thought of 17th of John.
And the 23rd verse, I and them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hath loved them as thou hast loved me.
One in glory.
We get 3 ones, don't we, in dancing, Dean? One in testimony.
One in communion first, one in testimony that the world might believe, and one in glory.
It climaxes. It, doesn't it? And that's at that time of his appearing, isn't it? Not his coming in the air for his people.
No one and.
Rather the comments that our brother Albert made, does it not modify the what we have been saying? Someone in connection with the glory, in connection with the crown of Rejoicing and in connection with loving the Saints? It seems to me that first Timothy for instance, we have the verse that says if a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully?
So the Spirit of God could speak about the Apostle Paul having this Crown of Rejoicing because it had been earned in the path of the truth, it had been earned and walking in the path of obedience, and consequently it could be a crown of Rejoicing for him. But the the qualification of First Timothy still applies, and that is that the man is not found except he's tried lawfully.
And when we come over to the first epistle of John, it speaks about we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. And so it is that the law that we're called upon to show to the people of God and that we should show to the people of God is controlled by loving God and keeping His commandments. And these two controls, that is.
Striving lawfully.
And loving God and keeping his comments will be manifested at His appearing as to whether it has been done in accordance with the mind of God.
Verse in in Second Timothy that perhaps?
Second Timothy the first chapter.
And the 12Th verse.
Now Paul knew very definitely in the 11Th verse that he was appointed A preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles.
And yet he says in this very chapter to Timothy in the 15 First this thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me. And then he named some.
But now he says as far as his own soul is concerned in the 12Th verse.
For the which 'cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed.
For I know whom I have the margin says trusted. I believe the margin in your Bibles. I think it says trusted, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. Against that day Paul gave up everything that had to do with this life and present advantage.
He put the whole trust as to his future and his happiness with God.
He left it all, his whole course, the path that he took. He left it all with God. He didn't expect to be justified in it by man. He simply left it with God. Now he knows he has that full confidence here.
He says in his 12Th verse. For I know whom I have trusted. It isn't. I know in whom, but I know.
Whom he knows, The person whom he's trusted he knows because.
And this is the This is the end of his course. He's had the experience. He's an old man now. He's had the experience. This is one of the things he can say. I know as a result of experience, I know.
01:10:14
Whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
That very confidence.
Enabled him to be less upset by the fact that all in Asia had been turned away from him.
Than the joy that he had that one brother on a ciphers searched him out and found him diligently. Took more joy out of that than he did. Look on the dark side of the fact that all in Asia had turned away from him, because he had confidence in that one that you just pointed.
Few moments ago John 17 and verse 23 was referred to.
And the latter part of their verse, that the world may know that thou has sent me and us love them, that love that that was, loved them, that was loved me.
I have enjoyed connecting with that what we have in Ephesians one and verse.
4.
According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, the purposes of God are that we should be holy in Him. We're chosen for that very purpose.
And is that not true as far as our nature is concerned, that we are holy, but in practice the desire is that we should be without blame?
And then we were also Speaking of what we have in the fourth, in the third chapter of First Thessalonians.
And to the end that he may establish your hearts unbelievable in holiness before God.
At the appearing.
About the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
In that day when?
When we're going to come back with our Lord Jesus, he will be wondered at in his Saints. Will it not be that that the world is going to see those whom they have despised?
That they are the ones whom God has chosen. The Lord has chosen to be with him, and wholly and unblameable in that day. What a wonderful thing is going to be that. That is what the world is going to see.
The world is going to know in that day that he loved it.
Well, should it not exercise our hearts if that is what we are going to be in that day?
So we should be so now in practice to be unblameable before him.
It's true. We have holy natures.
That has been given to us of God as the new creation, but.
How easy it is for us to allow the flesh to have its way, and there may be those things for which we can be blamed.
I'm going to say that we should go on in the energy of the Spirit of God in the new nature, and thus to be down here more like what we're going to be when the world sees us with our Lord.
That expression.
The Lord himself, you were saying, When we see our Lord, I believe this really touches our hearts, doesn't it?
It isn't that he will send the angels.
But it's the Lord himself now to me, I think of it as his own joy.
To receive his bride.
The Lord himself shall descend.
He's coming personally.
The precious thought, just that thought I was thinking of, the Lord himself shall descend.
I like to think of the expression on the faces of love Thessalonians, when they read this epistle in the assembly. There they were their hearts bowed with sorrow and not able to understand this matter about their loved ones that have died. And now some brother rises and reads, We have a letter from the Apostles Paul.
01:15:10
For a change that must have made in their expressions as he gets to the very point that had troubled him in the 1St place, he says that we would are alive and remain as their position on the coming of the Lord. I'll read that not to prevent that's an old English word which means go before them which are asleep.
That is, instead of the ones who were living preceding those that had died, if there was any advantage whatever, it would be on the side of their departed brother who had died. They would be the first who would be affected by the power of the shout in the air.
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.
That the Lord had in mind that twofold joy, I think in 12 The Hebrews 12.
Verse 2.
Looking under Jesus, the author and finish of faith prove the joy that recessed before him.
Endure the cross. Well, that was 1 Joy, I suppose, of doing the Father's will. Would it not be I delight to do thy will, O God, And the other joy would be to have us with himself in the glory to see the travelling. I love your soul, and be satisfied.
I often think of the three occasions.
One when the Little Maid.
Waited possibly expectantly for the return of Naman, and when he finally came into the house, think of what the greeting must have been.
And similarly when.
Joseph's brethren looked at him and saw such a face that the scene so hard to them. But when he said I am Joseph, what a look they must have seen on his face. And thirdly, in the case of the prodigal son, when they sat down at the table together, think of the looks that must have been exchanged between the father and the son. What beloved ones is it going to be like when we spring to meet the Lord in the air?
Isn't that wonderful too, that in a certain way the Lord has passed through the experience?
Those that die in Christ and those who will be caught up alive without dying, the Lord has been in death. And that's an experience that those like our brother Brown have passed through. They've gone through the article of death.
They have died and has their blessed Lord and master they have gone into death, but the one who went into death forest has broken the power of death.
He's rose, risen triumphant over death. He's come out of the grave.
And he's the first truth for them that slept. So we have that wonderful encouragement.
To see for all our loved ones who have died in Christ that the Lord has preceded them, and the way he left the grave of the way that they will leave the grave. And then for those who are alive and remain, we think of the Lord going out as far as the Bethany.
Lifting up his hands to bless them, and then he goes directly into the Father's house.
Friends and the crowd received him out of their sight. So is he the Lord, as it were, having passed through the experience, both those who die in Christ, and also those who are alive and remain, who are caught up to meet him in the air. But I'm sure we may need to remember that in all things he must have the preeminence.
01:20:07
And the only reason we can go up is because he comes and gives the shout. When the Lord went up there, he went up in his own rights.
As having the perfect right to enter that scene from which he came. He doesn't need someone to come and give a shot and have an Archangel voice or a trump call him up there.
That was his home, and that's where he ascended. But as to us, it will be his coming for us.
And just as he left this scene and ascended into the cloud, so we'll go beloved in that very ways that he has gone up before us.
I've often wondered what's happened. It's recorded in Matthew 27 and verse 51. And behold, the veil of the temple is rendered twain from the tops of the bottom and the earth did quake and the rocks rent and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the Saints which left the Rose and came out of the grave after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared under many.
I'd like an explanation on what became of those things after that. Well, I believe brother, since the word of God asylum silent on that. But I the way I look at it, it was a testimony as to the power.
Of his death the earth trembled, the heavens were darkened.
And the power of death was shaken.
So that the graves were opened, darkness graves, where some had only a short time before been buried. They came out as a witness of the power of the death of Christ, proving that the power of death was broken. Or it was after his resurrection that they went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. But I look upon that company as the same as Lazarus.
Who was truly raised from the dead, but not with a glorified body, but with a corruptible body. And so Lazarus, as you might say, died twice, he died natural death twice, and later on Lazarus must have lain down and.
As he come to death again, I've enjoyed this thought about it, that there are two questions that might naturally rise in our minds about this company.
One is, who were these Saints? Could there be among them any whose names that we might recognize if we knew? There's not one hint about it. We don't know the name of one of them. They're an unnamed, unidentified company.
The next question is what our brother Gladding has raised. Did they die again or did they in some unusual way go home without it? That also is unanswered. We are not told so here you see perhaps a very interesting picture of about where we stand, do we not? Here they were a living witness to the power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and unnamed company.
Their names are not given because I believe it's not important. Did they die again, or were they taken away again? It's not answered somehow or other. It seems to point to the very testimony that is ours today, an unnamed company bearing witness to the power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Are we going to die, or are we going on without it? You don't know the answer to that either, do you?
And we're glad we don't. So it just seems to be a happy picture of the testimony that we ought to bear, an unknown testimony as far as the world's mighty names are concerned, and awaiting either the one or the other, whichever the Lord may choose another question.
About that verse that's referred to in the first chapter of Second Thessalonians, 10th verse, when he shall come to be admired in all his things, in all them to believe, does that contemplate the intelligence post in heaven?
01:25:04
Looking on? Yes, brother. You have to read Revelation 19 to know about that.
That's the day of the Lord, and where we haven't mentioned that, but the day of the Lord is when He comes with us in Revelation 19. I don't think there's time now to read, but.
Is very important, that is.
Let us be glad that's verse 7.
Of 19th of Revelation, let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in linen, in clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses.
Of Saints.
Well, here's the bride.
And all the Saints.
From the period of Pentecost on, but we have another group here.
What about those who have been resurrected?
And to her was granted that she should be verse. 9 And she say, And he saith unto me, Right, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he says unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Well, this is the day of the Lord.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. He said unto me, See thou do it not.
I am thy fellow servant and of thy breath that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testing of Jesus the spirit of prophecy now and I saw heaven opened.
And behold, a White Horse, a White Horse victorious power. And he that sat upon him was called.
Faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire. On his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. This would be the blood of his enemies, and his name is called the Word of God.
And this is the thought and the armies which were in heaven.
These are the Saints of the Old Testament and the Bride beloved.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean and out of his mouth, going as go to sharp sword.
That with it he should smite the nations. This would be the coming with.
This is the day of the law.
Can we go along with that?
Well, the last verse of our chapter is wherefore comfort one another with these words. Lovely conclusion, isn't it, to our readings yesterday and today. Wherefore comfort one another with these words?
When we came just the last verse of #19 in the appendix.
Last verse only the 19 in the apparently.
Open Mtg.
Open—P. Glading, A. Hayhoe, N. Barry
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General Meetings. Toledo, November 1973. Open Meetings.
55.
Through waves, through clouds and storms.
God gently clears the way. We wait his time though shall the night soon end in blissful day. He everywhere has way and all things serve His life.
Is every act pure blessing? Is is fast unsullied life? When he makes bear his arms shall his work to stand?
When he is peoples cause defense prudential stay his hands.
We leave it to Himself to choose and to command with wonder filled. We soon shall see how wide, how strong His hands we comprehend Him. Not yet. Earth and heaven tell God sits as sovereign on the throne.
And rule us all things well.
Few brief thoughts and scriptures.
When I saw the loaf on the table this morning.
And brought before me.
That it represented really two bodies.
00:05:02
Now Mike can turn to a few scriptures which will make this very plain and simple.
First of all, may be turned to Isaiah Chapter 9.
Isaiah Chapter 9.
And verse 6.
For harm to us.
A child is born.
And to us the son is given.
The child was born in Bethlehem.
The sun was from all eternity.
I'll just read the rest of the verse. And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
And his name shall be called Wonderful.
Counselor, the mighty God.
The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Unto us a child is born may return to Hebrews 10.
I believe there are 7 scriptures in connection with the Lords body.
10th chapter of Hebrews.
And verse 5.
This seems to agree with the verse we've just read. Android's A Child is Born.
Verse 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world?
He sent sacrifice and offering. There would us not a body.
A body hast thou prepared me?
Here we have God. The Father prepared him, a body prepared an incarnation.
Bodily through the blessed Lord.
The Son of God became the Son of man.
In order that the sons of men might become the sons of God.
So we find here a body was prepared for this Blessed One to come down here.
To glorify His Father and to redeem mankind.
Here we have our body. Hast thou prepared me?
Repair the incarnation.
Now the tenth verse, same chapter.
By the which will I should read? Verse 9 then says he Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the 1St, that he may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body.
Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Here we have the precious spotting which was prepared by God the Father for Him offered in sacrifice.
And this body which was prepared for him, was the body in which he accomplished the will of God here on earth.
It was in this body that he suffered through your sins and mine, beloved.
Yes, in this same body.
He hung up on the cross as the Sin Bearer.
So this is a very solemn verse.
The 10th verse By the which will we are sanctified or set apart through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
A body offered in sacrifice for you and me.
What maximus?
The thing that blessed 1 The eternal Son and God, the Babe born Bethlehem, to come down here and go to that cross.
00:10:05
To do in the will of his father whatever it might cost him.
To glorify His Father and the finished and great and mighty work of redemption for you and me.
Like we might be redeemed by His precious blood, that we might be brought into eternal blessings.
And into eternal relationship with God the Father and His beloved Son.
So first of all, in verse five we have this body prepared in incarnation.
The 10 First his body was offered in sacrifice, and what a sacrifice. This was the only sacrifice God the Father could accept and delight in, because it was a sacrifice and an offering of a sweet smelling save at the God the Father.
The perfect burned offering, first of all.
And the burnt offering is for God.
So his first thought, an object was to glorify his Father, which he did.
Perfectly in every step of his pathway.
And he also came to see and to save that which was lost.
And now may we turn to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 11.
And verse 24.
My brother read this this morning I believe.
1St Corinthians 1124 and when he had given thanks.
He break it and said take eat this is my.
Body.
So that level thin on the table this morning represented.
In the first aspect, the body of Christ.
This is my party, which is broken for you.
This too in remembrance of me, one of crappers precious privilege. It was that you and I had to respond to his desire this morning.
Brother remarked it could be the last occasion, and it will make as things are, it looks as if the Lord might come this very day.
So here we have this thought.
I know it says in John 19. Isn't John 19? A bone of him shall not be broken.
That's true.
Can you imagine those cruel soldiers driving those awful nails through his blessed hands? Land breaking a bone?
There are lots of bones in the hand, but not a bone should be broken. God said a bone of him shall not be broken. But beloved, when we think of them broken flesh, His broken body, can we not say in the language of this verse, or rather what He said, this is my body which is broken for you.
Was his blessed side not broken open?
Burn on his feet, broken open with those rich and awful, wicked, cruel nails.
I believe we can read it this way.
But I do maintain the truth concerning the bones, a bone of whom shall not be broken.
And we read when the soldiers came to break the length of the 1St and the other, when they came to Jesus and found that he was dead already, they break knock his legs.
No, they couldn't do that. God would not permit it. He had sent a bone of him shall not be broken. And so they bypassed the blessed Lord. They did not break his legs. He was dead already.
Well, here then, we find his body, shall we say, broken in judgment on the cross of Calvary, for you and for me.
How they should solemnize our hearts, beloved, when we realize what the blessed Lord went through on the Cross of Calvary for us. We reminded of that this morning.
But what he suffered at the hands of wicked men was as nothing compared with what he suffered under the hand of a holy God.
00:15:08
When men and Donnie's worse and could go no further.
And gone for that awful judgment upon his blessed, devoted head.
How solemnly thought, yet he was a sinless 1.
We're reading this morning away from sword against my Shepherd. Why? Why against my shepherd?
Away goes sword against my shepherd, against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Might the Shepherd. Why smite the shepherd? He was the Good Shepherd, why should he be smitten? Well, beloved, he was either the shepherd or the sheep.
And so then bless the Lord in his infinite love to us, took our place, and was smitten that you and I might not be smitten for our sins. He was not smitten for his sins, but he was smitten for ours. He took our place.
On the cross of Calvary. So can we not read it this way? This is my body, which is broken for you, broken in judgment.
And verse in John 19.
Verse 40.
1940 Then took place the body of Jesus.
And wounded in linen clothes with the spices.
As the man of the Jews is to bury, then took place the body of Jesus.
He will have his precious body in death.
Buried in death.
How solemn this is, and blessed One who came down here to do the will of his Father.
Man said we will not have this man to reign over us, away with him, crucifying him. And they did, but thank God they did not take his life.
He was saying that I phoned up. My father loved me because I laid down my life.
I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it up again. No man take it from me. This commandment have I received as my father.
Man did not take the life of Christ, He crucified him. But, dear friends, he plainly states himself.
No man, think of it from me. I lay down of myself. It was of his own voluntary will that he laid down his life. A sacrifice for you and for me there on the cross.
So here we have this 40th verse of John 19, this precious body and Jesus buried in death.
Now the 24th Chamber of Luke.
Verse 39.
New 2439.
He says, Behold my hands and my feet.
That it is I myself.
Hand only and see.
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself hear. His precious body was witnessed in resurrection.
That same precious body which went into death is now witnessed in resurrection.
John speaks of his hands on his side.
I mean, he's, yes, he signed.
Luke speaks of his hands and his feet.
Well, I suppose it's typical of John to think of his side because he leaned upon Jesus bosom and occupied a near place to the heart of Christ.
00:20:05
So he springs of his side. Yeah, she's a sign. Here's his hands and his feet.
So in this verse then we find his body was witnessed in resurrection.
Now Philippians chapter 3.
And verse 21.
Who shall change? I should read the letter Father, verse 20, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body?
Our body of humiliation, and it may be fashioned like under His glorious body.
According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
How wonderful.
To see here his body glorified in ascension. And the thing too, beloved, that you and I are going to have a glorified body too.
Yes, we are very soon, maybe today.
But here we find this blessed one, this body, it says fashion like under his glorious body.
It's glorified in ascension.
The First Corinthians 11.
And verse 29.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily.
Eateth and drink of damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's.
Bonding.
His bonding discerned and communion.
For the solemn statement concerning those who do not discern His body.
I knew of two young men who went to a church and when they came out they said this in my wife's hearing and mine. We had a good drink this morning.
We went up the front and had a good drink of wine.
For the solemn thing for them to boast about.
It says here he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords body.
Here we have his body then discerned in communion.
So the Lord Jesus really has two bodies, and they both represented in that loaf we had on the table this morning.
His own body, of which we've been reading these various scriptures, and his body, the Church Mystic body.
Bodies in the one loaf.
And these two bodies, beloved, they're going to be signed by his side throughout all eternity.
This blessed One, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is coming these glorified body become the change by our bodies or bodies of humiliation.
Like under his own glorious body. So there will be two bodies, so to speak, His own body and his body, the church to be together throughout eternity in that bright and happy scene about.
In First Corinthians 12.
And verse 12, verse 12 Says, whereas the body is 1 and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body souls is Christ for by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body.
That's his church, which is his body.
So that love then really represented 2 bodies this morning. Christ own body and his body in the Church of which every believer is a member. And we do not remember the Lord as sin is saved by grace, but as members of the body of Christ.
00:25:09
I think this is very sweet and precious and it says in verse 27 Now ye are the body of Christ.
And members in particular.
Members in particular in our individual testimony for Christ in the world, I think there's a very striking verse. Members in particular. In other words, we have our own particular responsibility as a member of the body of Christ.
That how precious to realize.
Then that these two bodies are going to be signed by side throughout all eternity. The one marred more than any man's, the other. He's going to present himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And it may take place today.
Oh beloved, what a glorious hope we have to think that we're going to be exactly like our blessed Lord.
He has his glorified body and you and I are going to have ours very soon too. And so these two bodies, His body, the church and his own body is going to be together. And then bright and happy scene about forever.
Very beautiful.
I suppose we can really say.
I have to be careful how I put it back.
Perhaps we can say the first one is the explanation of the 2nd.
And the second is the outcome of the 1St.
I believe that's right.
That the thought encouraged to me when I saw that beetle from the table this morning.
It represents 2 bodies.
The body of Christ.
Which high upon that cross, which was prepared by God the Father for him?
To come down here and to do the Father's will.
And to seek and to save the last.
But before he could do that, he had to go to the cross.
And we looked at those various scriptures in connection with his pathway, from the time he was obeyed, born in Bethlehem, till he received his glorified body in Ascension. Now he's up there, His glorified body.
We sometimes sing On the Father's throne is seated Christ the Lord, the living One. That's where he is now, beloved.
I was thinking in Matthew 3 and tells to say the heavens were opened to gaze upon that blessed man down here on earth.
But in Hebrews we find the heavens are open, that you and I might gaze upon that same man up there.
As the apostle Paul says, but we've seen Jesus who is.
Who? I've got to read it. Excuse me, Hebrews 2.
Verse 9 But we see Jesus, who has made a little law than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.
That he, by the grace of God, should taste there for every man. So now in Matthew 3, often he was baptized, we find the heavens were opened upon His blessed One. Heaven was gazing upon that man down here on earth. Now the heavens are open, that we might gaze upon that same man in heaven.
Glorified crown with glory and honor, or how it should rejoice our hearts and know He is there.
No longer on the cross, no longer in the grave.
But risen ascenders and glorified, Well, I just repeat again, that one though brought these thoughts before me. And it's very precious to realize that we are members of His body, the church. Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. The question is very often asked, as we know, what church do you belong to? Well, the only answer is what we just quoted in Ephesians 5. Christ loved the church.
Gave himself for it. One and every true believer is a member of that church, which is his body. Yes, it belongs to him. It's his body. The church belongs to Christ. He bought it with his own blood. Well, I trust.
00:30:15
Your heart and mind might be encouraged by these few scriptures were read together to realize that at any moment we're going to receive our new body, glorified body like unto His own body of glory, and leave forever with Him and pride seen above, to thank Him and to praise Him throughout eternity for His infinite love and for all that He's accomplished. First of all, the glory of God and for our eternal blessing and salvation.
I.
00:35:55
The singing of that hymn.
Suggested to me a very precious truth that I know is familiar, well known and often referred to. But surely, like all the rest of the Word of God, that which we have heard so often rings with a freshness to our hearts. Or it opt to. Could we turn please to 1St John chapter 4.
First John, chapter 4.
Verse 17.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Because as he is.
So are we in this world?
Those wonderful words at the close of that verse just mine words as he is.
So are we in this world? Isn't that something wonderful? It ought to fill our hearts not only with confidence, but with gladness, with Thanksgiving.
As He is, when our blessed Lord Jesus was here on earth, He had before Him in a reality that neither you nor I can ever comprehend.
He had before him.
Death and judgment isn't that solemn?
You and I perhaps are accustomed to.
The element of death but that which it meant to the Lord Jesus was more than it had ever meant to any man of Adams race.
Death and judgment were before the Lord Jesus while He was here on earth.
But he went into the very power of death. He bowed his head beneath those outpour judgments.
That he cried aloud and glorious triumph. It is finished.
And as we have been reminded, his body dead was taken down and buried. But beloved, he is risen from among the dead. And you and I have heard it said, and I love the sound of it, that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was God's Amen to his cry. It is finished. He cried, it is finished.
God heard that cry, and in triumph he raised him from among the dead.
And now, beloved, we were reminded again the other day.
He arose.
And with his disciples gathered round about him, he was taken up from them.
And a cloud received him out of their sight. Now I suppose it's only right and proper when we come to a statement like that, that we should ask no questions and perhaps perhaps not even imagine.
But a cloud received him out of their sight.
Am I forgiven for imagining what took place on the other side of that cloud?
00:40:00
God, well beloved Son, obedient unto death, was welcomed home.
Welcome home. No wonder a cloud received him. No wonder no human eye was able to observe that welcome.
God welcomes his son home again.
Will there ever be another welcome like that? Yes, there will. Yes, there will. When you, when I when we are welcomed home, we will be welcomed in all the glad nearness and love of the beloved Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the Lord Jesus up there in God's presence, seated at God's right hand.
Is forever beyond the power of death and judgment. And we are told in these nine simple precious words, as he is, so are we in this world.
Can you and I really take it in? I know I can't. But I can read it, and I know it's true. And in a little measure in which my poor heart can grasp it, I bow. And Thanksgiving.
Beloved, can the enemy whisper anything that could make my heart to tremble as to acceptance? As he is, death and judgment forever behind him, so are we. It's not something we're looking forward to. It's something that he's even now our portion to enjoy. So are we in this world today.
Now, and in whatever little time may yet be entrusted to us, you and I can take this verse with all the confidence that is intended and thank him for it. But I remember hearing a brother say at a Saint Louis conference a good many years ago, he said, I believe that in a past eternity when God looked at his beloved son, so immeasurable was that love.
That God would say, when I have a family, I want them all to be just like my son. And God's desire is going to be realized. God is going to have a family, a family of individual believers, each one with their eternal individuality, and yet each one like his own beloved son. The third chapter of this same epistle.
And the second verse, first John 3, verse 2, Beloved now are we the sons of God?
Now, yes, right now, that's not news to anyone here. You've known it, you have enjoyed it. But you know, we might just ask ourselves, in what manner does one become a son in a family?
While you say there are two ways one could be born into a family or one could be adopted into a family, isn't that right? And in each case the relationship would exist. And I suggest too that in each case there is a particular advantage.
The son born into the family could look at his father and say I possess the very life and nature of my father, but he could not look at his father and say that man chose me and wanted me. He couldn't do that.
As some adopted into a family could look at his father and say, My father chose me and wanted me, but he could not say that I possessed the life and nature of my father. In which manner did you or I become sons of God?
Both beloved, both were his by eternal choice.
Where his by adoption, where his by birth? And we can look up this afternoon and say I am of the very household of God by choice and by birth.
Is it really possible to say he chose me, he wanted me and I have been born into his family?
00:45:04
Now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be.
But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, or we shall see him as he is. Are you, am I looking forward to this moment, beloved?
Or is it a reality with our hearts, as we think of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we're actually going to see Him? And when we do that, we're going to find that His delight in seeing oxen making us welcome will absolutely melt these hearts of ours.
When you see him, he is going to identify you and welcome you personally. Home. No father ever walks into a home after a period of absence with his wife and family gathered there and greets them a little. Family. No, indeed, he greets them with an individual loving personal joy and gladness.
And I know that when we reach home.
The body of Christ, yes, the bride of Christ, yes, the Church of God, truth, and yet individual sons and daughters they loved and chosen and born into the very family of God to be welcomed home. It does not yet appear what we shall be.
This, to me, is rather searching. On the one hand, I doubt not that it refers to that physical conformity that yet awaits the believers.
We're going to be like him physically, and that certainly doesn't appear right now. The years take their toll. We look like any other fallen son of Adam. Or do we?
I think there should be a difference, and I know I've seen a difference.
You know, I understand that years ago.
When Abraham Lincoln was selecting.
Candidate for certain high office. Someone was recommended to him.
And he promptly dismissed the recommendation with a very strange comment. He said. No, I don't like that man's face.
Well, the man who had made the suggestion was amazed that the president's answer. He said, you don't like his face, Mr. President, The man is not responsible for his face. And the president is supposed to have answered. Every man over 40 is responsible for his faith. I don't know why he said over 40, but I believe I know what the president probably meant. And I look out here into the faces of my beloved brethren and sisters.
And I tell you, brethren, there is a difference in looking into your faces and looking into the faces of those who do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior. Oh, it's true that someday that name is going to be in every forehead. There will be nothing but the reflection of perfect or large reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ forever from you and me.
When I look at you, when you look at me, all at which Mars that reflection today will be gone forever. His name in their forehead. Oh, what a delight that will be. And beloved, when we look at one another today, can we not at least look for that reflection? I don't have to look hard right now, brethren, to see it. I truly say that as I look into your faces, I see that which I know I would not see if I were faced with a similar company of those who know not Christ the Savior.
But it's true, it does not yet appear.
The years have taken their toll with everyone of us.
But we know, isn't this glorious, and isn't it characteristic of that which is ours? We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him.
As he is.
Isn't that a marvelous thing?
I was visiting in Cleveland not long ago with a dear young man 19 years of age.
00:50:00
Paralyzed for life from the chest down, he can move it, move his arms, but barely move his fingers.
All the way to the hospital to visit him, I was asking the Lord for something that might be given.
To comfort the heart of a 19 year old that finds himself through an accident, paralyzed for life has to be turned over every two hours, day and night.
And when I got there, I found him rejoicing. He said, Oh brother, when I find myself at home with the Lord Jesus, I have a million things to thank him for, and one of them will be my new body.
You and I perhaps don't think of that very often until the Lord in His wisdom and faithfulness, reminds us that we're not home yet. And there are some here that are longing, perhaps a bit more eagerly than others, for that new and glorified body. But the next verse, beloved, add the thought that I think we should well bear in mind, and every man that has his hope in him.
Purifies himself even as he is pure.
I believe that in Philippians 3, which was just read to us, we have specifically physical conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our body of humiliation, that it may be fashioned like in His own body of glory, His own body of glory we're going to be like Him physically, and in this we do rejoice. But here the emphasis of the third verse makes me feel that in verse two there is moral conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We're going to be like him physically, We're going to be like him morally.
And in verse three it says every man that has this hope in him purified himself even as he is pure. I believe the suggestion is this.
No amount of occupation with future physical conformity is going to have any effect upon the advance of age. I'm going to continue. If the Lord looks, leaves me here to look even older than I do today, I suppose. But the prospect of moral conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ, what would it do if it really laid hold of our heart? If I looked up this day and knew.
That end in a moment and very soon.
I was going to be morally conformed to the one who displayed that beauty while he was here on earth, the one who now occupies that place of enthronement and glory above. I'm going to be like him. You're going to be like him. And I believe that in the measure in which this touches and stirs and occupies our hearts, there will be seen.
A moral conformity to him.
In our ways, and that, I believe can be recognized.
By others, Oh dear Saints of God, like thee, O Lord, how wondrous there true by God's matchless grace as He is, so are we in this world, and we rejoice in this. It is a reality.
Is there, is there a danger, beloved, that we take some of these things as facts that we've heard about in the Word of God and we kind of file them away in our minds and when we hear them again, we nod our head yes, I've heard that one and I agree with it.
Or are they precious revelations of his loving heart?
That touch and stir our affections and affect our whole life.
As he is, so are we in this world.
And we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Let us remember, beloved, the force of that verse, that we should be ready to give an answer to every man. Ask a reason of the hope that is within us. That verse has always searched my heart and I think it should be an increasing challenge as we find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that are causing the hearts of so many.
00:55:21
To fail for fears, they look around at that which they considered to be so stable and so reliable, and their finding things crumbling that they thought would stand.
And what about you? And what about me? When did anyone laugh, ask you or ask me a reason of the hope within us?
Why ever would they ask us such a question? Is it not the normal order that we should be telling them of this or that that's our privilege?
But I consider it to be a greater challenge and a higher privilege so to act that any would ever ask. Ask a reason of the hope. Why would they do this? Because they have seen in you.
Seen in you.
Our hope that they recognize, and they want to know the basis of that hope. All. Beloved, I just quote those two verses again. As He is, so are we in this world, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is and every man that has this hope in him.
Purified himself even as he is pure.
My brother was speaking about the.
The cloud that received the Lord out of the sight of those that were remain. And I'd just like to go on with a few thoughts on the cloud as we find in numbers.
Numbers, Chapter 9.
I.
And verse 15.
And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up.
The cloud covered the Tabernacle, namely the tent of the testimony.
And that even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning.
So it was always the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.
And when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed.
And in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord.
They pitched as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents. And when the cloud carried long upon the Tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. And so it was when the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle. According to the commandment of the Lord, they abode in their tents.
And according to the commandment of the Lord, they journey. And so it was when the the cloud abode from even until the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed, or whether it were two days or a month or a year, that the cloud carried upon the Tabernacle.
Remain wrong. The children of Israel abode in their tents and journeyed not. But when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. They kept the charge of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
01:00:15
Well.
The beautiful scene.
The Tabernacle is completed.
And the journey that lay before the children of Israel.
All was in the heart of God.
And there was one.
Glorious.
Article that was going to remain with them throughout that journey.
The cloud that which would bring before you and me.
This afternoon, the presence of the Lord with.
O Beloved 1.
That long, long journey that Israel took those 40 years.
Found its end, its culmination in that land of promise and beloved Saints of God. I really believe in my heart that you and I, forming part of the Church, are just at the end of the journey.
You'll notice three times here that it says until the morning. Oh, beloved ones, this is man's day. But this is.
Only for you and for me.
Until the morning.
It says in the 15th verse.
And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle.
Namely the 10th of the testimony.
Well, I believe that this was heaven's confirmation of all that had been built, the Tabernacle, and it's a beautiful picture of the church traveling through the wilderness. This cloud was God's presence hovering over this building that had been reared up in the wilderness.
It was only a 10th. It wasn't a permanent building as the temple was. It was taken down from day-to-day, never remaining in one place more than less than two days as we saw there. But nevertheless, it was journeying on but over that cloud. Oh beloved one, let's get our eyes up. Let's see that that presence of the Lord is with us.
He's not going to abandon us by day or by night. Let's not become discouraged just at the end of the day of grace. This is the time now to lift our eyes up and keep our eyes, beloved ones, on that cloud. It had its different aspects during the day. It was that which protected them from all the heat of that blistering sun.
Of the desert. And that night it was that warm, that fire that gave him light. Oh, what a rich provision Israel had. Oh, it's nothing, beloved ones, compared with having the presence of the Lord with us.
Day and night.
And then it says in the middle of that fifteenth verse, and that even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning. Isn't that beautiful? Until the morning? Oh, beloved ones, the morning is coming.
The Tabernacle always looked toward the east. It always looked toward the sunrise.
And if you and I know the Lord is our Savior, we face that E too, for those who do not know the Lord.
It's an eternal night that is coming. You look toward the West if you're unsaved here this afternoon. But oh, how precious, precious it is to know that we look for the morning. And we can say now as these meetings draw to a close until the morning or morning is coming. Beloved ones, that may be our last day here on earth. This may be the end of the journey. We may be just about to step into that blessed presence forever.
01:05:08
Until the morning.
So it was.
Always. I think that's beautiful. So it was always.
Promise was kept. All that he promised, he kept.
It was and so it was all. Oh how lovely it is to meet those who have been long on the journey and to find their hearts refreshed. I said to a sister one time who had been long on this journey, what is the most wonderful day of your life? She had spent many years out in China and I thought she would tell of some rich experience out there.
A moment's hesitation, she said today, oh, I said, what happened today? Well, she said to me, the glory comes on. So every day is greater for me. Oh, and so it was always, oh beloved ones, the best is yet to come. Now the journey may be long. It may be as sometimes that we get so weary with the journey as Israel.
Must have but all. How glorious it is for you and for me, beloved ones to look on to the end. That blessed man is waiting now this afternoon, waiting for His blood bought bride to usher us to welcome us into His blessed presence, into His bosom forever. Will it be worth it? Oh yes, in the words of Mr. GV Wigram though the past were 10,000 times.
More rough and dreary. Still, it would be worth it. Beloved brought one. Let us press on now.
Not becoming discouraged. This is the day when people are giving up, they're turning aside. May we, as the result of our occupation with Christ in these days, say, and so it was always we can go back now to our several assemblies with this deep consciousness that the cloud, the blessed Lord is with us. He won't abandoned us. He won't forsake you, young or old here. Oh no, he will keep. He will be with us ever over and above us.
17th Verse. And when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed, and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Now, sometimes we're faced with problems, are we not? As to our jobs, changing jobs. Brother was speaking just today about the uncertainty of whether he should take this job or not. There are many, many problems that face you and me.
1.
There's only one thing to do.
For you and for me to keep our eye on the cloud, keep our eye on Christ. Beloved ones, this is all these children of Israel needed to do. They didn't need to have a, a, a, a road map. They didn't need to have a time schedule. They didn't need to know where the difficult difficulties were. This great camp that was set up who required a, a flat area of about 40 square miles.
Didn't know the desert. They had never been there before. Every day was a new day for them.
Oh, that cloud was with them. That cloud went before them to search out a place for them. All they needed to do was to keep the eye on the cloud.
When the cloud was raised up off the Tabernacle, they prepared to move and at the commandment of the Lord.
They, it doesn't say stopped. It's very remarkable, but it says they rested. Sometimes you and I have to move, Sometimes we have to rest. Or how precious it is to know that if you and I, each one of us listens to the commandment of the Lord, we'll all be doing the same thing. There wasn't one message to one part of the camp or to Judah to move on and.
Issachar, you stay behind and so on.
01:10:01
No, it was in unison. Oh beloved ones, we've been hearing about that unity today.
If you and I listen to the Word of God, if we are eyes on Christ, we're going to hear the one message, that unity, and that is going to keep us in happy communion at the commandment of the Lord. They journeyed. Sometimes we have to move. Sometimes we have to go slowly. Sometimes we have to stop. We have to rest. The only way you and I are going to know when to move.
And when to remain quiet is our eye with our eye upon the Lord. Well, you know, beloved ones were passing through a very difficult time. We might as well face these facts. And we know that the journey is going to become more difficult just before the dawn.
The days of evil are on us.
Wickedness of the worst kind surround us. That which is appealing to the mind is so distracting to young and old alike. Beloved ones, there's only one person to look to in all our difficulties, Christ and Christ alone. And if you and I keep that ear tuned to that blessed voice of the Shepherd.
Will never make a misstep.
These things be in you and abound. They make you that you shall never fall. We can know with that blessed confidence that if we keep our eye on Christ that we will journey on, and we will go on in happy communion and fellowship, one with another and with the Lord.
18th Verse And at the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and that the commandment of the Lord.
They pitched as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle.
They rested in their tents. Isn't that nice rested?
We meet a lot of different people, many Lords people.
But I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is only.
When we are gathered to the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that there can be true heart rest. They rested in their teeth. They were content. They didn't get impatient. They rested. All beloved ones, let's rest in those everlasting arms.
This is where security is found. This is where true REST is found.
With in communion with that Blessed One, and when the terror of the cloud carried long upon the journey, upon the Tabernacle many days.
Then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and journeyed not well. As I said before, sometimes it was long and we get weary, don't we? If the long, long journey and we say, Oh Lord, how long, things seem to be crumbling.
That all we can know, that the journey has all been been defined by the Blessed Lords Hand and self, and if you and I just walk in obedience to His will, we will walk in that path that He has defined force.
So here was the journey, sometimes long and sometimes short, but they just kept their eye on the Lord and their ear tuned to His voice. At the commandment of the Lord, I believe it's six times that it's mentioned here. At the commandment of the Lord they journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they rested.
20th Verse. And so it was when the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle. According to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. And so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning.
Even on to the morning each time the morning it is always spoken of us until until the morning. Oh, I want to leave this with us beloved ones, It's just until the morning 01 of these moments now the blessed Lord Jesus is going to.
01:15:14
Meet us on that cloud.
Are we watching? Are we waiting?
Are we patiently going on? Are we seeking to act in a in obedience to His precious Word, separating from all that would hinder? I don't believe, beloved ones, that the answer to our many problems are searching at all the details of the problems, but rather to have a single eye upon Christ be walking in obedience individually with Him.
And then everything will become crystal clear to us and we will all hear that same.
Word from Him directing us on in that unity. Well, beloved ones, it's just that little thought until the morning.
Power 287.
Gizmo.
55.
Through waves, through clouds and storms.
God gently clears the way. We waited time, so shall the night soon end in blissful day.
01:20:01
He everywhere has way and all things serve. His might is, every act pure blessing is.
Is fast on solid life when he makes bear his arms show his work with stand when he is people's cause defense. Who then shall stay his hands? We leave it to himself to choose and to command with wonder filled. We still shall see how wide, how strong his hands we comprehend him not yet earth and heaven tell God sits as sovereign.
On the throne and rule us all things well.
God.
Unto the Morning
Address—N. Berry
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Numbers, Chapter 9.
And verse 15.
And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up.
The cloud covered the Tabernacle, namely the tent of the testimony.
And that even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning.
So it was always the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night, and when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle.
Then after that, the children of Israel journeyed.
And in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord.
They pitched as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents, and when the cloud tarried long upon the Tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. And so it was when the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle, according to the commandment of the Lord.
They abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord.
They journeyed, and so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning. Then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed, or whether it were two days or a month or a year.
That the cloud tarried upon the Tabernacle, remaining wrong. The children of Israel abode in their tents and journeyed not.
But when it was taken up, they journeyed at the commandment of the Lord.
They rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. They kept the charge of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
Well.
It's a beautiful scene.
The Tabernacle is completed.
And the journey that lay before the children of Israel.
All was in the heart of God.
And there was one.
Glorious.
Article that was going to remain with them throughout that journey.
A cloud that which would bring before you and me.
This afternoon, the presence of the Lord with us.
Oh, beloved ones.
That long, long journey that Israel took those 40 years.
Found its end, its culmination in that land of promise.
And beloved Saints of God, I really believe in my heart that you and I, forming part of the Church, are just at the end of the journey.
You'll notice three times here that it says Until the morning. Oh beloved ones, this is man's day, but this is only for you and for me. Until the morning, says in the 15th verse and on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up.
The cloud covered the Tabernacle.
Namely, the tent of the testimony.
Well, I believe that this was heaven's confirmation of all that had been built the Tabernacle.
And it's a beautiful picture of the church traveling through the wilderness. This cloud was God's presence hovering over this building that had been reared up in the wilderness.
It was only a tent. It wasn't a permanent building as the temple was. It was taken down from day-to-day, never remaining in one place more than less than two days, as we saw there. But nevertheless it was journeying on but over. It hovered that cloud.
Oh, beloved ones, let's get our eyes up. Let's see that that presence of the Lord is with us. He's not going to abandon us by day or by night. Let's not become discouraged just at the end of the day of grace. This is the time now to lift our eyes up and keep our eyes, beloved ones, on that cloud.
00:05:25
It had its different aspects during the day. It was that which protected them.
From all the heat of that blistering sun of the desert and that night, it was that warmth, that fire that gave him light. Oh, what a rich provision Israel had. Oh, it's nothing, beloved ones, compared with having the presence of the Lord with us.
Day and night.
And then it says in the middle of that fifteenth verse, and that even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning. Isn't that beautiful? Until the morning? Oh, beloved ones, the morning is coming.
The Tabernacle all was looked toward the east. It all was looked toward the sunrise. And if you and I know the Lord as our Savior, we face that E too. For those who do not know the Lord, it's an eternal night that is coming. You look toward the West if you're unsaved here this afternoon. But oh, how pressure this precious it is to know that we look for the morning and we can say now as these meetings.
Draw to a close until the morning or morning is coming. Beloved ones, that may be our last day here on earth. This may be the end of the journey. We may be just about to step into that blessed presence forever until the morning.
So it was.
Always. I think that's beautiful. So it was always.
God's promise was kept. All that He promised He kept. It was, and so it was always. Oh how lovely it is to meet those who have been long on the journey and to find their hearts refreshed. I said to a sister one time who had been long on this journey, what is the most wonderful day of your life?
She had spent many years out in China and I thought she would tell of some rich experience out there. That a moment's hesitation, she said to day, Oh, I said, what happened today? Well, she said to me, the glory comes on. So every day is greater for me.
Oh, and so it was always, oh beloved ones, the best is yet to come. Now the journey may be long. It may be at sometimes that we get so weary with the journey as Israel.
Must have. But oh how glorious it is for you and for me, beloved ones, to look on to the end. That blessed man is waiting now this afternoon, waiting for His blood bought bride to usher us, to welcome us into His blessed presence, into His bosom forever. Will it be worth it? Oh yes, In the words of Mr. GV Wigram though, the path were 10,000 times more.
Jury. Still, it would be worth it. Beloved Bronc ones. Let us press on now.
Not becoming discouraged. This is the day when people are giving up, they're turning aside. May we, as the result of our occupation with Christ in these days, say, and so it was always we can go back now to our several assemblies with this deep consciousness that the cloud, the blessed Lord is with us. He won't abandoned us, He won't forsake you, young or old here.
Oh no, He will keep. He will be with us ever.
Over and above us.
17th Verse. And when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed, and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Now, sometimes we're faced with problems, are we not? As to our jobs, changing jobs. Brother was speaking just today about the uncertainty of whether he should take this job or not. There are many, many problems that face you and me.
00:10:15
1.
There's only one thing to do for you and for me to keep our eye on the cloud, keep our eye on Christ. Beloved ones, this is all these children of Israel needed to do. They didn't need to have a, a, a, a road map. They didn't need to have a time schedule. They didn't need to know where the difficult difficulties were, This great camp that was set up.
Were required a a flat area of about 40 square miles.
They didn't know the desert. They had never been there before. Every day was a new day for them.
Oh, that cloud was with them. That cloud went before them to search out a place for them. All they needed to do was to keep the eye on the cloud. And when the cloud was raised up off the Tabernacle, they prepared to move, and at the commandment of the Lord.
They it doesn't say stopped. It's very remarkable that it says they rested. Sometimes you and I have to move.
Sometimes we have to rest. Oh, how precious it is to know.
That if you and I, each one of us, listens to the commandment of the Lord, we'll all be doing the same thing.
There wasn't one message to one part of the camp or to Judah to move on. And Issachar, you stay behind and so on. Oh no, it was in unison. Oh beloved ones, we've been hearing about that unity to day. If you and I listen to the Word of God, if we are eyes on Christ, we're going to hear the one message, that unity.
And that is going to keep us in happy communion.
At the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. Sometimes we have to move, Sometimes we have to go slowly. Sometimes we have to stop. We have to rest. The only way you and I are going to know when to move and when to remain quiet is our eye with our eye upon the Lord. Well, you know, beloved ones were passing through.
A very difficult time. We might as well face these facts and we know that the journey.
Is going to become more difficult just before the dawn.
The days of evil are on us. Wickedness of the worst kind surround us. That which is appealing to the mind is so distracting to young and old alike. Beloved ones, there's only one person to look to in all our difficulties, Christ and Christ alone.
And if you and I keep that ear tuned to that blessed voice of the Shepherd.
Never make a misstep.
These things be in you and abound. They make you that ye shall never fall. We can know with that blessed confidence that if we keep our eye on Christ, that we will journey on, and we will go on in happy communion and fellowship, one with another and with the Lord. 18th verse. And at the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and that the commandment of the Lord they pitched.
As long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents. Isn't that nice? Rested.
We meet a lot of different people, many Lords people.
I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is only when we are gathered to the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ that there can be true heart rest. They rested in their tents. They were content. They didn't get impatient, They rested. All beloved ones, let's rest in those everlasting arms.
This is where security is found, This is where true rest is found with in communion with that Blessed One, and when the terror of the cloud tarried long upon the journey upon the Tabernacle many days.
00:15:02
Then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and journeyed not well. As I said before, sometimes it was long and we get weary, don't we? If the long, long journey and we say, Oh Lord, how long, things seem to be crumbling.
At all we can know that the journey has all been been defined by the Blessed Lord's hand Himself.
And if you and I just walk in obedience to His will, we will walk in that path that He has defined force. So here was the journey, sometimes long and sometimes short, but they just kept their eye on the Lord and their ear tuned to His voice at the commandment of the Lord. I believe it's six times that it's mentioned here. At the commandment of the Lord they journeyed and at the.
Commandment of the Lord. They rested 21St and so it was.
When the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle, according to the commandment of the Lord, they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. And so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning.
Even unto the morning, each time, the morning it is always spoken of us until, until the morning. Oh, I want to leave this with us, beloved ones, It's just until the morning. 01 of these moments. Now the blessed Lord Jesus is going to meet us on that cloud.
Are we watching? Are we waiting?
Are we patiently going on? Are we seeking to act in a in obedience to His precious Word, separating from all that would hinder? I don't believe, beloved ones, that the answer to our many problems are searching at all the details of the problems, but rather to have a single eye upon Christ.
Be walking in obedience individually with Him and then everything will become crystal clear.
To us, and we will all hear that same word from Him directing us on in that unity. Well, beloved ones, it's just that little thought until the morning.
Sodoms Last Night
Address—C.E. Lunden
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
The first scripture I like to read is in the 19th of John's Gospel.
The 30th verse of John 19.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. He bowed his head and gave up the ghost.
34th Verse But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came their out blood and water. And he that sought their record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he stepped through, that he might believe. But these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bowl of him shall not be broken. And again another Scripture said, They shall look on him whom they appeared.
Matthew's Gospel.
The 15th chapter.
Verse 21.
Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
The older woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord.
Thou son of David, my daughters grievously vexed with the devil. And he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came beside him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us.
But he answered and said, I'm not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Then came see, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said it is not neat to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs.
He said truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, Woman, great is thy face, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.
And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
We have in this little passage we've just read in Matthew.
A soul that had a need.
And she came to Jesus.
We find that.
It was only the Lord Jesus that could meet her needs.
And we learn from the Word of God that the only way the Lord Jesus could meet her needs.
Was on the ground of what we read in the 19th chapter of John's Gospel.
We find this woman was under a curse.
He belonged to Tyre. He was a Canaanite.
First would be Canaan.
The dear friend tonight, do you know that?
According to Galatians.
Everyone is under a curse who does not continue.
In the law and yet pretend to keep it.
I would like to ask you tonight, on what basis do you expect?
To find your way to heaven.
If it's on the basis of human righteousness.
We find that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for all those who believe.
There's only one thing that will meet man's needs, and we learn it from this little passage, and that's mercy.
Mercy.
Oh, how wonderful. The mercy of God.
And dear Christian friends, and I, you and I will sing of that mercy forever.
The mercy of God.
The mercy that reached down because of our need.
Here we have a poor woman who comes first of all, seeking to plead on the ground that he's the son of David, but he won't hear her.
No, because he came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and she had no claim whatsoever on Jesus.
Nor do you.
Now there's only one ground.
That we can come to God upon as sinners, and that ground is mercy.
Mercy.
And the reason that God can show mercy to the Sinner is because the Lord Jesus get his precious blood.
To put away every spot and every stain.
That you and I might go free.
And the Word of God says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And blame the 9 hearts that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
00:05:04
He that despiseth the word shall be destroyed.
That he that regardeth the commandment shall be rewarded.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sins.
Nothing else.
And it isn't how much you know, beloved or your intelligence and these things.
No, it's the touch of the garment. Like that woman who simply reached out and touched the garment of Jesus.
He was made whole.
Oh what a savior, how near God has come to us.
As we find the rest of that passage of Romans 10, the word is nigh thee, even in thine heart.
The thy mouth, thy heart.
The Word of Faith which we speak.
Yes, the Word of Faith. Just to confess that precious name of Jesus. That's how simple it is.
You're not going to get saved tonight, dear friend, because of some particular discourse you'll hear.
You will be saved only if you receive Christ as your own personal Savior.
Come on the ground of mercy because of your needs.
Here's a woman who comes, she has no claim whatsoever, and you know what she says? Lord help me.
Have you ever confessed that precious name of Jesus and own him as Lord?
He that tumbles to me I will in no wise cast out.
And you know his answer.
Well, first of all, he says, it isn't me to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.
But she gives an answer. I thought it was so nice.
The little dog takes the crumbs from under the table.
They were allowed that, you know.
And you're allowed to crumbs tonight.
Making a pretty low place, isn't it?
You're allowed to crumble tonight.
But all you're going to find out it's more than crumbs.
Because all of Heaven's provision is for you, dear friend. As we read of the prodigal who was clothed once he confessed he would send.
The clothes are the best robe, shoes in his feet, ringing his fingers.
Batted calf. Everything provided for the one who simply confesses Jesus as Savior.
And if you're without Christ tonight, if you don't know your destiny, if you can't lay your head on your pillow tonight and know.
Where you're going to spend eternity, Take Jesus now.
He is the Savior. There is no other name given under heaven among men.
Whereby we must be saved just one precious name.
Yes, and that name is sweet to every believer, and it will be sweet to you tonight if you take Him as your savior.
Friend, where will you spend your eternity? Have you thought of it?
Someone told me once they didn't care where they spent to return the teeth, but I knew they did.
And I know you care tonight.
But you know what keeps you from the Savior Either? Your habits.
Or your companion. Isn't it true?
Yes, something in the way isn't there to keep you from Jesus.
Is a day coming when you're going to need a friend bad and the other friends will be gone, your relatives will be gone, all those you trusted in will be gone. But Jesus will be there. Have you put your trust in Him?
Thorough, solemn.
The gospel message, and yet, how precious.
It delivers the soul for all eternity by simply.
Believing.
And so when this woman says, the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table, he he says, Great as I say, be it unto the even as I will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Now what was the basis of all this? Ah, the Lord Jesus, we were singing went to the cross of Calvary and he went through those hours of darkness there. He was made sin for us, the one who knew no sin. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree, if you believe.
Oh yes.
He took our place.
00:10:01
And so the one who simply believes is free.
The other night I'd like to speak particularly though.
About an angel's Hand Have you ever heard of an angel's hand laying hold of a man?
That's what I'd like to speak about tonight.
An angel's hands, or, if you please, the last night of Sodom.
It's a solemn subject.
And I'd like you to turn with me.
First of all to second, Peter.
Second Peter, the 2nd chapter.
Sex verse turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overflow, making them an example under those that after should live ungodly and deliver just lot vexed with a filthy conversation of the wicked.
That word filthy couldn't be read abandoned conversation because it's Speaking of the very day in which we're living an example.
And that's what characterizes our day. For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day-to-day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
Luke's Gospel, the 17th chapter.
Verse 28. Luke 17 and 28.
Likewise also, as it was in the days of lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. But the same day the lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
Even thou shalt it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed in that day.
He which shall be upon the housetop and his stuff.
In the house, let him not come down to take it away, and he that is in the field, let him not let him likewise not return back.
Remember.
Lot White.
Now I want to connect that word stuff with lots white.
Stuff You remember the time when Joseph sent his brethren back to pick to take their father and bring their father to them.
In the land of Goshen.
After he had instructed them, he said regard not the stuff.
For all the land of Egypt is yours, all the wealth of that land is yours. Regard, not the stuff.
Now that's connected with this expression. Remember Lot?
Why? Oh, this is a solemn subject, dear friend.
Because we are reminded here of the awful judgment that fell upon that.
Group of cities in the plains and you get a little word here that says all.
There was nothing left.
Now this is a picture of the judgment that will fall upon Christendom.
They shall not escape, it says in Thessalonians.
1St Thessalonians 5 says they shall not escape what the solemn judgments that will roll over Christendom.
And what does that have to do with lots?
Didn't she live in the House of a righteous man?
And yet the judgment took her.
You dear young people here tonight.
Many of you have sat under the ministry of God's Word in your little meeting room.
From their infancy, you've heard the gospel of the grace of God over and over again.
Are you going to be like Lot's wife?
End up a pillar of salt.
The judgment of God coming over you.
We've spoken of the gospel, the tender pleadings of the Spirit of God, how God has provided everything for you, a Savior, that precious blood that flows from Calvary Cross from each side. What have you done about it?
Turn this May to the 19th chapter or the 13th chapter of Genesis first.
00:15:01
We've had this subject before us in these meetings. Abraham Lot.
Unsold.
And I felt constrained as the meeting went on.
Having been asked to speak, I felt constrained to say just a little more about this subject in detail.
In the 13th chapter, has much been said about.
Life and his choice.
But we'll read it.
The 10th verse and Lot lifted up his eyes.
In this plane of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom Gomorrah.
Even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest. And Tsar. Then Lot tells him all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east.
And they separated themselves, the one from the other.
Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plains.
And catch these tents towards Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked.
And sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Now turn to the.
19th chapter.
And there came two angels to Sodom, and Even, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom, and Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them.
And he bowed himself, with his face short the ground, and he said, Behold, now, my Lord, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and carry all night.
Wash your feet, you shall rise up early and go on your way. And they said nay, but we will abide in the street all night.
And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in onto him and entered into his house.
And he made them a feat, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. Verse 12. And the man said unto Lot.
Hast thou hear any besides done in law, thy son?
Thy daughters, whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place, where we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed and great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and set up, Get you out of this place, so the Lord will destroy this city.
But he seemed as one that mocked under his sons in law.
And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters which are here.
Or are found, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand.
And upon the hand of his wife.
And upon the hand of his two daughters.
The Lord being merciful unto him.
And they brought him forth and set him without the city.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth broad, that he said, Escape to thy life. Look not behind thee, neither say thou in all the plains escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed and locked. Said unto him, Oh not so, my Lord, ye hold now thy servant have found grace in thy sight. Thus magnify thy mercy, which Thou showed unto me in saving my life, and I cannot escape to the mountains.
But some evil take me, and I die. Behold, now this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little 10 Let me escape thither. Is it not a little one my soul to live? He said an MC, I've accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken.
Hasty escape thither, for I cannot do anything to thou. Become thither.
Therefore, the name of the city was called Zoar.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zohar.
Then the Lord reigned upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
And he overthrew those cities in all the plains and all the inhabitants of the city.
And that which grew upon the ground.
00:20:03
But his wife looked back from behind him. She became a pillar of salt.
Abraham got up early.
In the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord.
That he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and behold, and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
It came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plains, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lotwell.
We have in the passage that we read in the 13th chapter.
The first thing that's mentioned is strife between Abraham's Herdman and Lot.
Heard them.
The next thing we have is Lot lifting up his eyes.
And looking toward Sodom.
The next thing we have?
Is Lot pitching his tent towards Sodom?
In the 19th chapter we find he has a house in Sodom.
And then we see him sitting in the Gate of Sodom.
I'm sure he never intended to sit in the gate and be a judge in that city when he left Abraham.
Dear young people.
Dear young parents, there's a solemn warning here for both.
In fact, there is no person in this room this evening. But what? There's a solemn warning for us here.
It was Abraham, as we were told today, who led Lot.
Down into Egypt.
There he got the first touch of the world.
The world.
Yes, oh, what a solemn thing it is. And you know, all Abraham got out of Egypt was.
The money to bury his wife with, to buy the field for the grade. That's all he got out of Egypt.
No, he didn't gain anything to go to Egypt.
He lost.
If you and I, dear fellow Christians, take the wrong path, we're going to lead someone astray.
But if we take the right path, we're going to lead someone into blessing.
And we see Lot making up his mind now, not on the ground of the truth he had received with Abraham.
If we had time, we could trace him from the mouth of that river Euphrates.
As he goes up that valley of Mesopotamia to Heron.
All the luxuries that were there that he left behind. Yes, Lot went along. He went quite a ways in the path of faith. But there came a time of parting.
A time when his eyes no longer saw him who was invisible.
And he turned aside.
As his eyes looked on present things.
What does this have to do with Lot's wife?
The stuff.
All the stuff, and all the stuff does is hinder our souls, beloved. It doesn't matter whether it's an unsaved person or whether it's a saved person. The stuff hinders our soul.
Regard, not the stuff.
The warning in Luke was don't go back to the house. Stop or don't go into the house to get the stuff please, please.
You know this stuff isn't going to help your soul. There never was a day when there was more stuff to hinder.
The sorrow coming to Christ.
Yes, and it was the stuff.
But kept locked back, locked twice back in Sodom. Her heart was in Sodom. The stuff.
Yes, we find Lot on his way now.
To Sodom, all he could see was the well watered plains.
But it says the men were wicked exceedingly before God.
No, what a solemn thing it is to put ourselves in the place of evil.
And temptation.
And how Solomon is for us to put our children in the place of evil and temptation.
Now, what will happen at the end of our course, dear friends? Tonight, How about the end of your court? How about the last night of your life?
00:25:10
How about the end for those dear children of yours?
Know how many things we have here to exercise our soul?
Lord is courteous to these strangers, these two angels.
But you know, he doesn't think along the lines of these two angels like Abraham did.
These two angels came, and there was a third one, who was the Lord.
In a previous chapter and they Abraham spreads the feast for them under the tree.
That speaks of the cross.
And they were refreshed.
But there's only one thing that ever indicated.
That lot was a believer in the Old Testament.
And that was one thing that he gave these men was unleavened bread.
It speaks of Christ to never sin or could sin.
The only indication that Lot was a believer?
We have to go to the New Testament to find out that he was a righteous man.
Yes, and now we find that the angels would rather stay on the street all night.
Then go into Locke's house.
Is that a word from my conscience, your dear fellow Christian?
Let the heavenly visitor rather stay on the street all night than to go into your house. The word of God says, What hast thou in the house?
It says, What hast thou seen? What have I seen in thine house?
Yes, but he persuaded them when they came in.
But it was not a greeting like it was with Abraham.
And we find the evil rises to the highest point in that city that night.
The angels had gone down to see whether it actually was sold or how slow God is to judgment.
And we find that the time had come when God must judge.
And how do you know, dear friend, tonight? But what the time has come when God's judgment must fall in this world?
One moment we could be gone. Those who are believers.
And all the rest will be left for judgment. All.
We learned in Luke all.
1St Thessalonians 5 all.
Yes, they shall not escape the judgment.
But God doesn't will the death of any. It's not his desire that any should perish.
He provided a savior, as we noted, the one who shed his precious blood, that you and I might escape.
Now lot.
We don't think he was very faithful in his house.
We don't believe that he was teaching his children.
We wonder if he even taught his wife.
We wonder sometimes.
The things of God.
He was busy in the politics of the city.
A wicked city it was.
And now we find.
That there's a message that goes out and these angels shall lot.
It's a solemn message.
Hast thou hear any besides, Oh, how cutting that is to the heart?
Do you have any loved ones in the City of Destruction that are going to be left behind?
And you and I praying, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, are we in earnest about these loved ones? Hast thou hear any besides?
Done in law.
Sons. Daughters.
Well, I remember reading about Judah. He was in earnest when Benjamin was in prison.
And he says that, Joseph, how can I go to my father, and the lad be not with me?
Is that the way you feel, father and mother about your loved ones?
Are you unconcerned?
Are you indifferent?
Do you think possibly like Lot's wife? Well, I don't think God is going to destroy this city.
It looks all right.
I suppose that's what you thought.
And yes.
00:30:03
God is appointed a day in which he will judge this world.
And righteousness by that man that is ordained, and he is given witness unto all men.
He's raised him from the dead.
Oh, what a solemn day is coming when the very streets of this city will be empty.
Yes, the last sound will be heard. Everything will be quiet.
Judgment will take all.
And if you haven't been taken home in the Rapture, you'll be left here for judgment.
But a solemn thing that this is to consider, dear friend.
And how about the children?
How about the brothers and sisters?
The sons, The daughters. Are we concerned about this?
We have noticed the words.
Of a man.
Carry all night and rest yourselves.
What are the words of angels? We will abide in the street all night.
Again.
The words of angels.
We will destroy this place.
A lot has said why in the morning you can go your way, no?
Things are going to happen the next morning.
Things are going to happen.
15 first, and when the morning arose, then the Angel hastened Lot.
They arrived. Take thy wife and thy two daughters, which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
Yes. Was there any response while he lingered?
Oh, how the heart gets wrapped up in this world, even of the Christians, the believer.
Present things take possession.
Being overcharged with the cares of this life.
All these hindrances are habits.
Or even our companions to hinder us as to heavenly and spiritual things.
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand.
I don't recall any other place where an Angel took the hold of the hand of a man.
And his wife.
And his two daughters. Perhaps there is.
Think of it.
Angel of God coming down and laying hold of the hand.
Dear friend, that's what he wants to do to your hand tonight if you're unsafe.
Yes, he wants to drag you out of this place.
Because it's going to be destroyed.
It's the mercy of God. Now I notice he doesn't take him into the City of refuse.
The Angel doesn't do that.
He simply.
As Peter says, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation.
How does it get in the city of Refuge?
He has to go in by faith.
What is faith? Faith comes by hearing.
Hearing by the Word of God is just that simple.
Have you believed God? Do you believe God?
You can show it by accepting Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior.
Well, they brought them forth, he said. Escape for thy life. Now here we have that which faceless acts on.
First thing is escape for thy life, the next is look not behind thee, neither stay thou all the flames.
Lest thou be consumed.
Now, there were two things that characterized.
The response?
Here on the part of Lot's wife.
We learn as we read on that he looked from behind him.
And he became a pillar of Saul in the 26th verse.
What does this tell us?
It tells us that he regarded the stuff.
More than the message of the Angel.
00:35:04
That connect with Luke's gospel.
He was on the housetop, not returning to the house.
For his stuff, remember Lot's wife.
Remember Lot's wife?
He was more interested in the stuff.
How about you tonight?
Oh, I'll think about that tomorrow, you say?
Next week when I get older.
I have too much to be occupied with now.
But you don't know what a day will bring forth.
And you picture these people this very night going off, as it were, peacefully.
To sleep.
Expecting another day. And the sun did rise the next day.
That they never completed their day. Not a one of them.
Not a one except those.
That the angel's hands were laid upon, and one of those did not escape.
Yes, although she had a particular judgment of her own.
Very singular judgment upon Lot's wife.
He didn't fall with the.
With the rest of the city.
No, she became a pillar of salt.
He became an example as we learn in Jude.
For those who afterwards.
That lived wickedly. No Ungodly.
And what does it mean to live ungodly? Just to leave God out of your life? That's all.
And if you haven't taken Jesus, dear one tonight as your own personal Savior, you're living ungodly.
Ungodly.
You may be the best citizen of this city that you're living ungodly if you're without Christ.
God invites you to take Jesus your Savior, but God commands you, dear friend.
He's commanded all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel.
And it's on that basis that he will judge in that coming day by Christ Jesus for disobedience.
And unbelief and these two things which mark Lot's wife, disobedience and unbelief are the two things that characterize Christendom today.
Disobedience to the Word of God.
Unbelief.
It won't happen. Surely it won't happen, they say.
But it will happen.
Yes, it will happen.
This was the last night of Sodom.
Now a lot begins to argue with the Lord in the 18th verse.
I suppose this was his habit.
About yours.
To argue with God.
If you don't obey his words, it's the same as arguing with him, isn't it?
Oh, what a solemn thing it is to hear the word of God and refuse to act upon it.
And lots been in the habit of this.
His whole life is checkered with disobedience to the Word of God. He knew all about Abraham and his blessings on the top of the mountain.
But he turned aside to the things that.
Satisfied the flesh.
You know, I'm thinking right now of a little tiny creature, very small.
That I read about. I don't remember the name of this little preacher.
But it destroys Air Hills.
In Ant colony, one little creature.
And the way it does, it goes into this little colony and suddenly the ants rush upon it to destroy it because it's an intruder. And as soon as they get near it, a sweet aroma.
Cut it forth from this little creature and they're stupefied.
And they make friends with it.
Until it finally destroys the whole Ant hill.
That's what happens a lot.
00:40:00
Oh, how clever Satan is.
He comes forth as an Angel of light.
And he tells you that the pleasures of sin are what you want because there are pleasures, you know, in sin, but they're only for a season.
Are you going to sell your soul for the pleasures of sin for a season?
A lot didn't go all the way.
But he went a long way.
And lots of saved those by fire.
Now what are you and what will I have? The last night of our lives here, what will we have?
Scripture speaks in the book of Jude about autumnal trees.
What does it mean?
Without proof.
Blankens been to autumnal trees, that is, trees in autumn without fruit.
And when all the leaves disappear, what's going to be left? The leaves speak of the glory.
The outward covering and.
When all the leaves drop off, what will be left? All my friend tonight. Are you going to end your last night like Lot did?
How about the children now? In the 23rd verse, the sun was risen.
Upon the earth, when Lot entered into the Zor, then the Lord reigned upon Sodom von Gamora, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and he overthrew those cities in all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Oh, how solemn this is here. She had all the privileges of locked house.
The privilege is.
Of the House of a righteous land.
If she didn't hear, she could have inquired. God had a great deal to tell her, I'm sure, about his experiences with Abraham.
And how the God of glory had appeared unto Abraham.
Called him out of Mesopotamia to a.
To a place that he would show him and then afterwards give him.
No, Lot didn't have the seven appearances.
Of God to him, like Abraham did.
No, he didn't.
He did have an appearance though.
When the angel's hand grabbed his hand and threw him out of the city.
But it was being saved so as by fire.
Oh dear friends, tonight.
I want to warn you.
Lane of the coming judgment of God upon this world.
And if you and I are taken home as Christians tonight?
The judgment will soon fall. What a solemn thing it is, for those will be left behind.
When the doors closed forever and they'll knock.
And there will be no response. The door will be shut and shut forever.
Want to come to the Lord Jesus tonight before it's too late?
Won't you receive Him as your own personal savior?
Father and mother take stock.
And the lesson that we have here about Lot and his family.
The time is short, there's just a few days left.
The day of the church is soon over.
Soon we'll be in the glory about the last night.
The angel's hand reaching out drag him out of the city, but they had to go into that city of refuge by faith.
Thy faith.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
And thy house never leave that last part of it off thou and thy house.
Faith believes this. Faith trusts God for it.
My dear friend, tonight, if you're unsaved, remember.
The hour is ticking away.
Of your history here.
And pretty soon, it'll be the last night of your life.
As the angels hand dragged you out of the city, well you have been delivered, most of you, from the temptations of this world.
But it takes faith to enter into the city of refuge.
00:45:01
Have you had that faith to receive Christ as your own personal Savior? Are you willing to own that precious name tonight?
It also confessed with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
Believe in thine heart. The God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
Want to do that tonight? Won't you take Jesus as your savior?
Are you waiting for another night? It may never come.
You know, now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.
Won't you come while it's still tall today?
And now we have Abraham. What does he do? All this time? He's on the mountain praying to God.
Is his prayer answered? Yes.
Yes, and when God overthrew those cities of the plains.
He remembered Abraham.
And delivered lot out of the overthrow.
Oh, what a comfort this is for those.
Who have sold?
On their heart.
Because God answers prayer. They have it here. God answers prayer.
And when God overthrew the cities of the plains?
He remembered Lot and delivered. He remembered Abraham and delivered Lot out of the overflow overthrow.
Remember Lot's wife, dear friend.
Remember Lot's wife. You dear young people who have had the privileges of a Christian home. Remember Lot's wife.
And don't go any further. Receive Christ as your Savior now while we sing this little song 21.
Beside for Christ today.
In God's salvation.
See yield, soul and body, heart and will to him who died.
For thee.
They start for Christ today.
And.
Goodnight for you.
The the the. Please do.
The God for right today.
Thy.
Mother.
No more.
One right today.
As is He so are We
Address—A.C. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
All right.
The singing of that hymn.
Suggested to me a very precious truth that I know is familiar, well known, and often referred to, but surely, like all the rest of the Word of God, that which we have heard so often rings with a freshness to our hearts, or it ought to.
00:05:15
Could we turn please to 1St John chapter 4?
First John, chapter 4.
Verse 17.
Herein is our love made perfect.
That we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because.
Because as he is.
So are we in this world?
Those wonderful words at the close of that verse just mine words as he is.
So are we in this world? Isn't that something wonderful? It ought to fill our hearts not only with confidence, but with gladness, with Thanksgiving.
As He is when our blessed Lord Jesus was here on earth.
He had before him in a reality that neither you nor I can ever comprehend, he had before him.
Death and judgment, isn't that solemn? You and I perhaps are accustomed to.
The element of death but that which it meant to the Lord Jesus was more than it had ever meant to any man of Adam's race.
Death and judgment were before the Lord Jesus while He was here on earth.
But he went into the very power of death. He bowed his head beneath those out poor judgments.
That he cried aloud and glorious triumph. It is finished. And as we have been reminded, His body dead was taken down and buried. But beloved, He is risen from among the dead. And you and I have heard it said, and I love the sound of it, that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was God's Amen.
To his cry, it is finished. He cried, it is finished.
God heard that cry, and in triumph he raised him from among the dead. And now, beloved, we were reminded again the other day.
He arose, and with his disciples gathered round about him, He was taken up from them, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Now, I suppose it's only right and proper when we come to a statement like that, that we should ask no questions, and perhaps perhaps not even.
Imagine.
But a cloud received him out of their sight. Am I forgiven for imagining what took place on the other side of that cloud?
God's well beloved Son, obedient unto death, was welcomed home.
Welcome home. No wonder a cloud received him. No wonder no human eye was able to observe that welcome. God welcomed his son home again.
Will there ever be another welcome like that? Yes, there will. Yes there will. When you, when I when we are welcomed home, we will be welcomed in all the glad, nearness and love of the beloved Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the Lord Jesus up there.
In God's presence, seated at God's right hand.
Is forever beyond the power of death and judgment. And we are told in these nine simple, precious words, as he is, so are we in this world. Can you and I really take it in? I know I can't. But I can read it and I know it's true. And in the little measure in which my poor heart can grasp it.
00:10:08
I bow and Thanksgiving.
Beloved, can the enemy whisper anything that could make my heart to tremble as to acceptance?
As he is death and judgment forever behind him, so are we. It's not something we're looking forward to. It's something that is even now, our portion to enjoy. So are we in this world today?
Now, and in whatever little time may yet be entrusted to us, you and I can take this verse with all the confidence that is intended.
And thank him for it. But I remember hearing a brother say at a Saint Louis conference a good many years ago, he said, I believe that in a past eternity, when God looked at his beloved son, so immeasurable was that love.
That God would say, when I have a family, I want them.
All to be just like my son. And God's desire is going to be realized. God is going to have a family, a family of individual believers, each one with their eternal individuality, and yet each one like his own beloved son. The third chapter of this same epistle.
And the second verse.
First John 3, verse two. Beloved now, are we the sons of God?
Now, yes, right now, that's not news to anyone here. You've known it, you have enjoyed it. But you know, we might just ask ourselves, in what manner does one become a son in a family?
While you say there are two ways one could be born into a family or one could be adopted into a family, isn't that right? And in each case the relationship would exist. And I suggest too that in each case there is a particular advantage.
The son born into the family could look at his father and say I possess the very life and nature of my father, but he could not look at his father and say that man chose me and wanted me. He couldn't do that.
As son adopted into a family could look at his father and say.
My Father chose me and wanted me, but he could not say that I possessed the life and nature of my father. In which manner did you or I become sons of God? Both, beloved, both.
Were his by eternal choice where his by adoption, where his by birth and we can look up this afternoon and say.
I am of the very household of God by choice and by birth. Is it really possible to say He chose me, He wanted me and I have been born into His family?
Now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be.
But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, or we shall see Him as He is. Are you, am I looking forward to this moment, beloved? Oh, is it a reality with our hearts as we think of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ that we're actually going to see Him? And when we do that, we're going to find that.
Delight in seeing us and making us welcome. Well, absolutely melt these hearts of ours. When you see him, He is going to identify you and welcome you personally. Home. No father ever walks into a home after a period of absence.
With his wife and family gathered there and greets them a little family. No indeed, he greets them with an individual loving personal joy and gladness.
I know that when we reach home, the body of Christ, yes, the bride of Christ, yes, the Church of God, true, and yet individual sons and daughters, beloved and chosen and born into the very family of God to be welcomed home.
00:15:18
It does not yet appear what we shall be.
This, to me, is rather searching. On the one hand, I doubt not that it refers to that physical conformity that yet awaits the believer. We're going to be like him physically. And that certainly doesn't appear right now. The years take their toll. We look like any other fallen son of Adam. Or do we?
I think there should be a difference.
And I know I've seen a difference.
You know, I understand that years ago.
When Abraham Lincoln was selecting.
Candidates for certain high office. Someone was recommended to him and he promptly dismissed the recommendation with a very strange comment. He said no, I don't like that man's face.
Well, the man who had made the suggestion was amazed that the president's answer. He said, you don't like his face, Mr. President, The man is not responsible for his face. And the president is supposed to have answered. Every man over 40 is responsible for his face. I don't know why he said over 40, but I believe I know what the president probably meant. And I look out here into the faces of my beloved brethren and sisters.
Tell you, brethren.
There is a difference in looking into your faces and looking into the faces of those who do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior. Oh, it's true that someday that name is going to be in every forehead. There will be nothing but the reflection of perfect, unmarred reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ forever.
From you and me, when I look at you, when you look at me.
All at which Mars, that reflection today will be gone forever. His name in their forehead. Oh what a delight that will be. And beloved, when we look at one another to day, can we not at least look for that reflection? I don't have to look hard right now, brethren, to see it. I truly say that as I look into your faces, I see that which I know I would not see if I were faced with a similar company of those who know not.
Savior. But it's true. It does not yet appear.
The years have taken their toll with everyone of us.
But we know, isn't this glorious, and isn't it characteristic of that which is ours? We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him.
As he is.
Isn't that a marvelous thing?
I was visiting in Cleveland not long ago with a dear young man 19 years of age.
Paralyzed for life from the chest down, he can move it, move his arms, but barely move his fingers.
All the way to the hospital to visit him, I was asking the Lord for something that might be given to comfort the heart of a 19 year old that finds himself through an accident, paralyzed. For life has to be turned over every two hours, day and night.
And when I got there, I found him rejoicing. He said, Oh brother, when I find myself at home with the Lord Jesus, I have a million things to thank him for, and one of them will be my new body. You and I perhaps don't think of that very often until the Lord, in his wisdom and faithfulness, reminds us that we're not home yet.
And there are some here that are longing, perhaps a bit more eagerly than others.
For that new and glorified body. But the next verse, beloved, adds a thought that I think we should well bear in mind. And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure.
00:20:04
I believe that in Philippians 3, which was just read to us, we have specifically physical conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our body of humiliation, that it may be fashioned like in his own body of glory, His own body of glory. We're going to be like him physically and in this we do rejoice.
But here the emphasis of the third verse.
Makes me feel that in verse two there is moral conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We're going to be like him physically. We're going to be like him morally. And in verse three it says every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure. I believe the suggestion is this.
No amount of occupation with future physical conformity is going to have any effect upon the advance of age. I'm going to continue. If the Lord looks, leave me here to look even older than I do today, I suppose. But the prospect of moral conformity to our Lord Jesus Christ, what would it do if it really laid hold of our hearts?
If I looked up this day and knew.
That in a moment, and very soon I was going to be morally conformed to the one who displayed that beauty while he was here on earth, the one who now occupies that place of enthronement and glory above. I'm going to be like him. You're going to be like him. And I believe that in the measure in which this touches and.
And occupies our hearts. There will be seen a moral conformity to him.
In our ways, and that, I believe can be recognized.
By others, Oh dear Saints of God, like thee, O Lord, how wondrous, fair, true. By God's matchless grace as He is, so are we in this world, and we rejoice in this. It is a reality.
Is there, is there a danger, beloved, that we take some of these things as facts that we've heard about in the Word of God and we kind of file them away in our minds, and when we hear them again, we nod our heads yes, I've heard that one and I agree with it. Or are they precious revelations of His loving heart that touch and stir our affections and affect our whole life?
As he is.
So are we in this world?
And we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Let us remember, beloved, the force of that verse, that we should be ready to give an answer to every man, ask a reason of the hope that is within us. That verse has always searched my heart and I think it should be an increasing challenge as we find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that are causing the hearts of so many to fail for fear they look around at that which they considered to be.
Stable and so reliable, and they're finding things crumbling that they thought would stand.
And what about you? And what about me? When did anyone last ask you or ask me a reason of the hope within us?
And why ever would they ask us such a question? Is it not the normal order that we should be telling them of this or that That's our privilege? But I consider it to be a greater challenge and a higher privilege. So to act that any would ever ask, ask a reason of the hope. Why would they do this? Because they have seen in you.
Seen in you.
Our hope that they recognize, and they want to know the basis of that hope. Oh beloved, I just quote those two verses again. As He is, so are we in this world, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is and every man that has this hope in him.
00:25:13
Purified himself.
Even as he is pure.
Our brother was speaking about the.
The cloud that received the Lord out of the sight of those that remain. And I'd just like to go on with a few thoughts on the cloud as we find in numbers.
Peace in the Assembly
Address—J. Brereton
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Well, dear young people, there are quite a number of passages from the Word of God that I would like to look at this afternoon.
But the first one I would like to look at is in the 85th Psalm, Psalm, Psalm 85 and verse 10. Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other now I'm sure that many, perhaps most here.
Have enjoyed this verse before in connection with the work carried out at Calvary's cross.
When mercy and truth met together. When God in His wondrous mercy provided a Savior, and that precious Savior answered to God for all our sins.
Righteousness.
The righteousness of God fully upheld at Calvary's cross.
And peace that flows out as a result of that precious work.
What I would like to suggest to you, dear young people, this afternoon, that we also have in this verse that which we should look for.
And anticipate will be seen in the assembly, in the little assembly where you are, where I am in our company as we come together like we have for these last three days to see that which brings peace.
That which conveys to our hearts the mercy of God.
Wondrous ways of grace with us, and yet at the same time that which becomes his house, that which is suited to the character and the nature of the One to whom we're gathered.
Just recently I was down in a city in Eastern Canada.
And I met a young lady there who is very seriously ill and she is suffering a considerable amount of pain and as far as her life here in this world is concerned.
I believe it is drawing to a close.
Well, this dear sister was gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ about two years ago.
And when I visited with her recently.
She spoke to me about the miracle.
That God had worked.
In her life.
Of opening her eyes to see.
That there was such a precious thing as being gathered.
To the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The way she put it to me was in effect like this. She said that she had lived for quite a number of years as a Christian.
Serving the Lord in a foreign country for a number of those years.
And in all those years, she had never realized that it was possible to actually sit down in the presence of the Lord.
Well, I said to some afterwards I wished in some ways I had tape recorded that conversation.
Because, beloved young people, what I covet for you and for myself as that we might to value the preciousness of the privilege of being in the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to find there in the assembly that righteousness and peace.
Kiss each other. Could we turn now to Matthew chapter 18 for a moment?
Matthew chapter 18 and verse 18.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
00:05:01
And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loose.
In heaven.
Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything.
That they shall ask, It shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Four where two or three?
Are gathered together.
In or unto my name.
There am I.
In the midst of them.
Our brother the other day touched on this verse.
He opened it up to us to see how we have here that precious divine ground upon which you and I are privileged to gather.
Gathered unto the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be actually able, dear young people, like we did this morning.
To sit in the very presence of the Lord Jesus.
To have His promise fulfilled and to have the enjoyment of it in our souls.
There am I in the midst of them.
Now I would like to add 1 further comment in connection with that.
Beloved young people, the Lord has set His name.
In a place, and called upon you and I to be gathered to that precious name.
He has promised that where we are gathered together to that precious name, there he is.
Beloved young people, may you and I be kept.
From ever charging the Lord Jesus.
With being the cause.
Of dividing the Saints of God by placing His name.
In a number of different places.
The effect of such action could only be to divide the Saints of God.
And we find here in this off quoted verse that it speaks of two or three gathered together.
I would also draw your attention to the fact that it says two or three.
I believe the other day our brother used the expression the lowest plurality.
Let us beloved young people be very clear as to this.
The word of God says.
Two or three.
And consequently where there are two.
Or three gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have his promise.
There he is in the midst of them.
And we have an assembly, an assembly. An assembly that may consist of two, but nevertheless an assembly.
And we have that.
Where we would expect anticipate to see righteousness and peace.
Meet together.
Now there may be, dear young people, some functions.
That.
Two or three.
May not be able to carry out.
For instance, a very simple illustration would be a man and his wife.
Meeting together, gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the promise of the Lord Jesus there.
In the midst faced with the question of writing a letter of commendation.
They would find that they would be unable to do so.
And the result would be that they would look to another assembly to assist them.
00:10:00
In that matter.
Another more serious instance could be a situation where there were a man and his wife.
Two gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently, an assembly.
But faced with the question of dealing with sin on the part of one or the other.
They would find that they were unable to take any action.
And they would look to assistance from another assembly gathered similarly to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same ground.
We find in this portion that we've just read that the Word of God speaks about binding and losing.
And from this we learn, dear young people, that there is righteousness.
There is that which becomes.
The name to whom we are gathered.
And there is a discipline connected with the assembly.
The word of God says whatsoever.
Ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
And consequently the act of the assembly.
And let us bear in mind that where it is possible, the assembly can be true.
That takes such action.
The word of God says where the assembly acts.
It carries with it the authority of the name of the person to whom we are gathered, and that action is binding upon all other assemblies gathered to the same precious name, gathered on the same divine ground where the Lord Jesus is in the midst.
Well, brethren, that is what we, if I could put it that way.
We might refer to as the righteous side, and it is a vital importance.
But I would like to look now for a little while on the other side.
The mercy and the peace side.
Would you turn with me to the 14th chapter of Acts?
God has not left us, dear young people.
Without a pattern in his precious word as to what he anticipates will be seen in the assembly.
It may be that you and I will see that.
In some ways our particular local assembly comes short. In some cases we may feel it comes very far short. But the exercise should be, beloved young people, for you and for myself, indeed for us, all that we might conform to the pattern that God has laid out for us in his Word.
If you notice in the 14th chapter of Acts.
And the 26th verse.
And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles, and there they abode long time with the disciples.
And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised, after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
When, therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension.
And disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas.
And certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders.
About this question.
00:15:01
And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenix and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Antioch was a Gentile city.
And we find here.
That a very serious question has arisen.
There are those who have come down from Judea.
And they are teaching that which is fundamentally bad doctrine.
Of the most important kind.
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot.
Be saved.
This is adding something to the work of Christ.
Our most serious thing?
But we find beloved young people that there is grace.
To meet this effort on the part of the enemy of our souls.
To divide the beloved people of God.
And so we find that the decision is made.
That the question will be taken to Jerusalem.
And they are reviewed with the apostles and elders.
The first thing perhaps we should notice is that there was number such command in the word of God for them to do so.
They had no such thing as an earthly center. To which question?
Should be referred. It's true the apostles were there.
But the fact remains that God Center is not a physical city.
Then or now?
And yet we'll see. I trust, dear young people, how God in his grace.
Worked with these beloved Saints.
Preserve the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
Now the first question that obviously arises is why?
Why should they take the matter to Jerusalem?
Were they not an assembly at Antioch? Indeed they were.
If you turn back to the.
13th chapter of Acts.
And the first verse.
It says now there were in the church Oregon, the assembly that was at Antioch.
Therefore we know on the authority of the Word of God. It was an assembly at Antioch.
The next question that would arise is the question of the apostles.
Well, now if you'll turn to the 14th chapter of Acts.
And the fourth verse.
It says, But the multitude of the city was divided, and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
You go down to the 14th verse, it says which when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes and ran in among the people crying out.
So we find that at Antioch.
There were two apostles.
Paul and Barnabas.
If we were to take the time to read through the 15th chapter of Acts word by word.
We would find that we are not told how many apostles there were at Jerusalem.
But we have two identified for us.
Perhaps I should say probably 2.
Peter was certainly there.
And a man called James.
I leave it to those who are much better instructed than I am as to whether this James was James the son of Alphaeus, or whether it was James the brother of the Lord.
00:20:08
But the fact remains that at most we have two identified for us, and there were two at Antioch.
And so we perhaps can say that the assembly at Antioch.
Was.
Supplied with at least the same number of apostles.
As are positively identified as being at Jerusalem.
The next question that might arise as to why Antioch would not decide this matter for themselves might be the question of numbers.
You know, sometimes, as we mentioned before.
There are decisions that a assembly, or I should say, matters that an assembly consisting of two are not able to handle.
There might very well be circumstances arise where the smallness of an assembly.
Would give that assembly.
Cause to very seriously consider.
The effect that their decision is going to have on the consciences.
Of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ elsewhere.
Well, if we turn over to the.
11Th chapter of Acts for a moment.
And the 22nd verse.
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the Church, which was in Jerusalem.
And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch.
Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad?
And exhorted the mall, but with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
For he was a Goodman, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.
And much people was added unto the Lord.
Well, we find beloved young people that the decision.
By the assembly at Antioch.
To take their problem to Jerusalem was not a result of numbers, because Antioch was a large assembly.
Another question that has arisen and may arise, beloved young people, and I am speaking very frankly this afternoon.
Is the question of an assembly where it is made-up largely of one family?
I trust that my comments at the beginning of the meeting have been sufficiently clear.
To firmly establish that too, regardless of name.
Regardless of relationship to each other, gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ constitute an assembly.
But the question may very well arise where the assembly consists largely of one family.
Or those closely related to seriously consider.
The effect upon the consciences and the exercise of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ elsewhere. If a decision is made that is going to there that is going to have.
Widespread ramifications throughout the company gathered to his precious name.
Now we find that God by His Spirit has answered this question for us too, in connection with Antioch.
If you go back to the 13th chapter of Acts for a moment and the first verse.
It says now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.
As Barnabas.
You recall he came from Cyprus.
00:25:00
And Simeon, that was called Niger. I have heard it suggested, and it may well be true, that Simeon was a *****.
Lucius of Cyrene. If you look at your map, Cyrene was on the coast of Africa.
Manian, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch.
One who had brought up been brought up in the inner councils of the ruling.
Families in Israel.
And saw who came from Tarsus.
So we find that God by his Spirit.
Makes it very clear to us that here at Antioch there was number question.
About being largely one family, there was a diversity.
Of families, but gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The next question that might arise, and again, beloved brethren here young people, this all question also can arise today.
As to whether the Saints of Antioch were going on well.
Sometimes this presents a serious stumbling block. An assembly is faced with a problem, but there is not the going on with the Lord. In the assembly there is the allowance of all sorts of things that make spiritual discernment difficult, if not impossible. And in such circumstances it might very well become such an assembly to recognize their state and look for.
Resistance from another assembly.
But we find God has answered this question for us too, in connection with Antioch.
If you would turn over to the 14th chapter again, I'm sorry, I beg your pardon, The 11Th chapter of Acts.
We'll read from the 22nd verse again.
Speaking of Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad.
And exhorted the mall, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
You go down to the 26th verse.
The latter part of the verse.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
We find here was an assembly.
We find that Barnabas comes down from Jerusalem.
And he having been spent a long time in that assembly at Jerusalem.
Where there had been much instruction, much teaching the presence of the apostles, he comes down, and in this assembly at Antioch he sees that which gives him.
To be glad at what the grace of God had wrought.
But furthermore, we find it says that they were called Christians first at Antioch.
Here was again the evidence for us that it was an assembly that was going on.
With the Lord.
And so the decision to refer the question in the 15th of Acts to Jerusalem was not a question of the godliness of the assembly at Antioch. Another question that might arise and can arise today.
Is where their subject comes up as to an assembly where there may be a lack of those who take the oversight, those who perhaps in the assembly feel that in their local assembly there is a lack of those who are grounded in the word of God.
A lack of those who are able to open up the Word of God and give the wisdom of the Word of God for the particular circumstances.
And in such cases it may well become an assembly again.
To look for counsel and assistance elsewhere.
Well, God has answered this for us too, I believe in connection with Antioch, if you'll go to the 13th chapter again.
00:30:07
And the 5th at the first verse, which we have already read, it says there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.
No shortage at Antioch of those who were able to expound the word of God.
Here was an assembly that perhaps many of us here might covet. Where? Where were those who were ably?
Qualify to expound, to teach the word of God. So again, the reason for referring the matter to Jerusalem does not lie here.
And there's one last.
Question that perhaps we might consider.
And that is whether the best qualified.
The one who was most knowledgeable on the subject in hand? Perhaps he was at Jerusalem.
Well, let's turn over to Galatians for a moment. The 2nd chapter of Galatians.
Do you recall, dear young people, what the question was?
These teachers said except they be circumcised, according to the law of Moses, they cannot be saved. That was what they were told at Antioch.
Now if you look at the 2nd chapter of Galatians for a moment.
And the 11Th verse.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I, that is Paul withstood him to the faith, because he was to be blamed.
Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel us, thou, the Gentiles, to live as do the Jews, we who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles?
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.
But by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Well, dear young people, what do we find?
If I may put it colloquially, we find that the expert was an Antioch, not at Jerusalem. Paul was the one who understood more clearly than them all the status, the standing of the Gentile.
And yet, beloved young people here we have a circumstance where we have an assembly at Antioch, and this assembly, as we consider it, had their own apostles, Paul and Barnabas. It was a large assembly, not composed of those who were immediately related to each other.
An assembly that was going on with Glock. An assembly that was endowed with prophets and teachers.
And lastly, an assembly where the very best qualified, the best instructed man on the subject was right there at Antioch.
And yet we find, when we go back to the 15th chapter of Acts, that they decided that this matter should be taken to Jerusalem. Why?
Would you turn with me now? We'll be coming back to the 15th of Acts in just a moment. But if you'll turn to the 4th chapter of Ephesians for a moment.
The 4th chapter of Ephesians.
And the first verse.
Therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
With all lowliness and meekness.
00:35:04
Long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling.
Here we might say is the 7th.
Consideration and the one that I believe gives us to see the wisdom of God.
In the 15th chapter of Acts.
And endeavoring to keep.
The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I believe we have seen how Antioch was qualified in every way.
To make the decision that they were faced with.
But, beloved brethren, love in exercise the desire to keep the unity of the Spirit.
The looking to the Lord that Satan may not be able to drive a wedge.
Between the Gentile assembly at Antioch and the Jewish assembly at Jerusalem.
LED them.
To decide that this matter should be taken to Jerusalem.
Now let's consider for justice a moment.
Such a decision.
We've already said, and I trust have shown from the Word of God, that Antioch was qualified.
As an assembly.
And now the question that is before them is one that affects them, that is affects Antioch much more than Jerusalem.
These ones who had come down from Judea were trying to lay something upon them at Antioch.
The first thought that we would.
Naturally considered.
Would be Jerusalem would be the last place to go to to look for a favorable decision on such a question?
Would you go back to the very center, the very place where these?
People had come from the very core of Judaism to expect that the liberty of the Spirit of God would be shown toward the Gentiles. But all, beloved brethren, that is exactly what they did. Counting upon God, they went to Jerusalem.
To consult there with the apostles and elders.
You'll notice too that they didn't write them a letter.
They went to see them, They went to sit down with them.
To discuss the matter fully and frankly, counting upon the God of all grace to workout in their assembly, righteousness and peace.
The next thing you would notice in the 15th chapter of Acts is in the 4th is in the third verse.
And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Venus and Samaria.
Declaring the righteousness of the Gentiles. I'm sorry, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. And they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Here they were at Antioch, faced with a very serious question.
But all beloved young people, did they occupy all the Saints throughout their journey with the problem that they were faced with?
Nor as they journeyed up to Jerusalem to take the matter up with the Saints there.
They talked to the assemblies that they visited. They talked to the Christians that they came in contact with, of God's wondrous grace in reaching out and saving the Gentiles. They talked about what God had wrought. They talked about the miracle of His grace, of His love, And they caused not distress.
00:40:14
Not heartache, not sorrow. They cause joy.
There's the very language of the Word of God.
And they caused great joy.
Unto all the brethren.
All beloved young people, may we profit by it to see that God would have us occupied with His goodness and His grace.
And the result will be that as we talk together about His goodness and His grace.
We're going to find our hearts overflowing in praise.
If you go down now to the.
Fourth Verse. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders.
And they declared all things that God had done with them.
And there rose up certain of the sects of the Pharisees, which believed, saying.
That it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Now, dear young people, I believe we learn a lesson here too.
If you will compare what was said here with what was said in the first verse, you will notice there is a difference.
These ones that came down from Jerusalem said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, he cannot be saved.
Now these ones Pharisees rise up in Jerusalem and say that it was needful to circumcise them.
And to command them to keep the law of Moses.
They don't say that you can't be saved without being circumcised, but they say it's needful.
And that they should be instructed to keep the law of Moses.
Well, you might interpret this as an improvement.
And you know, beloved young people, this is one of the efforts that the enemy of our souls uses.
When that which is false is introduced amongst the Saints of God, and where the opposition to that false teaching is raised up of God, the next effort that you will find is that the enemy seeks to modify it to perhaps reduce the seriousness of it in an effort to make a less serious form of it palatable to the Saints of God.
Well, we can see here that God by His Spirit resisted any such effort. Peter rises up and says, no, not so. We can't put upon these people a burden that we ourselves as Jews could not bear.
You notice the 10th verse Peter speaking, he says Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? All beloved young people the grace of God. Words coming from Peter the apostle to the circumcision.
Words coming from Peter that says no, the Gentiles are not to be called upon to keep the law, not to be called upon to be circumcised. This burden we couldn't bear, and they should not be called upon to bear it either.
Then we find in the.
13th verse After they had held their peace, James answered.
Now if you remember the verse in Galatians chapter 2 That we read, I believe it would be a reasonable inference from the passage in Galatians chapter 2 to believe that James was even more strict concerning the Jewish law than Peter was. Peter was quite happy to eat with the Gentiles when he was at Antioch until he saw some that came from James.
And then he was worried and he separated himself.
But now it's James, the one that seems to be even more strict in his application of Jewish principles. He's the one who stands up and says in the 19th verse, Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled.
00:45:05
And from blood.
In other words, the James says we cannot call upon them to keep the law, but simply to observe the general moral principles that apply throughout the whole word of God.
And the result was that God in his grace.
In his grace, beloved young people.
Met an effort by the enemy to divide the Saints of God and the result was righteousness, a decision that was in accordance with the Word of God.
And peace between two assemblies. A Gentile assembly.
And a Jewish assembly.
This assembly that decided.
That they should act in this way.
Found that God was able.
To work that which was for His glory.
And for the blessing of His people.
Now in the 4th chapter of Ephesians.
We find there, if we could go back to it for a moment.
But it says with all lowliness.
And meekness.
With long-suffering.
Forbearing one another in love.
I'm sure there aren't any of us, certainly not the speaker, who speaks on such a subject as this without feeling how far short we come in the exercise of these principles.
But the word of God says with all lowliness.
And meekness.
Now, if we were to turn over to the 11Th chapter of Matthew.
We would find there that it speaks concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
And says for I am meek and lowly in heart.
Now the Lord Jesus in his pathway here was meek.
He did not give offense.
And he was lowly.
In that he did not take offense in spite of some of the.
Terrible things that were said concerning him.
When we come over to Ephesians chapter 4.
We have before us the subject of endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit.
And here it speaks of loneliness first.
And meekness afterwards.
I would like to suggest to you this afternoon one reason why it is given in this way.
Brethren, we have seen.
To our sorrow.
Felt the reaction in our own hearts, I'm sure.
That things are done.
Or said.
And the result is that my heart.
My old nature reacts.
To what is said or what is done?
It takes exception. It rebels.
And the loneliness is not seen.
In other words, I take offense. I'm offended by what brother so and so said or did.
And the result then is that the response that is seen is not one of meekness.
It's not that which is to be expected from a child of God.
If I am not lowly.
I'm going to take offense and the result is I'm not going to meet be meek.
00:50:05
But I'm going to respond in kind.
And give offense.
And the result will be.
That there will not be the keeping of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We find, the word of God says, forbearing one another in love.
All beloved brethren, we've had a little bit of this in the meeting this last few days.
About that love being in exercise amongst us.
That the world even may recognize that we are his disciples.
But that the machinery.
Of the assembly might be kept running smoothly.
That there might not only be seen simply the righteousness.
But also the peace.
Not just the truth, but also the mercy.
Now, beloved brethren, at the cross.
The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mercy was displayed and truth was not sacrificed in any way.
Righteousness was maintained, but peace was procured. And beloved brethren, I submit to you, and I submit to my own heart, that God has put this pattern for us in His Word to give us to see the exercise that there should be on your part and on mine.
To, as it were, sit down and take stock as to whether we are endeavoring.
To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
It is not a matter of Maine, simply as it were, sitting in my local assembly and saying we can decide it here and everyone else is going to have to bow to it.
Beloved brethren, the Word of God is very clear. Whatsoever is bound on earth is bound in heaven.
But at the same time, the word of God establishes a pattern for me.
For you to see that which is becoming that which he looks to see in those who are endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Law, forbearance, long-suffering.
Loneliness. Meekness. I believe we see it all in that assembly at Antioch.
That would go up, make that long journey just to ensure.
That Satan was not to be allowed.
Divide the Saints of God.
Now, I would add a further word of caution.
It is the unity of the Spirit.
Consequently, it cannot be unity at the expense of truth.
It cannot be unity at the expense of righteousness, but beloved brethren, it is possible.
To have righteousness.
And peace. It is possible to have mercy and truth.
There is one body stand.
Thank God we have nothing to do with keeping the unity of the body.
But we are called upon to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.
And beloved brethren, I suggest to you, and I suggest to myself, it requires positive exercise. Not a matter of simply drifting, but a positive exercise to realize, as it were, that here I am sitting down in my local assembly and facing a decision, and to bear in mind that what we are about to do is going to affect all those who are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And how? How can we, without insisting on our rights as an assembly, without insisting on our status in any way but with loneliness and meekness, doing everything that is possible, consistent with truth and righteousness?
That will keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
00:55:02
Now, if our time is just about gone, if you'll go back to the 15th of acts for justice a moment.
I believe there are.
Two other matters that I would like to draw your attention to.
You notice it says in the 15th of Acts and the.
22nd verse Then pleased at the apostles and elders with the whole church.
To send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, surname Barsabus, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
And they wrote letters by them after this.
And simply goes on to confirm what had already been said. Now if you go on to the 27th verse, it says we have, we have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
We find, beloved brethren again, that they would commit to this assembly at Antioch in writing their decision.
And they were very thankful to get it. But at the same time they said we're going to send some of our company.
To make that long journey all the way back up there to Antioch, to let those beloved brethren up there have it confirmed that what we're saying here in the letter is really and truly the expression of our hearts that they might have it confirmed by word of mouth. All beloved brethren, is it not a joy to the heart to see this care, this love in exercise?
That would send these ones on this journey.
Simply to confirm what was already a gracious answer in a letter.
It loads again in the 15th chapter of Acts and the.
32nd Verse. And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words.
And confirm them.
Not only did these two make this long journey back to Antioch, but God overruled in His grace and brought even further blessing out of it, that from that very place where those ones had come from, that brought the error, brought the evil teaching in in the 1St place, from that very same place should come those who would build up the Saints.
Confirm them in the path of the truth. All beloved brethren, God is able.
God is able where we look to Him and where there is the meekness.
The lowliness first, the meekness that doesn't insist in any way upon our rights, but looks to him.
Now I would like to just read two other verses if you take the time to turn over to James chapter 3 for a moment.
James Chapter 3.
And verse 17.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Beloved brethren, we see here, I trust we've mentioned it a number of times this afternoon already, but I would like to repeat it. The wisdom that is from above is first pure. Consequently, the mercy cannot be at the expense of truth. But.
Righteousness and peace can kiss each other.
Pure, then peaceable.
Gentle, easy to be entreated. Oh, that's what they found there at Antioch. They were ready to go all the way up to Jerusalem. And when they got to Jerusalem, they found their brethren that were ready to listen, ready to help, and in the fear of God together render a decision that would be for the glory of God and that would maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Brethren, let us not give up the purity.
But, beloved Saints of God, may we never, never, never.
Abandoned.
The.
The gentleness, the easiness to be entreated.
One other verse I would like to read is in 13th chapter of Hebrews.
01:00:04
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 7.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God.
Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.
Like Him
Address—P. Glading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Just a few brief thoughts and scriptures.
When I saw the loaf on the table this morning.
And brought before me.
And it represented really two bodies.
Now 9th and turn to a few scriptures which will make this very plain and simple.
First of all, may be turned to Isaiah Chapter 9.
Isaiah Chapter 9.
And verse 6.
For harm to us.
A child is born.
Unto us a son is given.
The child was born in Bethlehem.
The sun was from all eternity.
I'll just read the rest of the verse. And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God.
The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Unto us a child is born may return to Hebrews 10.
I believe there are 7 scriptures in connection with the Lorde body.
10th chapter of Hebrews.
And verse 5.
This seems to agree with the verse we've just read. And to us, a child is born.
Verse 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world?
He sent sacrifice and offering. There would us not but a body.
A body hast thou prepared me?
Here we have gone. The Father prepared him, a body prepared an incarnation.
And body for the blessed Lord.
The Son of God became the Son of man.
In order that the sons of men might become the sons of God.
So we find here a body was prepared for this Blessed One to come down here.
To glorify his Father.
And to redeem mankind.
Here we have then a body. Hast thou prepared me?
Repair the incarnation.
Now the tenth verse, same chapter.
By the which will I should read? Verse 9 then says he Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the 1St that he may establish the second by the which will.
We are sanctified through the offering of the body.
Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Here we have that precious body which was prepared by God the Father for Him offered in sacrifice.
And this body which was prepared for him, was the body in which he accomplished the will of God here on earth.
It was in this body that he suffered for your sins and mine, beloved.
Yes, in this same body.
He hung up on the cross as the Sin Bearer.
So this is a very solemn verse.
The 10th verse by the which will we are sanctified or set apart through the offering of a body of Jesus Christ.
A body offered in sacrifice for you and me.
What matchless love.
The thing that blessed 1 The eternal Son and God, the Babe born Bethlehem, should come down here and go to that cross.
To do in the will of his father whatever it might cost him.
To glorify His Father and to finish that great and mighty work of redemption for you and me.
That we might be redeemed by His precious blood. That we might be brought into eternal blessing.
And into eternal relationship with God the Father and his beloved Son, the.
00:05:07
So first of all, in verse five we have this body prepared in incarnation.
The 10th verse of his body was offered in sacrifice and what a sacrifice. This was the only sacrifice God the Father could accept and delight in because it was a sacrifice and an offering of a sweet smelling savour to God the Father.
The perfect burned offering, first of all.
And the burnt offering is for God.
So his first thought and object was to glorify his Father, which he did perfectly in every step of his pathway.
And he also came to see and to say that which was lost.
And now may we turn to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 11.
And verse 24.
My brother read this this morning I believe.
1St Corinthians 1124 And when he had given thanks, he break it and said, take, eat, this is my body.
So that low thin on the table this morning represented.
In the first aspect, the body of Christ.
This is my body, which is broken for you.
This too, in remembrance of Maine. What a precious privilege it was that you and I had to respond to his desire this morning.
The brother remarked it could be the last occasion, and it well might. As things are, it looks as if the Lord might come this very day.
So here we have this thought.
I know it says in John 19. Is it John 19? A bone of him shall not be broken.
That's true.
But Can you imagine those cruel soldiers driving those awful nails through his blessed hands without breaking a bone? There are lots of bones in the hand.
But not a bone should be broken. God said a bone of him shall not be broken. But we love it when we think of that broken flesh, He's broken body. Can we not say in the language of this verse?
Or rather what he said. This is my body, which is broken for you.
Honestly, is less assigned, not broken open.
Were not his feet broken open with those rich and awful, wicked, cruel nails?
I believe we can read it this way.
But I do maintain the truth concerning the bones. A bone of him shall not be broken.
And we read when the soldiers came to break the length of the 1St and the other, when they came to Jesus and found that he was dead already. They break not his legs.
No, they couldn't do that. God would not permit it. He had sent a bone of him shall not be broken. And so they bypassed the blessed Lord. They did not break his legs. He was dead already.
Well, here then, we find his body, shall we say, broken in judgment on the cross of Calvary, for you and for me.
And they should solemnize our hearts, beloved, when we realize what the blessed Lord went through on the Cross of Calvary for us, we are reminded of that this morning.
But when he suffered at the hands of wicked men.
Nothing compared with what he suffered under the hand of a holy God.
When men and Donnie's worst and could go no further.
And therefore that awful judgment upon his blessed, devoted head.
How solemnly thought, yet he was a sinless 1.
We're reading this morning a wake of sword against my Shepherd. Why? Why against my shepherd?
Away goes sword against my shepherd, against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of her. Smite the shepherd. Why smite the shepherd? He was the Good Shepherd, why should he be smitten? Well, beloved, he was either the shepherd or the sheep.
00:10:02
And serve them. Bless the Lord in his infinite love to us. Took our place. And was smitten that you and I might not be smitten for our sins. He was not smitten for his sins, but he was smitten for ours. He took our place.
There on the cross of Calvary.
Can we not read it this way? This is my body which is broken for you.
Broken in judgment.
Anniversary in John 19.
Verse 40.
19 and 40 then took they the body of Jesus.
And wounded in linen clothes with the spices.
As the man of the Jews is to bury, then took they the body of Jesus.
He will have his precious body in death.
Buried in dense.
Solemn this is, and blessed one who came down here to do the will of his Father, man said, We will not have this man to reign over us. Away with him, crucify him. And they did, but thank God they did not take his life.
He can say they are phoned up. My father loved me because I laid down my life.
I have part and land down.
I have power to take it up again. No man take it from me. This commandment have I received of my father.
Man did not take the life of Christ, He crucified him. But, dear friends, he plainly states himself.
No man taketh it from me. I land down of myself. It was of his own voluntary will that he laid down his life. A sacrifice for you and for me there on the cross.
So here we have this 40th verse of John 19, this precious body of Jesus buried in death.
Now the 24th Chamber of loop.
Verse 39.
Luke, 2439.
He says, Behold my hands and my feet.
That it is I myself.
Handle me and see.
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself hear. His precious body was witnessed in resurrection.
That same precious body which went into death is now witnessed in resurrection.
John speaks of his hands on his side.
I mean, he's yes his side.
Here Luke speaks of his hands and his feet.
Well, I suppose it's typical of John to think of his side because he leaned upon Jesus bosom and occupied a near place for the heart of Christ.
So he speaks of his sign? Yeah, she's a sign here. It's his hands and his feet.
So in this verse then we find his body was witnessed in resurrection.
Now Philippians chapter 3.
And verse 21.
Who shall change? I should read the letter part of verse 20, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body?
Body of humiliation, and it may be fashioned like under his glorious body.
According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
How wonderful.
To see here his body glorified in the Ascension, and to think too, beloved, that you and I are going to have a glorified body too.
Yes, we are very soon, maybe today.
But here we find this blessed one, this body, it says fashion like under his glorious body.
It's glorified in ascension.
1St Corinthians 11.
And verse 29.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily.
00:15:02
Eateth and drink of damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
His bonding discerned and communion.
But a solemn statement concerning those who do not discern his body.
I knew of two young men who went to a church and when they came in they said this in my wifes hearing and mine. We had a good drink this morning.
We went up the front and had a good drink of wine.
But a solemn thing for them to boast about.
It says he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords body.
Here we have his body then discerned in communion.
So the Lord Jesus really has two bodies, and they both represented in that loaf we had on the table this morning, His own body, of which we've been reading these various scriptures, and his body, the church Mystic body, two bodies in the one loaf.
And these two bodies, beloved, they're going to be side by side throughout all eternity.
This pleasant one, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Coming these glorified body.
Going to change on vile bodies or bodies of humiliation like under his own glorious body.
So there will be two bodies, so to speak. His own body and his body, the church to be together throughout eternity. And that bright and happy scene above.
In First Corinthians 12.
And verse 12, verse 12 Says, For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body souls is Christ. For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body.
That's his church, which is his body.
So that Loath then really represented 2 bodies this morning, Christo's own body, and his body in the Church of which every believer is a member. And we do not remember the Lord as sin is saved by grace, but as members of the body of Christ.
I think this is very sweet and precious and it says in verse 27 Now ye are the body of Christ.
And members in particular.
Members in particular in our individual testimony for Christ in the world.
I think there's a very striking verse. Members in particular. In other words, we have our own particular responsibility as a member of the body of Christ.
But how precious to realize.
Then that these two bodies are going to be side by side throughout all eternity, the one marred more than any man's.
The other he's going to present himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, and it may take place today. Oh beloved, what a glorious hope we have to think that we're going to be exactly like our blessed Lord.
He has his glorified body, and you and I are going to have ours very soon too. And so these two bodies, His body, the church and His own body are going to be together in that bright and happy scene about forever.
Very beautiful.
I suppose we can really say.
I have to be careful how I put it, perhaps.
Perhaps we can say the first body is the explanation of the 2nd.
And the second is the outcome of the 1St.
I believe that's right.
But the thought occurred to me when I saw that big loaf on the table this morning.
It represents 2 bodies, the body of Christ.
It's high up on that cross which was prepared by God the Father for him to come down here and to do the Father's will.
And to see in the save and last.
But before he could do that, he had to go to the cross.
And we've looked at those various scriptures in connection with his pathway from the time he was a Bay born in Bethlehem till he receives his glorified body in Ascension. Now he's up there and he's glorified body.
00:20:16
We sometimes sing On the Father's throne is seated Christ the Lord, the living One. That's where he is now, beloved.
I was thinking in Matthew 3 and tells us that the heavens were opened to gaze upon that blessed man down here on earth.
In Hebrews we find the heavens are open, that you and I might gaze upon that same man up there, as the apostle Paul says, but we see Jesus.
Hebrews 2 button verse 9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.
That he, by the grace of God, shall taste death for every man. So now in Matthew 3, often he was baptized, we find the heavens were opened upon this blessed One. Heaven was gazing upon that man down here on earth. Now the heavens are open that we might gaze upon that same man in heaven.
Glorified, crowned with glory and honor, or how it should rejoice our hearts and know He is there no longer on the cross, no longer in the grave, but risen, ascended and glorified.
Well, I just repeat again that one love brought these thoughts before me and it's very precious to realize that we are members of His body, the church. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. The question is very often asked as we know, what church do you belong to? Well, the only answer is what we just quoted in Ephesians 5. Christ loved the church, gave himself.
One and every true believer is a member of that church, which is his body. Yes, it belongs to him. It's his body. The church belongs to Christ. He bought it with his own blood. Well, I trust.
Your heart and mind might be encouraged by these few scriptures we read together to realize that at any moment we're going to receive our new body, glorified body, like unto His own body of glory, and be forever with Him and pride seen above, to thank Him and to praise Him throughout eternity for His infinite love and for all that He's accomplished.
First of all, the glory of God and for our eternal blessings and salvation.