Toledo Conference: 1975
Table of Contents
Changes No Change
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.
Toledo, November 1975, addressed by John Brereton.
7.
Rejoice, ye Saints, Rejoice and praise the blessings of redeeming grace. Jesus, our Everlasting Tower mocks at the Angry Tempest's Roar. 237 Someone would please start it for us.
Ignore.
I would like to turn first of all dear young people to a very well known verse in Hebrews chapter 13.
What I have upon my heart to speak of this afternoon.
Is the subject of change.
You know, we live in.
What is often referred to as a changing world and you, dear young people, are growing up in a world where changes are coming more and more frequently.
But how wonderful it is for us to realize that we can pick up the book.
The last words of which were written nearly 2000 years ago and find that in spite of all the changes.
That have come in in this world, we still have the wisdom of God for our pathway here in a changing world.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8.
Jesus Christ.
00:05:00
The same.
Yesterday and today.
And forever.
Now, beloved young people, we find there the one who knows. No change, no change, the little hymn we've just finished singing says.
Though all things change, he changes not and beloved young people, this same precious savior that went to Calvary's cross to save your precious soul and mind nearly 2000 years ago.
He is unchanged. His love to us is as bright and as precious as that moment when he was paying for our sins. Upon the cross of Calvary we find that.
There is a change. There is a change in us. There is a change. Dear young people, there was a change in you, a change of mind, a change of heart, when you were saved. We sometimes speak of it as repentance. That is that change of mind that owns before God, that we are guilty.
That we are lost. That we deserve to be sent to hell forever.
But that God, in his wondrous love has provided A savior. We have a change of mind. And so we reach that conclusion by God's Spirit, that God is for us, not against us, that we were the enemy, and that God was the one who loved us and gave his Son for us. But when we turn to the Lord Jesus.
We find that in him there is no change. No change. Now, would you turn over to Malachi Chapter 3 for a moment?
Malachi chapter 3.
And verse 6.
For I am the Lord.
I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. You know, I love to connect this verse with what we have in Hebrews 13. There we have the Spirit of God by the hand of the apostle, advising us concerning the Lord Jesus, and telling us concerning him that he.
Changes not.
That Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, but here we find it is the Lord Himself.
The Lord himself who addresses your heart and mind. And he says, For I am the Lord.
I change, not all beloved young people, what immense comfort it brings to our hearts.
When we lay hold of this precious truth in our souls, have you and I failed the Lord this past week? He has not changed. His love, hasn't changed. His interest. His desire for your blessing, his determination that you are going to be with him in the glory, has not changed. Those purposes of His remain the same.
And above all, he remains the same. All we might very well say at times you don't realize.
How far away I've got in my soul, the things that I've done that have grieved the Lord. Now, dear young people, make no mistake, the word of God doesn't excuse us, but it does assure us that He changes not that we are still infinitely precious to the One who died for us, that we are still.
In his care.
00:10:01
And under his charge as the captain of our salvation.
To bring us safely home to glory. Indeed, it is well said. Here, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. If you were to follow the history of the children of Israel, if God's attitude, if the attitude of the Lord Jesus toward the children of Israel, had changed every time they fail, truly they would have been consumed. And so it is with you and I.
We can look back over our pathway. I can look back over the 25 or 30 years that I have known the Lord Jesus. And I can see the time after time when I have failed him and undoubtedly grieved his heart. But I can rejoice this afternoon, dear young people, in spite of all my failure to know that he has not changed, that he remains the same.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday.
And today?
And forever.
Now we find in Genesis chapter one.
That God the Father and God the Son had a consultation and their purpose was announced. Let us make man in our image.
After our likeness, thou beloved young people, that was the purpose of the Godhead, that was the purpose of God in Trinity, that we should be made in the image of God and after his likeness. Now it was true that as far as this earth was concerned.
Adam.
For a while fulfilled that purpose, that is, that he was here in this world, in the image of God as God's representative, and he was created in the moral likeness of God and placed in headship here. But He failed. He failed but.
God changes not. The Lord changes not.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday.
And today and forever. And he has not. He has not.
Abandoned his purpose, That man should be in the image and likeness of God. That you and I should be in the image and likeness of God.
But now turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter one.
Romans, chapter one.
Verse 18.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.
And unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power. And Godhead or Divinity is a better reading, so that they are without excuse.
Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.
00:15:11
And to birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness.
Through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Now, beloved young people, we find that the Lord has not changed.
That he himself has said I am the Lord I change not.
But we find something has changed. What is it?
Why? It is man's conception of God that has changed. It tells us here in the first verses that we read, that the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divinity.
In other words, if man looked at creation with open eyes, he would see that which speaks of God's power and his divinity. But what has happened? Why man has changed what is revealed in creation of God? He has changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.
In other words, in Genesis chapter one, God said let us make man in our image.
Instead, what man has said, let us make God in our image. We'll change our concept of God into something that is more acceptable to us, and the result is that he changes him. He changes him into idols so that men worship golden calves. He changes his the image of the glory of God. He changes that image into that which is made like under corruptible man.
And as it says here, and to birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.
Now, beloved young people, we don't see a great deal of idolatry in this world. Not in Canada, not in this country. There is some, undoubtedly, and perhaps it's increasing, but the fact remains we don't see a great deal of it. But we do see, and on an ever increasing scale, where man has changed what is spoken of here as the glory of the incorruptible God into something that he can grasp and understand.
And rationalized by bringing it down into human terms. And so we hear Ben talk about nature. We hear men talk about the creation of the world by accident. We hear men talk about the creation of the world by some supreme kind of being that has no actual interest in man at all. All sorts of rationalizations, dear young people. God hasn't changed.
But man's concept of God has changed and who changed it? Why man did he changed it? Because he didn't want the image of God that he saw in creation. He didn't want what he saw. So he changed it so that it would be more suitable to what he wanted. Now we find in the 24th verse it says wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness.
Through the lusts of their own hearts. To dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie. The truth of God into a lie. I heard a man back home in Toronto the other day, a man that is very well known in Canada, man who claims not to be an atheist. He says he believes in some kind of supreme being, but he made the comment, he said.
That he had talked to dozens and dozens of ministers was his own term that he used. He had talked to dozens and dozens of ministers, and he hadn't found one that still believed in heaven and hell. How dear young people does that sound? Strange. But that's the kind of world that so-called Christendom is adopting to. More and more, this man went on to say. And I just say this to bear out because.
00:20:29
There's no real profit to be gained in being occupied with these kind of comments, but the one thing that struck me so much, he made the comment, he said.
I suppose it really what these people are trying to tell us is that we have the choice of going to heaven and being bored, or of going to hell and being burnt. Now, dear young people, that's a man who's 76 years old. He's on the brink of eternity, but heaven has no attraction for him at all. No attraction because he doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior.
And So what does he do? Why, he changes the truth of God into a lie. And he found a whole lot of supporters. People that will go along with him will tell him that they agree with him, and they change the truth of God into a lie. Now, what practical effect does this have dear young people? We see it all around us. We see it in the schools. We see it in the colleges. We see it in the moral climate of the world in which we live.
Where God condemns in the clearest, most specific terms that which man now looks upon very lightly, and what does he do? Man changes the truth of God into a lie and reaps the consequences for it.
Dear young people, may you and I have in our own souls the sense that we have to do with the One.
Who changes not? And when The Word of God speaks in clear, explicit terms concerning such things as morality, they have not changed. God has not changed. His truth has not changed, and the only way you can, as it were, get around for the time being what God has said is to turn it into a lie, to excuse conduct on the basis of what is acceptable in the 20th century.
Beloved young people, May God give to you and I to have nothing to do.
With this kind of change, all we hear about people being enlightened, that this is the 20th century beloved young people, the God that you know as your father, the Lord Jesus that you know as your savior. He does not change, and neither does his truth change. It is the same. The same.
And you and I need grace from the Lord beloved young people, to go on.
In a changing world where moral corruption is increasing.
As they turn more and more away from the truth of God and make it all into a lie.
We need grace from the Lord of Glory to go on with the one who does not change in the middle of a changing, corrupt world.
Let's turn back for a moment, if you will.
To the Book of the Psalms, Psalm 15.
Psalm 15. We'll read from verse one.
Lord, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He that backed by that knot with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. Now notice dear young people, the next verse particularly.
In whose eyes a vile person is contempt, but he honoured them that fear the Lord.
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
00:25:03
Dear young people, if you are going to be faithful to Christ, if you are going to walk in the company of the one who knows no change, it is going to cost you something.
You're going to need purpose of heart. You're going to need, above all else, grace from the Lord and strength from Him.
But here we find that the Lord sets His approval upon those who swear to their own hurt, and change not changeeth not. What does that mean?
Well, I believe it means simply this.
That we seek grace from the Lord, that with purpose of heart we will go on for him.
That we will seek to honor him at school.
At college, at the office, wherever it is and not change, even though it hurts.
Even though it brings mockery. Even though it brings reproach.
Even though dear young people, it may bring lack of promotion in the office, even though it costs you something. Oh dear young people, the devil, the enemy of your soul and mind, would have us to look at the cost and decide it's not worth it.
But the Lord of glory, he says, Who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? And he gives the answer he that sweareth to his own hurt and change. If not all beloved young people, don't change, don't change, don't change the truth of God, and try to substitute some lie to excuse the conduct, don't change.
You belong to Christ. Walk with him. How? One covet sits for one's own soul. Dear young people, to walk in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ and in spite of all the opposition, and it's going to increase.
Make no mistake about that, It's going to increase.
But don't change. Don't change. Don't let the pressure. Don't let the temptations.
Get through and change. Oh, you say? How can we do this? Well, I trust in a few minutes we'll look at another verse that perhaps gives us a little bit of the secret of it. But here the Lord is showing us that which meets with His approval. Now, how does this come out practically? Well, dear young people, there are many things that are changing. Many things, as they say in this world, are changing the world.
Accepts is acceptable.
Today things that it rejected itself 50 years ago. But the Lord hasn't changed. And the Lord wants you to walk with him. And so when the Word of God condemns conduct, when the Word of God condemns, acts, when the Word of God points out that which is a dishonor to Christ, it is today. It was 50 years ago, it was 2000 years ago. He has not changed.
Or how this has been so impressed upon my heart of late, beloved young people. As I mentioned before, everything around us is changing. Everything around us is changing, and we sometimes hear and it.
It hurts one's own heart to hear it say, well, you've got to. You've got to be in the 20th century, beloved young people. There's only one place, only one place where you have to be.
And that is at the feet of the Lord Jesus. We were noticing some of us the other day, and talking about it. The Lord Jesus said specifically one thing is necessary, and Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her.
You turn over to the book of Proverbs for a moment. Proverbs, chapter 24.
Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 21.
00:30:00
My son, fear thou the Lord and the king, and meddle not with them.
That are given to change.
All we find.
We find dear young people. As I say, this is a world that is changing very rapidly.
And there are those, and some who truly are the Lords too. But they're given to change.
They're given to change. Whatever new idea comes along, they're the first ones to get hold of it. Whenever somebody comes along with a new suggestion of how to do things differently, they're the first one to grab at it.
The word of God says meddle not with them that are given to change.
Now someone might say, well, does that mean we change nothing?
Dear young people, we change nothing. Nothing.
That is not.
Consistent.
With the word of God.
We change nothing if the change is not consistent.
With the word of God.
Now, someone might say, well, I don't mean to be facetious when I say this, but someone might say, well, we drive automobiles today, and 50 years ago we drove horse and buggies. That's true. We do change. We change in that way. But that isn't what the word of God speaks of. It speaks about those children who are tossed about with every wind of doctrine. Have you met them? You find out that what they believe is based upon what they last read.
You find out somebody gave them a pamphlet to read, and all of a sudden they're all excited about that.
And then somebody else gives them something else to read, and all of a sudden that's what they're all excited about.
Beloved young people, the truth of God has been revealed by the Spirit of God.
And if you're here at this conference expecting to hear something new that has never been given out before, you're going to be disappointed because God hasn't gathered us here together to reveal some new truth. There isn't going to be some new revelation given to us during these meetings, but simply the precious truth of God that the Saints of God have enjoyed for hundreds of years, for over 100 years.
Now, beloved young people, there are those who are given to change, And if you meddle with them, if you meddle with them, you're going to be stumbled by it too.
You're going to be stumbled by those who are taken up with all the new ideas.
God calls upon you and I.
To meddle not with those who are given.
To change given, to change.
Which you turn with me now to First Samuel, chapter 21.
Before I comment on this portion here.
That there are many things.
And I say it with sorrow, as I know many other brothers would too.
There are changes.
There are changes, brethren, that are coming in amongst the Saints of God.
And these changes, I don't believe, are of God at all.
Changes that are coming in, and it brings sorrow of heart to see it.
When we talk about meddling with those who are given to change.
We speak of those who are taken up with every new thing, like those who at Athens.
When we speak about those who swear to their own hurt and change not.
I speak of those who take a stand for what God has revealed to me as the truth God, and stand for it even though it hurts. And dear young people, I would encourage you to stand for the truth, to stand for the truth of God as God has revealed it to you from His precious word.
00:35:02
To stand for the truth, even though at times it will hurt.
But, brethren, we should be exercised. And I say this to my own heart about some changes.
I feel saddened, as I'm sure others do, but I speak for myself. Saddened.
At what at times seems such little interest in the gospel?
I see assemblies and I trust I won't hurt anyone's feelings when I say this. I don't mean to.
But I see Assemblies Substantial assemblies.
Where there is no gospel testimony. And, brethren, I submit to you that that is sad. It's a change. It's a change.
God is still interested in infinitely interested in the gospel, and we have the privilege of having fellowship with the gospel.
Just recently I had my attention drawn to the.
Suggestion that open meetings.
Perhaps should be avoided at times because of what might be said or who might say it.
But, dear young people, that's a change. And beloved brethren, that's a change. That's not of God. Oh, I say it, and I trust I I speak the truth when I say it, but it's not of God. God wouldn't have us to make changes by substituting human reasoning or human resources. We only have to look around and christen them and see where that is LED.
Changes.
That depart from the truth of God and the interests of God.
May God give us the grace to swear by that which God has revealed to us.
And not change.
Not change, not give up any part.
Of the precious truth that God has revealed to us and dear young people, if the Lord should tarry much longer, the responsibility for standing of this truth is going to fall upon you. It's going to fall upon you to stand for the truth, to learn the truth, to have the truth in the heart, and to stand for it even though it hurts.
You notice here in First Samuel chapter 21.
And verse 10.
And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul.
And went to a kiss, the king of gas, and the serpents of Akash said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land?
Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying Saul hath slain his thousands, and David is 10 thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Akish, the king of Gas.
And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Akish unto his servants, Lo, ye see, the man is mad. Wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
This is one of the saddest episodes in the life of David. Here was a man of God. You notice the expression that's used in the 11Th verse? The servants of Akish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? Isn't this David the king?
But David?
For fear of the A kish.
And his soldiers changed his behavior.
Dear young people, do you and I do that?
Do we change our behavior because of the fear of man?
Do you find that you're one thing? When I say this to my own heart more than anyone, do you find that you're one thing at the meeting but another thing at school?
Something else at the office There you've changed your behavior so that you fit in.
00:40:02
Or change your behavior to avoid the reproach of belonging to Christ.
All David was the anointed king. David was the king.
But he conducted himself as one who was mad, as one who was mad. What a sad sight. What a sad sight, dear young people, to see King David in such a condition as this.
And their young people, We can change. We can change our behavior to fit in. But it's a sad sight. It's a sad sight to see one who belongs to Christ, one who is a child of God.
Accommodating his behavior and his conduct so as to avoid the reproach.
To avoid the conflict.
To avoid.
That which would come upon him.
If he was faithful to Christ.
You know, it says in Second Timothy, chapter 2 Take thy share of suffering.
It's in the new translation that says take thy share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Now dear young people, grace is needed, strength is needed, but the Lord has undertaken to supply it all.
Grace. He giveth more grace. Strength the apostle Paul could say, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me and so beloved young people.
God is looking for a change. We'll notice that in just a moment. God is looking for a change in you and a change in me. But not this kind of a change, not the kind of a change that accommodates to the world around us, you know, in Romans chapter 12, it says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Transform. Here is a whole world. A world, I might say, dear young people.
That man has changed.
You know in the.
4th chapter of Genesis we find that man changed the world. Have you ever noticed that in the 4th chapter of Genesis man changed the world? He accommodated it to himself. Cain went out and built a city and set up a world that accommodated himself. Just as Romans chapter one says he changed the image of the invisible God. Change that glory.
Into that which he could fashion with his own hands.
Well, may the Lord keep us, dear young people, keep us.
So that any change in our behavior.
Would be that which meets the Lord's approval and is never.
Done to accommodate.
A world that is opposed to Christ.
You turn over with me now to Second Corinthians chapter 3.
We were mentioning earlier.
That the Lord commends those who swear to their own hurt and change not.
Because they have the truth of God in the heart, and they stand for.
He commends those who met a lot with those who are given the change. We're always looking for something new, some new idea.
But here we find that there is a change, that God is working.
2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18.
But we all.
With open face beholding.
The glory of the Lord. You can leave out the words as in a glass.
But we all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Are changed into the same image.
From glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
00:45:02
In Genesis chapter one.
God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness.
Here we find that God is still.
Working that purpose, he is changing man, Changing the believer. Dear young people. Changing him into what?
Well, in Romans chapter 8 we're told.
That we have been you and I, We belong to Christ. We have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. That's God's plan.
And he hasn't abandoned, he hasn't given it up. It is still his purpose that you are going to be conformed to the image of his son.
And so am I. But here we find out that now.
In this scene in this world right now, God is working by his spirit.
And so it says here we all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Are changed.
All beloved young people here is a change. A change that not only meets with the Lords approval, but which he is working by his spirit.
You notice it says are changed, not change themselves, but are changed. How are we changed?
Into the same image, all dear young people can I put it very simply.
How do you and I right now? How do you and I, as we go about day by day at work, whatever it is, how do we become more and more like Christ? That's what God is seeking to do in your life and mine. How do we become more and more like Christ?
Why it says, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Now, dear young people, what this very simply means is this.
That as your heart, as your life, as your mind.
Is taken up more and more with the Lord Jesus. You are changed by God's spirit.
More and more into his image.
Now here is a change, a vital change, a marvelous change that God is seeking to work in you and in me, to change us even now.
That we might be more and more like Christ.
All beloved young people. This isn't something. This isn't something, as it were, that we do by deciding it's going to be sold.
But by being occupied. Oh, how often you've heard that expression? Occupied with Christ. What does it mean? How can you be occupied with Christ, dear young people? It is from reading His word.
It is from having your heart and your mind taken up.
With Christ.
That is how we are changed into the same image.
In meditating on these things, it struck 1 so much that there are changes that God says have nothing to do with.
And there is a change that God would encourage to be more like Christ.
All beloved young people, may it be so with you and me. May we find the Lord Jesus so much apart of our everyday life and thinking.
That we find ourselves changed more and more.
Into his image.
You know, it says of Moses, and I think it's so lovely. It says of Moses that when he came down from the mountaintop his face shine, but he didn't know it.
The word of God doesn't encourage us to become occupied with how much I am like Christ, but what it says is be occupied with Him.
00:50:02
And this is how the change comes about. This is how the change comes about, all the forces of this world and the Prince and God of it.
Trying to change it to change you so that you accommodate yourself to this world.
And the Lord of Glory is seeking to change you, that you might be more like him.
And he tells us the secret of how.
Are two other verses I would like to turn to before we close. First is in Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians chapter 3.
And verse 20.
For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body or our body of humiliation?
That it might be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
You know we've mentioned in Genesis chapter one, God said let us make man in our image.
After our likeness in Romans chapter one, it tells us that man took.
And can change what God had revealed of himself in creation and changed it into the image of corruptible man. Now God says I'm going to take corruptible man and change him into the full conformity.
With the body of glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, beloved young people, you and I, This is our future.
We are going to have bodies fashioned like unto his body of glory. We are going to be changed. In first John chapter 3 it says. It does not yet appear what we shall be.
Oh, you can look at me and I can look at you and we say, well, I don't see much of that body of glory. I don't see much of what you're going to be 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 now, beloved young people. This is a change. A change.
Change that. God is going to work in power.
He's going to change.
In First Corinthians chapter 15 it says we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed.
And at any moment, beloved young people, you're going to receive a body of glory fashioned like unto his body of glory. God is going to work the change, and you and I are going to be in a scene of glory in a body suited to that place. One other change, Hebrews chapter one.
Hebrews chapter one.
And verse 10.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens of the works of thine hands.
They shall perish, but thou remainest, and they all shall wax old, as doth a garment.
And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up.
And they shall be changed. But thou art the same.
And the year thy years shall not fail all. We began our meeting this afternoon, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Here we're reminded that he is the same, but thou art the same. But beloved young people, everything around us is going to change as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be.
Changed though. I found myself at home the other day. Matter of fact, some of us were talking about it at home and just enjoying in my own soul the thought.
That, brethren, you and I are going to be.
00:55:00
In a scene one day in a scene of eternal blessing.
A scene where there is a heaven and an earth, so you and I will be in the heavenly part of it.
But it struck one in meditating upon it to think that we are going to be in a scene in a place.
Where?
Sin has never been.
There is going to be an Earth.
And newer, where sin has never been.
And we are going to be in the heavenly part.
Of that eternal scene.
In a life.
In a life that has never sinned and never can sin.
And we're going to be in a body.
That is fashioned like unto his body of glory.
In other words, brethren, obscene where there is nothing.
Nothing to remind us that sin has ever existed.
Apart from the wounds.
In the hands of the precious savior, that's the scene that's before us, beloved young people. We need to be changed to enter it.
God is even now.
By His Spirit, through occupation with Christ, seeking to change us even here.
To be conformed to his image.
But there are changes.
Changes in this world.
Changes in Christendom.
Changes dear young people that by God's grace you and I want to have no part with.
We want to avoid them with all the abhorrence.
That we should have for anything that is a dishonor to Christ.
And to remember beloved young people.
That, that which meets with God's approval.
That.
Which meets with the approval of the Lord of Glory.
Is that which he has revealed to us in his precious words.
And to change.
To conform in any way to this world.
Is a sad, sad spectacle.
May the Lord bless his word to your heart and mind your young people.
That we might more be more conformed to his image now.
More to his image now.
And.
Dear young people, may you and I have the grace.
Given to us of God.
To stand for the truth.
And if changes are suggested.
If changes are advanced.
That are not.
Consistent.
With the word of God.
And with God's interests here according to his Word.
May we have grace.
To stand for the truth.
Even though it hurts.
A Threefold Cord
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.
Toledo, November 1975, Addressed by Albert Hayhoe.
Will you turn with me please this afternoon to the book of Ecclesiastes?
The 4th chapter of Ecclesiastes.
And the 12Th verse.
The last words of that 12Th verse.
A three fold cord is not quickly broken.
A three fold cord is not quickly broken.
Now I know that these words can be taken and applied in many different ways.
But there is, I believe in the word of God, a three fold pattern.
That, I hope, may be profitable for us to consider, and I believe, as we consider it together, we may find that it applies to every one of us, no matter whether we fit into the category of young people or not.
I will remember many years ago when I was numbered among the young people.
That I used to listen to the aged brother who stood up and addressed us, and I wondered why they always chose such old men to speak to those of us who are young. Some of them must have been all of 45 or 50 years of age, and I really couldn't understand.
Why they chose such old men to speak to those of us who were young. But I'll tell you this, I will remember to this day, But I heard from the hearts and lips of those dear brothers with the Lord. Now I thank God for their message, and I realize.
Beloved young people as I stand here.
That they spoke to us in those days as they did.
Because they truly loved us.
Maybe they didn't understand our particular problems, our situations, and I don't pretend to be able to understand yours. But I tell you this, and you know it's true that the author of this book that lies open before me knows not only the general situation that we faced in 1975, but he knows you personally. I say again.
He knows you personally. He loves you individually, He loves you. He knows all about the situations in which you are found today, all those through which you have ever passed. And better still than that, he knows all about what lies ahead. Now if I had some friend who knew me that well and who knew all about.
Tomorrow and the next day, I think I would weary that friend with coming to him for counsel for guidance. But I have such a friend. And so beloved young brother, so dear young sister, have you. You have one who you are entitled to call your friend. He loves you. He died for you. Your hands were eternity. And right now, as we're gathered together.
He looks upon you with an individual personal knowledge of you, a love to you, and the ability to guide and direct your footsteps throughout all the journey that may yet lie ahead. I want you to remember this please, that he truly desires for you and for me a happy pathway and.
Abundant entrance and a full reward.
I may repeat that because I know that the very first lie that ever was told in this world was intended to remove that wonderful reality from the heart of man. He wants for you and for me, a happy path.
00:05:09
An abundant entrance and a full reward. And there are whisperings in your ear. I know there are. That would suggest to you and me that the light and wisdom of the Word of God will rob us of certain things that are so worthwhile, so pleasant, so much to be desired. But I tell you this.
Any restraint, any restriction in the Word of God.
Is for your happiness and mine for your blessing, and mine now this threefold core that I have before me to speak about.
Suppose we turn first of all to the book of Genesis, and find there a little pattern that I think fits into this threefold cord, the 45th chapter of the book of Genesis.
And a fourth verse, Genesis chapter 45, verse 4.
And Joseph said unto his Brethren, come near to me.
I pray you.
And they came near.
And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt, verse 10.
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds.
And all that thou hast.
Here in verse 10 I believe I see a three fold cord.
Ourselves, our families and our possessions.
And I believe we may find that this threefold court is rather often referred to in the Word of God.
And referred to in a way that is intended to suggest to us the purposed blessing of God.
Notice here that Joseph looks upon his brethren and says.
Come near to me, I pray you all, that I might hear the Lord himself saying that afresh to my soul this afternoon. And my dear brother, my dear sister, I hope you may hear it too.
That he personally is addressing those words to you. Come near to me. If the sentence had ended there, it would have been most precious. It would have been a marvelous invitation. But I think it's more than an invitation when the words are added. I pray you, Can't you see the yearning, longing desire of the heart of Joseph? He not merely invites them to come near, but he actually.
And treats them.
You and I have had invitations, I quite expect, and we wondered a little bit about the sincerity of the invitation when we received it.
But it wasn't worded this way. Was it all? How marvelous are these words?
How near to me?
I pray you.
These are his own brethren.
And beloved, the Lord Jesus is saying this to you and to me this afternoon.
I'm going to address you as though you had already acceptable.
Jesus Christ as your Savior, You know by His grace, by the cleansing power of His precious blood, by the authority of His own word, that you are His redeemed with His precious blood.
But he wants your company, he says. Come near to me.
I pray you, why does he want your company? You know the answer very well. Because he loves you.
00:10:03
You have to love someone a lot to want their company continually. You might wish for or tolerate a visit.
But when you really love someone.
An occasional visit is not enough. You want them near, and you say, as he said to his brethren in verse 10, thou shalt dwell, thou shalt be near.
Oh, let us remember that the outstretched arms that accompany these words of entreaty are the very arms that were outstretched upon the cross of Calvary.
Because he loved you so much, the hands that are outstretched were nailed to the cross. The side to which he invites you and me this afternoon is the side that was pierced in love for you and me. Could I hear, could you hear such words as these?
And find no response in our heart.
Don't try to persuade me that you really belong to the Lord Jesus. If there isn't something about these words that stir your heart, He loves you, He wants you to be near to him. Verse 10. Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me. All beloved, When we think of the cost by which the Lord Jesus has opened up this way of nearness, surely it stirs our hearts.
When we read in the gospel of his agony, his suffering until the last cry has rung from his lips, he cries. With a loud voice he yields up his spirit of the very next verse says, And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
God at last is free to come out in the fullness of His love, to whosoever will. God at last is free to invite you and me to know the nearness that had not been ours before.
Oh, I have stood by the bedside of some who were right at the very end of the journey, and how precious that nearness is to them then I remember on one occasion.
Visiting in the hospital.
By the bedside of a dear sister who was just about to slip into the presence of the Lord.
She was within hours of her home call, and her voice was gone, but she could still whisper and I can still hear her whispering these words so near, so very near to God I cannot near be.
The love wherewith he loves his sons, such as his love to me, her heart was overflowing with the nearness that even then she was enjoying and anticipating with gladness the prospect of soon being faced in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you know, I went from that sick bed to another room in the same hospital, where a dear brother was also dust about to pass into the presence of the Lord. But that man, that brother.
Had lived to gather together all that he could have this world's possession.
He had never known the joy of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a true believer. He knew where he was going. But that joy that I had just seen in the sisters sick room was lacking. In that room the very things he had lived for and labored for were slipping from his hands. He knew where he was going, but the joy of it was utterly lacking and beloved young people.
Permit me as one who is not young any longer.
Permit me, as one who has stood by quite a few such bedsides, to tell you this, that the only happy path on earth is nearness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He went through all that in order that the way might be open for you and me to draw near.
Just as soon as possible after the triumph of his resurrection, where is he found? In the midst of his own? He loved their company, and before he left them he said, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am.
00:15:04
There ye may be also, but let us notice, please, in verse 10 thou shalt be.
Near unto me, Thou and thy children, and thy children's children.
And thy flocks and I heard, and all that thou hast.
Kermit Peter suggests that we do have here this threefold cord ourselves, and it's a challenging responsibility to stand here and speak in this way. For I believe the first responsibility here rests upon those of us who are parents. Now I know that among the young people today, there are many who are parents. The Lord has entrusted little ones to you.
And I believe that you read these words. You see a wonderful privilege.
And yet a solemn responsibility do you not. Thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children.
Is our Lord Jesus really interested in such matters as these? Indeed he is. Oh, how happy the home where there is the enjoyed presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Nearness to him on the part of the parents, and a longing and prayerful desire of all else above all else.
For our children that they might share that nearness to it's not just simply certain doctrines from the word of God passed on from father to son.
But here its nearness to him who pictures the Lord Jesus before us, and the origin of his desire, is his heart not ours. Thou shalt be near unto be thou thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. Doesn't this sound rather unusual? And yet I believe we see the wisdom of it For.
If there is a purpose, the desire for the company of the Lord Jesus nearness to himself, but it does not embrace our all, there is going to be a divided interest. And we have seen all too sadly where this divided interest can sadly lead ourselves and our families.
And our occupation, our possession, all near to the Lord Jesus. All dear young people, just let me put it this way.
If by the good hand of the Lord, you're part of a home where this claim has been felt, thank God for it.
That's my memory and I stand here publicly.
To thank God for the memory.
I certainly didn't always I squirmed. I didn't like the restriction. I didn't like that which was involved. But I stand here to thank God with all my heart.
That the memory of my childhood and youth is centered around this precious book that lies open before me.
The prevalence.
Of being together with the Lord's beloved people at the meetings.
I appeal to you, dear young people, that if this is the pattern of a home in which you are growing up.
Thank God for it with all your heart, and it perchance there are young people here where this is not the pattern of the home, where perhaps neither your father nor your mother may have any heart for the Lord. Yet this wonderful invitation from his loving heart is still extended to you. He wants your company because he loves you so much.
And he wants your nearness because he wants you to be a happy Christian.
I wonder if we could turn over, please, to the book of Exodus.
00:20:03
Exodus Chapter 10.
I believe we will see in this chapter an attempt of Satan to break up this threefold cord.
One by one he attempts to break the strands of this cord. But a faithful man named Moses will not allow that threefold cord to be broken. Chapter 10 and verse 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh. And he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God. But who are they that shall go?
And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds where we go. For we must hold a feast under the Lord.
Thank God for this purpose of heart. Thank God for a man who will not allow this threefold cord to be broken.
I wonder sometimes, as I read these faithful words of Moses, if he had been reminded of his own dear, by his own dear mother, of the words that were addressed to her when he, as a little babe, was laid in his mother's arms.
Do you remember the words that were addressed to her? Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
I have often heard that quoted. I've seen it again and again in Prince.
But I don't know I've ever heard it quoted or seen it in print correctly. They always omit one word. As we drove down in a car here toward Toledo, my wife was reading a pamphlet to me in which this was quoted, and again the same word was omitted. Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
But the scripture adds that a word there that is often forgotten. Take this child.
Away.
Take this child away. There it is. And I wonder if Moses mother reminded him, as he grew up, of those words that had been addressed to her concerning her boy when he was very little. Take this child away, all beloved fathers and mothers, as you see those dear children growing up. May God allow you to hear ringing in your ears.
Those solemn words take this child away. Don't expect the child to like it very well.
The child may resent it greatly when he or she is taken away from those things that may seem so pleasant, so attractive, that may make your child looked upon as part unusual difference.
But Moses was brought up with those words ringing in his mother's ears.
Nurse him for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And now, as a man, he faces this suggestion from Pharaoh. First of all, we didn't take time to turn to it, but back in chapter 8 we find that Pharaoh didn't want them to leave the land at all. Then when he saw that there was going to be insistence on leaving the land, they were not to go very far away, but Moses.
Faithful man of God that he was, would not hear of any such compromise, nor would he hear of any breaking up of this threefold cord. So notice please in our chapter Exodus 10 and verse 11.
The ultimatum of Pharaoh not so go now either men, and serve the Lord for that he did desire, and they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
How does this sound? Go now, either men. You're going to have to leave your families behind. After all, your families will not understand. Perhaps when they compare Egypt with the wilderness, in spite of the problems of Egypt, they would perhaps quite naturally prefer Egypt to the wilderness. But I believe the eyes of faith looked far beyond that wilderness and saw the land that flowed with milk and honey.
00:25:03
Saw the privilege of the presence of the Lord with them there in the wilderness, and Moses would not go and leave his family behind.
Now you and I know that we are surrounded by a world that is pictured here by that which was being carried on in Egypt at this time.
We have that which certainly looks very, very attractive, very, very worthwhile compared to the path of faith. There is so much to be seen in the present things that this world has to offer. But beloved young people may by the grace of God, there be given to you the eye of faith that will look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see in Him the one who was the beginner and finisher of the path of faith.
So for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
And it sat down with the right hand of God.
Well, Moses would not lean and leave the families of the Israelites behind.
And I say once again to those dear children and young people who are here today, if you have seen in your whole life.
The desire on the part of your parents to live for the Lord Jesus if you have seen with them, and inspire to walk in a path of true separation to the Lord Jesus.
I believe you can well, thank God for it, but I say once again, let this be a personal, individual purpose of heart and decision in your life that you want to follow the one who loved you, who died to redeem you, who personally addresses you this very afternoon with words of tender entreaty.
With words of a love that was stronger than death. He doesn't want you to waste your time here in this poor Egypt world. You cannot enjoy his company there, and he wants your company and he wants you to know when to enjoy the sweetness and the wonder of it. Well now in verse 24 of our chapter.
Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye serve the Lord.
Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed. Let your little ones also go with you now, under pressure. He relaxes a little bit and suggests that it would be quite all right for these parents to leave Egypt, and even to take their families with them, but they were going to have to leave their business, their flocks and their herds behind.
And I, dear young people, here is a matter that I believe is a very, very present and serious matter with everyone of us.
Your occupation and mine where it finds us.
What our real purpose is in that occupation? I suggest that this may be what is included in the flocks of the herd. They were not going to be left behind in Egypt.
While a household was found out there in the wilderness.
And may the Lord search everyone of our hearts as we face this challenge today.
Your occupation, My occupation? Is it something that will bring?
Recognition. Prestige. The Lord knows what each and everyone is best fitted for, but all beloved young brothers and sisters. May the decisions concerning such matters as these be made on your knees.
If you wish on your face before the Lord with this precious book to guide you if your occupation.
Is going to find you in Egypt.
May the Lord have mercy on you. I believe that you and I bought a good hand of the Lord.
Can find our interest, our occupation, in that which will permit us to glorify God in it every day of the week. It's not a question of leaving the presence of the Lord to go off and carry out our days responsibility, and seeking the presence of the Lord once again when the day's duties are ended.
00:30:16
How happy is the man who can face his responsibility throughout the day and have the comforting presence and joy of the Lord in his soul throughout those hours of the day? And the deer young sister too. Oh May God grant that such a separation as is suggested here, may not be found in our life, our flocks and our herds on one side of the water, and our households on the other. May God grant that there will be that single hearted desire.
That in those important decisions of life we may realize, we may hear the desire of the heart of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ addressed to us. Thou shalt be near unto me. Thou and thy children are thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds and all that.
Thou hast.
Well, notice the answer of Moses in verse 26. Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not on hoof be left behind.
Wonderful purpose of heart. This threefold cord will not be broken. And when the waters of the Red Sea rolled back there, we see that three fold cord intact, the whole household and the flocks and herds.
Leaving the land of Egypt. And there they are found in the wilderness, on their way toward the promised Land. But we turn now, please, to the 11Th chapter of Deuteronomy.
And here we find the children of Israel in the wilderness.
They have not yet reached the land, but I believe we see here in Chapter 11 This same threefold cord presented to them in the Wilderness, verse 18.
Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Three and.
Ye shall teach them.
Your children.
Speaking of them.
When thou set us in my house, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thine house, and upon my gates, that your days may be multiplied in the days of your children in the land which the Lord swear unto your Father's to give them.
As the days of heaven upon the earth.
For what purpose was this instruction given? Doesn't it shine out in these closing words as the days of heaven upon the earth? Oh, undoubtedly this is wisdom for a people here on earth and their promises blessing here on the earth. But, beloved, is there anything sweeter than a whole where these principles are carried out? I tell you, these words are true.
Heaven are possible here upon earth. Thank God for it, but it's a challenging pattern thou shalt lay up.
These my words in your heart and in your soul.
Beloved young brother and sister.
Would you just take this to heart?
Lay up these words.
In your heart and in your soul. No other eye can see it there but his eye laid up as a treasure in your heart and in your soul. That's where this blessing really begins. And I'm going to ask you, without any show of hands, I'm going to ask you.
00:35:00
Do you read this precious word of God for yourself every every day? Surely everyone would be able promptly to raise your hand. I'm not referring to the home family reading. Thank God for that privilege, for that necessity. I mean that time when father and mother and family together read the word of God and join in prayer.
But I'm asking you personally, do you read this precious book?
For yourself.
As something to be treasured in your heart and in your soul.
I didn't. When I was a boy. I went to the meeting, I said. And of course, on the family Bible readings.
And I'm going to ask my brother Gordon to forgive me for telling you something.
I was given a Bible by my mother when I was seven years of age.
That I thought it was a fine book that carried a meeting with me. A fine book in which to find the answers to the questions in the Sunday school paper and to learn my verse each week and one day as I was walking through the living room.
I saw my brother.
Reading his Bible.
Gordon, are you looking for the answers?
Now, are you learning your verse for Sunday school? No. Well, what are you reading?
Well, I'm just reading my Bible.
Now I've never told them this.
When I went up to my room and I thought that's.
Something This is not only a book that carried a meeting. It's not only a book to learn my Sunday school verse and find my messages of lot of answers. This is a book to read for myself and I sat down to read it.
I thank God for that example.
And I want to encourage you, dear young people this afternoon to read this precious book.
And to ask God, as you do, that it may find a lodging place in your heart and in your soul.
Once again, without a show of hands, I'm going to ask a question. It's a little more difficult. How many of you have read it from Genesis to Revelation without missing a word?
Come now, don't put your hand up, but could you if I asked her to? You've missed part of the light and wisdom of God. If you can't say yes, thank God I have read it through. And when you get to the end of Revelation, read it over again. The word of God laid up in the heart and in the soul, and then bound upon the hands frontlets between the eyes.
I remember the impression that made upon me some time ago, when in the shadow of the wailing wall I saw a young man having the word of God bound upon his hand literally, and there, hanging between his eyes again, were portions of the Word of God.
I felt for that young man. It was the bar mitzvah ceremony that was being carried out. And this young Jewish fellow was having the word of God literally bound upon his hands. And as I saw him, there was a word of God bound upon his hand, the word of God between his very eyes.
I just trust with all my heart that it may have had an effect upon me, that I may remember that these hands of mine ought to have the very word of God bound upon them.
These hands are not my own. They belong to him who loved me and died to redeem me and beloved young brother and sister. As you and I look at these hands of powers and realize that there's only given to us such a brief span of life.
In which to live, to please the one whose hands were nailed to the cross in love to you and me. What are you and I doing with these hands of ours? Is the word of God bound upon them. Can you, and I say with the Apostle Paul, you're not your own, but with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God, I do realize, as we were reminded yesterday.
That with the changing downward trend of public opinion all around us.
Those precious and holy claims of our Lord Jesus Christ are in danger of being forgotten. But this?
00:40:07
Changing book that lies before us contains a pattern that guarantees the blessing of the Lord and the happiness that he promises to those who walk in His light.
Front flips between your eyes.
Will you forgive, please, a personal reference?
But I remember as my daily occupation.
Began to become a greater and greater interest and challenge to me.
That I took a little couplet and hung it in a part of the office that was frequented by myself alone, and the words were thee.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Looks full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
Every day I went into that little room at the back of the office.
And looked at those words.
And I want you to remember.
The love of a young brother, dear young sister, that there's one who can fill your heart with gladness. But no honor, no attainment, no possession in this world can give to you. The peace, the joy, the gladness, the he and he alone can give. Let the Word of God be bound upon your hand.
Let it be as frontlets between your eyes, and now that this fourfold effect has been presented to us, we find that thou shalt teach them, my children, Speaking of them, when our citizen thine house, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.
I wonder if Timothy had this kind of upbringing. I rather think he did.
I rather expect that in Timothy's upbringing, there was the word of God happily woven into the very fabric of his home life. Oh dear young fathers and mothers, don't restrict the word of God to a little quick Bible reading before the children go off to school. Weave it into the very fabric of their home and family life. It will be a challenge to you to do it. It will require.
Your being in the presence of the Lord.
It will cause a good deal of searching of his precious word that you and I might ever be able to do so. But May God grant that these things that are spoken of here, we trust, enjoyed by us personally, may be passed on to our families, and then in the 20th verse.
And I shall write them up on the doorposts of thine house, and upon my gates Here I believe, we find the third strand of this cord, our possessions, written upon the very doorpost of our house.
What would come through the door of your home, Oregon? Mine, as the word of God were written there.
It's something to think about, isn't it? As the word of God were inscribed upon the doorpost of your home.
What would come through that door? Only that which would be in accordance with the word of God.
Only that which would meet with his approval.
Is there anything in your home or mine?
That would not be there.
If we stood at the very doorpost of our home and asked the Lord, shall I bring this in, or shall I keep it out written upon a doorpost of our very home?
Now I know that not many folks literally write it on the doorpost of the house.
But I'm going to make a recommendation here, and I don't think Bible truth publishers will condemn me for it. I'm going to recommend that you have the Word of God heartily displayed in every room in your house.
That's the very first thing anyone sees when the front door is opened is the word of God.
Perhaps that they could even see it before they open the door. I assure you it will be to the health of your home.
00:45:09
I visited a home one time and looked in vain for any evidence of the word of God to be found anywhere on any wall in the home.
Shortly after, an opportunity arose for us to give them a little gift. So we chose the text that we thought would go even with the decor of the home. And the next time we visited they pulled open a drawer and said, by the way, thank you very much for that lovely text which they pulled out of the drawer to show us and put it in again and close the drawer.
I hope that's not the case in your home. I hope the precious living word of God is found.
Where you can see it continually, it will be a blessing in your home if it is, and thy gates farther out still, perhaps in public testimony. But this comes last, first of all, in the heart and the soul, the hand and the eyes, the family, the whole home and the gates, embracing all the love of that threefold court again.
I know I was in a home quite a while ago.
2 little children passed the door of that home.
And as they did the one nudge the other and pointed to the home and said that's the home where they love to talk about Jesus. I thought that was a fine commendation for the couple that lived in that home. That's the home where they talk about the Lord Jesus. Oh dear young people, I don't know just what your purpose in life at this moment may be. Perhaps there are some of you here who have just established a new home.
Perhaps there are some of you here who have such in your plans. But remember these precious words. This threefold cord will bring the blessing of God, the days of heaven upon the earth. We want to turn to yet one more, please.
In the book of Ezra.
The 8th chapter of Ezra.
And the 21St verse.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of a hava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
I see. I have that little word all circled here in my Bible.
All our substance.
Do we see this three fold cord once more? I proclaim the fast there.
That third ever of a habit that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to speak of him a right way.
For us, and for our little one, and for all our substance.
Remember this, dear young people, That the Scripture with which we began seems to me very lovingly and strongly to indicate the desire of his yearning and loving heart. He wants this to be fulfilled because he loves you so dearly. He wants your company. He wants you near to him because of the yearning love of his own heart.
Pictured in Joseph before his brethren. And remember that the light, the wisdom, the instruction of the Word of God. Though here and there it may seem to you, and certainly to me, a restriction or a restraint, remember, it's a loving and wise heart.
That has given to us the light and wisdom of this precious book. He loves you with a love that is eternal and immeasurable. And let Mark Satan ever, ever whisper in that ear of yours, or this year of mine, that to sidestep the wisdom of this book a little once in a while will certainly add to that which you may share in the way of happiness and joy here. Never, never, never.
He wants you to be near to him. He wants that threefold cord unbroken because of his love for you, because of his desire for your company, because of his longing for your happiness. And then too, we noticed in Deuteronomy 11 That is the very wisdom of the Word of God itself that would mark out such a path for every one of us, and that we have this challenge and responsibility.
00:50:23
Which I trust in some measure I may be fulfilling this afternoon to pass on from the pages of the Word of God that which will bring happiness into your life.
And shall I say, a memory in eternity for which you will thank God for you will not be able to relive one moment of the time entrusted to you here. It's being recorded day by day. It's going to be reviewed up there. You will not be able to relive one moment of it, nor add any postscript to it. Oh, May God grant that from this day forward.
The desire of this poor heart of mine and that heart of yours may be to respond to him who says.
This day come near to me, I pray you now in this verse.
They are about to undertake a journey of great danger and they proclaim a fast at the river. This is very, very serious. It's not something to be taken lightly. It required fasting and affliction of soul and then treating the Lord and dear young people. I do realize, at least in some degree, the extreme.
Dangers and the strong pressures that are around you.
Continually and around me continually. But I believe the spirit evidence here by Ezra is a spirit that we might welcome it for ourselves here this afternoon.
We're not yet home. We may have a few more Pilgrim footsteps before we enter that glorious land where at last we can ungird our loins.
At last we can relax in a pure atmosphere.
Of home and the presence of our Lord Jesus. But this is no light thing. They were during through a very, very dangerous land fraught with many enemies, and they didn't step out carelessly or lightly. And I hope that you and I will never, never, never step at the front door of your home any day of the week without something of this spirit.
I don't know, and you don't know the sudden, fierce dangers and strong temptations that anyone of us may face from day-to-day or beloved young people. Let us take it seriously. Let us realize that as we draw near the end of the journey.
Home is insight. The shark will soon be heard. The Savior's presence we soon shall see. But there's an enemy that knows this to, knows it well, and is trying so hard to trip you up to mar your testimony and mine. But notice here I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might have flicked ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right way.
For us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Oh dearly beloved young fathers and mothers, let this be true. The real desire of your heart. They love young people. Let this be true of you. I sometimes think of the effect, the influence that you have upon others as you pass through this life. You don't live to yourself.
I certainly can look back to the days of my own boyhood and youth.
And remember so well the influences of those who grew up with me. I think of the language of Peter.
Who said in a moment of discouragement I go fishing. But he didn't go alone.
They also said we also go with the Thank God he caught nothing that night.
Thank God.
The Lord would not allow him to fulfill that which he really wanted. Perhaps you have wanted something. Perhaps you have laid plans very carefully and the Lord has taken away and torn them up Here went to fishing, and he caught nothing. But he had a strong influence on the others. But I think of the other side of the story and Song of Solomon chapter one, where we read these precious words. Draw me.
00:55:25
We will run after thee, dear young people. May I ask you which? Which is the testimony of your life? It cannot be relived. Is it? I go fishing to the detriment of others, Or is it draw me to the blessing of others? Here I see in verse 23. So we fasted and besought our God for this.
And he was entreated of us.
Remember, it was his desire. It's his words. And beloved. Remember too, that there are dangers all around us, all around us, but we have the one who loved us with a love that's stronger than death, inviting you and me this day to a place of nearness and shelter, safety and real happiness. May your heart and mind respond to those precious words come near to me.
I pray you, could we again saying just the first stanza now the same hymn that we sang at the beginning, oh Lamb of God, still keep us close to thy pierced side. 318 first stanza only.
All of God still keep us close to thy peers, only there in safety.
And peace we can have heart.
With fools and snares alone.
I love them. Here's with it.
My.
Long time keep us clean.
The Valley of Elah
Address—D. Andersen
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.
May return in our hymn books.
#241.
Savior through the desert, lead us.
Without thee, we cannot go.
Now from cruel change has freed us.
And has laid the tyrant low.
Let thy presence cheer us.
All our journey through we have enemies, and we need the Lord all the way through this desert. We can't do without him #241.
Savior through the desert.
Shine.
I thought to look at the account.
Of David and Goliath.
And I suppose everyone of you young people have read this account. Maybe you have read it several times. That's good. If you're well acquainted with it, we're more likely to get something out of it.
That is one thing about the word of God. We need to be better acquainted with it because.
The more acquainted we are with the word of God, the more we get out of it.
The more opportunity God has by His spirit to teach us, you know we have the best teacher.
The Holy Spirit. He's been sent into this world to teach us, to show us the things of Christ.
It's a wonderful thing that we have the Holy Spirit now. He was sent down into this world, and what characterizes this present period of time we're in is that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is here in this world, and everyone who is a believer has him in his heart.
00:05:00
And He's in the church. He's present in the assembly to lead and direct. He helps individuals in preaching of the gospel, administering the Word. And so we're always looking to God and trust that we might be dependent upon Him to guide us by His Spirit.
First Samuel, chapter 17. I suppose most of you found it already.
Because you should know where this story is. And it's not just a story. This is not a fiction story. This is reality. And God has put this account in the Bible for our good and blessing. Whatever things were written before time were written for our learning. And so these things in the Old Testament were written. They were written for our learning.
God has erased all of this. This is his design. This is his purpose. How good to think that God has made every provision for us. And here we have this book full of good things, and every time you sit down to read it, it's a feast.
Here in First Samuel 17.
We read of the children of Israel at war with the Philistines.
Now the children of Israel were God's people and they had enemies.
You dear young people who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are the children of God, and you have enemies. We have enemies.
We're not to go through this world without being aware of this. Sometimes we're not aware that we have enemies, and then the enemy trips us up. We must be aware of it. And if we're aware that we have enemies, we can look to God to care for us and keep us.
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shoka, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shoka and Esika in Ephes. Damon and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them.
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was 6 cubits and a span nearly 10 feet tall. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, And he was armed with a coat of mail, And the weight of the coat was 5000 shekels of brass. And he agrees of brass upon his legs, And a target of brass between his shoulder and the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, And his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron.
And one bearing a shield went before him, and he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel.
And said unto them, Why are you come out? To set your battle in array? Am I not IA Philistine? And ye the servants of Tusaw, choose you man, for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants? But if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together.
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. Now David was the son of that apartheid of Bethlehem, Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were reliable first born, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shamma.
And David was the youngest. Now remember that David was the youngest and the three eldest followed Saul. That is followed in the army. They were in the army.
But David went and returned to Saul, to return from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself 40 days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren, and eve of this parched corn these 10 loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren, And carry these 10 Jesus unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
00:10:05
Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines, And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the battle, and shouted for the battle.
Now we won't read any further for the time being.
But here are the children of God and their enemies at war.
And we noticed that they, they fight in a valley that would remind us of this world in which we are we're down here in this world, and this is where the battle is taking place between God's people and the enemy.
Now we notice when Goliath presents himself the enemy of God's people, he was really the leader of them. He was the champion, that says.
And there is a champion today in this world. The devil.
Walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. There is an enemy about.
And he's down here too, and he's trying to do all the.
Ruin Bringing all the ruin that he can to destroy and distract and turn things upside down.
Remember how he came into the Garden of Eden and spoiled things there? What a solemn thing.
Well, actually the battle is between God and Satan.
And God has his people here, and he wants to use them for his glory. He wants them to be for his glory down here. And you, dear young people who belong to the Lord God, wants to use you to be a testimony for him here, to live for him here, to live. Christ here. But you can't do it by yourself, no more than these Israelites could fight the Philistines by themselves, Nor could they fight Goliath. Notice. They're afraid.
They're afraid of Goliath, it says in verse 11, when Saul and all Israel heard those words.
Of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid. There was that towering man.
Coming down into the valley, presenting himself for 40 days. What a trial it was for the children of Israel. And they couldn't find one man among them that dared go and fight with Goliath. There was Saul. He was a head taller than anyone else in Israel.
A stately mind. He didn't dare go fight with him. There was Jonathan, a real warrior. He didn't go there to go fight with him. And I'm sure they had many other good warriors in Israel, but they didn't dare go down and fight with Goliath. And so Goliath was having his way there for 40 days.
Are you afraid of the enemy?
Are you greatly dismayed? I'm sure you dear young people, you run into things, temptations and testings, where you're really afraid and you're dismayed and you don't know what to do. You say, well, these temptations are just too much for me. We were having yesterday about the lust of the flesh warring against the soul. And you say, well, these lusts of the flesh, they're just too much for me. I know. They're warning against my soul.
And I don't know what to do. You're afraid, you're dismayed, and you're at your wit's end.
Maybe you're feeling like the one writing in the 7th chapter of Rome, he says. When I would do good, then I find that there's evil with me. I want to do the good, but I don't do the good, I do the bad.
All wretched mind that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death.
Well, there's only one that can do that, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're introduced to David here, who is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. We get a wonderful picture here of the Lord Jesus Christ coming in to undertake for his people. It tells us about David that he'd gone back to his father's place and he was taking care of the sheep.
We find that David had a great love for his sheep.
He would risk his life for those sheep and if you go further down.
00:15:00
We might read further down in the chapter now.
In verse 28.
One of his brothers says to him.
Why camest thou round? Hit her. What did you come for?
Or you just came to see the battle. You wanted to see the war.
But David says in verse 29. Is there not a cause? Is there not a reason why I came?
Well, of course there was. We read back here that his father had asked him to go. He commanded him to go, and he went.
One thing that characterized David was obedience. Obedience.
You know we can go a long way if we're obedient, obedient to our parents, obedient to the Lord, obedient to the word of God. And what an example of the Blessed Lord Himself was in that when the devil came to tempt him, he would not do one thing contrary to the word of God. And he quoted the word of God three times to Satan. And why did he quote it?
Was there something magic about the word of God that could overcome Satan? No, not especially, except that it was a word of God and it had power. But it showed the dependence of the blessed Lord Jesus, his obedience to God the Father and dependence upon him. And you, dear young people, if Satan comes to tempt you and try you if you're faced with the enemy, that is the time to be really dependent upon the law.
That is the time to know what the word of God is and be obedient to the word of God.
Act upon the word Be obedient if you're in the habit of being obedient to God.
When a time of temptation comes, what will happen? Will you just be cast upon the Lord? It depends to lean upon him.
And seek grace to be obedient.
You don't get this all of a sudden, you know, if you've not been in the habit of obeying the word of God and being obedient and dependent.
You don't get it. All of a sudden this has to be part of your life, and this is part of growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Well, David was obedient, and he says, isn't there, 'cause I came here because my father asked me to come. Well, why did the Lord Jesus come down into this world? We had that verse read this morning. He had gotten a commandment to lay down his life. He had a commandment to take it again. He had a commandment to come, he said. When he came into this world, I come to do thy will, Oh my God.
What a savior we have.
We can trust him, and he vanquished Satan there during that temptation in the wilderness.
And he conquered him again, time after time he has annulled.
The power of the Devil. He has taken his power away from him.
And when you're trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ leaning upon him, the devil can't have any power against you. No, he can't. He that's born of God.
Sin of not he keepeth himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
Why? What does it mean to be keeping oneself? Well, it's born of God. As a child of God, you have a life and a nature that's dependent upon God, and you keep yourself in that state of dependence upon God.
Well, that comes through exercises, so it doesn't come all of a sudden. It comes through exercise of soul. You feel well, here's here's something I'm facing. I don't know how to go through with it. I I don't know what to do. Well, just go to the Lord independence, lean upon him and he will help you through.
For without the Lord, we can do nothing. The Lord himself said that without me you can do nothing. And if you're really trusting the Lord, the devil can't touch you.
No, he can't.
Isn't that wonderful? To know that the Lord Jesus Christ has annulled the power of the devil and he can't have power against us? If we're trusting in him, we're trusting in the Lord Jesus.
Now notice what David says in verse 32, and David said to Saul what no man's heart failed because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this philistine.
00:20:06
Just think of it. What would make David say something like that? My what confidence he must have had in God, because it certainly wasn't confidence in himself that he had. And a lot of times, dear young people, we fail because we got too much confidence in ourselves. We're trusting in ourselves and we can't keep ourselves.
Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. He is the one, He is the one that we should have confidence in, not in ourselves. And a lot of times there's a fall because we've been trusting in himself.
In ourselves. If we're trusting in ourselves, we're going to have a fall. Let him think of these standards. Take heed lest he fall.
We never should think that we can stand by ourselves. We can stand only as we're leaning upon the Lord.
The young man sitting beside me here before I stepped up to the rostrum.
He asked if I got nervous.
Well, I said. I get uneasy, but I said I have to lean on the Lord.
We can't stand up here.
And speak for the Lord without leaning on him.
And this is a lesson we need to learn, that we need to lean on the Lord. We just can't do anything without the Lord.
So dear young people, if you've been going on in self-confidence thinking you can meet this and that and the other thing in your life, you can't. Absolutely not. You must lean upon the Lord.
And David said, Let no man's heart fail, because of him thy servant will go and fight with this philistine.
And Saul said unto David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. Yes, all recognized that David was just a young fellow. I don't know how old he was. I don't suppose he was much beyond 17 or 18. Just a youth. You still rotting?
He knew nothing about war, but there was one thing he knew. He knew how to trust the Lord.
And your young people, and you may not know very much about the war between the enemies of God's people and God's people.
But.
You should be characterized by trusting the Lord.
And they would said unto Saul.
Thy servant kept his father's sheep and became a lion, and a bear took a lamb out of the flock.
And I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he rose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
And that makes us realize what love he had for those sheep.
His heart was stirred when he saw that lion, that bear coming. Thinking about that lion or bear would take a lamb out of the flock and run off with it and devour it. He couldn't bear the thought of it. He just went, and he met that lion, and he met that bear.
Dispatched both of them.
Well, did he do it in his own strength? Of course not, in that he was trusting God.
For strength, for help.
Then it says, Thy servants slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them.
She he hath defied the armies of the living God.
The heart of David.
We're just welling up with concern and love for God's people.
David.
Was a real shepherd. He was a shepherd at heart. He loved those sheep and those lambs.
He loved God's people too. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart.
And no wonder God put him on the throne to shepherd his people, and he shepherded God's people for 40 years.
00:25:00
Where did it begin?
Began back there as a boy shepherding his father's sheep.
He learned to love them. He learned to love God's people. You dear young people. This is the time to start loving the people of Gulf.
You perhaps have a tendency, some of you at least, to want to sort of go on independently by yourself. Perhaps you don't feel the need of your brethren.
You don't have a concern for your brother, You don't care for your brother, and you don't love them.
Ah, but God wants you to love your brother.
See, we've been exhorted to love one another.
By this shall all men know you're my disciples, if you have loved one for another.
This love David had for God's people.
It characterized him and it gave him character.
And we admire David.
Well, when we think of David, we think of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ loved the church and gave himself for it and all the blessed Lord had such a concern for the Church that he would go to Calvary's cross and give himself there.
Just like David did when he went down into that valley to fight with Goliath.
Why David put his life in his hands? Jonathan recognized that as we read further on in this account, he was telling Saul about it, and Saul by this time didn't like David at the time this was said. And Jonathan says to Saul why David put his life in his hands.
He just gave himself. How can you hate him? How can you want to kill him?
Well, the blessed Lord loved the Church and gave himself for.
How could it be that there could be those that would hate the Lord Jesus?
And crucify him, put him on cross and destroy him. How could it be?
Oh, what a heart he had for the church.
And if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins are all forgiven, you have eternal life. You're part of the church. Because a real believer in the Lord Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit. And by the Holy Spirit, he's joined to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church in heaven, and joined every other member of the body of Christ.
Well, the Lord Jesus.
Loves the church. Do we love the church? Do we love one another?
This is very important from your youngest days, from the very time you've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, to have that sense in your soul. Well, I'm part of the family of God and I'm a part of the of the body of Christ, and I'm joined to all of my brethren, all of you young people who know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. You're all joined together.
As members of one body.
And joined with the older ones of us were all one body.
This is what we need to learn and have before us more that we're all members one of another.
Were joined together.
By an intimate relationship and joined by the Spirit of God to one another.
And so, dear young people, when you do something, it affects all the rest of the members of the body of Christ.
And if you're going on badly disobedient to the Lord.
And going on in with worldly, lush places of the world, going on in a way dishonouring to the Lord, it affects all the rest of us dear young people.
Sometimes it's stated that a chain is no stronger than the weakest link.
And dear young people and I speak to myself that when we get into a low state of soul, a poor state of soul, and we're not going on with the Lord, we're a weak part in the body of Christ.
And we're used by the enemy to drag down the spiritual tone of the assembly.
All this should exercise our hearts to go on with the Lord, to please him, to be what we ought to be, to honor and glorify God, that the spiritual tone of the assembly might be lifted up.
00:30:09
And this, this applies to every one of us, not just the young people.
Tell us what he speaks, how he speaks of the children of Israel in the end of verse 36.
Speaking of Goliath, he has defied the armies of the living God.
All Goliath could see was that they were the armies of Israel, but David saw them as the armies of the living God.
That makes a lot of difference.
How do you see God's people?
People of the living God, not just a company of Christians, not just a group of Christians come together.
But with the people of the living God.
Now David had said that he would go.
And fight, he says.
The Lord will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine verse. 37 And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. Well, Saul wanted to give him some armor to put on. Well, David tried on the armor.
But he says in verse 39, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them, and David put them all well. That armor would speak of carnal means, whereby we might overcome the enemy. Are you trying in some carnal, fleshly way, in your own strength, to overcome the enemy?
Well, you know what happens. You get nowhere that way.
David hadn't proved that armor, but he had proved the Lord. The Lord helped him to slay the lion. The Lord delivered him out of the paw of the bear.
And he believed that the Lord could deliver him out of the hand of the Philistine. He had proved that. Have you proved that God can undertake for you, and help you, and keep you?
Now this is the thing to prove, but don't trust in carnal means.
No. If we're trusting in ourselves, we'll get nowhere. We can't keep ourselves any more than we can save ourselves. We must trust the Lord to save us. We must trust the Lord to keep us. You know that sheep that the shepherd went to find? He put it on his shoulders and carried it all the way home.
Oh, let's trust that one, the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep and carries the sheep all the way home.
Are you trusting him to help you?
Now, David.
Took his staff verse 40 and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook.
And put them in a shepherd's bag, which he had even in a script, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
Five smooth stove.
I wonder why he took 5 stones.
Well, if you read the account carefully.
As you go through the Bible, you'll find that there were five giants.
Five of them.
They were finally all slain, but no doubt David knew.
That there were five giants and he was ready for everyone of them.
If he wasn't afraid of one giant, he wouldn't be afraid of five giants.
He knew the Lord would guide him and help him to sling those stones.
And he was number doubt one of those that could sling a stone at a hair's breadth, as we read about some that could of the Tribe of Benjamin.
And who gave him that gift and that ability to do that?
It was the Lord and who guided that stone that day. It was the Lord that guided the stone.
Five smooth stones.
I have written down here 5 things that might answer to the five stones.
God is.
God has.
God can.
00:35:02
God will. God does.
God is.
You must believe that that God is there is a God.
God has. He has all that's necessary.
For us, God can. God can do anything.
God will, God will undertake for us.
God does. God does undertake and God does help us. God does carry us through. God does give us the victory thanks be to God which give us us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you longing for victory in your life you say? Yes, I'm longing for victory.
Thank God for the victory he gives through the Lord Jesus Christ. That scripture is found in in the 15th chapter, First Corinthians.
It's connected with the resurrection, resurrection power, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of Saints.
The mighty power of God was manifested in resurrection, and thanks be to God which giveth us the VV and resurrection through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And victory and resurrection is powerful and his power that we need. But where is it thanks me to God who gives it? You want victory? You'll have to go to Him about it and thank him for the victory he gives too.
Many a time I've gone back to that scripture.
Thanks Peter God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, we felt the need of power when we were in that Pagan tribe in Africa.
For 10 years.
We just felt we couldn't go one day, one step without the law.
Because we could feel that we were in the enemy's land, We could feel the demon spirits all around, because that's all they worship. They were worshipping the devil. They were worshipping demons.
Because Paul says they that worship sacrificed to idols, they sacrifice to demon.
The demon sits behind every idol.
And when they bow down to an idol, they're bound down to a demon.
And that's what we were in the midst of, and we felt we needed the power of God. Makes me think of one time I was in the village.
And there were two chiefs under chief sitting listening to the gospel.
And evidently these chiefs got under conviction.
And they wanted to accept Christ as Savior. They want to be saved.
And they had anklets on one leg. Each of them had an anklet.
And that was a sign of power They had gotten to be a chief, and it was power from the devil.
Because that anklet was made from the tendon, from the back of the leg of a human being that they had killed.
And if they did not have the grit to kill somebody?
To get that tendon to wear as an anklet around their ankle.
They couldn't be. They weren't fit to be achieved. It would show they didn't have power to be achieved.
But what kind of power was it?
Was a devil's power that anklet represented the power of the devil, that the devil had got those chiefs under his power.
So I when they expressed that that they wanted to be saved, they wanted to be Christians, I said, well, how about those anklets?
Because I knew what they represented.
The one chief got out his knife.
And he cut that anklet.
A daring thing for him to do.
But he was free. The other chief, he got his knife out.
And he tried to do the same. He fainted away. He wasn't real.
The first one was real. He really trusted Christ. But the other one was just following the the other chief. He wasn't real. He couldn't cut that ankle. He fainted dead away. He didn't die, but he fainted away.
00:40:14
See the power of the devil. We've seen it in those heathen places and it's coming in here more and more dear young people.
And we need to be beyond our guard. All how. We need to be trusting the law, relying on the law.
Just like David was trusting God, he could overcome.
We can't overcome in any other way but by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ to care for us and to keep us.
There's more and more witchcraft coming into this country, more and more sacrificing to to idols, to demons.
Oh, how sad it is to see that we.
That we used to be called a civilized line. We're going backward. We're sliding backward into paganism, into heathen gum.
May the Lord give us grace, dear young people, to trust the Lord that we might be kept because we can't keep ourselves in the midst of a perverse and wicked generation as we're living in now.
Now in verse 45.
David says to the Philistine, Thou cometh to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
The Philistine at cursed David.
Cursed him by his gods.
But David says I come in the name of the Lord of Hosts.
I come in the name of God, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you've defied.
People that you have defined belong to God.
This is solemn faith, and David felt it in his soul.
Today this day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee.
And I will give thee coxes of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. This is what David had in mind.
That the whole earth might know that there was a God in Israel.
He wasn't thinking about the importance of Israel, but he was thinking about the honor of God. Is that what you're thinking about in living your life down here?
We're nothing. But God is everything. We're nothing but the Lord Jesus Christ is everything.
His owners at stake if we're not going on pleasing to him.
Do we want to shame the law? Do we want to bring this honor upon the blessed law?
In verse 47, David says the battle is the Lord's, the battle is the Lord's. You're having a battle in your life, you dear young people.
Yes, you say. It's a real battle.
The flesh wars against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to 1 to the other.
Oh, you say. That's right, there's that fight.
For all, thank God that He's given us His Holy Spirit who is there because the rest of the verse says that you may not do the things that you would.
That you may not do the things that you would thank God he's put his Holy Spirit in our hearts.
And we don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit by disarming the law, but we want to honor the presence of that Holy Spirit in our hearts in this temple of clay. Because the Apostle Paul says ye are the temple of the Holy Spirit, Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and He's there.
To help us, to keep us.
That you may not do the things that you would.
Walk in the Spirit, he says, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. What is it to walk in the Spirit? To trust the Lord to be cast upon him, to be occupied with him, to be filled with Him? Read his Word. It's filled with the Word. It's filled with Christ. And if you get filled with these things, there won't be room for these other things. Our problem today is we lay ourselves open to all kinds of loss, the loss of the flesh.
00:45:18
The lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Because our hearts are not filled with the good things, not filled with the Word, not filled with Christ. If our hearts are full of Christ and full of the Word, there's not room for these other things.
But these other things come and fill up our hearts because.
They're more or less empty.
There's room for these things.
Well, it tells us how David slew Goliath with that stone, and it says in verse 50 there was no sword in the hand of David. It wasn't with a sword that he killed Goliath. It was just in the simple way for the stone where we sing Faith is a very simple thing, but little understood.
May we learn more about faith trusting the law?
And then David takes Goliath own sword and cuts his head off. That is, he does a thorough job of destroying this enemy of God's people. It's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through death we read of the Lord Jesus. Through death he destroyed him, or know the power of him that had the power of death.
That is the devil through death. The Lord Jesus did it.
Through death he destroyed the enemy. He took his power away from him. He took the low place.
And in going into death, he took the devil's power away from him.
That's why if you're trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil can't have any power against you.
Now they all want to hear from David something, a story and account.
And it says here in verse 55, when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host.
The captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth.
And Abner said, as I so liveth, O King, I cannot tell why David wasn't very well known at all, just like the Lord Jesus Christ. When he came into this world, he wasn't well known. They didn't want to know about him. They didn't even know where he was to be born.
And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is? And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Saul said unto him, Who son art thou?
Young man.
And David answered, I'm the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehem I. He didn't have any titles. No, he wasn't a king. He wasn't a Prince. He was just a lowly shepherd.
But there was somebody listening.
When David was talking to Saul.
It was Jonathan. You read about it down the next chapter, and it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul with the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
Something happened to Jonathan. Something came over him. He was stern.
When you heard David speaking.
You've heard the Lord Jesus speaking. You've seen the work that he has done.
Has it stirred you? There was Jonathan looking as David went down to fight with Goliath.
I suppose, Jonathan said. Oh, I wish I had the courage to go down there.
And he couldn't help but admire David.
You've seen the Lord Jesus Christ go to Calvary.
Go there to deal with all of our enemies.
Satan, the flesh, the world, all of our enemies were dealt with in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. You've seen it, and you've heard him speak. He speaks in His word.
00:50:12
How about it? Are you like Jonathan?
Says Jonathan Was the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. Jonathan loved him as his own soul. How about you? Do you love the Lord Jesus as your own soul?
If you do, you always put him first in everything.
But the sign that you don't love the Lord Jesus with your whole soul is that oftentimes you're putting yourself first. You're thinking of yourself. Isn't this a habit of ours? Isn't this a sad failure of ours? I'm including myself.
All that we might meditate more upon what the Lord Jesus Christ has done and what he has spoken. And our hearts will be won. That's what we need today, young people. We need hearts that are one one to Christ.
One to Christ.
You young men.
Who are married?
You won the affection.
Of your life partner.
Her heart was one.
Not a happy day, a happy day for you. And a happy day for her too.
All the day when our heart is 1 to the Lord Jesus Christ won over to him.
Our soul knit to his.
It's a happy day for us, and it's a happy day for the Lord Jesus too. Oh, what joy gives to the Lord Jesus Christ?
To find that our hearts are one, that He's won our hearts.
And he's put first in our lives.
Then it says, Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Well, Jonathan enjoyed enjoyed the presence of David.
But when the people began to sing in songs about Saul slaying his thousands and David his ten thousands, Saul didn't like that.
He became jealous and jealous. He ate his heart out. Well, that's the man of the flesh. That's what Saul represents. And Saul became an enemy of David.
So the day of his death was a solemn thing. And we must remember, dear young people, that we have something in us, the flesh that's still an enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that flesh, that fleshly nature of yours, will seek to lead you to do all kinds of things to dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ. That flesh is still an enemy of Christ.
Don't forget it.
That's why we read in Romans chapter 6. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ died on Calvary's cross, everyone of us who have believed in Him have been identified with him in his death. And we've died to the world. We've died to the law. We've died to sell the old flesh.
Let us reckon it that way.
Let us leave it that way. Go on with the Lord.
With this in our hearts and minds.
But we notice what Jonathan did.
In verse 4, Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him.
And gave it to David. Well, why would he do that?
Well, later on, if you read further on, you'll find that Jonathan says to David, I know that you're going to be king someday, and I'm going to be next to you.
I don't suppose Jonathan really realized what he was saying there, or he would have acted differently.
But at least he was devoted to David. And there were certain things he did. He stripped himself.
Gave the robe that was upon him to David. Why did he give him his robe? I suppose it was the royal robe that he had as a Prince, as the son of a king.
And he said, David, here you take this role, you deserve it. I know I'm in line to be king, but here, David, I want you to be king. You take the robe and wear it.
00:55:10
Have you given the robe to the Lord Jesus Christ?
Have you said to him, I want you to be my Lord, not just my savior? I want you to be my Lord too, the Lord of my life. Take the robe.
The kingly robe, the lordly robe, the royal robe. I recognize you as Lord of my life. Have you ever come to a point like that in your life, or trust that you might today?
Then it says it's garments. He gave his garments to David.
What are those they speak of? Righteousness. Self righteousness?
He says. I'm not going to trust in anything that I am in myself.
I'm trusting in you, David.
I'm trusting in you.
Are you trusting in your own garments, your garments of self righteousness?
Perhaps you have a legal spirit?
And you think that if you live up to a certain set of rules, you'll be accepted with the Lord and accepted with your brethren?
What we need?
To be occupied with Christ and walk in the Spirit, not to try to live up to a set of rules.
We're going to fall far short. Let's give up that legal spirit.
Trying to do things in the energy of the flesh, because the law was not given for a righteous man for but for the man in the flesh.
And then it says even to his sword and to his bow, Well, what did Jonathan use them for? For battle, for fighting, Jonathan says, here you take them.
David, you take them. I can see you can fight my battles for me. Have you said that to the Lord Jesus? Have you given up and given over to the Blessed Lord and acknowledge that he's the only one that can fight your battles, that can see you through?
All how we need to strip ourselves and make everything of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then even his girdle, that which he bound around his his waist to give him strength, well, it reminds us of the girdle of truth.
He gave it to David, he says. You're my strength.
You're my strength. I can do all things through Christ with strengthens me, the apostle Paul said. Don't forget that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. Lean upon him, trust him, give everything over to him.
But as has been mentioned before, there's something that's left out.
It doesn't say anything about his shoes.
And the pathway that Jonathan went after that shows why the shoes aren't mentioned. He didn't give them over because in one occasion it tells us he went back to his house. On another case, in occasion he went back to the city, even though he'd gone out to see David in his rejection. But he went back home. He went back to the city. He didn't follow David in his rejection. Are you following the Lord Jesus Christ in his rejection?
Or are you ashamed of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is rejected and despised today, here in this world?
I hope.
That as it were, you give everything to the Lord Jesus and say you direct my feet to.
You take care of my feet because I want to follow the Lord Jesus.
Now, the end of Jonathan aside, he had said something about being next to David in his reign.
But the next time the children of Israel had a war.
With the Philistines, David wasn't there and they lost.
Next time there's a fight in your life, a war in your life, if you're not in the presence of the Lord Jesus, if you forget the Lord Jesus, you lose.
You cannot go without the Lord Jesus any more than Israel could go without David.
01:00:04
What happened?
Was slain, His three sons were slain, and their bodies nailed to the wall of the heathen temple.
That the Philistines had what a terrible, dishonouring end for them. Jonathan didn't follow David in his rejection.
So he didn't reign with him. But the apostle Paul says if we suffer, we shall reign with him. Follow the Lord in his rejection. Don't be ashamed of the Lord, even though he's rejected and despised by this word.
Raining time is coming, and in the measure you have suffered for Christ's sake, and take a shame for his sake, and been identified with him in his rejection. In that measure you will enjoy the rain with the Lord Jesus Christ. If we suffer, we shall reign with Him. Well may the Lord help us to remember some of these things refined in His Word.
Bread from Heaven
Gospel—P.B. Geveden
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.
Toledo, November 1975. Gospel by Paul Jiverton.
Reverence reference today was made two times.
To that which abides.
The one that is unchangeable.
And also the solid rock.
The Shore Foundation.
And we have a hymn of that character on the seat.
#3
and as it says, I stand, may we do so and sing #3?
My hope.
Double mention.
Of the seed.
You know a sore went forth to soul.
00:05:03
And some seed fell by the wayside.
And the fowls of the air came and plucked it up.
Would you?
Who are here tonight?
Have it said of you when you leave this meeting.
That the word you heard did not affect you.
There is a power of opposition right here in this room tonight to the opposition of the enemy, to the word of God.
And he'd like to engage your attention in another way so that you'll not be affected by it.
So we need to give attention to pay heed.
To those things that you hear.
And it could be that a soul will be born from above in this room tonight.
And would you by your conduct?
A little bit of carelessness or a bit of mirth.
Hinder the action of the Spirit of God and bringing another soul into the Kingdom.
You very well know that when you came into this world, there was a great deal of seriousness about it.
And in my case too.
And we trust.
That will give attention to this precious message of the gospel where there was never a message like it in all the history of man.
It has come to full flow.
And the floodgates of God's mercy to man are wide open, and there's blessing for everyone present.
As a basis for this hour.
We'll use the 6th chapter of John at least, turning to parts of it.
Verse 9 is a statement.
There is a lad here.
And there are lads present here this evening.
And we believe that you are not here by chance.
Perhaps there might be some false motivation you came to.
And see others that are young.
And these are pleasant times when we are together in this way.
But there is a lad here.
And this refers to what happened almost 2000 years ago.
There's a problem.
Our Blessed Lord was ministering the Word, and the people had been with him about 3 days in that desert place and there were fainting for the need of food.
He had compassion on them.
And he asked his disciples what could be done, knowing very well what he was able to do and would do.
And the certain difficulties were posed or suggested.
But Andrew?
Knew that there was a little boy in the number.
Who had come that day with a lunch?
5 barley loaves and two little fishes.
00:10:03
When Mother makes bread, she puts things together.
And if you were younger, we'll put your two hands together.
You'll have the number 5.
That man's number and his weakness.
And there were two little fishes.
And to illustrate, we might say here are two little fishes.
Do fishes listen?
You ring the bell over the water and scatter the food and they come up and take it away.
And you have ears to hear.
So we need to use them in that way just at this time.
And through the following moments.
What are these among so many?
All they didn't realize the greatness of the power of that blessed One who was among them.
Perhaps they had forgotten the word. You know that he would abundantly supply his people with bread.
And our Lord acted in blessing to those that were in need on this occasion.
He looked up to heaven. He blessed the loaves and the fishes, and they were multiplied in such volume that 5000 men were fed besides women and children.
And if you look into the detail of this, you'll see how orderly it took place.
You know, order is a good thing, and especially required of God's people in his house.
There's been disorder in this world ever since sin came in.
And we find this poor world rocking and reeling in greater disorder than ever before.
It was not this way when, as a lad, 10 years old, your speaker confessed the Lord's name.
Time passed. Doubts came.
And it might be with you.
But the foundation of blessing never changed.
The leaders in the same place.
Last year, the contrary winds were from another direction.
This time we face them and approach the city from the east.
So things are variable, but there are those things that are solid and that are firm.
That rock on which we stand.
We might tremble on the rock, you know, and be a little uncertain, but there's never any trembling of that sure foundation.
These were fed.
And this was bred 5 little barley loaves.
You like bread too white, whole wheat.
Colonial wonder?
Or some other name.
We require it. It's a necessity.
And it's quite a business, baking, distributing and retailing.
And using the bread that is available.
But we need it.
And this is necessary for our temporal existence.
But mind you that the things which are seen are only temporal. You won't see me here many years longer.
If our Lord wait still in grace upon this world, if our God still in long sovereign, bears with man in his presence wave of iniquity.
Some of us will be gone.
But we shall have entered into that which is eternal.
00:15:05
Into those blessings that abide forever.
What do you think of this little land?
Oh, he had a mission to accomplish that day. It was his desire to go to that mountainside where the people were.
And it is his purpose to put himself in the presence of that one, that we're doing these wonderful things in his day.
So he got to see Jesus.
And we can seem to we see Jesus by faith Now that's possible tonight.
For you to come into the intelligence of that blessed One and see him as your own personal Savior.
And we read 5 words in the Book of Revelation. They shall see his face.
Or would you see that face in judgment?
Or will you see it?
In the rays of God's grace.
And enter upon the enjoyment of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
That's possible for you tonight.
You can start.
And a sample. And he's invited. You come on to me, he says all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
When they were filled.
He instructed his disciples gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
They gathered them together and fill 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Man is a waster.
The prodigal son wasted in his way and the respectable son wasted in another way.
He put his savings in so tightly that he wouldn't make any use of them.
You may be a good Sinner or bad one.
There's a bad woman that got her sins forgiven. There's a Goodman that came into the knowledge of his salvation.
Luke 7 and Acts 10.
We're worried about garbage and pollution now.
There's a very wise man on the West Coast that tells us that.
We'll be drowned in our own pollutions.
And we can see only about 25 years ahead.
When poison and fresh oxygen will collide.
And we will suffer the deadly consequences.
And the man is busily engaged in correcting that problem, if he might be able to do so.
But what about the pollution of this heart of yours?
That's not in the records you know.
It's not an effort of the government and we thank God for government.
All man's heart and its wickedness is in need of cleansing.
And it's a deeper problem than that of the physical problem that surrounds us.
There's more entailed.
And it reaches out into eternity.
And it matters how you leave this world, whether you die in mercy.
Or die without mercy.
You can die in faith believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's that simple.
God's blessing today is by faith, and it is a faith that it might be by grace. If it weren't by faith, it wouldn't be by grace.
00:20:09
Oh, how simple it is, this boy came.
He wanted to be present that day where the Lord was speaking those words of ministry that the people needed.
And he was willing to contribute to that occasion.
Practically recognized that he couldn't have had the fishes and the loaves apart from that one who was present on the earth at that moment.
Neither have we anything apart from God's grace and His mercies and the provisions that He's made for through His beloved Son.
So they gather up the fragments, 12 baskets. You know they'd had a supply being there that long.
And there isn't any problem about the number of the baskets, and really the number in this case is 12, which speaks of the fullness of the administration of blessings.
And that refers to a coming day on the earth.
But now this was real bread.
Actual food.
And they needed it.
And there is.
The Bread of Life.
The true bread that came down from heaven.
And you'll agree that that's more important.
Then the slice in the toaster.
As far more important to have that bread that came down from heaven.
The living Bread.
That you may eat of it and never hunger.
That you might partake and never perish.
That comes to our attention later, down later in this chapter. Verily, verily, I say unto you, verse 47.
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
I am that Bread of Life.
No one could speak as he spoke.
For He was the eternal one. God's divine Son, down here in this world in the beginning was the Word is eternal Being.
The Word was with God, his distinct personality, and the Word was God his dearly. That's who he was, but a man.
And sometimes, you know that 61 in the little floor, Kimber comes so impressively to our attention.
There's a brother that loves it so well.
That is really his favorite. How wondrous the glory is that meet in Jesus and from his face shine.
His love is eternal and sweet as human.
Tis divine.
His glory. Not only God's son in manhood, he had his full part.
And the union of both joined in one form, the fountain of love in his heart.
We appreciate a father's love. We value our mother's love beyond the father's. Perhaps. But here's the law That is the greatest love of all.
The love of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, the Son of Man.
Your father's did eat manna in the wilderness, and they're dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven. Oh, this didn't come from Kansas City.
That a man made there often nor die.
Oh, that's wonderful, isn't it? The bread?
Of this character, which we may partake and not die.
00:25:07
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If a man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.
And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
For the world lay under the power of death.
And the knighted souls needed deliverance.
And the only means of deliverance is that which we've realized by faith in Christ, based upon the work of redemption that he was willing to do.
As they lay down his life for us, lifted up from the earth on that shameful cross.
The maker of the universe lifted up on the cross. Yeah.
God's son.
There, nailed to that cross.
By man is creature.
And in those hours of darkness that followed.
Years under the heavy strokes of God's wrath against sin.
So you do not wonder that we sing sometimes brightness of eternal glory shall Thy praise and uttered lie, who would touch the heavens, and story of the Lamb that came to die?
Came from Godhead's fullest glory down to Calvary's depth of all.
Now on high, we bow before him, streams of praises, ceaseless flow.
Wouldn't you like to join in those streams of praises to that blessed One who is altogether lovely and the cheapest among 10,000?
Worthy of homage and praise.
Worthy of all to be adored.
You've been created with that capacity, but you're not able to do it because of the sin that has come into the world and the sin that has infected you.
You came into this world, lost your Sinner and your need, the cleansing power of the precious blood of Christ.
You need to partake of this bread that came down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves.
Saying How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you.
Except ye the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life. I'll raise him up at the last day.
Oh, this is the way of blessing, they thought. It was absurd.
And what does it mean? It doesn't mean that you can really eat his flesh and drink his blood. That is, physically.
But it does mean that you can come under the value of that sacrifice, that work that He did when He bear our sins in his own body, and when He shed His precious blood for the remission of our sins.
There is a lamb killed, you know, back in the history of Israel.
There were instructions as to how it should be done.
The blood was to be caught in the basin.
Is that all?
No, they were to take a bunch of his offenders, sprinkle the blood on the lentil and on the sidepost so that when the destroying Angel passed over.
He would exempt to that house the first born in it from judgment.
When I see the blood, I'll Passover you.
Well, the thing to do tonight is to claim the value of that precious blood that answers so fully to the glory of God on his throne of righteousness and holiness.
And doesn't it shame you because you haven't believed already?
00:30:06
Is there a note of repentance in that heart of yours toward that blessed one, the Lord Jesus Christ?
Except, he repeated, you shall all likewise perishes twice, said in Luke 13.
And if you haven't believed you have something to be sorry about, you need to repent.
You've turned your back.
On the friend that sticketh closer than the brother, on the one that has power over life and death.
For he said in resurrection, you know I'm he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I'm alive evermore and I have the keys.
Of hell and of death.
Or control.
Over the bodies and the souls of human beings.
And we'll meet him.
And how will it be with you?
You need to meet him now.
You shouldn't delay any longer.
Because this world is fraught with dangers.
From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more within verse 66.
Is that your attitude and will that be your action?
To brush aside the precious word of God that you're hearing on these occasions.
And to say that the gospel, the preaching of the cross, is foolishness and that the blood of Christ.
Is a remedy that is something that it goes against my grain. I don't believe in that kind of religion.
Are you going in the way of pain? What was his way?
He was the way he went in the way of the natural man according to man's own will.
And he made a sacrifice that was bloodless.
Oh, it's the blood of Jesus Christ. His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
And some were turning away, going back.
And the question is raised, will ye also go away?
And let's hear that question again tonight in this audience.
And it's my desire to direct it to each one individually. Will ye? Will you also go away unaffected by this precious word of God?
Your soul is at stake.
One answered Simon Peter.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
If you turn away from him, you go.
Oh, there are many avenues of escape from the responsibility that you have to God. You think they're avenues of escape, but not really.
For every man must have given account of himself to God.
Lord, whom shall we go with? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
He knew that he believed it, he was glad about it. And when he was about to fail, you know, the Lord prayed for him that his faithful, not he, would be sifted his wheat.
But he could be useful to his brethren when he was restored. We believe that thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe in their shore.
Do you believe in? Are you sure?
Do you believe in the record that is given in Genesis One about your origin?
There was a man.
There were two brothers in a home in Minnesota.
And one went away to the lumber camp and you know very well in those days that that kind of thing was rough living.
00:35:09
An exposed life.
And he's already mentioned something like this.
I was a wandering sheep. I did not love the fool.
Did not love my shepherd's voice. I would not be controlled. I was a wayward child. I did not love my home.
I did not love my father's voice. I love the for the Rome.
And a younger brother at home, being so distressed about his absence and the life that he was pursuing, wrote to him and played with him to accept Christ.
He did.
That brother that wrote.
Went away and became engulfed in the responsibilities of this world to which you are exposed to and which you must.
Perform under.
You went away and moved in circles of intelligence on the East Coast.
He was high up in the intelligence of this world and he did things that were very remarkable and were counted very useful in this world.
In retirement, he came back to his brother's house and he said one day.
I believe in evolution and be a Christian.
To the reply was this.
You make the Lord Jesus a liar because he said. Have you not read that he that made them in the beginning, made them male and female?
But he was not satisfied, although there were stirrings in his soul.
And he'd come in with his Bible and he'd sit through the worship or the breaking of bread meeting.
And on another occasion later, he said, oh really? Isn't it possible for me to believe in evolution and also be a Christian?
His faithful brother looked at him. And that brother, you know, is one that's characterized by intense devotion to Christ.
He said to his brother of scientific learning.
If evolution is true.
Jesus evolved and I have no savior.
And that's the way to put it. It's in that light that you must meet it and face it.
We believe in our sure.
Sure, about the beginnings of life.
Sure about the person of that one sent it into this world to save our souls.
We're sure about the value of the sacrifice of the cross.
Through it, God's blessing comes to the most needy soul, to the vilest Sinner, the guilty major. Oh, noy, though violently, need not perish.
Christ, everything is done.
He's provided a way for your full blessing.
And that you might have the knowledge of the forgiveness of your sins.
Now, dear young boy.
And young lady.
Ladder Lassie.
To import a word.
You're young.
You're in school.
And you're going to be exposed to this kind of thing that is against the gospel more and more as you advance in your classes.
And go through graduation in the secondary school and inter college.
There's a danger of you making shipwreck in your faith.
And you're taking a great risk.
00:40:02
Not to believe now.
You need to believe. You need to believe and be sure we believe in our shore. You need to be fortified against the power of the enemy of this world.
Satan is the God and Prince of this world.
And you will be exposed more and more to this kind of thing.
And there's more than that.
There's information in the 5th chapter of Mark of a man that lived among the tombs. He had a miserable, wild existence.
He had fallen under the power of the enemy, and that power is becoming so active again in this world now.
There are those that traffic in ESP.
They're telling you that you can have a sixth sense.
Unless you can reach out into those regions that are beyond you.
And pry into the unseen world of spirits.
Perhaps you've seen the picture, an old man with a flowing beard, and he's asking you to come and listen to his lectures.
TM.
Transcendental Meditation.
That kind of thing is connected with those unseen powers of a wicked world and those things that are working against Christ.
And that's just to mention only two.
You can be saved from exposure to that thing if you will take the word of God, if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you believe and be sure about these things faith believes and that settles it.
Man says.
We reason.
Man's a reasoner, but his reason?
Brings him into doubts.
Why are there so many books in the world?
Man's ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.
And he thinks by his own mental powers he's able to solve his problems and we wouldn't be preaching on.
Gospel here tonight that brings before you the improvement of this world.
Everything is better off by the presence of the Lord's people in the world.
But this world is marked for judgment.
And we need that blessed Savior and God is taking out of this world of people for the name of His Son. So it's your individual salvation that is in the balances. And you need to know that Savior our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in our show about the resurrection.
You know, with great power.
The apostles gave witness.
With great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
That's in the gospel.
That's the basis of the gospel. Without the resurrection, we wouldn't have anything.
But he's risen from the dead and become the first fruits of those that sleep.
Our Lord is alive forevermore.
With great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
You know there was a token witness in the media term raising of some that were sleeping. Many bodies of the Saints slept. A rosary went into the holy city and appeared under many.
Oh, he has the power of resurrection.
And this truth was so powerful that it didn't linger around Jerusalem all the time. It spread all over the civilized part of the earth. And a few years later, it was found as a truth recognized and believed among the Christians that were in Rome, Italy.
Just a short period of time.
There were two men in England, brilliant attorneys, and one set out to discredit the conversion of the apostle Paul.
The other, Gilbert W, set out to destroy to annul the truth of the resurrection of Christ. Both of those men were converted, and their book is in print. It's in my possession.
They believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Won't you believe?
00:45:02
Won't you trust that worthy one, that blessed Savior and the work that he has a countless for you by the sacrifice of himself on that cross?
He's alive forevermore. He's gone ahead. He wants you to come.
He wants you to come. All judgment will engulf this world.
We say it looming on the horizon.
Can it continue in its present course? It's like the mighty roaring Prairie fire.
That some settlers heard in the distance as they were content in their little log cabin out in the West.
They looked and there was a black cloud and there was rolling and moving, and all the animals were ahead of it in a in a speedy loop, trying to escape the fury of that engulfing fire.
Oh, that's God's judgment. Just a little hint of it that's coming upon this world.
And if you don't believe the gospel, if you don't receive the truth of the Word, you'll be left behind when our Lord comes, and you'll be exposed to Thy strong delusion that God will send that they might believe a lie and be damned.
These are solemn things that face you as an individual, and you're responsible to the God that measure.
We need Christ. We need him now.
This little lad wanted to see him, and he did.
Oh, tonight.
We need the brand of heaven.
We need the work of Christ. That sacrifice that he made, we need to eat of the flesh.
Of the Son of Man and to drink his blood. That's the remedy for sin.
Why not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? And what would these people do exposed to such a fire in the Prairie?
Oh, they thought quickly, and the match was struck.
And the grass was lighting right where they were, and it spread out and burned away.
And they were standing where the fire had been.
Our blessed Lord on the cross has been under the judgment of God. All the fire of judgment was against him, and if you take refuge in Christ, you'll be standing where the fire has been.
Oh, why not tonight?
Believe.
That savior.
Why not respond to his loving entreaty?
Why not flee from the wrath to come?
Why not enter into the blessings that pertain?
To that which is beyond.
Heavenly blessings.
Blessings untold.
But remember.
It's necessary for you to be cleansed.
And to trust in the Lord Jesus.
As your savior alone.
We can't trust for you. Neither can father or mother. No man can by any means redeem his brother or give a ransom for him.
But the Lord Jesus Christ has given himself.
In order that you might have the forgiveness of sins and be saved from this present evil world.
This is the refuge.
The solid rock.
The blessing that you need.
Through God's precious word.
Why not?
Believe.
And be sure.
Shall we turn to #7?
Eat now by faith, I claim in mind the risen Son of God.
Redemption by his death I find, and cleansing through the blood.
00:50:05
#7
Lord love the world.
Of sin.
Three Comings
Gospel—E. Wakefield
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.
Mike, we sing together #14 Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Remain seated, please #14.
And.
Why are you watching daily by the Savior's life? Are you watching the world?
Day five Are you watching the blood of the land?
Where you are.
In the soul planting blood.
Our Heads sing #8.
Shall we gather at His coming When the dead in Christ arise? Shall we hear the Savior summons to God's home beyond the skies daily?
Nearer draws his coming. This makes all his own rejoice.
Who are they that fear to meet him, such as now? Love not his voice #8 Remain seated, please.
It's coming.
When the dead in Christ.
Arise.
We hear the Savior, Simon.
Beyond the sky.
Yes, we will gather.
Ah man, his glorious, his glorious.
Gather with.
God.
In my favorite world.
They lean across his crosses on the floor of the man. And then.
00:05:52
When I save your.
Friends, will you be alone without?
Work. Will you do it praise the same.
Gloria.
'S.
Day of Jesus coming.
Our first day, but in the dark, they were white. They were white as snow.
We are not the spirit. No, we're the highs of their eyes, of their hands, of their hands. It's all right. It's coming.
Glorious.
Coming.
And lost in the space.
Might we turn to first Timothy chapter one?
Verse 15.
First Timothy chapter one and verse 15.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came.
Into the World to Save Sinners, of Whom I am Chief Lenin, First Thessalonians, Chapter 4.
First Thessalonians chapter 4.
And verse 16.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.
With a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.
To meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. One more passage. Revelation, Chapter 19.
Revelation 19 verse 11.
And I saw heaven opened.
00:10:00
And behold, a White Horse. 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.
And on his head were many crowns.
And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called.
The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven.
Followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
Allow what, friends? You have noticed, no doubt these scriptures that I read to you tonight and the word of God have brought before you the fact that the Lord Jesus came into the world. The Lord Jesus is coming in the air, and the Lord Jesus is coming out of heaven. Very solemn, isn't it? My friend, tonight you are here, maybe without Christ, and I want to tell you.
What I have heard for many years, and many of us, perhaps most of us, have heard these things many times before.
And that is this, that you are a Sinner.
And that God has declared you to be a Sinner, and we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And the Lord Jesus, when he was here, said so solemnly.
Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. You know we're going on to eternity. We're not going to stay in this world. Maybe you have a very nice home. Maybe you have a very good position. Maybe you've got lots of money. But you are going to leave this world. You can't stay here. And I'm sure that every Christian in this room.
Would say, thank God for that. We're not going to stay in this mess, which man has made much longer. And we noticed in the first verse that we read this marvelous news. You know, we hear lots of people talking today. Some of them tell outright lies. They make all kinds of predictions. And the politicians are telling us that everything is going to turn out all right.
Don't get excited. This is only a trend in the times, and we're going to struggle out of this mess we're in. I'm not occupied with that tonight, but I'm occupied with this that God has declared in our first verse. This is a faithful saying, no, it's not a wonderful thing, that in all the mess of this world, which man is making worse every day, that there is a faithful saying.
Faithful. You know, sometimes the papers have bad news all the way through. We've sometimes said every column of the papers, bad news, bad news. Everything's bad in the paper. But here is something that God has told us. This is our faithful saying you can trust this, you can believe this, this has a fact. This is a God-given fact.
The very word of the living God. This is a faithful saying.
And worthy of all acceptation. The president of this country, Yes, worthy of his acceptation. The beggar in the dunghill, the poor beggar on the sidewalk, is worthy of his acceptation. And you are the middle class. It's worthy of your acceptation.
That you accept this message from God. What is that message? What is this faithful saying that's worthy of all acceptation? It's this, beloved friends, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Isn't that a marvelous message? If you were to take that verse home tonight, my friend, and you heard nothing more than that verse?
00:15:23
What a wonderful message. What a message. Your hope and joy and peace.
For eternity and this side broken sin cursed hell going world.
To be able to say Christ Jesus came into the world.
To save sinners. Oh thank God he came. To save sinners. We read about men going into space and trying to find human life on other planets, but we're not interested in that tonight.
Not interested. No interest in that at all, but I'm interested in this.
That this planet on which we live has been visited by the Son of God. The Son of God has been here and here in this verse that tells us why He came into this world. He came into this world to save sinners. Are you a Sinner tonight? Then Jesus came to save you. What a marvelous statement. Will our friends, have you heard this before?
Is it possible that you are here tonight and you've never heard this? Now, I know that many Christians would say, well, everybody in the United States of America has heard this. I don't believe that.
No, my friends, there's many people right in the United States who have never heard this, they've never heard this good news and they're saying to themselves, how can I?
Get saved. How can I get to heaven? Maybe there's some tonight. Maybe somebody in this room is saying, how can I, a Sinner, get into the holy presence of a thrice holy God? How is it possible? And the great leaders of Prism them don't know the answer.
Because they don't know the Savior thank God by His matchless grace that back in the year 19130 this poor hell bound Sinner was saved by the grace of God and my sins, which were many, have been washed away in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That alone can take away sin. Friends, there's no other way of salvation.
God doesn't know any other way. The Bible doesn't tell any other way. For there's no other way of salvation than this, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now notice beloved friends in Luke chapter 2 won't turn to it. We find how this glorious person Christ Jesus.
Came into this world. He came into this world born of a virgin, a virgin, the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came into this world beloved friends. He didn't come in. Just like you and me, who began to live at our birth. He came from heaven.
Just imagine the one who made the universe, the one who made everything himself, became a man.
Born into this world as a little child, the holy.
Eternal Son of the living God, What a mystery. Can we understand it?
That there at Bethlehem, in that Manger, lay that child in that Manger.
Of whom the Spirit of God has declared in Isaiah Chapter 9, verse six. Among that the name of that blessed one, that he was the mighty God, thing of it the mighty God. There he was lying in that Manger. That's what God says.
Underwise a child is born.
Unto us a son is given, this glorious person, the Son of God the man Christ Jesus born.
00:20:08
Then a stable laid in a Manger. That's how he came into this world.
Beloved friends, do you believe that tonight, in this modern age of when man boasts of how clever he is, and when our great leaders say we don't believe in the virgin birth that was good enough for our great grandfathers and for those poor old fellows that never went to school in their lives and maybe graduated at Grade 4 or Grade 5? But in this enlightened age where man is wisdom, has all kinds of wisdom, we don't believe that.
But I do. I believe in the virgin birth of the Son of God.
And I believe he was born into this world, sent apart, and he never sinned, and he couldn't sin. And we thank God for what we heard this afternoon, my friends, to the Lord Jesus never sinned. And the Lord Jesus could not sin because he was God. He was the mighty God, and he came into this world himself. He didn't stand an Angel. An Angel couldn't die for sinners. He came himself because he was the only one.
Who had the right to come? He came here and he went to the cross of Calvary.
And he bore my sins in his own body on the tree. Now every Christian can say that every born again. Christian can say by the grace of God that on that cross the Son of God the one who made the universe.
For my sins and his own body on the tree, and he was made sin for us, the Holy Spotless One. And there on that cross Jehovah lifted up his rod of judgment, and brought it down upon the head of that glorious person who suffered and bled and died on the cross of Calvary.
And that verse that we know so well, and read so many times and hears so many times which we will never forget. Dear Christian, For eternal ages. My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me, friend? What a mystery. What a mystery. See him. Let us look back. Let us turn back the clock. Let us see that cross.
Standing on Calvary's hill, let us see that man as we draw near to that cross. And we see that lowly man hanging there. And we gaze upon his face that was beaten by men, and we see their filthy spit running down his face, his face that the the the hair plucked from his face. What a spectacle for God to gaze upon, for the holy angels to look upon there the Son of God on that cross. But.
As the hour of noon came, God wrapped the scene in darkness. We had that this afternoon about darkness, and God wrapped that glorious person from the eyes of man while he.
Bore the judgment which you and I deserve, my friend. Tonight I want to ask you this question. I want to ask everybody in this this question.
Including myself. If you have been called by death this afternoon, where would you spend eternity?
What a solemn question. I know, the devil says, Oh, don't get excited about this question, friends. There's no question more important.
Than all this world and this where?
Are you going to spend God's never ending eternity? You know, we may make a mistake in this life. It may cost us a lot of money, it may cost us a lot of sorrow, it may cost us a lot of pain. But after all, it's only for a little while. But this question where will you spend eternity? You can't get to the end of eternity.
You can multiply the billions by the billions and by the billions and keep on for weeks and months and years. And when you get all finished and have a line that you can never even tell what it was, you haven't even started to scratch the surface of eternity. It's never going to end, my friend, and you and I have to live there forever and forever.
00:25:20
In one of two places, one called heaven with Christ and the other called hell.
Without Christ, you've got to decide. You can't decide when you die.
Because there's no second chance. You have to decide in time where you will spend eternity. Your sins can never get into heaven. Not even one. Not even one, my friend, All friend. Tonight I would to God we had the power to open your heart, to touch that heart of yours. Boys and girls, young people, we pray for you, the children.
Christian parents who have been brought up in the broad daylight of the Word of God and tonight are in this room without Christ.
Right tonight in this hall, I believe there's young men and there's young women who are on the way to hell. And they know the gospel. They know the gospel. They're more responsible than the people out on the streets here at Toledo because they have heard it and heard it and heard it and their gospel hardened because they say, oh, there's lots of time, lots of time, Christ Jesus came into the world.
To save sinners.
And the apostle Paul as as led by the Spirit of God himself, of whom I, the apostle Paul, I am the chief. Just imagine what a marvelous message to think that God tells us, and I speak reverently.
He tells us as marvelous news, that the chief of sinners was saved and is tonight with Christ in the glory.
All the devil doesn't like this verse. The devil doesn't like this verse. All the sinners chief has been saved and is now in glory with Christ. What a wonderful message my friends, to think of this that Christ Jesus came into the world.
Save sinners of whom I said the Apostle Paul, I am chief. Now let's go back to the cross and we see the blessed Lord Jesus on that cross with his head bowed in death. Just imagine, can we understand this? The Creator, the maker of heaven and earth, the mighty One, the Son of God with his head bowed in death on that cross. And the Roman soldier pierced his side and forth with him. They're out blood and water.
And the scripture says without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
But the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanse of us from all sin.
You can be saved tonight my friend. You may be the biggest Sinner in America, but God loves you. You may be the most self-righteous hypocrite in the United States, but God loves you. You may be the most religious man or woman in the whole world, but God loves you and you need Christ for baptism and confirmation vows and speaking in tongues and all these things and a good life and a clean life and a self-righteous life.
Will land you in the dungeons of the damned, for there's no salvation outside.
Of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross, and there is nothing. And take your sins away but the precious blood that was shed on that cross. Neither is there salvation and any other, for there's no other name under heaven given among men.
Whereby we must be saved. There's only one way to heaven. And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me Christ is God's way. Friends, I want to ask you here.
Is Christ your personal Savior? Have you ever stood up and spoken well of Christ? Have you ever any man or woman or boy or girl in this world?
Ever said something good about Christ? The word of God says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth.
00:30:04
The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath.
Raised him from the dead, Thou shalt be saved.
Just imagine. That's what God says and that's what we believe in life. That's why we can stand here and say my sins are gone. Sudden death means sudden glory because my sins are gone and the Lord Jesus Christ is my personal savior. Is he yours tonight? Is he your personal savior tonight? Some may have heard this story, but maybe I'll tell it again. I received a letter from a prayer who it was from, but.
Inside there was a gospel tract.
I have never seen it before in my life. Maybe you've seen it, maybe you haven't. And this was the title of that gospel tract.
I was Jack Dempsey's sparring partner. Well, I was interested and I prayed for that man for a long time that God would save him. And so I wrote to the publisher of this track and I asked him, will you please send me the address of the man and the track whose name was Joe Kirp Kurp? And he sent me the address.
And he lives in California. And I wrote written to him, and he's written to me. And a little while ago, I decided I hadn't heard from him for a month or so. I decided to telephone to him in California.
And we talked together about Christ, and he told me this thrilling story, beloved friends, which I now tell you, of a man who was in the death cell.
And one of the prisons in the United States, he was going to go to the electric chair and he said I went to see him.
And I led him to Christ, and he said the day before, the night before his execution, He.
Asked the warden. His last request on Earth was that he might have supper with me.
Said I went to the prison and we sat down together. He was eating his last meal on earth and he said I stayed in the prison all night.
And the next morning, he said, I walked down the corridor to where the electric chair was located. And when we got there, he said there were about 125 witnesses sitting around waiting. And this man, when he got to the door where the electric chair was located, he stopped.
And he turned, and he said, Gentlemen, I want to tell you that God has saved my soul.
That I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that my sins are all forgiven, washed in His precious blood. And then he said He turned to me, and he waved his hand, and he said goodbye. Joe, I'll be there before you.
2 minutes, He said. He was with the Lord. Isn't that a marvelous story? Well, you may say, but I'm not like that man. I never killed anybody.
I'm certainly not imprisoned tonight. I'm not a criminal. I am a good citizen.
Of the United States of America. And there's many just like you. You may say I know all about Jesus. I can tell you that story. I know he was born in Bethlehem. I know he performed many miracles. I know he was the son of God. I can tell you all about him. He died on a cross. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. He went into heaven. I know all those things. This is nothing new to me.
And I may use this homely illustration, my friend. I used it before. I have read about the president of this great country. I have read about his upbringing. I read about his so-called confession of Christ. I've read about how he went into politics. I know all about Mr. Ford. I know all about him because I read about him. But I don't know him.
00:35:01
I just don't know him, and he certainly doesn't know me from Adam. You see, friends, you may know all about Jesus.
You may know everything about him, but I want to ask you this question. Have you met him personally? Have you had a personal meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ? Does Christ live in your heart?
Are you beloved friend tonight on the way to heaven?
And I want to warn you, dear young people, I was surprised in the prayer meeting down the hall, to hear a brother pray about some of the young people who sit in the gospel meeting and laugh and smile all my friends and night I would to God, I could bring you into the very presence of God now and see you tremble there in the presence of God. We are living in the very last days, the very last moments, and I'm sure the Christians all over the world are saying.
Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, which brings me to that second scripture I read.
And Thessalonians. It's so solemn, my friend, to think that at any moment.
Even before this meeting ends, the Lord Jesus Christ may come in the air.
Into the air. Not to the world below our friends, but in the air. To call out of this world every born again. Christian, I can't think of anything more terrible than to be left behind. And you, dear young people who know the gospel, who know the truth.
What will you do if you are left behind? Oh, yes, I heard that years ago. I heard that years ago. I was brought up under the very teaching of that. And it's never happened. But it's going to happen. It's going to happen. The Old Testament prophets told about Jesus. They told about the woman's seed. They told about this blessed one who would come into this world and be born in Bethlehem. And years went on, it had never happened.
Until at last.
In Bethlehem's Manger lay the Son of God. The scriptures were fulfilled to the very latter, and Jesus said.
I will come again. I tell you, my friend, the devil can't keep them coming away. Away. That coming. He's coming again. Just as sure as he came to Bethlehem. He's coming into the air. And it may be tonight, it may be tonight, that the Lord will come on every born again, Christian.
Will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
And as we heard in the prayer room, my brother say, and the door was shut. Heavens door will be shut forever for you. You will never have another chance. And I can an imagination think of the prayers of the young people that will fall on their knees and cry to God.
And say, oh please have mercy on me, but it will be too late.
Too late. You will be left in this world. You know what's happening in the United States tonight. You know we know in Canada what's happening there. We know our streets are not safe. And we know the worst to get to come where pessimists about this world. Because the Bible is the Bible holds out no hope for this world as it is under the power of the devil. You know that's what's happening. What will it be like? I asked. And I asked. Everybody, please listen to this.
I ask you, I beg you, dear young people, don't let the devil close your ears. Now what will it be like after the Holy Spirit of God leaves this wicked world and goes back to heaven with the redeemed and all the Christians are gone? What will this world be like? You can. It will never enter into your mind or mind, because I don't think there's a man in this room or a woman.
Including myself that has the least conception tonight of the wickedness of this awful wicked hell going satanic world under the power of the devil we don't even know. We don't even know the beginning of it, my friends, it's so wicked that it can't even be written. It's so bad. This is a wicked world. And you, my dear young person or older person who are here tonight without Christ, will be left right in this world.
00:40:18
Right in this wicked world. Think of it.
When tonight the grace of God offers you heaven.
Offers you Christ, Offers you forgiveness. Offers you eternal life. Offers you joy. There's a little him I like to quote part of it. It says his heaven below my Redeemer. To know all the joy of knowing Christ, to have Christ.
And to think that you, my friend, that we know that we shook hands with down the hall, left behind. What for? For judgment? For judgment, not for salvation, but for judgment under the judgment of God forever and forever. And the Lord Jesus said, there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, And God loves you tonight.
God doesn't want you to go to hell. He's not willing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance because he loves you. God wants to befriend you, He loves you, He wants to bless you, He wants to save you and he wants to give you joy on earth and eternal joy in heaven. He offers it freely, without money or without price. You can't buy your salvation, You can't earn it. You can't work for it. It's yours as a gift.
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You can't buy a gift. You can't work for a gift. You can't give a cent for a gift. If you do, it's no longer a gift. And God's gift, my friend, God's gift. How God's insulted by man. God says here's my gift and man says I'll give $10 in the collection plate. Maybe that'll help to pay for the gift.
My friend, the gift must be accepted and the giver thanked. And God is the giver. Oh, how blessed to be able to say thank God for the gift, that blessed Savior who loves you and died for you on Calvary's cross. The Lord is coming, but now, finally.
At those at the verses I read in Revelation 19.
Are to me extremely solemn, extremely sown.
You know, this world gets excited very easily. All you have to have is a couple of planes go over your house and get very low and the roaring of the motors and everybody gets excited. Or a little earth tremble and people get so excited. Or a big fire takes place and everybody gets excited. Oh, they get excited. But you Can you imagine this scene that I just read to you in Revelation 19?
Isn't it something, my friend? Just imagine it's going to happen because God says so. The heaven open. Just a matter. The heaven opened. And what happens out of that heaven comes a man. Can you imagine it?
Can you imagine this world astern by that man coming out of heaven, Coming down, friend? Think of it. The man of Calvary, the man with the holes in his hands and his feet and the spear mark in his side, no longer crown with a crown of thorns, but the Son of God and His Majesty coming down out of the heavens to judge this world.
All the horrors of man as they see the Christ coming down.
Out of the heavens, that's coming, my friends, I say again. The devil can't stop it. There's no power in the world. The atheist and the communists, they can't stop it. Christ is coming again to judge the world. Not to save the world, but to judge it and all these great vast buildings.
Are going to be all destroyed and burnt up.
That's what God says, and that's what God means.
And that's what's going to happen. Don't let the college professor fool you, my friend, and saying this is a lot of nonsense. This is the word of the living God. And as sure as the sons rose this morning in the East, so sure is this going to happen. Christ the Lord, the Lord of glory, insulted by his creatures, is coming back again.
00:45:20
And I say again, I can't imagine anything more terrible than this world. Men and women gazing up as they see that blessed one in His Majesty and power coming to judge this world. And you think of it as a more terrible, oh, my dear soul, tonight. Are you saved? Are you saved? I remember when I was a young man, people would give me gospel tracts. I pick it up and look at it.
Are you saved?
Take it, tear it up, Throw it in the garbage can. Are you saved? I didn't care.
I was on the way to hell. I was going down the broad road to destruction.
And God and his matchless grace.
Sent across my pathway. A man who loved my soul. A man who loved my soul. And for 8 1/2 years he talked to me about my song. Can you imagine that? 8 1/2 years?
A patient, loving, gracious, kind, merciful God waited for a poor hell deserving warm of the dust.
Such as stands on this platform to accept.
The dearest friend I have.
My precious, blessed, gracious, wonderful Savior.
All friends, I tell you tonight I can't save you. I have no power to save you, But Jesus can save you. He has promised him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out.
The Savior will keep that promise if you come to him, you may say, but Sir, you don't know how wicked I am or you wouldn't talk like that. Yes, I do. I know how wicked you are because God tells you that. And the Lord Jesus opened man's heart up and showed how wicked he was.
You're just like me. You've got a wicked heart. It's got murder enough because Jesus said so.
In the 7th chapter of Mark's Gospel, he knows all about you. He knows more about you.
And you know about yourself, and he loves you. He loves you so tenderly that he's waiting tonight for you to make that decision. I will receive Christ as a poor, guilty, hell deserving Sinner. I will receive Christ, not religion. No, my friend, I wouldn't waste my time preaching about religion.
We preach Christ crucified Christ.
Risen Christ, glorified Christ. Coming again. We preach not religion. We preach a person.
And you need that person, and that person wants you, and he invites you. He says, Come unto me, and I will give you rest. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it a strange thing we sometimes sing Angel hosts?
Are musing or this sight so strangely sad, God beseeching?
Man refusing to be made forever glad. Oh, my dear friend and I, are you on the way to heaven or hell? You young people in the back there? I know some of you were talking, and God knows you're talking too, but are you saved tonight? Are you on the way to heaven?
Are you on the way to heaven? Have you ever confessed Christ? Are you sailing under a sham that your mother thinks? Oh yes, my Johnny's safe and my Mary saved by Of course they always come to all the conferences. But that doesn't save you. You can live in the gospel hall and perish in your sins. You can come to every conference in the continent of America and perish in hell. It won't save your soul. You may know the Bible. You may be able to take and coach John 316. I can quote at least 100 gospel verses.
00:50:02
But that will never save you, my friends.
Jesus alone can save. You have to have personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. And I ask you tonight, are you saved or are you lost? There's no middle ground. There's no middle ground, friend. There's two leaders, and I say this I trust with respect. There are but two. There's not three. There's one, the Son of God. There's the other, the devil.
Now I may insult you to hear this my friend, but truthfully, I don't know any other. The Bible doesn't tell us. It says a man cannot serve 2 masters. They're not three, only two. And Christ is 1 and the devil's the other.
That doesn't sound very nice, does it, my friend? But I would faithfully warn you tonight, in the name of my precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, not to trifle with the devil any longer.
Not to allow the devil to bind you in your sins. Young man, young lady, older man, older lady, I ask you tonight, are you going to heaven or are you going to hell? There's only the two destinies.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners as He saved you. Yet will you come to him tonight? Will you in this world that nail the Christ of God to Calvary cross? Will you come to that one? You will not gain in your popularity. You will not win any election to become a great man in this world or a great woman you won't gain a lot of.
Unsafe friends, you won't be invited any longer to their wild parties.
You stand for Christ, but you will have something or somebody that will fill your heart with eternal joy and peace and happiness and make you so happy that you're almost long to die. To see his blessed face. Your pardon a personal reference. I was a young man, 24 years of age and perfect health. Strong.
Physically strong by the grace of God.
But when I came to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this may seem strange to you, but I tell you the truth. I wanted to die.
Why the sea, the face of the man who died from me? Isn't it wonderful, my friend, what God did for me, God can do for you what the Lord Jesus Christ did for me.
He can do for you, but I want to say that please.
To you young people tonight here, I didn't have the chance you had. I never heard the gospel. We sat under the sound of a modernist preacher who was unsaved himself on the way to hell. We never heard the gospel. We never heard about the blood of Christ. We never heard about the grace of God.
But you, you've heard it. You've heard it time and again. I challenge you tonight, my young man.
My young lady, tonight, are you going to lose your soul as you see beloved friends, that awful time of judgment coming on this world. Can't you see it? Can't you hear like a thunderstorm that's coming? We know it's coming. We hear the rumbling of the Thunder. We see the flashes of the lightning that's miles away. Maybe, but it's coming. We say there's a storm coming.
It's getting closer. It's getting closer. I ask you tonight, in God's name.
Can't you hear the Thunder of the wrath of God as it draws closer and closer to the United States and Canada? Can't you feel the power of the devil and all the hosts of hell rising up?
And the wrath of God drawing near to this poor Christ rejecting world. And you sleep on the very brink of judgment when God loves you and God has blocked the road to hell by the cross of Christ.
Will you pass that cross? Will you spurn that love? Will you turn from that grace, that love of God in Christ Jesus, to suffer eternal judgment?
Of which our Lord Jesus so faithfully warned us.
00:55:03
In the 16th chapter of Acts, the only man whoever lived in this world drew aside the curtain of eternity. Nobody else could do it but him.
And he actually showed us a man in that very place.
Friends of solemnism, are you tonight saved? My message draws to a close. We have tried to make the point you to the Savior, to a person, to the Son of God, to the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have told you how He came into this world. We told you where He came from. We told you how we went to the cross. We told you he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father.
He went back into heaven as a man, and tonight, as we're here in this room, there is a man at the right hand of God.
And if the heavens had been opened up, we would see in the majesty of the glory of man.
At the right hand of God, and he's my savior. He died for a poor Sinner like me and and I've told you he's coming again first in the air to ****** away his people. A brother was telling me to on Wednesday of this very week that he has in his possession the original.
One of the original copies of Noah Webster's dictionary and he said.
I looked up the word rapture and he said it has four meanings. The word one of the things he told me was this is I can't remember the other two, but one of them was snatched away. And then he said at the end of the the Noah Webster dictionary it says this.
I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he says you buy that the modern edition or the newer edition of the Webster dictionary, it won't see that. But he said I have one of the the first copies that was left to me. Noah Webster, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ rapture snatched away and the Lord Jesus is going to ****** away his people and take them into the glory.
And, my friend, this world is going on to judgment. Judgment. May the word reach down into your heart. Young men, we're concerned about you. Young people, we pray for you. Maybe there's somebody tonight in this room that's never heard the way of salvation. Let me say before I bow my head in prayer that Christ died for the ungodly.
He settled the sin question for eternal ages.
For every man and woman of Adams race, who will put their trust in him as Savior and Lord?
And he waits tonight for you. Will you take Christ tonight? Will you receive Christ Now He is the Savior of sinners. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus.
Came into the world to save sinners.
Two Men
Jesus, the Saviour
Children—D. Hindsley
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.
Toledo, November 1975. Children's Meeting. Don Hindsley.
That's John 10, The Lord Jesus says I am the door by me. If any man enter, any shall be saved. All right #43.
One door and only one.
Side are you?
One story, one. And yet it's like the door. I won't be inspired by a witch.
And which side of the door are you on? You know, in Revelation, what is it? 320 It says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man, I think that means boy or girl. Tell if any man hear my voice and will open the door, I will come in. You see, it's like the hearts like that, and it's a doer, but there's no latch on the outside.
The Lord says I'm not going to turn it and come in like that, you know. No, he's not going to break in you like a thief. Now he says, I'm going to knock.
And I want you to open the door and I want you to say, Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for me, and I want to trust you as my savior. All right, if anyone else now, who else has a favorite over here? Let's see, we took a girl. Let's have this young man down here.
46 I'm glad you children are not bashful. It's, it's the children's meeting this morning. Now all the other meetings are for the adults, so to speak. Now this is our meeting, so let's enjoy it together, shall we? All right #46 glad tidings. Glad.
TIDILI Live.
And the.
Clear and.
I want to arrive now. That's all right. It's.
If you know a spell, but.
TIDINGS.
Now who knows what that means? What's TIDINGS? What's what is it?
Glad tidings. What's another word for tidings?
Glad.
News What did you say?
Gifts.
Let's try another Glad tidings. What's another good word for tidings? All right, glad news. All right, the gospel. It's glad tidings. It's good news. You know it isn't. It isn't good advice, boys and girls, it isn't. Thou shalt do this. Thou shalt not do that.
No, that's, that's the commandment, you know, But what's the gospel? Oh, it's good news. What's the good news? I remember one time I was serving mail and I was going down this road and oh, it was hot and I was just so dry, just like I'm dry right now. And I was really thirsty. And I went into a place and I put the mail down. It was a, a business establishment and I saw water cooler there.
And I says, can I have a drink of water? They says, yes. So I took a nice drink. And I said to the people that were there, I said, you know, this puts me in mind of a verse of Scripture in Proverbs. It says as as cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. You know what that good news from a far country is all that the Lord Jesus Christ came down and went to the cross and he's died. He shed his precious blood, and that men and women, boys and girls can be saved.
Have their sins washed away and be on their way to glory. Well, this is glad tidings. Let's see what else we have in this this little song we have IBRING. What does that word spell? What does it spell? All right, glad tidings. I bring that Jesus. All right. I asked you once how I asked you. How about right here?
00:05:10
Jes spells Jesus.
And that's a word that we're going to start with a little bit later on as we take up some words here.
SAVE. What's that?
What is SAVE? All right, let's save, Let's save. Somebody says, well, what do you mean I have to be saved? Well, sometimes there's a bad fire and there's somebody that's crying out of a window up, up top, you know?
Help save me? What do they mean? They say save me from this burning fire?
And they put the ladder up and or else they'll tell the people to jump down, you know, into a net. And so they're saved from from the fire, from burning up. Sometimes, of course, there's that people go swimming and, and they get out too far. Their arms get tired, they get cramps and they start going down the ground. Help save me. Well, what do they want to be saved from going down into a watery grave? Someone comes to their rescue or throws a life preserver. Well, boys and girls, that's our condition.
Really, as sinners, we need to be saved, save from the burning, save from going down into a lost eternity in the Lord Jesus is that Savior. All right, well, and it's boys and it's girls to trust in him, TRUST to trust in him. All right, let's sing some more. We have time to sing some more because I, I'm not a long talker. So that what I can say, I can say in a short time. So we'll sing a little bit more.
All right, did you give us 1 yet?
#47.
47 when he come.
Gone.
Good morning. It is bright brown and brown underneath. They shall come underneath. I will fulfill with me right now.
Now it says, when you come, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming. He says in John 14, If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Now what boy or girl here knows?
Exactly when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back.
If you know exactly, exactly when he's coming back, you raise your hand. I want you to tell me you know exactly when he is coming back. You know the day, the loss and the hour. Who knows?
Well, I don't. I don't think you do. I'm sure you don't because the Bible doesn't tell us specifically the very day or hour. It just says he's coming back again. Now, the thing that is, could he come back before we're finished our children's meeting? Could he? Could he? Yes, he could come back before we finish the children's meeting.
00:10:23
I wonder who he's going to take with him.
He's not going to come down to be born as a babe in Bethlehem. No, that's all over. He's not going to come down to the Mount of Olives and and put down all the armies of the earth and set up his Kingdom. He's coming to the air and he's going to call. Who's he going to call to be with himself?
So is he going to take? Who's he going to take?
All the people that have confessed their sins to him, does anybody have any other thought?
All the saved sinners. All right. Anybody else have anything else to add to it? Who's he going to take with him?
Christians, all right, Christ ones, all right. Well, who's going to be left?
Who will be if he comes now, before the meeting is over? And Christians, the Christ ones, those who have their sins washed away, if they're taken up, who is going to be left?
The Who?
Sinners, those who have not confessed their sins well, will they be a lot of people that go to church, will they be left behind?
Yes, yes. Well, if they haven't got saved yet. Well, suppose that don't you know a lot of nice people? Don't you go to school with a lot of boys and girls? You know, they're not Christians, you know they're not. They don't like to sing the hymns and they don't like to learn the memory verses and you hear different things, but they're not too bad. I mean, after all, I like to play with them. And do you think that they'll be left behind here? Will they go?
Will they?
Yes, they'll be left behind. The Lord is only going to come for His own. Oh dear boys and girls, be sure, be very sure that you are one of His own by trusting in Him. I said we might learn a little song up in the tent work a lot of times. One of the favorites that we used to sing time and time again.
Was at the heart store.
Now, I don't know if all of you know it, but it's not very hard, and I'm sure there may be enough that do know it. And it goes like this at the heart store, the Saviors waiting at the hearts door, locked in sin. Can't you hear him? He's gently knocking. Open the door and let him in. Did you ever sing it? All right? I thought maybe it wouldn't be altogether new. Let's try.
With emotions now with the children and the bigger ones still, you want to help us.
In and you hear him.
He tells me not him, open the door and land him in.
All right, we'll sing it one more time because some may have heard it for the first time. All right.
Saviors waiting.
And the heart story locked in there.
Can't you hear him? He's gently knocking.
Open the door and let him in. All right now, another song and for this one I need help.
Let me say, my heart was black with sin.
Who's got black on Who has black?
We're going to ask you to come up here with me. OK? This this may be blue, but my eyes are bad. This is black. This is black. All right? My heart was black with sin until the Savior came in his precious blood. Boy, I can't have anything brighter than this. Come on. All right.
00:15:08
And now I have to get a couple girls. You stand right now.
My heart was black with sin until the Savior come in. His precious blood I know has washed me white as snow. Let's see. I need white young lady here, All right? She's got a white hat and a white blouse. Good.
And now I need someone. Let's see, my heart was black was seen until the Savior command is precious. But I know it may be white as snow. And in God's word. Now I can pick another girl without any colors at all. Come on, you've been so helpful. You can help me again. And you have a Bible. Here, hold mine right there.
OK, you hold it tight because I got some loose pages and when I asked you to, you hold it up like that. All right? OK. Now I used to have a gold watch, but I don't know, I was switched to a Timex, so I don't have my gold watch.
All right, now we all know this song. Let's start now. My heart was black with sin, right? My heart was black.
Wonderful, wonderful day.
We like my sins away, all right, one more time and then my helpers can go down. I used to have little gifts to give to my helpers, but I don't today. So I just have to say thank you when you're done, all right?
My.
Favorite game and it's dragged your blood on the blonde. I'm glad I'm.
And why are you? Why that's no?
The green.
Wonderful, wonderful rewind life in the way. All right. Thank you.
And now one more little chorus. John 316. Right? John 316.
John, 316.
Believe within him.
Perish what?
And now we're going to turn to the Word of God. And again, I want 4 helpers with Bibles and I want you to look up 4 verses.
And this young man here, you look up for me, Matthew 121.
And let's see, the second word is Matthew 1128.
1128 You have a Bible there. Matthew 1128 Remember what I asked you now?
And the third word would be Ephesians 28.
Ephesians 28. Can you look up Ephesians 28? All right. And then John 316 over here on the end, this young man. John 316. All right, Matthew 121.
Do you have an out yet, boy Matthew chapter one and verse 21 as they're looking up these words?
I'll tell you that in Matthew 121, we want a precious word there, the name Jesus.
Matthew 121 And then we want the word in Matthew 1128.
00:20:00
Com COME.
Matthew 121.
Chapter one, verse 21 and I want Ephesians 28. Is that the one I gave you? Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8 and I gave you John 316, right? All right, Matthew 121. Read that for us.
All right, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus.
One time somebody said Jesus stands for this. Jesus exactly suits us.
Sinners.
Jesus exactly suits us sinners and indeed it is true boys and girls all. How precious we sing many songs in our little flock in book. Oh how sweet the name of Jesus sounds and a believers ear. And you know I was saved when I was 20 and I'm 49 now so that's 29 years ago and time and time again.
I've heard the gospel.
And I have read in the Bible some of Matthew and Mark and Luke and John. And in that those gospels, you know, I've read and even last night our brother reminded us again in the gospel about the Lord Jesus Christ and how did he came into this world? You see, he always was with God and he was God the Lord Jesus Christ, because there's God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
And the day came when God the Father sent his Son the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus was willing to come down from heaven above and become as a babe in Bethlehem Manger born to the sea. And he didn't remain a babe, You know that He grew up and he increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man, the Scripture says. And he grew up. And at 30, John the Baptist.
Baptized him and the heavens were open and God said, this is my beloved Son.
And the Spirit of God came down upon him like a dog. And the Lord Jesus Christ then started on his ministry, His work, old, ever mighty works done by the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember a man called Bartonius?
Blind Bartimaeus could never see.
And one day when Jesus was passing by, he cried, Jesus son of David, have mercy on me. And the people, they told him, look, you're a blind man now be quiet. Jesus is important and he's busy. He doesn't have time for you. Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me, cries out and says, Jesus stood still.
He heard a cry of someone in need, and he says, what wilt thou old that I might receive my sight? And the Lord Jesus opened up the eyes of blind Bartimaeus and he could see Jesus first. That's important. He could see the Lord Jesus and then he could see the crowd and he could see a blue sky. He'd never seen these things before. His eyes were open. Then there was a a lady one time and her tears were just coming down her face. She was crying.
Why? What's wrong? It was a funeral and they were on their way and her only son.
They were taking him out. He had died and the Lord Jesus said stop, don't go any further and he stood over that beer, you know, like where that young man, whatever they carrying then any cost him to come back to life.
And the young man, he gave him back to his mother, and her tears stopped. Isn't he gracious? Oh, he's so loving and kind. And then one time.
There were so many people that came to hear him, thousands of them, oh perhaps even 15,000 people were sitting on the grass because it says there was at least 5000 men. And then if they're wives and a couple of children, you know, for each family, oh, there must have been a large multitude. And they were there and they said, oh, we're hungry, what are we going to eat? And the disciples came to the Lord Jesus and they had those five loaves and those two fishes.
00:25:02
And they says, but look, we cannot feed this great crowd with what we have here. And so the Lord Jesus had 12 disciples and he took some of the bread and he broke it and he gave it to Peter. And he says, Peter, you go over there, cut off a piece of fish as you go to that crowd that's over there. And Andrew, piece of bread and a little bit of fish, you go over there and right on down. And he sent us 12 disciples.
And they went over and I know they were a little apprehensive, and Peter took a piece of bread and he gave it to this man, a piece of bread, and he gave it to this lady. And he gave a piece of bread and fish. And he looked and he had just as much as when he started. And he went all through that crowd and Andrew and James and John, and there was leftover. Do you think that happened? Do you think that happened? Yes, yes, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Could feed a great multitude with loaves and fishes. And all through his life a man who was a leper, a man who was lame. It didn't make any difference. The Lord Jesus met everybody in their need, and there came a day, there came a time.
When for my love they return me hatred? Can you imagine anybody hating such a one, who would do such wonderful things and such gracious things? And then all of a sudden they said away with him crucifying. We don't want this man to reign over us. We don't want anything to do with him. The best thing for him is to nail him on the cross like a common criminal.
They wanted witnesses, too.
They wanted witnesses to come and and to testify against him. But all suppose they had called that widow woman. They said you testify against him, She says I can't. He raised up my only son called blind Bartimaeus. I can't speak against him, he said. He opened up my eyes.
And the left and the lane, No, they couldn't. But they raised up false witnesses against him. And then finally they said, take him out. And those soldiers, do you know how cruel soldiers are sometimes? But those Roman soldiers, they took the Lord Jesus and they put a blindfold around him and it would smack him in the face, You know, they would take the blindfold off and they'd say, now prophecy, who? Which one of U.S. soldiers smoked?
They play games with Him, the very Lord of glory, the one who came down and did such wonderful things to meet all the need of man. They beat Him and they put a crown of thorns on His head and they beat His back, and finally they nailed Him on that wooden cross. And then we heard before that right at noon time.
God said, man, you have done all you're going to do.
And you have seen enough.
And God caused everything to go black. Can you imagine at noonday with the sun shining in all of its brilliance, all of a sudden darkness just pitch black. And then out of that pitch blackness, all of a sudden there was a cry. My God, my God.
Why are thou forsaken me?
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The one who became man.
God's beloved Son.
Was paying a debt that no man, no Angel could pay but he alone.
And my sins, all the wicked sins that I committed, were laid upon him. And when he who knew no sin was made sin, then God had to pour out stroke upon stroke. God must punish sin. And God did punish it. And the Lord Jesus Christ became the sin bearer. He's the one that took all of the judgment of God and then cried out.
It is finished, it is finished. He did to her all dear boys and girls, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Jesus exactly suits us sinners. All of our need can be met in Him. Now our next verse.
00:30:01
Was.
Matthew 1128 Who had that?
Matthew 1128 Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
COME is children.
Old folks, middle-aged, everyone.
COME children, all folks, middle-aged everyone, The Lord Jesus Christ now that he's died upon the cross of Calvary.
Now that he shed his precious blood, he wants boys and girls, He wants men and women, he wants Russians.
Chinese, He wants all anywhere. You know, I thank God for a gospel message that we have that can go into all the world. We don't have to meet a person on the street of Toledo or in Ohio anywhere or anywhere in the world that we cannot say Jesus died for all mankind. He's a savior for all who will believe and trust in him.
Children, all folks, middle-aged, everyone come. You know when the ark was finished, then God says come thou and all thy house into the ark, and the door was shut.
Come and all the way through the Bible, God gives these gracious invitations.
And it goes all the way to the last book in Revelation where God is still saying everyone that is a first come take the water of life freely. Oh dear boys and girls, Jesus loves you. Jesus died on the cross for you and he wants you to see ome come and trust in him. Our next verse is Ephesians 28.
For five degrees New York State and not of your citizens.
For by grace are you saved through faith. Faith is the word that I want, and here again we want to break it down. Faith forsaking.
All I trust him, Forsaking all, I trust him. Buddhist Mohammed.
No matter what they may be trusting in, forsake it all, put it aside. Some people trusting in the fact that they were baptized or they know their memory verses you know now put it all aside, forsaking all. I trust him and him alone. There is salvation in none other.
The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the Savior of sinners. Then we had one other verse.
John 316 should not perish. That's the word I want now.
PERISH Parish passed eternally ruined into a sinner's hell past eternally ruined.
Into a sinner's hell if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ, if you do not trust in Him as your Savior, if you go on and don't love Him.
And you die or the Lord should come, you'd be left behind and perish past eternally ruined into a sinners hell. Oh how awful. You know, I was talking to a lady one time and she says, well there's no hell. You know that Jesus is loving. And I said to her, Jesus told us some of the awfulest expressions that we know about hell came from the lips of the Savior.
If by hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, he said. It is better to enter into life halter maimed, and to go into everlasting fire.
Where the worm dieth, man, the fire is not quenched. Don't touch that.
And so the Lord Jesus faithfully warned of this if we reject him.
Of passing off into a lost eternity. You know there's a.
There was a brother.
That was doing some carpentry work.
00:35:00
And he was down on his knees, of course, and he was working backward, nailing.
And all of a sudden he he felt rather strange and he stopped.
And he turned around and looked, and right behind him was a stairwell, unfinished. There was a hole. Had he gone one more little bit of nailing backwards, he would have plunged right down into a concrete basement and been seriously hurt and perhaps even killed.
And he looked, and there was another man working right there, looking at him.
And this brother looked at this man and he said, did you see this?
And the man says, yeah, I was wondering if you were going to stop.
That Workman had no concern.
That that man was almost ready to be heard and perhaps killed.
He should have warned him.
Boys and girls, this morning, by the grace of God, we know your danger. If you're without Christ, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, we know the danger that lies ahead.
Lost, ruined, a lost eternity away from God, unhappiness, misery, heartache and sorrow.
We would warn you, warn you, and we would say come to Jesus, trust in him this very day is your Savior. Let's sing just one stanza.
I wanted life at best is very brief.
#25 #25 just one stanza.
And the course life at best, is very brief.
And.
1 Peter 2:1-5
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.
Toledo, November 1975. First reading meeting.
231.
We're pilgrims in the wilderness. Our dwelling is a camp created. Things no pleasant now bear to us. Death stand but onward. We are speeding. Though often left and tried. The Holy Ghost is leading home to the land. His bribes 231.
Where pilgrims in love?
Oh.
00:05:19
We have the mind of the Lord in reading the second chapter of First Peter.
Together.
Where's the vessel?
Of Peter Chapter 2.
Where we're laying aside all malice, and all guilty in hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted, that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming is unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
He also, as living flavor stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer a spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Also is contained in the scripture.
Behold, I lay in Zion a cheap cornerstone, Elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.
But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same has made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Even to them we stumble at the word being disobedient.
Where under also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims.
Abstained from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doors, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King a Supreme.
Or under governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers.
And for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as a servant of God.
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle.
But also to the forward. For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience towards God endured grief, suffering wrongfully, For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, but if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God, for even here unto where he called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving as an example.
That you should follow his steps.
Who did no sin, neither was guile thrown in his mouth.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges, righteously.
Through his own self there are sins in his own body, on the tree that we're being dead to. Sins should live under righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed, For you wear a seat going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
00:10:02
Apostle Peter.
Used up here, as here in the wilderness.
But he also has the glory before him.
And he makes much.
Of an exhortation as to our behavior while we're here in the wilderness on our way to glory.
And I suppose the 2 words found in this chapter.
Strangers and pilgrims bring the two things before us.
The fact where strangers lets us know that we're still down here in this world where we don't belong.
We're in the wilderness. We don't belong down here, but the word pilgrims tells us that we're on the way to glory.
Would you say, Brother Anderson, that the wherefore would refer back to the fact that of the 18 first, that GRE is that you know that you're not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Father's, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot? And also what we have on the 22nd verse.
Seeing you have purified your souls, and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, so on, So the exhortation is not based on the ground upon which the believer is now, as all exhortation in scripture is for the believer.
I'm glad you bring that out, because we do find excitations in Scripture based on our position.
And we're viewed as children of God in the first chapter, but we're spoken of as children of obedience. And so obedience is expected of us as children of God. And so these wherefores and therefore in Scripture are very important and it it shows that there's a context in which what we're to read.
Is found and it's always good to look at the context what what are the surroundings of the scripture that we're dwelling upon? This helps us a lot.
We don't need commentaries on the word of God, especially because the Word of God is its own commentary. And we might have a question about something about a verse that we're reading. But if we look a little a little farther before or after, we'll probably find the answer.
I like to think of this as being in some way connected with the significance and value of the word of God.
Up the last three verses, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flashes of grass and all the glory of man of the flower of grass the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord, as we have just been reminded of these unchanging things, the word of the Lord and endureth forever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you, Wherefore.
Laying aside all malice, and all God and hypocrisy, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire, the sincere milk of the word here is that which, in spite of every change around us, remains unchanging. This is that through which you and I have been born again.
And surely it's that which ought to be our food and we ought to have an appetite for it.
And the first verse tells us what will hinder our appetite.
Both times we find children. I know our little granddaughter was with us. She wasn't hungry at all. It was something very unusual. She wasn't well and when she got well, her appetite returned.
The things that were hindering her appetite were gone, and it's very important to view these things that hinder the appetite of the child of God for the word of God. And we're all subject to these things and we should lay them to heart.
00:15:09
Because we have a nature that is guilty of malice, hypocrisy. So we don't have to come in too much on them because.
God has deceit, for it isn't truthful, and how easy it is for that old nature to try to deceive others. The hypocrisy, of course, is pretending that we're more spiritual, more devoted.
Than we actually are and.
At all evil speaking. How wrong that is and how harmful it is not only in the assembly, but it harms our individual souls to be always criticizing and condemning and finding fault with God's children.
That doesn't mean that matters that concern the welfare of the Assembly must not be taken up and righteously dealt with. That's another matter entirely.
But as to our daily conversation with one another, how well it is if we're occupied with the those things that are commendable in our beloved brother instead of being occupied with their shortcomings and failures.
Then those things being judged, laid aside, as he puts it here.
Well, then there is the state of soul to the inner state of a newborn babe, earnestly desiring the sincere milk of the word.
The NBC is what characterized the the assembly at Corinth, was it not? They were envious of one another and they were they were starting schools of opinion and gathering around certain persons and.
So that was the evidence really, of a deeper evil in the assembly which broke out later.
That sometimes these things mentioned here are indications of something deeper going on, and it's expressed in this way where the heart's really out of communion with God and or it wouldn't be the evil speaking and the end being so on.
It's instructive, too, to notice that the first three of these points that are warned against might not be seen. They might not be outward at all.
The malice is to be thinking evil thoughts of it others, or thinking evil thoughts. And it might be going on outwardly, appearing as if these thoughts weren't there, but there they are. And then the next one is a little different, a guile. Oh, that's using Satans methods of deception, but that again might not appear on the surface. And then the third one, hypocrisy as well, begins to becoming a little bit more evident.
Pretending in our outward way.
To be what we are and the envies it increases, then again to have low thoughts of of others, and then the evil speakings out of the abundance, the heart, the mouth speakers and that which had been might have been occupying the heart would come out in the evil speakings. So it's a serious warning, isn't it, that underneath the hidden things might be there, but then they gradually come out.
Is that not something what the apostle speaks of when he says in the 4th chapter and above all things have fervent charity or love among yourselves, for love shall cover the most due to sins. I understand that means that there is that fervent love among the Saints, that evils that might develop in the assembly.
Checks, they don't progress. And so when God looks down at his people instead of seeing wrangling and unhappy state where he sees that they have a fervent love for each other. So that he doesn't love coming up, covering up on his evil when it should be judged, but it prevents the evil from becoming operated among the Saints and in the lives.
00:20:02
Of individuals.
It's been said that verse one is plowing the ground and verse two is planting the sea.
Oh, brother England are used to say in Bloomington, you got to get the weeds out of the garden before you're a nice vegetables and flowers can grow. And the first verse is he said have the weeds, get the weeds out and then.
What is useful. Valuable is then free to progress and to grow.
Sad thing about weeds is.
Having had some experience on the farm, if you leave the weeds.
They take all the nourishment out of the soil.
And if you don't keep them down, plow them under, you're going to lose.
From the soil, those valuable things that are needed for growing the crop.
And these things that we have in the first verse certainly shaped the strength of the believer.
And we need to judge these things that we might preserve ourselves, because if we're going on according to the flesh, we're certainly not walking in the spirit. And we're losing, we're losing strength, we become.
Open to the enemy and he just can use us more and more.
And we're not doing anything for the Lord to glorify Him. It just takes our strength away, our spiritual strength. But we've been exhorted to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We've been told to copoly to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Because what would we do without the Lord? But these things must be judged before we can really go on with the Lord.
We've been reminded so often in previous years.
That communion and self judgment go together and I trust we don't forget that.
I think we've heard it said too, that if we would judge those things which our brethren don't see, we would not have to judge those things which come out and they do see. So I believe this is what we have here first of all, those things which are unseen and we certainly can't look around and try to apply them to anyone else. I remember as an example visiting with a dear brother one time and I esteemed him so highly with a good deal older than myself.
And he told me.
And he didn't seem to be telling me with any great sorrow that were certain ones in the assembly where he was, with whom he could not shake hands.
I didn't know the situation, I just simply said to him or brother, if you don't shake hands with them, I'm sure you pray for them.
And he looked a little embarrassed. And I said, do you, brother? And he still wouldn't answer. And I said, brother, do you, do you pray for those with whom you feel you cannot shake hands? And he hung his head. He said, no, Well, I said, could we both get down together now while you pray for them? He was old enough to be my father. And we did. And there were many, many, many tears, both his and mine, because there was a sorrowful situation.
But he knelt down and prayed in warm love.
And I saw him a few days after, he said. I've shaken hands with everyone of them. And brethren, I know this is true. Sometimes we feel that, perhaps.
Truth and righteousness would forbid us to show the love that our hearts, we hope, feel. But if this is the case?
If this is truly the case, let us judge unsparingly that there be not malice in our hearts, that we love our presence and that we at least pour out our hearts before the Lord is secret for them all.
I've learned something from reading what our late brother Jan Darby wrote. It was on the subject of praying for our brothers.
And he was writing about pray for those that might have faults that we see.
00:25:02
And might even be reluctant to shake hands with.
But the gist of what he said was, if you pray for your brethren, you'll be seeing something. You'll soon be seeing something to thank God for.
I was wondering if we don't have a thought in the proverbs connected with these first two verses. I've enjoyed this myself and been exercised about it in the 13th proverb.
Verse 23.
It says much food is in the village of the poor.
But there?
Is that is destroyed for want of judgment, thinking of much food in the tillage of the poor, that is, there should be an exercise.
As one has mentioned already about the weeds, if they're not dug up, if there isn't something done with the ground, then there's no food. So there's much food is is in the tillage of the poor. Doesn't cost anything. It's not a question of price, it's a question of judging, isn't it?
I was thinking then in the other verse of the other part of the verse, but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. If I don't judge that thing within then there is no growth. There can be no food for my own soul and no growth in connection with that. And then I was thinking too in Jeremiah four of the little word there in exhibition Jeremiah 4, verse 3.
This is the part of that verse but the third verse. For thus set the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem. Break up your fallow ground, and so not among thorns, that is, break up your foul brown. Let there be self judgment, and so not among thorns. I'm sure there's other thoughts on it, but I've enjoyed that in connection with this these first two verses here in in First Peter 2.
That in order for growth there must be the judging of the thing as our brother has brought out, that starts within and if it isn't judged, then it comes out and there is no growth.
And many are defiled.
We have another use of milk, haven't we, in the?
And the third chapter, First Corinthians, or the 4th chapter? Well, the third chapter, where the apostle says I fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it. For whereas there is among you envy and strife and division. Are you not carnal and walk as men? Well, in that case the milk is the is the first.
A blessing or understanding of God's truth may be the gospel that is brought a Sinner to know that he is lost and needs a savior so that he's trusting in Christ. But if he didn't go on and understand what grace had brought him into.
The new relationship to Christ as His glorified head.
Many other lesson subjects from the word or he would remain in a state of infancy, but then in Galatians and Hebrews and the.
5th chapter He warns the Hebrews there that whereas they should be teachers, there were only they were only based, and they hadn't got to the place where they could enter into the deeper truth they've just been.
Crowd feeding on milk? Well, that isn't the thought here, is it? Although it's using that way there. But here it's the daily enjoyment which is a result of reading or meditating upon the word of God.
As newborn babes and in that sense we should always be newborn babes always having that healthy.
Fresh enjoyment of the things of Christ. In one way we should grow up to be.
00:30:05
Mature Christians.
Like first a bath, then a fall, then a young man and then then a father. But as far as our appetites are concerned, we should always have.
That. That eager desire, brethren, do we have that eager desire?
To know more of the things that are contained in the.
In the precious word of the living God.
Our brother and his young peoples address this afternoon made reference to.
The delinquency that there sometimes is in connection with having a gospel meeting.
Or feeling a gospel responsibility.
Well, could we connect that with this? As newborn babe desire the sincere milk of the word, our brother Barry was reminding us of the simple things of the gospel that are our enjoyment when we're first saved.
The gospel, isn't it?
Well, perhaps this exhortation here can fit that situation where there's a laxity in connection with having Gospel meetings. If we have that desires newborn babes for this simple truth of the word of God, we'll certainly enjoy the Gospel meetings. And we'll love to attend the Gospel meetings too, and to encourage the brother that stands up to give out the gospel.
Or you say, well, sometimes there isn't any unsaved in the meeting. Well, as Saints of God we can enjoy the gospel. I enjoy hearing the gospel, and I'm sure there are many others here that enjoy hearing the gospel. And so I don't believe we should give up the gospel meeting. If at all possible, carry on as newborn babes desire, than sincere milk of the word.
Whether your party is to speak of a saint's gospel.
Remember a brother in the Chicago meeting years ago that objected to his thought that you should preach the gospel in the meeting room to the Saints, that you don't get to unsaved into the meeting? Oh, this brother not often got a hole and he was going to start a real gospel campaign. He thought, I went there one time and they had one little child that came to the meeting and that was the.
The 8th.
How come supposedly a gospel work whereas the gospel is still going on and the Oak Park meeting which is a continuation of the Chicago meeting and the people get blessed. So there are many truths. Would you not say Brother Anderson connected with the gospel of our salvation as to eternal security and as to?
Our being saved from the power of sin, the power of Satan.
And delivered from the law all the way consequences of being under that old schoolmaster. Well, you could just multiply endlessly the precious truths that are connected especially with the gospel that.
Lord would have us continue with.
There's a groundwork that's done in preaching the gospel. If the gospel is preached in its fullness, there will be a groundwork laid, foundation work laid even for those who've already believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I feel sometimes that our young people, and maybe older ones too, are not firmly grounded.
In the truth of the gospel. And so sometimes there's wavering and doubts and whatnot, and they're wondering what about their sins after they've gotten saved. And maybe they're not saved at all. All those kinds of things enter into the minds of of.
Recent believers, or maybe believers that have been saved for some time, but we need a foundation in the gospel.
Instructive to see that little comma after the third word as newborn babes. The comma weren't there as newborn babes desire it would be a statement. But with the comma in there, it lays emphasis on the fact that the desire is something to develop as newborn babes desire. It's a it's a, it's a, it's an exercise, isn't it? To desire this so it's a good thing to.
00:35:31
Encourage those who have just been saved to to go on to read the word of God early in the Christian life. And I believe that's the force of it, isn't it? It's it's desire. It's something that we have to cultivate in the in the Christian life desire.
It needs mothers and fathers need to encourage their children to read the scriptures. It's something that needs to be developed in in the young convert.
I suppose that this supplies practically this afternoon to all of us as well.
This desire is newborn babes. We're not newborn babes, perhaps all of us. But we should have that desire as newborn babes, and this should never leave us. Now, I'm sure that most of us can remember when we were first saved, when there was probably at least with some of us.
More zeal than there is now in the gospel and telling others. And I do think that the question of giving out the gospel in the room starts with a state of soul. And so sometimes if these things are hanging on that we have in the first verse, it may hinder the the preaching of the gospel. There may be those who could well are well able to preach the gospel.
Who would never open their mouths because of something that's hindering? There's a verse that says something goes something like this.
Heroes of a merry heart.
At the continual feast. Now I interpret that to mean one who is in communion.
With God.
He is like these newborn babes.
It is of a merry heart as a continual feast, a state of soul. And if this is so, why? There will be the the gospel going out, whether it's in the room or whether it's on the job or in the office, when the opportunity arises. But I think so many times we find, at least I have found that when I've had the opportunity to give the gospel out.
Perhaps at the work or wherever I was, I was not really in the state of soul to do it. And that's the the thing we should be exercised about and I believe that's what we have here.
In what I related about that brother getting a fall and starting a gospel work as he thought, I don't want to discourage any effort made to start the work of the Lord. Just telling relating about a brother that was so opposed to what Brother Potter called the Saints gospel that the Lord. I think I just taught the brother that what he looked upon so lightly was really valuable.
And his thought of getting out and getting something started, that he didn't have the mind of the Lord for it. For many places, we know that it's where the Gathering has started. A Sunday school, maybe in a small way, has developed into a real work of God.
Walton thought how in Montreal a gospel preaching on the on Saint Catherine St. I can remember many years back and being impressed.
The faithfulness of the brethren who went there, and I think the result was that it it opened the mouth of younger brothers that are still preaching the gospel. So we don't want to discourage any outside.
Energy in the gospel, but along that of what I was really seeking to bring before us. Don't give up the gospel meeting in your little assembly.
00:40:00
And if the Lord leads to other openings, why I be very thankful to him for it.
Paul says, moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel. That's always been a bit of an encouragement to me. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel by which also you were saved. Well, if our own hearts, by the grace of God, are so filled with Thanksgiving for what the gospel of the grace of God means to us.
What a joy it is to tell it out. What a joy it is to tell it out. It ought to be. It ought to be a joy it ought to be from an overflowing heart that any one of us would ever, ever tell us about. Oh, when we come to the Book of Revelation and we read under him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. That's not very profound, is it? But it's a burst of praise in the first chapter. And then you come to chapter 5.
Thou art worthy, for thou hast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Oh, I think there's going to be something about heaven itself that will never, never let us forget the precious wonder of the gospel I just returned from Trinidad and they have their regular meetings, 5 meetings a week, and in addition to that all year round an open air testimony and practically everyone in the assembly.
Is out for the open air message as well As for all the regular meetings. We came together on Monday night for the regular meeting and they said where shall we have the open air meeting tomorrow?
One brother said. I think it would be nice to have it in front of Brother James Home. So I didn't know what Brother James would think of that. But sure enough, he was very, very happy about it. And we all met in Brother James Home, went out the front door and stood there and preached the gospel to Brother James neighbors. You can imagine that that takes quite a testimony in the neighborhood to be able to stand in front of your own home and preach the gospel. So, brethren, I really feel with all the wondrous truths that by the grace of God has been entrusted to us.
If there's anyone here that doesn't enjoy listening to the gospel.
There's something seriously wrong. No matter how long you've been saved, I hope you still love listening to the gospel.
You'd say, brother, that while we're considering the going out of the gospel and the milk of the word being indeed in a certain sense the proclamation of the gospel, yet strictly speaking here it's any subject in the word that feeds the soul. I believe that the correct translation here is.
The pure mental milk of the word that is our minds that need to be.
To be fed and sustained is so much around us that is harmful and that is distracting and gets us occupied with the thoughts and ideas of the world that we need to have our thoughts and our desires and our interests formed.
By the word of God, whatever line of truth it might be, if it's the subject of the Church of God, the church that he loved and gave himself for, well, there is an immense subject. And as we think that we're actually members of the body of Christ, members of his body, of his right and of his bones, what a, a strengthening that is to go on with that.
Hope soon before us, when we'll see the Church and all this beauty and perfection, and to know that we're actually members of the Body of Christ, even down here.
We have a picture here of true ministry in Peters second chapter where he brings before us the person of Christ and his ministry. Now you were Speaking of the various subjects that wanted to take up, but we find that Paul does the same and.
The Apostles, although they may take up various subjects, they all return to the person of Christ. This is what we have in this third and 4th verses. If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, so that one who is safe has this expectation, doing the 1St 2 verses to be saved, to whom coming is unto a living stone.
00:45:02
Disallowed, indeed, of men, but chosen of God and precious. Well, that's Christ is before us, is it not? And he's precious to every believer. And it's the preciousness of this that keeps us in the right state of soul.
It's so important for us to taste that the Lord is gracious.
And Peter had an experience.
That brought this before him. He had denied that he knew the Lord.
And yet Peter was the first one.
For one of the first to whom the Lord appeared after his resurrection.
And what went on when the Lord appeared to Peter were not told.
But the Lord lets us know that he's interested in Peter.
And Peter found out how gracious the Lord was.
And you can't help but speak up.
I'm sure Peter felt terrible. He wept bitterly after the Lord had looked at him.
And you began to realize.
What an awful thing he had done to deny that he knew the law.
But he found that the Lord was just the same. There hadn't been any change in the Lord.
And he learned something of the graciousness of the Lord. He tasted that the Lord is gracious all. Peter might have had the thought. Well, now what? What do I have to do to make up for this awful thing that I have done?
The Lord didn't give him a chance to do anything, and he doesn't expect us to do anything to undo what we have done in the past.
But we find that when we come to the Lord.
In weeping bitterness of soul, self judgment, and repentance, the largest justice, gracious as he ever was, And he forgives and he cleanses, brings us back into unhappy fellowship again. What a gracious Lord.
All that's not having a legal thought. Now, now, dishonor the Lord. Now I got to do something to undo that. To make up for it? No, just take the low place before the Lord.
And we'll find that the Lord is gracious. Don't you think, Brother Anderson, that that is really thought prepared to soul to enter into what follows? To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men the chosen of God and precious He also is living stones, are built up a spiritual house, and so on. So many people miss the truth of.
The fact that we are living stones and built upon the one who is the living stone or as he told Peter upon this rock that is Peters confession. Christ the Son of the living God. And on that rock the Lord builds the church well. How few understand and enter into it and yet it's it has a powerful result in our lives when we see.
Or the truth of what is referred to here and how in keeping that was with the instruction the Lord gave to Peter in the 16th chapter of Matthews gospel, where he tells Peter that thou are Peter, Pete Cross.
I believe the original and upon but upon this rock that is Christ himself, whom Peter had confessed as the Son of the living God. He says, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So Peter is just almost rehearsing word for word what he learned on that occasion.
Is this house complete yet?
You tell us, brother. Well, isn't it being built? Isn't that the thought? Yes, it is being built.
There is such a thing as God manifesting His presence in the assembly here below.
00:50:01
But that's.
The public testimony and responsibility of man connected with it, as we have in the end of Ephesians 2. But we also have an Ephesians 2 just exactly what we have here a a house that's not yet completed.
But as soon as the last members brought in, it will be, and then we'll all be caught up, won't we?
I suppose the Apostle Peter brings in the house aspect here because he's occupied with behavior in the house.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that thou mayst know how the artist could behave thyself in the House of God.
All of us belong to some household and as a member of that house or household, we have a responsibility.
Well, those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, we belong to the household of God.
And I suppose it's that aspect it's brought before us here as a house.
It's expected that a certain behavior should become us, a behavior that's becoming the House of God.
Don't you think it might be helpful to look at what you referred to Brother Anderson? I mean brother.
No. Yes in the end. Ephesians 2.
In the 21St verse of Ephesians 2IN whom all the buildings fitly framed together growth into an holy temple, and the Lord where there's the building growing every time a Sinner is saved as another stone added to the building. It's not complete yet as you said. And then in the next verse in the 22nd verse of Ephesians 2.
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
There the church is looked at as completed any particular time.
Build it together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
So when they came together into one place in cars, where there was the Church of God as to its present aspect, but in another aspect it's not complete and will not be complete until the Lord comes and gives a shout in the air.
And Peter, in line with what Paul teaches there in Ephesians, speaks how the living stones coming.
To Christ who is the living stone.
You mean in Peter, Peter, yes.
The apostle Peter said, To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
Here says to whom coming?
Peter knew there wasn't anywhere else to go, anyone else to go to, but the Blessed Lord to whom coming.
Why even in in the Reading meeting?
If you haven't come to the Lord Jesus, you can come now and you can find him, the living stone as well as the Savior and the one who died for sinners. To whom coming. That's what God expects. He expects us to come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
For us, there's a sense in which we as believers can come to we need to come to him every day.
And in the assembly, we come to it. We come to meet the Savior. The city is presence.
Wonderful, isn't it, when Peter said in the 16th chapter of Matthews our arts of Christ, the Son of the living God. Now he is enjoying the thought that what his confession there, that Christ was the Son of the living God, that each believer has the same life and nature that was seen in the Blessed Lord himself.
00:55:09
He also has living stones, He is a living stone, and we have the very light of Christ himself. That is, when you were saved, you were born again, and you received divine life. And marvelous to consider that that life is the very life of the Son of God himself.
One might just wonder how I hear that he speaks of Christ as the living stone, but you'll notice in the eighth verse that he uses the.
Illustration of the stone and the rock interchangeably. We're in that verse. A stone of stumbling and a rock of a fence. The word the Lord used in the 16th of Matthew and talking to Peter.
Upon this rock that is.
As though the Lord said, Well, Peter, you're a little stone, but upon this bedrock.
I will build my church. Our brother Brown, who was very learned in Greek, I understand.
Explained that that the word there in Matthew is a shelter rock of foundation rock not.
Not just a little fragment of the rock, and that's all. Peter was just a little stone for you. We all know, I'm sure, that the word Peter means stone. Pete Cross is a word taken from that. And when the Lord met Peter, he called him Cephas, which is just another word for stone.
And we're builded. And remember that we're building together.
We don't want to go on independent of our brethren, and that's the precious truth too.
With this be taken from Isaiah, you suppose Peter refers to Isaiah when he quotes this Isaiah the 28th chapter. Because this will be the same foundation stone as you suggested, the foundation that Israel will rest upon, but not.
In the 28th chapter and.
The 16th, 1St.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone.
A tried stone. A precious cornerstone.
A sure foundation, he that believeth shall not make haste.
Well, this will be the this will be the foundation and resting place of the return Jew, and the one who rejects this stone, of course, as we learn in that it will be ground to powder. It's a it's an awful thing to reject the Lord Jesus, whether it be now or whether it be in that coming day for Israel. There will be those of Israel who will reject that stone. But this is the test, is it not always?
This epistle was written to those who've been scattered, that is, the Jews that had been scattered here and there. And Peter is writing to them to encourage them and reminds them that they have a foundation, shown they have one upon whom they can rest. They can depend upon him. Well, I'm sure it wasn't easy for these that had been scattered here and there. It was a trying time for them.
But Peter writes to them to encourage them.
Well, it's a spiritual house. It isn't a House of.
Wood or brick or stone, the thought of the church has so been so perverted in Christmas to speak of a church that people immediately think of a building with a staples. But how clear scripture teaches us that the only thought we find in the Word.
Is the church? Says the building? Perhaps this story is rather worn, but.
I was told that this took place in Smith Falls years ago, that there was a young man was walking with brother Heaney and he said look at our new church. Brother Heaney says why it isn't complete not completely said he so proud of this building. I know he says that many years and then he sells. I think too you'd be a hard thing to put put this church in a house because we I read about the church in certain ones house.
01:00:27
Well, he was just showing the young man how far.
Christendom has got away from the truth of the church. For we read, you know, in the I guess it's the 8th of Acts when these things came to the ears of the church. So it shows that the church is a living thing. It isn't a dead thing, it's it's composed of all true believers.
But of course there is a local expression of the church because you get in First Corinthians 12 where it says ye are other than the ye are the.
Forget. Maybe someone remembers exactly the words.
Well, I'll turn to it. First Corinthians 12.
There, the apostle says.
But ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular, that is the assembly or the church. There at at Corinth was a local expression of the whole body of Christ the world over.
And we need to remember that, brethren. It's solemn to think that as gathered to the Lorde name, that we represent the whole church.
If it were gathered, as we find in Scripture, according to the mind of God.
So that when local matters come before an assembly, don't forget that what?
Your every action you take has.
A reference or has to do with the whole body has gathered.
In the Lord's name.
Doesn't it seem very, very sad that although these things are at least in some measure, precious to us?
And they were certainly very precious to the Lord, either so precious and so real that he gave himself that these things might be reality. Yet they're looked upon in general by the religious world as being just strange theories, just simply theories. And they're much more interested in their buildings and that which they can point to then in the precious reality that are here in the word of God.
And I suppose if someone could point to a church or a cathedral and say, well, that's been standing for 1000 years, people would come a long, long way to see that building that had been standing there, the glory of some architect for 1000 years. But when the Lord Jesus speaks of these things, he says, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And let man sneer, if they wish, that which by the grace of God, you and I, in some little measure and joy as being.
So real in the word of God in connection with these matters, they were very dear to the heart of the Lord Jesus, and they will be eternal, will they not in their in their demonstration, in their reality.
I remember one time visiting with a Christian man, the minister of a denomination in Smith Falls, and he made some reference to the little meeting room that I attended. What is that church that you belong to down there on George St. I said, Brother, you and I belong to the same church.
And he looked a little bewildered. Then he said, oh, I know what you mean. I said, what do I mean? He said. You mean that church that cuts across the boundaries of all denominations? I said, Brother, is there any other? Is there really any other? He was a bit of a loss to explain.
That which seemed to mean a great deal to him, but it just seemed to me so very, very sad. Here we have in the word of God that which I hope means something to the hearts of those who are the Lords, as though a husband were to say yes. I think somewhere we have a.
01:05:09
A marriage certificate, if I'm not mistaken, but it's only a piece of paper with a few name signs on it. It's only a theory. It really doesn't mean very much what a heartbreak that would be to his wife or vice versa. But when we read the purposes of God, when we read the heart of the Lord Jesus in giving himself and presenting to us in the word of God that which we know is spiritual, yet how very, very wondrous and real and eternal it is.
And what an effect it should have upon us.
Not long ago, I got a letter.
Ghana from one of the Africans there just a young man and in the latter he was asking if I could help him to become a priest. He wanted to study to be a priest.
Well, I wrote to him.
In the vein that we have here being a holy priesthood, I wrote to him and I said, if you want to become a priest of God, you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone that has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is a priest.
And we're priests to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices. And I said, if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be in a position where you can OfferUp spiritual sacrifices to God.
And that's the only priesthood that you need. You'll be a priest if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. You don't need to go through school or go through a lot of ritual and so on, but just become a child of God.
Accept Christ as your Savior, the one who died for our sin, and you become a priest.
Ever hear about?
Was the postmaster at Guelph years ago?
And the early history of the meetings in this country.
And the priest came to his house one day.
Said he understood he was sent for. No, his brother said. But he said, I'm very glad you came here because you say he says you know that I'm a priest and have taken holy orders. Oh, he said I didn't know about that. Well, he says if you'll wait a few minutes then have tea with me. Why, I'll give you my papers and show you that it's true that I'm a priest.
And have taken holy orders, so rather reluctant ladies stayed. And and after the neo tee was over, they sat down. And so he started out. He said, I suppose you'd agree with me that this is Brother Wells. His name was. I suppose he said that he would agree with me that anything the Apostle Peter wrote was the word of God. Wouldn't you? Oh yes, said the priest.
Surely. Well, he says, I have two letters from the great apostle Peter, and he says, let's turn to them. So then he started out, and he read in the first chapter, having born again of incorruptible seed of word, and two about.
That he was redeemed not with corruptible things of silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. So he says, you see that I have divine life, I'm redeemed now, he says. What about those who have been redeemed? So he went on to to the second chapter, to boom coming, and then to a living stone. You also are living stones are built up with spiritual house and holy priesthood.
I said, brother, you see, I've been redeemed. I have, I have been born of the incorruptible seed of the Word. And now the Peter tells me that I'm a priest. And then he says too, I've taken holy orders, and the Holy orders are to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Poor man went out. The place I guess is still standing there at Guelph, where where the wells lived and.
When he got out, where nobody he was sure would hear and he said, I whispered to him. He said I'd give anything in the world if I knew what you knew that I would never go to Purgatory. Well, he says if you come to Christ as a poor lost center and accept him as your savior, why he says you are redeemed and you will never come into judgment. Well, the poor man got so interested he used to go to the post office and and he was discovered talking to.
01:10:14
Brother Wells, he disappeared, but he says. I'm sure I'll meet that man in heaven.
Well, it's a wonderful thing, isn't it, to think we're all priests and I've taken holy orders.
Well, there's a lot that goes on and Christendom that.
Certainly has a question mark around it, but when we are carrying out what we get here, offering up spiritual sacrifices led by the spirit of God, we can't be as assured of this, that they're acceptable unto God.
By Jesus Christ.
That's the first thing isn't it, that I was thinking of the the way it's the Spirit of God records here for us through Peter. He also has living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. I think of the gospel and.
Sometimes the gathered Saints have been accused of of just sitting around on March the morning when the gospel should be going out.
Well, I believe we have the truth here, don't we? That it's offering up spiritual sacrifices. First. He has his place first. Then the gospel emanates from being in the presence of the Lord, owning his glory, giving him his place. Well, that's the first thing, isn't it? Offering up, that is a holy priesthood. That's it's that which goes up first, and then we find the later, of course, the royal.
In connection with the gospel going out.
Remember picking up pamphlets put out by denomination down in Kentucky? And it started out like this. It says a church is an organization to preach the gospel. Well, of course the whole idea of an organization was an organization of men. That's wrong. And then make the gospel first is missing the truth of the word too, because as you say, brother little.
That.
Offering up the spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God comes before the holy the royal priesthood.
That she should show forth the virtues of him that called us out of darkness. Into his marvelous right comes in the secondary place.
When God wanted the children of Israel out of Egypt.
He said to Pharaoh, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me.
That's what God wanted them out in the wilderness for.
And that's what we have before.
In our scriptures, the wilderness, we're in the wilderness.
God wanted his people out there in the wilderness to hold a feast to him, that is, to worship him.
And of course, they'd have much to thank and praise him for when they got out there because.
They would have been redeemed in Egypt, that is under the shelter of the blood and brought out by the mighty power of God. And they would have a lot to thank the Lord for. And we find them thanking and praising God in the 15th chapter of Exodus. That was the feast to Jehovah.
Now that was the first thing. And if you talk about preaching to anyone, preaching to the gentiles of the heathen, there weren't any like that out there. No, the first thought was.
To worship God, to hold a feast to him.
And then I also think about what we have in Isaiah, the 6th chapter.
Where Uzziah died?
And Isaiah saw the Lord.
And he says in the second verse of Isaiah 6.
And above it stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
01:15:14
Well, 4 wings were used for covering themselves because they were in the presence of God.
Acknowledging that they were in the presence of God covering themselves.
In the acts of submission and worship. But then two were used for flying, four for the attitude of worship only, two for activity, and the four for worship come first, then the two for activity afterward. And no doubt we could find other examples of this order of things in respect to worship in the word of God.
I think it gives us very clearly and plainly what God's mind is that the sacrifices of praise are due to God. First, we must be in the sanctuary. If we've not been in the sanctuary in the presence of God, certainly we're not ready to go out to those outside.
We say #99.
On Christ salvation rest secure, The Rock of Ages must endure. Nor can that fate be overthrown, which rests upon the living Stone.
View the vast building, See it rise, the work. How great the plan, how wise.
Or wondrous fabric power unknown that rears it on the living stone number 99.
1 Peter 2:6-9
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.
Toledo, November 1975, Second reading meeting.
154.
Opportunity offending. Verse three, Yes. On Lost on Change.
Recall my heart enjoying all its right to see things and parts a fertility attention.
Oh.
My God.
I am here. I want.
To buy.
My first brother Anderson, 1St State.
First, The Crystal of Peter, chapter 2 and verse 6.
Wherefore also is contained in the Scripture.
Behold our lands, I am the chief cornerstone. Elect precious, neither believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Under you, therefore, which believe he is precious, but understand which we disobedience, the stone which the builder disallowed, the same as made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rocket offense. Even to them we stumbled at the word being disobedient, for under altar they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation.
A peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time passed, were not of people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts with war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good words, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King of Supreme or under governors, is under them, that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doors, and for the praise of them that do well.
Soul is the will of God that was well doing. You may put the silence and ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as a servant of God.
Honor all men. Love their brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all. Fear not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward, for this is thank worthy.
00:10:01
If a man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
When you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God.
For even here unto where you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his depths, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
When he was reviled, reviled not again, when he sovereignty threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges, righteously.
Through his own self there are sins in his own body on the tree, the way, being dead descends, should live under righteousness, by whose stripes he were healed. For ye were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Notice the authority that Peter gets to the scriptures as though that was the final.
Decision for all things.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scriptures.
That was the Old Testament scriptures.
And so he refers to the Old Testament Scriptures. But wonderful to think that we have all the whole revealed mind of God.
And now we're so favored, so specially blessed, we not only have the Old Testament, but we have the New Testament.
And as it has been said.
And well said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
The question was asked about the reference that we had in Isaiah 28.
Yesterday.
Verse 16, which no doubt is what Peter is referring to in this sixth verse.
He's a believer.
Shall not make haste.
Is that not explained in the New Testament in the sixth verse? He that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
I believe we have salvation in Peter in two ways, do we not?
He's speaking to the Jewish people, and there's a time coming when that people will be going through a great tribulation. But at the time that Peter wrote, they were about ready to pass through a real trial as well because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed.
And so.
They could count on the Lord for His deliverance, and I'm sure that those who were real believers.
I'm not. I don't know how many, but a great many of them escaped this this trial that came on the nation because they were believers and the Lord no doubt protected them in that way. They countered on Him, and this will take place in the coming day. But I'm sure that we can all enjoy the fact that the one who simply believes in Jesus as his Savior and trusts in that precious blood.
Has eternal life and we must not neglect the simple gospel that we have here in this in this verse.
Is something that might be helpful.
Sometimes we wonder why that they when a burst from the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament, that they're words that are changed like in this verse. For in Isaiah 28 it says he shall not make haste, and when Peter quotes it, he shall not be confounded. We have to remember.
00:15:03
That the Holy Spirit that indicted the Old Testament also indicted the New Testament. And if the Holy Spirit was pleased to change a word when He gave it in the New Testament.
And gave the writers of the New Testament to write and quote that verse. He had a perfect right to change a word to bring out a certain meaning that was more in keeping with New Testament truth. So don't be surprised because it's the Holy Spirit.
Same way if I was writing a letter and decided I wanted to change a word or it's my letter and I certainly have the right to change the word to suit certain occasion or a reason why I think the word should be changed.
We have another example of that, just to mention two things over in First Corinthians chapter 2.
And verse 9.
But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them, that love him. Now the quotation is taken from Isaiah and over there instead of saying love him that wait for him.
Well, in the Old Testament, they were still waiting.
For the Lord Jesus Christ, for Christ to come the this all was hidden so far, but now that the Lord Jesus has come then the word love him can be put in there so it as her brother Barry bringing out It depends on the circumstances and what the Holy Spirit has in mind in the way of the application.
Isn't this word confounded or ashamed? A very, very beautiful thought, too, I suppose. In Isaiah the reference is to those who had trusted in a refuge of lies, and it proved to be of no avail to them but the one who today put his or her full and complete trust in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and in his precious word.
Will never be confounded.
Will never be ashamed. There's a great deal of advertising today that would encourage you to use this or that product. And of course they're all played up so highly that once in a while, to say the least, you find the product is just quite as wonderful as the advertising might lead you to believe. But when in the word of God you read every encouragement to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to rely upon His precious word, you find this wonderful promise that He who does so will.
Never be confounded.
Never be ashamed. Is this perhaps something of the meaning that Paul has in mind when he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. In other words, I can preach it fully knowing that it is everything that ever has been claimed for it. I don't think he really means that.
I'm not ashamed in the sense that.
I tremble with embarrassment at the talent of preaching it, but rather the fact that the message that I have to deliver is everything that ever has been claimed for it, and I'm not ashamed to present it because I know it's true. So in connection with the encouragement to put our complete trust in the word of God and in the person of Christ, we have this wonderful shorts. Never be ashamed, Never be confounded.
Is that the thought of the tried stone we have in that 17th verse or 16th verse of Isaiah 28? Brother hey ho.
Contrast the refuge of lies. Well, I was thinking of the fact that.
The Lord Jesus has been here, and he's been through the path. He's gone into death and he's he's gone on high.
We have a similar thought in Revelation. I believe the.
00:20:04
The third chapter.
If I'm correct in the interpretation of that.
The third chapter of Revelation.
In the eighteen first I counseled thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire.
Well, that's divine righteousness, isn't it? And one who puts his trust, and this applies especially today because this is Laodicea and one who puts his trust in the Lord. It's a it's something that's been tried in the fire. That goal, that righteousness is been proven. The Lord Jesus has been through the.
Death and resurrection, they seated at God's right hand.
And the one who simply makes a profession of Christ does not have gold tried in the fire, and so with the Jew in the coming day.
And those that Peter was writing to, who Peter was writing to?
He brings before them a stone.
A tried stone. A precious cornerstone.
Sure Foundation.
Well, that's that's really assuring the heart, is it not?
Doubly assuring the heart of what they have to rest upon.
Nice to notice the Lord spoken of in different ways, as a stone, as the foundation of stone, as the cheap cornerstone, and as the topmost stone. As the foundation of stone is set upon which our faith rests, something that's as followed as the Rock of Ages. There is the Rock of Ages.
Then.
And Ephesians 2 speaks of being built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. I understand that they were the they were the foundation builders.
So there you get Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Well, as the chief cornerstone, he binds all together.
Holds it secure, then as a chief, as a headstone, the topmost stone.
Why? Here's the hears that which is the final, complete, and glorious completion of all the purposes and thoughts of God.
When the church is complete, why then we'll see the headstone as baccarat sells, saying grace, grace unto it, although we understand that's the different subject there. But we could apply it to ourselves of course, there in Zechariah 4. Or he's talking about the rebuilding of the temple, which seems so impossible at that time.
When there was every obstacle to hinder but will, the prophet Zechariah receives the revelation that that.
Joshua, the high priest, and is it drivable, would complete the work, and he would come forth with the headstone, saying, Grace. Grace underwent it would be complete.
Well, we can just use that as an illustration.
The problem the Church that someday was going to be complete, and when he will present it to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And there Christ will be the glorious.
Headstone of the whole.
Complete work of God.
Why does it say in our first?
I lay in Zion.
I think you know Brother Barry.
Well, I'm not sure if I do, and the only thought I had was that when the when David brought the ark back, he didn't place it on the threshing floor location, but that he placed it in Zion, which is a picture in scripture of a new position of of grace that you were mentioning.
00:25:16
I was just wondering does that tie in with this thought that it is the churches position resting now? And grace very nice brother.
That's Hebrews 12, isn't it? You get Zion there again.
That'll be the earthly center of grace in the coming day.
And that was the stone that Israel stumbled over when the Lord was here in humiliation, wasn't it?
But the very stone that Israel stumbled over is yet to be the the chief cornerstone and the headstone, and they'll have to submit to that stone that they once rejected and crucified.
The word precious here is comes in so nicely.
This this living stone that's mentioned in the fourth verse.
Chosen of God and precious.
And.
Then in the sixth verse, it's contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect.
Precious and that goes on to.
Introduced to us the thought that unto you therefore which believe he is precious. Perhaps there's another translation is there to that The preciousness is that the thought he has the preciousness.
But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallow. The same is made the head of the corner, and Israel will see that in coming day.
And those who reject Christ today will see it.
They will see that they'll have to bow the knee to the one who is the.
Chief head of the corner. It's nice to to notice brother 1 Dean, that before you get back that unto us that believe he is precious or the preciousness, and we find that he is the preciousness to God himself. Look at that in the fourth verse, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God.
And precious.
God would remind you and me that what is precious to His heart, that he can make that precious to your heart and my heart. And when we think of how precious the Blessed Lord is to the heart of the Father, the one who always did His will, even through the going to the shameful cross of Calvary and taking the judgment of our sins, and we not rightly say that.
Even though God must forsake his Son, because he couldn't look on him when he was bearing our sins, yet never in all his life was that one so precious to his heart when He saw that he was willing to pass through that forsaking. So there never did cease to be that deep affection in the Father's heart for the Son.
That was there, bearing that awful load of sin in his own body when he was there.
Under the in the darkness and under the solemn judgment of God.
Oh, how precious he was to the father's heart.
Versus the God's estimate and the fifth verse, as the sixth verse is God's estimate and the 7th is ours. I think it's nice to see it that way. Brother Barry, how about the breastplate?
Did it not have the stones on it? I do not. The stones speak of of the how precious the believer is.
Yes, individually. Individually, the shoulder stones would remind us of the the strength and the security. But as you say, the the breastplate had all the individual stones in all their different colors and they would reflect and shine from the light in the Tabernacle. So they would bring before us the position. Individually, we are in love.
00:30:19
Are held in this way before God and love individually.
No doubt the IT was by the Spirit of God.
That Peter was writing these words and these words that we're reading are inspired words.
They were indicted by the Spirit of God using the Apostle Peter.
But Even so.
I'm sure that the Lord Jesus Christ was precious to Peter. He saw the preciousness of it. Why was that?
Well, he walked with him. He communed with him.
He'd been corrected by the Lord. He'd been refused.
He'd been chastened and taught and instructed. He'd been in the presence of the Lord.
He speaks of him as the preciousness. He's precious to Peter. Well, how will he become precious to us?
When we know something about walking with the Lord, communing with him.
Having fellowship with him, spending time in his presence, having him chasing us.
Allow things in our lives when we have the sense that the Lord is allowing it.
He becomes more precious to us. This is what we need. We get so busy occupied with everything else but him, and he doesn't really become precious to us.
Well, Peter makes a tremendous distinction between those that believe and those that are disobedient.
What a solemn word that is to any who are unsafe in this company. Are you among those that believe? Let me ask the question to any poor here is Christ precious to your heart? Of course, his brother Anderson has remarked that there is a special preciousness we experience in communion with the Lord.
When we learn more of his love and his patience with us. But I believe as far as the.
The enjoyment or the beginning of that preciousness.
It's It's immediately experienced when one accepts Christ as a Savior. He becomes more precious to you as you find out how faithful His love is.
But still you couldn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior without his being precious to your heart. There is a solemn word there that Paul closes the First Epistle of Corinthians with these words where he says if any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.
That means a curse that is coming. It doesn't say there, you see.
If any man has confessed or has accepted Christ, or anyone has believed in the Lord that it says if any man love of love, that's a very solemn thought.
Is Christ precious to your heart?
One who suffered and died on Calvary? Or is it just a profession that you have made with your lips?
Well, that's what Paul says to the Corinthians, and I'm still there, that he had a concern about that large assembly, their corn for the Lord told Paul that he had much people in that city and there was a large assembly there. But it's always possible when many come into the truth that there are laws that come in with only.
00:35:03
An awkward profession. And so he closes that pistol with old birds. If any man loved not our Lord Jesus Christ, what will happen to him? Let's stop and think about that. I was thinking when we were.
Sitting here in prayer this morning.
That if the Lord should come, would there be some left on their seats here?
With this building be completely emptied, should the Lord come? Well, those are searching thoughts for us.
Because it says let him be accursed.
Maranatha cursed at his coming. Oh, it's the most solemn thing to think of being left, because it seems that there is a special warning of the solemn judgment of God. Cursed is spatially connected. Then there was being left, when the Lord comes and gives the shout in the air.
Isn't it lovely, too, to think that in all this he has preceded and he has exceeded? That is, if in any measure our poor hearts love him and find him precious, He preceded us in this, and he certainly exceeded also. We were precious in his sight. We were beloved by him, chosen in him. And it's a delightful thing to feel that if in any measure there is this response in our hearts, it is only a response.
He has loved us. We are precious in His sight, and to find some response in our poor hearts, to find that by His very wonderful grace, He is precious to us. It's because He has sent His love upon us. He has made it known to us that we were precious in His sight before there was any response in our hearts at all toward Him.
Our unbelief for the unbelief of a Sinner doesn't change in any way the thoughts and purposes of God.
That's why he says here, but unto them that be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner. Man in his folly seems to think that if he wants to believe a certain way, that that's.
Sells all the whole subject. If he doesn't want to believe in the hell, well, then hell fades out of the existence. But let's remember friends, that our thoughts.
Our poor reasoning?
In no way whatever alters the truth of the Word of God.
I might, in my ignorance, say I didn't believe there was such a city as Paris. Does that change the fact that there is a Paris over in Europe? Why? Saying I don't believe a thing doesn't change the facts. The facts remain and.
They're they're brought before us there and really what the counsel Peter is bringing.
To our attention here is disobedience, For God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man only hath ordained.
Remember a brother close used to say God commanded all men everywhere to repent, He says. Have you repented?
Well, that's a pretty solemn command.
It's not only believing, it's repentance. It's taking one's place before God.
As a lost, guilty, hell deserving Sinner.
Our brother Franco asked the question what is meant by the reference to the builders in verse 7, the stone which the builders disallowed.
Would they be the ones who?
00:40:03
Answered the question to to Harrod.
When Herod inquired.
Where is he that is born, king of the Jews? And when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of a Judea, For thus it is written by the prophets.
Thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah, For out of these shall come a governor that shall rule my people, Israel. They knew all the answers, these leaders, that they rejected, that blessed one. Would that be would they be the builders?
They were the responsible one.
And now they have been set aside.
And God has brought in something else, the Church.
And now there are other responsible ones.
And there are still builders the apostle Paul speaks of, of laying the foundation and another build of their pond.
Responsible ones today too, and.
We can't shake our responsibility.
Without detriment to our own soul or the solemn thing it was for these leaders in Israel to reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is that what is called attention to in Revelation 2 and three?
Where you have the churches reminded of their failure.
Responsibility.
And would this then apply your brethren to each one of us?
And although it may have a special application as well to those who who would seek to be a help and and lead the people of God, there is a certain responsibility to the whole assembly if they're not.
Yes, I believe you're right there because.
The the decisions, important decisions like.
Receiving someone into fellowship.
That is the responsibility of the whole assembly.
And it's also the responsibility of the whole assembly to acknowledge the place that the Lord Jesus Christ has in the midst.
And us being the head of the church.
So everyone is responsible really.
I remember it one of the meetings that was held in Grand Rapids years ago, Brother McMillan was present and he remarked that this connection that there was an old legend that the jewels had that when they were building the temple it was 1 stone that always seemed to be in the way they stumbled over. It didn't seem to be any place where this stone would fit.
And when the temple was complete, except the pop stone, why they discovered that this stone that seemed to be in the way and no place for it was the very storm that that completed the whole work of building the temple. I just remember his telling that, and rather interesting.
Is there even a present day parallel perhaps, in the way in which this precious elect cornerstone is so absolutely rejected here in so-called Christendom?
But in a land that professes to be a Christian land, the very one who by the grace of God is precious to the heart of the true believers, is.
Rejected and unwanted, sad to say, even among those who are the Lord.
But reject this precious cornerstone as worthy of its significant place.
I have mentioned but it seems very very strongly.
00:45:02
Significant to me that in going to other lands.
You will find that folks will very, very proudly and gladly identify themselves by saying I am a Buddhist. You go to another land and they will all tell you proudly, I am a Hindu, I am a Mohammed. No embarrassment, no hesitation. They will identify themselves by the name of the leader or religion that means so much to them. And you come to a Christian land and what do you find?
Ask 50 people in a row and what do you find? If one among the fifty said, I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm gathered to his precious name, it would be rare to find one in 50 that made such a confession as that that if he did, they'd look at him with strange, strange, wondering. What does he mean? I belong to the Lord Jesus, and I'm gathered to his name. They would understand you if you use some name that men have invented.
Definitely. This does refer to those of old who went right ahead with all their Jewish ritual and rejected the person of Christ. But I believe it's it's sadly evident today that the precious person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of all, is rejected even today in Christendom.
What does that mean in the end of the eighth verse? Where unto also they were appointed?
It's really marked out, is it not? It's not the thought that God has ever.
Created anyone to be appointed to wrath, but because of what the place they have taken, they're marked out for that judgment. Is that the thought? I think so, yes, it's in connection with.
Coming in contact with this stone, meeting this stone. That's the supreme test. And if they don't stand the test well.
What's the result?
Brother Brown used to say that Judas didn't have to be Judas or the betrayer of the Lord, but he made himself a candidate when he became one of the Lord's disciples. The Lord looked around and chose 12 disciples and made them apostles. Well, Judas was among that number. Well, in the scripture it was foretold that he that.
Eateth bread with me shall lift up his heagle against me.
There must be a traitor, and Judith made himself that traitor.
He was responsible for making himself that traitor, but he didn't have to be the one that God had appointed for that particular place of lifting up his heel against the Lord and himself.
Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. There was never any place prepared for man in that regard, but man chose that place by rejecting the Savior. And who would ever think that man would reject?
The way out, The way out, the blessing. After he'd sinned, the angels had no such choice. But man has. And who would think that man would reject the invitation of salvation? And yet, as far as that's concerned, we all rejected it, and was only grace that opened our eyes to see it.
Well, we get in the next verse, the Royal Priesthood.
But TR a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation of peculiar people, that ye should show forth.
The praises of him who have called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We have first the holy priesthood and as it was remarked yesterday, that especially in connection with worship, offering up sacrifices.
To offer of spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But when we look at the royal priesthood, it's in connection with testimony.
00:50:09
For it says.
Who have called you that showing forth the virtues it should read?
Correct in the margin of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So there is testimony, and it was remarked that the holy priesthood precedes the royal priesthood. That is, worship comes before testimony, or other words, the gospel to the unsaved.
I think perhaps this also stands out in contrast to the words just discussed in the end of verse 8, where unto also they were appointed but ye, and there is an emphasis there on the word ye. But ye are a chosen generation. Isn't that lovely? It leaves us with absolutely nothing whatsoever to to boast of, put a great deal to thank God for.
We're under also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. When you read words like that and realize that he's talking about me, doesn't it cause our hearts to overflow?
They were appointed, but ye are a chosen generation of royal priesthood. What a privilege.
It seems that Peter is referring back to the 19th chapter of Exodus.
At the time when they had reached Mount Sinai, and God makes certain proposals to them.
Yeah. No, I believe that's the.
Yes, 19 and five. Yes, 19 and five. Thank you, brother.
And.
If you offer a sacrifice, and so on.
No, that isn't where they put themselves under conditions.
Now, therefore, if he will obey my voice.
That's nineteen and five.
Turn to the wrong book and I got confused.
Yes, I read that now. Exodus 19. Five. Now therefore if he will obey my voice indeed, and keep my commandment, then ye shall be a peculiar traitor unto me above all people, for all the earth's mind. And you shall be unto me A a Kingdom of priests and holy nations. These are the words which thou shalt speak.
Unto the children of Israel.
Well, as we know, they put themselves at that time under law condition. It says Jehovah. And then if you read on, they said all that the Lord has said we will do and that just brought out their complete breakdown and failure and they forfeited everything by their disobedience. But here in this verse there's no conditions brought in in this ninth verse.
It's almost word for word. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation.
Are peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of Him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That is, grace brings those that are believers now until the blessings that they had previously forfeited by their self-confidence in trusting themselves instead of trusting Jehovah as poor helpless creatures in themselves.
This was fulfilled in Israel at Pentecost, wasn't it?
When that nation the little remnant.
Laid hold of these promises.
Received the blessing and they were a special people and.
00:55:04
A special possession, as the thought is.
They were a special possession of Jehovah.
And of course this will apply in a sense to the nation in the coming day when he brings them back not on the ground of law, but as a new nation on the ground of grace, their children.
This is a solemn thing to think that.
The whole nation.
Was regarded by God as a priest. Each one was a priest on the ground of grace, because that's the ground that's really referred to in the fourth verse of Exodus 19. Taking them off God, taking them up on the ground of grace. And so they're all priests.
But they say we'll, we'll obey, we'll do all things the Lord says. They put themselves on the basis of law. And so after that, God.
Institutes the priesthood. That is, the ironic priesthood. And there's only one priest.
And they don't have access to God individually.
Well, what about today?
When there's not a recognition of the priesthood of everyone, of us.
And giving the Lord Jesus Christ the place that belongs to him in in the church, in the assembly we find in Christendom.
That they have set aside the Lord Jesus Christ and brought a man in to be a priest.
Virtually denying that each one of them has that intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and access into His presence.
Oh, what a privilege it is for each one of us to be a priest, a holy priest, and a royal priest as well. And we have access right into the very presence of the Lord Jesus, every one of us. We don't have to have a man in between US and the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed Lord is the one mediator between God and men, and we can come directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, and so to God.
This is a privilege that is ours, and I wonder how much we really appreciate it.
Would you say then, that in the Holy priesthood we really find what you were Speaking of Brother Anderson as the ironic priesthood? That is Aaron went into the Holy of Holies?
The only one except Moses, that was permitted to go into the immediate presence of Jehovah, where he dwelt between the cherubims. Well now in in figure the believer, as you say, as a priest, and he has access, just as Aaron had into the immediate presence of the Lord. Of course, the Lord's in heaven now, and the Tabernacle was just a tight.
Of.
Place where the Lord is now seated on high, and by faith we can come right into His presence at any time.
And in a very special and blessed way, when we meet to remember his death in the breaking of bread.
But when it's the royal priesthood, it's more the Melchizedek thoughts of priesthood, because we find that when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the kings.
That he came out to bless.
So one is going in and the other is going out with blessings to.
The poor, perishing world, as it were, so in this wonderful way. The believer.
Is privileged to being to be enjoying both his ironic priesthood and his Melchizedek Priesthood.
There are much food for thought and blessing in Leviticus 8 what we read of the consecration of the Aaron and his sons as priests.
And the offerings that were to be brought in my turn to that chapter for a moment.
01:00:11
Long chapter to read, but just to get.
What is in the chapter 4? So when Aaron was to come with his sons to be consecrated as priests, we read that they were to bring a book.
For a sin offerings and two ramps.
Get that in the beginning of the 8th chapter. Then we have the clothing. The sons of Aaron and Aaron was the clothing that was made for them.
And the chin offering was brought first.
And I would say here to anticipate what we have in our chapter.
And it is very precious to one soul that the sin offering is mentioned, the very last thing in our chapter in Peter.
Where the Lord has made sin for us, where He bore our sins on the cross, but we have it first in Leviticus, and that which raised the foundation, we have to have a sin office. Well then in verse 18 we read and He brought the ram for the bird offering.
There, And these sons leave their hands upon the head of the ramp, and he killed it in. Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar around the bombs got some ram into pieces, and Moses burnt them head, and the pieces in the fattening Marshall, the inwards, the legs in water. And Moses, birds of all, ram upon the Albert. It was a birth sacrifice for a sweet savior, an offering made by fire under the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
But we have exactly the Lord's Day Morning here. Do we know?
So we have exactly repeated what we read in the first chapter of Leviticus, the bird offering holy for God, and this is in holy priesthood. And then we get in verse 22 we brought the other ram, the ram of concentration. And Aaron, his sons, laid their hands upon the head of the ram, and he threw it, And Moses took off the blood of it and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
And so forth we see doing here not the royal priesthood going forth as those who are under the block. And the blood characterizes every step of the path of service for the Lord, but it is in its proper places what brought before us here before first worship God's part, non Georgia thought for the very first we have that the Lord Jesus is precious to God. That's what I heard of.
Melanie is precious to the believers.
And you know our ears are dumb to our grateful. It's what we hear, It's what we do. It's where we walk all under the blood. Isn't it Noah's precious there that the Apostle Peter, an ignorant fisherman, that he was led by the Holy Spirit to pen the words that are so plain to us here in Leviticus as having the exact order.
In John's Gospel, chapter 10.
The Lord saying.
I on the door by me, if any man enter any shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.
The thought was expressed by a brother some years ago in connection with that.
That David in Second Samuel Chapter 7 where the Lord was telling what would come to him for a long time ahead and how the Davis went into the House of the Lord and he worshiped.
There was going in, but you find David in the 9th chapter, Second Samuel coming out and showing and blessing Melchizedek, or rather Mephibosheth.
And the thought of that in connection with what we're Speaking of.
That we have the privilege of going in as holy priests for worship and coming out for testimony and for blessing.
A precious that we have those two, but there's first the going in into the presence of the Lord and there receiving from him.
01:05:04
The blessing for our own souls and the preciousness that comes from being in His very presence.
But then the going out for testimony to others and for blessing that will flow through his own people to those who are not so blessed.
Now the translation plus the kingly priests to show forth the excellencies.
And that's what the believer the position is in now, is it not? And I believe this is true of all believers. It isn't simply to.
Creates is to show forth the excellencies. This would take in the whole life of the believer, would it not?
Sure, I was thinking of the children of Israel.
Before they went into the land of Canaan.
Into the promised land.
And.
The inhabitants of Canaan had heard things about what the Lord had done for the children of Israel.
And I'm looking at Joshua chapter 2.
And it's when the spies go in before the children of Israel had actually gone into the promised land.
And.
We find that.
The spies at Grenza Rahab's house.
And she has something to say to them in verse 9. And she said unto the men I know.
That the law that given you the land, and let your terrors fall upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did under the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side. Jordan.
Sai Han and all whom he utterly destroyed.
And as soon as we have heard these things, our hearts didn't melt. Neither remained there anymore courage than any man because of you.
For the Lord your God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath.
Well now.
What our brother Lundine was bringing before us was about the life. The children of Israel had not been in that land to do any preaching. They had seen the spies now.
And.
The inhabitants of Canaan had heard what the Lord had done had done for his people.
We realized that the children of Israel went on in much weakness there in the wilderness.
But still it got manifested what the Lord was doing for them.
And even in all of their failure.
There was a testimony that went out and it was in connection with the relationship to God, and it was recognized that they were God's people, but it was gone three times. I believe in what Rahab speaks says God is mentioned as the one that is behind this whole thing, in other words.
They.
The walk of the children of Israel through the wilderness was showing forth the virtues of God. Jehovah, His Excellency. What God did, what He could do, Of course, He struck terror to those inhabitants of Canaan.
But it was a testimony concerning Jehovah, and that's our testimony. And isn't it mentioned over and over in the Scripture about preaching Christ, preaching Christ?
Well, that's our message, telling forth his glories, his virtues, his excellencies. And this is really what wins the hearts of sinners and wins the hearts of the Saints as well.
Like I say that Max 16. We have an illustration of these two points. I've enjoyed this X16 and the verse 25.
Acts chapter 16, verse 25. And at midnight Paul and Stylist pray and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them. Here we have these two men with the same thoughts. They they prayed and they they sang praises to God and ladies in the chapter.
01:10:22
Verse 28.
But Paul cried with a loud voice. And do thyself no harm.
But we are all here. Let me call for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before.
Fallen style of brought them out and said, Sir, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in my house. And verse 25 there are one lion they sang praises under God.
Let us see the royal priest.
They both have the same message. Paul didn't preach one message and silence another. They both had the same message and they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in my house. So in verse 25 we have the holy priest with one mind for the Lord and verse 31 we have the the royal priest with one line.
For Christ, I think it's. I think that's nice to say that I don't know.
I was thinking of.
A young lady school teacher who moved in to a home where the people were outstanding unbelievers. They had no use for the Gospel. And this young woman said, do you, you know, were there any Christians live around here? And they were able to tell where the Christians live.
Still, they didn't believe in the truth, but they were able to tell where the Christians live.
That's what we have here, isn't it? Show 4.
There wasn't any preaching necessarily, but it's simply the fact that there was evidence that they were Christians.
I suppose that primarily this is addressed to Christian Jews.
You, Peter, writes to the strangers, those Jews who were in the Dispersion gathered when they were taken captive.
In the days.
The sons of Josiah and many of those Jews in these various places have been converted.
Because Paul and Silas went first to the synagogue, so Paul and Barnabas before that as where they began the work in most places, so that there were many Jews that were converted and then the Gentiles got to hear the gospel and the Gentiles were converted to. But we find in the second chapter of Galatians that Paul was basically commissioned.
Well, the gospel of the circumcision, that is basically to the Jewish people. And Paul was given the gospel to the uncircumcision or to the Gentiles. Well, Peter writes more particularly to his own nation. And while we can appropriate the truth to ourselves, yet we can enjoy seeing, there was a certain bearing.
Upon the people of Israel.
When James.
Is beginning his epistle. He addresses the 12 tribes scattered abroad.
At that time they were known, and James didn't have the same line of things that Peter was given for. Peter wrote much later than James, but the only part of the nation that.
Peter acknowledges.
As the believing nations are wholly.
Nation a peculiar people.
01:15:02
So God just owns now in His wisdom and counsels those who accept the gospel. Someday there will be a nation of Israel brought into blessing after the church is gone. Now the Jews are brought into blessing by receiving the same gospel the Gentiles receive, and God looks at those among the air nation of Israel.
And he says of those people, he says they are a holy nation separated from the rest of their own people. And then?
Peculiar people, the margin says. They're a purchase people.
Now is anyone here looked up? Is that a correct the correct clock here people have purchased?
I think in the Old Testament it says special, doesn't it?
In one instance.
The thought is.
A. People that possess because they've been purchased.
That would make them a peculiar people, special people.
Doubtless that made the Jewish believers very happy to think that while their nation was in the state of unbelief, had rejected and crucified their Messiah, that still Jehovah formed among that people what he speaks of as an holy nation, and these who are a holy nation are a purchased people.
Because Peter seems to dwell much on that word. Precious even speaks of trial.
Precious trials, and then the precious blood of Christ. And here unto you therefore that believe he is precious. Then in the second epistle he speaks of precious faith. So here are the people that have a peculiar and very special place.
In the heart of God during the time that Israel is in six darkness and unbelief. But we can appropriate that very happily to ourselves to think that we have been bought for the precious blood of Christ, that we do our purchase possession. And we never should forget what it costs in order that we might be purchased boxes of precious blood of Christ.
That should be a very happy thought to. Or should it not, to think that as we pass through this world that has no heart for the Lord Jesus at all?
That we are a Curtis possession, and if in any sense that should make us looked upon by this world, by what they would consider peculiar, that should be quite all right with us. When you're in a far away land, you realize that folks are looking upon you.
As some I say, different, Peculiar if you wish. There is something about your speech and perhaps other things that betray the fact that you're not part of that land or culture in which for a time, you're only a visitor of the Pilgrim. But it doesn't humiliate you at all, because you have a happy sense in your soul. I don't belong here. I'm visiting here. I'll soon be in the land where I really belong. I'll soon be with those.
Who are so dear to me? Well, as we pass through this world with the joy of knowing that we are a purchased possession, he knew what he was about when he paid the price for that possession. He knew all about you and me and loved us enough to pay the full purchase price. And now he looks down upon us and he considers us to be his possession.
And if in any sense this gives to us the feeling of strangership here, if in any sense folks look upon us and consider that our conversation, our plans, our objectives are not what they would consider proper to this world, that's all right with us. We're a purchased possession. We're visitors. We're strangers and pilgrims here, as we shall see shortly, and it should give us real joy.
01:20:19
I remember years ago hearing Brother McDowell make a statement that really bewildered me. I couldn't understand it, he said. The one good thing about this world is that I don't belong to it. I thought it was the strangest thing to say. I was just a young fellow going to school.
It just didn't seem the right to me at all. But I quite agree with it. I don't belong to it, not by any choice of my own, but by his choice and by his purchase.
We sing 109.
Save all my snacks.
1 Peter 2:10-22
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.
November 1975 Third reading meeting.
31.
Uh, we are. We are.
All right.
Now our world is suffering.
All right.
We're all in the world. Take away all of the night the children of Jay Gains that once found us by Jesus, Mariven, or strangers on earth, Our home is in Heaven 234.
Did we finish the ninth verse?
Read from verse 10.
First Peter Chapter 2, verse 10.
Which in time passed for a lot of people, but are now the people of God, which have not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
00:10:06
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, having a conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you with evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme.
Or under governors, as under them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as a servant of God.
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward. For this is thank worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
Glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently.
But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even here unto where he called because Christ also suffered for us, leave us an example that he should follow his depth, who didn't know sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again what he sovereignly threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judges, righteously.
Whose own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, The way, being dead to sins, should live under righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed, for ye were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
My brother asked if we were finished with the ninth verse. I would just like to comment on the last part of the verse that perhaps we didn't touch on and that is about the light.
It's remarkable how the Christian position is seen in the first epistle of John and in the light, is it not? And I was thinking of Philippians.
The second second chapter.
Where it says.
In the 15 first.
Among whom?
I think it should read among whom you appear.
As lights in the world.
It's a lovely thought to think of The Believer.
Now in the light and for as far as the world is concerned, that light is reflected to this world, among whom ye appear as lights in the world, and so it isn't a question of effort.
It's a question of what the believer is here in this world. He's been placed here. We've been brought into this marvelous light, and that light reflects to the world and the only way the world knows now.
About the Lord Jesus is through the believer, through the assembly here on earth.
Remember old brother saying this about the?
The the end of that verse out of darkness into his marvelous light that it was a comparative darkness, that is is comparing Judaism with Christianity.
That is the very best that they had in the day's world when you contrast that with.
The light and liberty and blessings that have been brought to the finished work of Christ Knowing as we do.
00:15:11
Our sins forgiven, and knowing that we have a man in the glorious our glorious head.
And one could enumerate all the blessings that have come in now the the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament.
Has actually come and completed the work and gone to glory, taking his seat on high.
At these Hebrews or these Jewish believers?
Were reminded of the great superiority of.
That which they had been brought into in comparison, it was just like darkness.
Compared to what they now possess in a written, glorified Christ course, if we think of of this blessing in connection with them, why is equally to have for the enjoyment of every believer?
And should really thrill our hearts to think that we have the very highest blessings that God ever.
Intended for his creature, Man.
Mr. Berry, I have a question with regard to that.
Work Darkness in the ninth of the chapter we're reading.
Is that that word darkness there the same as we have in the first chapter of John's Gospel?
And the light shineth in darkness.
The darkness comprehended it not.
It seems to me it's a different thought there. It's the moral darkness.
That John is Speaking of there.
It really speaks of a physical impossibility.
That light could shine into a into a place just as all you turn the lights out of off in this room.
And then turn them on at night. Well, immediately the darkness gives way to the light. But here was something that.
Was impossible in nature that when the true light of God.
And the glorious person of his son shone into this dark scene. The world was just as dark as it was before the Lord came, and that light shone.
In in this world the darkness comprehended. It did not. It didn't remove the darkness, It was still there. It shows in the most solemn, most awful way.
The moral darkness that man is in in this sin, his sins in this scene.
That moral darkness, of course, manifests itself in different ways.
There are the heathen pagans going on with idolatry. Well, that's a that's a Pagan darkness. And then.
Like the Colossians, they were taken up with philosophy. Well, that's a kind of a darkness too. So there are different kinds of darkness in the world, but it's all darkness. When a man is in the unsaved state, he's he's in darkness and he is darkness.
But when we're saved, the Lord says, Now, your life in the Lord.
And it's a wonderful thing for anyone, whether it's the Jews in darkness or the Pagan in darkness, or the philosopher in darkness. As soon as he comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, he's in the light and he is light.
00:20:00
Striking to the Scripture says man loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil, and that love of darkness is becoming more and more evident around us. Men are trying to throw off all restraint in order that the darkness that they love and the deeds that accompany that darkness may be practiced without any.
Troubling of their conscience.
Well, I wonder if it will at last be realized, We read in the 16th of Revelation.
That that his Kingdom was filled with darkness.
Filled with darkness, it seems to me to suggest that this which man now pretends to seek, after the removal of all restraint, the taking away of every inhibition, in order that the darkness that he loves may envelope him, is going to be realized. But it does say, in connection with that very plague, that they gnawed their tongues for pain.
To me, that's the strongest indication of suffering in the Book of Revelation, and it accompanies the plague of darkness. I have just wondered, does it suggest that the darkness that you and I see creeping in all around us?
And against which we have been warned, is going to develop to that terrible situation where the Kingdom of the beast is full of darkness. But will man be satisfied with this? He loved darkness. He rejected the light. When the Kingdom of the beast is filled with darkness, instead of being pleased with it, they will gnaw their tongues for pain. And the moral darkness that is enveloping this poor world, I fear, is going to result in this very situation that we read about in the 16th of Revelation.
And it will result in the most horrible suffering to mankind.
Am I right in thinking that the darkness there in Revelation 16 is probably of that sort?
I think you are very right brother.
Six picture of that? I think so.
Can you speak of the blackness of darkness forever?
Will the unbelievers go? What a solemn thing to be in a place like that, the blackness of darkness forever.
And then the Old Testament God dwelled in thick darkness. And perhaps that's partly the meaning here.
Have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, even on the on the breastplate of the priest that we were Speaking of this morning. The first stone was the Ruby, I believe.
And we find in Revelation the first stone is a clear stone.
In the first stone Book of Revelation. So it shows us the difference of the light penetrating now clearly.
To all the creation, but especially here, so that there is a sense in which there was darkness in the Old Testament in contrast to the New, but the passage our brother Barry was referring to in Second Corinthians.
3.
Contrasting Judaism with Christianity, there we have the glory that excel it, and that's connected with light. I believe there was glory. There was real glory connected with the giving of the law. It was it was attended by the the entire company of angels, I suppose myriads of angels and where they.
Elders of Israel met.
In the 25th of Exodus.
There was a pavement of sapphire stone.
Where the where the throne of God was.
And they they they saw God and did even drink. Not in his full character, of course. But they did see God, and there was glory attending it.
00:25:03
But the apostle in describing this in this third chapter of Second Corinthians.
He set before us the glory that excelleth, and that's seen in the face of Jesus Christ in the third chapter. In the 4th chapter there's a glory that excels at all, and even though the old was attended with glory, it would be darkness compared with what we have in the 3rd and 4th chapters of Second Corinthians.
Would you say, Brother Lundeen, that God dwelling in thick darkness in the Old Testament? Because the veil was there that shut out the holy of holies which was the dwelling place of God. But when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, it says the veil was rent from top to bottom.
To see on the other part of the Tabernacle there was the seven branch candlesticks.
Well, that was a light, truly the light of the Spirit shining there. But behind that was this curtain where God dwelt in thick darkness. But as soon as the Lord has expired on the cross, that veil is rent, and the light from the Candlestick shines, strike into the very place where God's dwelling was between the cherry bombs.
And if I understand this rightly, all through the Old Testament man was under probation.
God was testing man out to see if there was anything in man that he could produce for God, but the cross proved that it was impossible after man had crucified the one that did nothing but good down here.
By then.
Instead of God's counsels and purposes being hidden behind the veil, now all God's counsels and purposes have come out into the full light that's revealed by the Spirit, so that now we're not in darkness in any way As to God's purposes which he has purposed in Christ. We can look right into the future we know.
All that God has purpose.
His whole plan is now fully revealed and by the spirit we can enter into.
All the mind and thoughts of God that he has had in his purposes from all eternity. Now is that right, brother?
And isn't it a wonderful thought that we are now where the veil is rent as our little hymn says, our souls draw near unto a throne of grace. The merits of the Lord appear. They fill the holy place. What a marvelous thing it is that in connection with our testimony and our privileges that we're where there's a rental.
Knowing between US and all God's thoughts is revealed everything now, and we just need the appetite and desire and and the communion, so that by the Spirit we can enter more and more into the purposes and counsels of God.
I don't want to make a far fetched comparison, but I enjoy it A little illustrations Some time ago we've been considering called Out of Darkness into his Marvelous light. I was visiting with Brother Cool in Enola, PA Those of you who've been there know that he's quite interested in stones, cutting and polishing stones and he'll take you into this room and show You Beautiful stones that he's cut and polished.
And you're just filled with amazement as you look at these beautiful stones.
After I had exhausted all the words I could think of in admiring these stones, he suddenly switched off the light and turned on a sort of invisible light, which they call black light. And you shouldn't have seen those stones. I thought they were beautiful before, but in this black light.
00:30:00
They glow each with an individual color and splendor. That just made me.
Gas with amazement. There was in the midst of that darkness, a beauty that shone from each one of those stones that was just breathtaking.
Well, we know that by the grace of God we have been brought out of darkness into his marvelous light. But we also know that we are passing through a world that is characterized by a terrible darkness. It's growing darker all the time. They can't see or comprehend the wondrous light of God in which we have, by the grace of God, been brought.
But this ought not to hinder the display of that which I trust may be seen by the eyes of this world. Even in that dark room there was a beauty that left me amazed and beloved as the darkness increases as these dear young people go off to school, to the office, to the shop, wherever it may be, no matter how dark the atmosphere there can be by the grace of God.
The beauty and loveliness of Christ displayed by you in that dark atmosphere. And I thought of it as I sat in that little room with Brother Cool and saw those stone shine so beautifully in the dark.
And we'll all be in its perfection and the heavenly city, won't it? Because all those stones were mentioned there as adorning the walls of the heavenly city. And does not that represent each believer and the light that shines. It reflects not anything that is that is in the stone itself, but it's really what's in Christ.
Is reflected there and that scene of unending glory and beauty. So each believer will be reflecting some special.
Grace that we see in our blessed Lord, but as you say, it should be seen in each believer down here, and the more we walk in communion and dependence it will be seen.
And that really is what takes us into the next part of the.
Of the chapter which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
As quoted from the book of Hosea.
That has a special application to Israel, doesn't it? And the Peter's writing to the Jew.
And although it's for us still, I believe that the first application in that passage was to Israel. There's another verse in the same chapter that the apostle Paul uses in in the 11Th chapter, isn't it of Romans? And there we have it changed again a little bit. And he refers to the sons of God there, I believe.
Quote from one passage in Hosea and Peter from.
Another passage, and as you say, the one where he speaks of sons, it has to do with especially with the Gentiles brought into blessing.
You can look it up sometime and we believe it's in the end of the first chapter and the end of the second chapter, or remember correctly.
Refers to the Gentiles is found in the first chapter in tenth verse and the part that refers to Israel in the last verse of the second chapter.
Well, Paul speaks about our being vessels of mercy of four, prepared unto glory.
I read somewhere years ago that they thought of grace is being given what we don't deserve. For grace are you saved? But mercy is being spared from what we do deserve. So what do we deserve? Nothing but the banishment in without eternal darkness we were Speaking of but God in His great mercy.
00:35:27
Asparagus. And instead of leaving a slope, groping our way, having set us free from the guilt, why, he has brought us into this marvelous light. And now?
And now all we can say about ourselves is that we're just vessels of mercy. But how is it that we are brought into such a wonderful place? Therefore prepared, God in His counsels had already marked us out, or this special place of blessing and privilege that we are brought into?
Brother Londin you mentioning.
About this being Israel primarily, how do you explain the?
Part in the 10th verse, but are now the people of God.
You're referring to Hosea 1.
Quoting from our tenth verse of our chapter.
Do I?
Peter uses it in connection with the Jews in the 10th verse of the second chapter, Peter.
Who on the day of Pentecost, A little Remnant Who received the Spirit?
They were brought into a special place, a blessing, as we've noticed before in the chapter, as the people of God.
This had been promised long before, but they were brought into it, and a special way, the day of Pentecost.
Now there will be an early.
And a latter rain. There has been a partial of the early rain where a remnant is brought into blessing and Paul speaks of himself as having pre trusted so that Israel will come into the blessing in the coming day as the people of God. But that will be the earthly portion.
But in the passage in the 10th verse of the first chapter of Hosea.
There's a special application to the Gentiles has been pointed out.
As you have in the 11Th chapter of Romans.
There we find that Paul brings in the thought of the sons of God.
Connecting with Romans the 10th chapter and.
Our level chapter, I guess it is.
No, it's the sorry, it's the 9th chapter Romans.
It says in the 24th verse or the 23rd verse.
That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had a four prepared unto glory, even us whom he have called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, as he said also in really, Hosea, I will call him my people, which were not my people, and her beloved, which is not beloved.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it is set unto them ye are not my people.
00:40:01
There shall they be called the children.
Of the living God.
Now I'm not sure whether the correct translation there was children or sons, but the thought is sons. At least it's sons in Hosea, the first chapter and 10th verse, and it's done here in Roman.
Well, we have a very practical verse in the 11Th verse of our chapter. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust. Which war against the soul cure bringing out something, Brother Anderson, about strangers and pilgrims?
At the beginning of our meetings yesterday, maybe you would be willing to repeat that.
Or we have the two thoughts here which are brought out in Peter's ministry. He brings the glory before us, and then he speaks of our journey to the glory and our presence here in this sea, which is a desert place, a wilderness.
Well, the word strangers brings before us that we're in a place where we don't belong. We're in the wilderness, we're in this world, we don't belong here. And it's a desert place, like the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness.
They were in a place that they didn't really belong in. It was just a matter of passing through it and going into the land of Canaan. But because they needed testing, the Lord had to leave them there for 40 years.
In that wilderness. But there were strangers there. They didn't belong there, and neither do we belong in the world. We belong to heaven.
But the the Pilgrim part indicates that we're on a journey. Because when you speak of a Pilgrim, you think of somebody that's going somewhere. He has certain a certain place in view, some object in view where he's going. And so the apostle Peter brings before us the glory, that's where we're going. But while we're here in this scene, we're strangers, but as pilgrims were on our way to glory.
Nice to know too, that we're not asked to.
Act in a capacity that is not true of us. That is, we are already constituted citizens of the land to which we're traveling. We're not just simply told here in this world with no other change to act like strangers and children. We actually are. We actually are, For the very light and nature that we possess is heavenly in its origin as well as in its destiny.
And it's not too difficult to act as a stranger in a Pilgrim. When you're in some faraway land where you know very well you don't belong, you're quite happy to have that feeling that you're only a stranger in a Pilgrim there. But if someone came to me in the very town where I live and told me to act like a stranger and Pilgrim there, it would be the most difficult, if not impossible. But here we have been constituted citizens of the land to which we're traveling.
So when Paul refers to this matter in the second of Ephesians, he says, now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, Peter says, I beseech you therefore, as strangers and pilgrims. It's no contradiction. Paul is talking about that wonderful home up there. We're already citizens of that home. That's our proper dwelling place. We're not strangers and foreigners to that citizenship or to that home. But when Peter speaks of our sojourn here.
He reminds us to act as strangers and pilgrims because our real home and citizenship is already up there.
The hymn that we were singing, Lord, since we sing as pilgrims, oh, give us Pilgrim ways, low thoughts of self, befitting Proclaimers of thy praise. And so the thoughtful Peter is making use of our.
Stranger ship and are being pilgrims to exercise us as to our walking ways for he goes on to say here.
00:45:01
Abstained from flakily lusts which war against the soul.
That plain language and we can.
Bring it home to our own consciences because we have a sinful nature, the old nature that desires.
The corrupt things that belong to this sinful evil age. And we need this warning because.
We are in danger of align the old nature who act and who produce those terrible wrecks and things.
That dishonor the Lord.
Abstain from fleshly lust, and what?
Clear language it is which war against the soul. We know how in the war that the one who is warring against another country, they do anything. There's nothing too low or too mean that they won't do to win the victory. Well, Satan is leading on marshalling a whole force of enmity against what will be a blessing to our souls.
And if we allow these fleshly lusts to have their way in our lives, and they're not constantly judging every appearance of the desires of that which is evil in our nature.
Why the Blessing of Our Souls is Endangered.
Well, these flesh with lust.
Indulged in will make a soul sick. Sick in our soul.
I suppose that's one result of the fleshly lust. Warring against the soul makes us sick, and we lose our appetite for spiritual things, for the word of God, and for communion and fellowship with the Lord and fellowship with our brethren, And we lose an appetite for going to the meetings. We don't have a desire to be where the Word of God is opened up. We don't have a desire to be at a prayer meeting.
It causes us to be sick in our souls. We're ill and all. What? What are we to do when we get into a state like that?
Well, we certainly need to listen to what the Word of God says and let it exercise our soul.
If we get into a state where we're so sick, I trust God will be faithful to us and make us realize.
And sometimes, perhaps most of the time, we don't realize how far we are away from the Lord, what a poor state of soul we're in. And the sad thing about it is, it's a vicious circle to get into a poor state of soul. You don't realize how.
Poor state of soul you're in, and then you get worse and worse.
May the Lord have mercy upon us, and may he be gracious to us and faithful to to speak to our hearts and to our consciences. And may we have before us the loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, there's nothing that can heal our souls better than that just to have Christ before us. And I believe that's why.
It's so important in the gospel to preach Christ, and in in the meetings to have Christ before us. And certainly this is what the Apostle Peter has brought before us here, Christ himself, as being the precious 1 The preciousness.
That word lust is is also translated desire, isn't it? And there are three methods of attack by Satan.
The world and the flesh and the devil. We have fleshly lusts here.
I suppose brethren, that.
If there is a breakdown, complete, and the testimony of God, it will be by. This means that Satan will come in and.
00:50:03
You know when lust has conceived, it bringeth forth sin. Scripture says that's the end of the road, and we find that in the message of the.
Seed that sown. You have the seed that falls into the wayside, well, that's the enemy. Direct attack of the enemy. That's Satan. But then it falls also on the the harder Stony ground. That's the flesh that resists the word of God. And then you have the the world in connection with that which is sown.
Among thorns is the cares of this life that.
That would hinder the soul from receiving the truth. Now I know that those three cases mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 13.
That particular application to receiving the gospel, but I believe the principle is the same for the believer that there is such a thing as.
As allowing the word to fall by the wayside.
Or hardening the heart against the Word. And that's what happens when we allow the flesh to have its way. We will Our hearts will become hard against the Word of God, and we refuse to act upon it. And the result is there's no blessing in the soul.
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they mean by your good works, which they shall, behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
I'm sure we all understand that conversation means far more than just our top. It means our whole manner of life.
And here it has to do with an honest walk before men, for the Gentile here speaks about those in the world.
And so the Christian is the upright.
And honest and not pull a fast deal of it or be.
Be known as a man that you can't trust. So that's commanded here and that speaks louder than words to the unbeliever. And so it says here that.
Though they may laugh at you as to your being odd and peculiar and.
From other people. Yet it speaks about they may glorify God in the day of visitation. I take that to mean that.
When?
Those who are watching the Christians and see that their way of living is upright and honest in God fearing way. When they're in trouble, who do they turn to?
They have a conscience, and it's softened and observed that it's the very peculiar people that maybe they laughed at when everything was going wrong in their lives, but when trouble and calamities happened, well then they turned to these very ones for help in the time of their distress.
Is that brightness to the meaning of the day of visitation?
Yes, I think it is.
They get into trouble. They realize they don't know what to do.
Thereafter. Which end? But they know where to go. They've been watching.
They've been watching The Child of God and they know where to go to get help. Well, I believe God has his way in that too.
God has a way of turning these people to the place where they can really get help for their soul.
00:55:05
I remember a case down in Kentucky when our brother, Clifford Brown was first visiting us.
That he went into a Barber shop.
And the man came in a storekeeper and he says it's hot as hell. And Brother Brown just quietly remarked he said hell is an awful reality and gave him a serious word on the light. Way to use that word.
Well, years afterwards, several years afterwards, Brother Brown and brother Macmillan were holding a tent meeting in the country and this store keeper of Mr. Reed.
Got to drinking until he saw snakes in his boots and he was nearly beside himself. Well, where did he want to turn? He wanted to see Brother Brown and nobody else. He drove miles. In those days there weren't any gravel or paved roads, so he drove his Model T miles through the mud to try to get to see that man that spoke to him faithfully.
About the danger of hell, that was a reality. Well, why was it he knew that man was real? He spoke to his conscience. But until he got to drinking to in such a way that he got in such serious trouble, he was losing his business and his home was in a terrible disorder. And there he wanted to find some help in his need.
I suppose verse 11.
Refers more to the inward side of things, the inward life. But here in verse 12 it's the outward, the testimony to those outside.
God doesn't leave anything out.
He brings in everything that we need.
This matter of honesty is pretty rare in the world today too, isn't it? And one who would seek to conduct his ways in full. Honesty is truly looked upon today as being an odd individual. But what our brother Barry said is true. They they take notice of it. They know why such an one is trying to turn in a proper income tax return or whatever, whatever else it may be.
And these words are very, very needful. When we see dishonesty and cutting corners so terribly prevalent all around us, and we begin to wonder, well, are we really supposed to be that upright? Are we really supposed to be that honest and careful? Well, here's the unchanging word of God, and I believe it's well for us to abide by it.
Other Brown, also on time, said that we should make out our income tax with the judgment seat of Christ before us.
Our income tax report.
Maybe I shouldn't mention this, but I remember one time quite a number of years ago.
UH, businessman in the office.
Was transacting business with me and told me how to enter it on my books so that.
There's very situation would be a little easier for me.
And I said to him, you don't mind. I'd like to keep my books as though the Lord was looking over my shoulders. He got quite annoyed. He said. I'm trying to make it easier for all those I'm calling on. But you know, about a year later I got a long distance phone call from his secretary, who was a devout Roman Catholic. He said they've just taken Mr. So and so to the hospital for an emergency operation. And just as they took him out.
He asked me to phone you. He wants you to.
To to pray for him. It was pretty hard for her to say it.
But excuse the personal reference, but his true brethren, it's right. It's right here, isn't it? In the day of visitation, I dropped everything and went to the hospital to call on that man. And by the grace of God, he confessed the Lord before he underwent the surge.
01:00:16
Well, I suppose 1St 13 is connected with what we're talking about making out income tax and anything like that connected with the government.
And if we're trying to avoid doing what the government wants us to do, we're not submitting ourselves to every ordinance of man. And it's for the Lords sake, for the Lords sake.
Well, it dropped down to the 15th verse, for so is the will of God. That was well doing, ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
What a wonderful way to silence.
Attacks that's made from a believer. Not in words, not justifying oneself.
But just proving by one's walk and honest living that all their accusations are false.
What does that mean?
As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
How's that mean, Brother Lundy? I was wondering myself.
I'm sure you have a thought on.
Someone else has a thought on it.
We are never to use our liberty as Christians to defend our wrong action or position. You get something of that in Galatians, I believe.
The and Galatians the.
5th chapter.
In the 13th verse and, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty only. Use not your liberty for an occasion to the place, but by love serve one another well. The Christian knows that his sins are eternally forgiven. I'm saved. I have a clear title to heaven.
I'm not under the law, I'm under grace. But we should never take advantage of the wonderful place we occupy in grace.
To, as he said, to make a cloak just.
To neglect the.
Walk among men that's honoring to the Lord.
I don't know if I'm making that free that clear.
If a believer had a good reputation in business and others trusted him for his his attitude, and knowing that he used that very reputation to to do some underhanded deal, that I believe would be using that as a cloak, wouldn't it?
01:05:08
I think you've got the real answer, brother Miriam, thank you for.
Malice is also the first thing mentioned in verse one. It is not laying aside all malice and here a cloak of malice or maliciousness.
We do find ourselves surrounded by those who are spoken of in verse 16 as foolish men or, the new translation reads, Senseless men and perhaps if we're not watchful.
Even though we might outwardly conduct ourselves in an honest way, yet we might entertain malice in our four deceitful hearts against those who are spoken of here in the verses and even that which is hidden in the heart.
Is never, never, never to be left unjust, even though it may be a very.
Foolish or Anja situations that we face have excused the reference that I know of. We've all heard my father make again and again. Never go to bed with an unkind feeling towards anyone St. or Sinner, no matter how badly they treat you. And we may sometimes feel ourselves utterly condemned if we have malice toward a brother or sister, but perhaps fail to judge the malice that might be in our poor deceitful hearts.
Against those whom we feel are of this world and are perhaps acting in a very unreasonable way toward us, we're to judge even that, are we not?
Well then we get in the 17th verse. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Dear God, honor the king.
Would someone bring out what is meant by Love the Brotherhood?
Well, it's not what we're in as Saints of God. We're in the brotherhood.
Now there are worldly organizations where they use that very expression, a brotherhood of people, a brotherhood of men.
Well, they they lookout for one another. They care for one another. Of course, you're not in a worldly way, but very in a very sincere and earnest way too.
Here we belong to a brotherhood of the Saints of God. We're brethren, the Lord said, All ye are brethren, One is your master, and all ye are brethren.
Well, if we let the love of God really fill our hearts, we will love the brotherhood. Now the love of God has been shed abroad in our heart. That love is there. Divine love.
And we can love the Brotherhood.
But.
As Peter brings out here, if we allow now us and God hypocrisies, envies, evil speakings, this can bring in ruin.
That is, it destroys or hinders.
Our love from flowing out to our brethren.
In fact, these things are the very opposite of loving the Brotherhood.
Speaking speaking evil of our brethren, that certainly isn't manifesting love to our brethren. So we see we end here in this epistle. We get both sides up. We get God's thoughts about how we should go on together in contrast to the way the flesh wants to go on together.
I was thinking that little short verse.
The acted upon what happy Christians we would be.
For it covers quite a range of.
Honor all men those that.
Have to be respected. And then what Brother Anderson is bringing out about love? The brotherhood, then the fear of God.
01:10:12
How important that is we think of of.
Of Joseph when he was tempted, well, apparently he could committed a sin. No one was there to see it. But he had the fear of God. He knew he'd have to answer to God if he was guilty of that sin, and that preserved him, although he had to suffer for it and become a prisoner. But God honored him and preserved him through it all. Well, how important that word is.
It God, God sees me.
That whether we're in the dark or in the light that there's a holy God that's looking down and he's marking all our actions and all our ways. So then the left side of things and then honor the king that's the subject to the powers that be. Well, one walking in that light of that verse is one that is surely in a very remarkable state.
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, isn't it? That's the very first point that the thief brought out in his confession on the cross. He said to the other thief, Dost thou not fear God?
That's the beginning of wisdom.
For the for man and regardless of what.
Condition he's in, whether he's a Sinner or whether he's a believer.
We're the fear of God, are we not? And also that first part of the verse.
It's proper that we honor all men. I know it says honor the king at the end of the verse, but I was thinking of Paul when he was before Nero and the other.
Rulers. He gave them their place of honor, did he not? And I believe this is really what the Christian should show to all men. We don't judge their motives. We don't take up their evils. If they have evils, we honor them in the measure in which we can. And we're really not to speak against the ruler of our people either, are we?
Paul tells us in Romans chapter 13, the powers that be are ordained of God. And I believe we keep that in mind that any ruling and any power has been put there by God that helps us to be submissive to them, to honor them, to really respect them and give them the place that God has given them. But I think that's a good thing that her brother Lundeen brings out, that we can't bow to the evils.
That they might want us to do, like with Daniel. Well, Daniel respected King Nebuchadnezzar, but he wouldn't eat that food that was set before him because no doubt it was there was meat there that had been offered to idols and he wouldn't bow down to to that or stoop to that because it would be bowing down to an idol, as it were, and so he wouldn't partake of that food.
And no doubt it was food that had been forbidden by God himself, and so he was honoring God in that case above the word of the king.
Janya was in a peculiar position there, but he did something like Nehemiah.
He prayed first, and sometimes it's very difficult to make these decisions and spur the moment. But we find Nehemiah as he stood before the king. He prayed, didn't he? And so did Daniel. And.
He was preserved and and the king accepted.
This because the heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord.
As the rivers of water, eternity, whether so ever he will. Now I suppose the next verse refers to slaves, does it not, particularly as they had in those days and.
We find that in Roman history that there was a time when there was a rebellion of the slaves.
01:15:04
It might have been at this time, I don't know. And they were executed on crosses, I understand.
Because of the rebellion to show the others.
That they will stop rebel against the authority, but here the Christian position.
A servant who's a Christian.
Who was a slave? He was not to rebel.
He was not to be independent, he was to be subject to his master and with all fear.
Because.
He was really doing it unto the Lord, is the thought, is it not? We give that another passage as well. Whatever we do, we do it unto the Lord. He did respect his master with fear, but still he had a master who was higher than that.
And whatever he did to his earthly master.
Was was that which he would do, or the Lord himself, if he was walking upright?
I noticed the comment that Ken Darby makes in his new translation. He says household servants not necessarily slaves. I take that to me that it could include household servants too.
As well as the slaves. So that would come right down to us, wouldn't it, in our being servants to to someone else. Now there are many, I'm sure in this room that are employed in different places by different ones, and in that way they are in a service serving somebody else, and so I suppose it could extend to them too.
Now we're getting near the end of our meeting. Perhaps we will get on to the 21St 1St.
Or even here unto where you you call, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps.
Probably. Isn't that when writing to the slaves to point out Christ as a pattern for his walk, not only for those who were successful in other circumstances, a master of the slave, but for the slave himself the price was a pattern for him, because indeed the Lord Jesus.
Took upon himself.
The form of a servant or a bond slave. Then, being found in faction as a man, he humbled himself.
So whatever path of life we may be in, the Lord has given us as a pattern.
For our walk.
We couldn't have a more perfect pattern, could we? And indeed he is writing to believers here and not walking in his steps as any thought of the way a Sinner gets saved.
I remember hearing of a man that.
Was a modernist, and he was insisting.
With a true Christian that the only the way a Sinner could get saved was by following the life of Christ, he said. Well, it's written that we're to walk in his steps. Well, said this Christian, have you taken the first step? He said. What do you mean? Well, what is the first step?
Who did no sin as you lived up to that? Have you ever sinned? No. He used to talk about walking in the steps of Christ to be saved. If you haven't taken the first step, you know you're a Sinner.
So it's only addressed here to believers.
The sufferings of Christ in atonement, as we have in the 21St verse, the 24th verse.
He bear our sins. But do you think Peter is also referring to what we have in the Psalms? That is, when we see Christ in the Psalms, often we see Him.
Setting a pattern for his earthly people in the coming day when there will go through the the suffering that that nation will experience in the tribulation period and he gives a pattern for them there.
01:20:04
As to how they should act under these sufferings and trials that they pass through, we couldn't have any part in the 24th verse, but we could have a part in those sufferings for Christ sake.
And.
The persecution that will come upon the Jew. I'm sure that the Psalms will be a help to him in that day, but he'll see Christ then, if he's a real believer, and he'll see in it the pattern.
For himself as he passes through these trials.
It's really, isn't it? To see how.
The three great epistle writers, Paul, Peter and John, speak of the perfect, sinless humanity of Christ.
Oh, and the 4th chapter of Hebrews. He's Speaking of that great high priest. He speaks of his sympathy that he was in cried in every way but says set apart.
Well, John and his successful third chapter he said, who did no sin.
No, Peter says. Who did no sin, John says.
I'll just turn to it in the third chapter.
He fell.
The fifth verse.
You know that he was manifest to take away our sins, and in him is no sin or another translation is in him Sin is not well. John is always dealing with the nature, isn't it? He had a nature that was perfectly holy and sinless. But when Peter is bringing the Lord Jesus before us as a pattern.
He says who did no sin. He not only had no sin in his nature, but in his life he was perfectly sinless. Every act of the Lord was perfect.
Even in this submission, which is commended to us here, the Lord seems to have set a beautiful example. He could, of course, have come from the glory straight to the cross and accomplished redemption.
And return home again. But he chose to begin his journey at Bethlehem. He chose to grow up and to live in this world, surrounded by that which was so contrary to him in every way. But I was thinking of that occasion, when he was left behind in the temple, and his mother came back and found him and said.
Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Well, Lord, the answer was wisty, Not that I must be about my father's business. He had said thy father and I as thought thee, and his reply was wispy. Not that I must be about my father's business.
He realized, of course, the incorrectness of that which she had just said to him. And yet how respectful is the reply that he gives? And then it immediately says.
He went down to Nazareth, and was subject unto them, Oh, I I think this is so lovely subject. Unto them there was the Lord Jesus, who at that early age could tell his mother, wished he not that I must be about my father's business.
He had received a rebuke from his mother, which was really not not quite called for or accurate, but he went down and was subject to them. Subject to his parents? Isn't that a beautiful?
Early indication of the precious pattern that he himself has established for a step by step through the whole journey, and were called upon to follow in his steps.
I think we should be well established in this as to weigh down expresses it in Him. Sin was not, that is, the Lord had no sinful nature. This teaching that is spreading in Christendom that Christ could have sinned and didn't sin is really an attack on the person of Christ. No, Christ couldn't have seen it.
01:25:10
And his trial in the wilderness was just to bring out the perfection.
Of his holy nature.
Oh, we need that last verse.
We need the Lord as the shepherd and Bishop of our souls.
When we think of him as a shepherd, we think of the one that gave his life for the sheep.
When we think of them as the Bishop, we think of him as the one governs our line, directs our ways, and we need both. We need to think of him as a shepherd who loves the sheep gave himself for them, and think of him as the Bishop, the overseer of our souls. And we surely need to be need that oversight until we're home safely in the glory.
Oh.
Open Mtg.
Open—A. Barry, J. Currie
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.
280.
We left our wasteful, longing eyes.
Waiting to see the Morning Star arise.
How bright. How Gladson Willis had been.
Before the sun shines.
For a Majesty 208.
In the whole way.
In heart, where it begins to save.
All morning.
The Christ of God, and so on the world.
00:05:15
And God has in his.
Ways poured out a flood of wool because of the wickedness of man. He showed his wrath in connection with a world of sin.
And God's character hasn't changed. God is still holy.
And he must judge sin. So when Isaac said, Behold the fire and the wood, he was thinking of what was there was being.
Carried to consume the offering.
The judgments, as it were, that it was to was to be shown there when the lamb.
That was to be sacrificed.
Was to be offered up, but how touching the story is how that, Abraham said.
My son, God shall provide himself a land.
Well, God has provided himself a lamb, as we know.
There are few types in the word that carriers as far as the type we have before us.
As to God the Father giving up his own Son.
To die and to suffer for our sins on the cross.
We think of the Lord in communion with His Father and Gethsemane.
Pouring out his heart to his father, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, and then surrendering, saying not thy will, but not my will, but thine be done.
Just the father and the son, as it were, going together.
And all beloved, all that.
Had a trial there before the High priest and before Pilate, the Father there in company with his son, and then the the journey there to Calvary, where he is suspended on the cross.
All the God the Father was there, so close to his Son.
But all beloved, no type can complete the story, because if Abraham had actually plunged that knife in the heart of Isaac, we know just how God the Father felt when his son became a sin bearer.
In those dark hours, God had to turn his face from his Son and forsake him.
In the most solemn experience he ever passed through, or ever will pass through, when he became.
An offering for our sins.
All the time fails there.
For God must forsake.
The son of his love. But God permitted Abraham to go so far as to take the knife.
To slay his sons. Our thinking our something else to leading up to this.
That Isaac doubtless was familiar with his father, offering sacrifices. Many lambs. Had Isaac seen his father slay and lay on the altar? Because where every Abraham went, you know he built his altar.
Whose familiar sight to Isaac see his father offer a lamb. But here was a strange circumstance, no land, and yet going to offer a sacrifice there on that mountain.
00:10:01
That how the heart of Abraham must have felt, thoughts, sorrows, must have been wrong from that tender heart who loved that son. As he said, My son, God will provide himself the land.
And we know, according to this account, that he did.
Provide, we might say, not a lamb.
But what took the place of a lamb? What is related to the lamb?
For God the Father always had special.
Types in view of his son. So when the Angel called Abraham out of heaven, and said, Lay not thy hand.
He said, Lean out thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, For I now I know that thou fearest God, see thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a ram caught in a thicket by the horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Why was it that he didn't find a lamb?
To offer on that occasion.
Well, there's always a reason in scripture. And you know, the ram was the RAM of consecration when the priest was consecrated. The ram was the victim to for that occasion.
Well, we think of the Lord in his perfect consecration to do his Father's will.
And that holy consecration took him to the cross.
Sometimes, you know, we have the tree mentioned in connection with the death of our Lord, but here it's in a thicket.
Or I think the Spirit of God would basically tell us of the character of that death.
No other.
What a condition I things are in. Well, there's a thicket, Everything tangled and everything.
And and dismay, as it were, and confusion, so the Spirit of God would tell us something.
With all that awful character.
What his consecration led him to he was caught there.
By the horns, and the horns speak of power, that is, the power of his consecrated light. Let him.
To that death.
There, as it were.
Presented by the kits in which the RAM is found when Abraham turns and looks.
Oh, what a beautiful scene it is.
When Isaac and his father together see that rhyme consumed instead of Isaac, who had been bound and laid on that very altar.
Found that occasion.
You know, Abraham said to his young men.
He left them with the *** and said that the lad and I will go Yonder and worship, but he said something else and return. So if we have the father and son going together to the mountain top, we have the father and son returning from the mountain top.
Oh, what wonderful communion there was.
As they returned from that solemn ordeal that sets before us that which has given God an opportunity to remove all our sins forever from His holy sight.
00:15:01
You know, there's something rather interesting when God told Abraham to take his son, He says thine only Isaac, whom thou lovers, that that's the first place in the Bible where you get the word love. And it has to do with the Father's love for his son. Well, as we think of the sacrifice and we think of the love of the Father's heart for his son.
It gives you and me just a little understanding.
Of how great and how immense the salvation of our souls really is, beloved Prince.
Will they went down from the mountains together?
And the thought of worship, you see, was on the heart of Abraham. And the 17th verse of the 11Th of Hebrews tells us that by faith Abraham.
Offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered of Isaac, and he that had received the promise offered up his his only begotten son. Now I may not be quoting it exactly, so I'll turn to Hebrews 11 for a moment.
And the 17th verse offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promise offered up his only begotten Son, of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting, that God was able to raise him even from the dead, from whence also he received another figure. Wonderful faith that Abraham possessed.
That he could say the lad and I will return.
That is, God had made all his promises in ISIS, and Abraham said, if if I take his life, God of necessity must raise him from the dead. So Hebrews 11 speaks as though.
Abraham went to the full extent of offering up his son for from whence also.
He received him in a figure.
Well, it's wonderful, beloved Saints, to think.
That God has provided himself a lamb, and may the preciousness of knowing Christ as the Lamb of God keep us near to his side and keep us from going our own way. And to me we often remember.
What it costs God in order to provide a full salvation for you and me in our need.
I was thinking also of other places where we have the lamb.
In in the.
In Exodus.
The 12Th chapter We are all familiar, I'm sure.
With a Passover lamp.
And how the children of Israel, that terrible night when the Angel of death was to pass through Egypt, and all the first born in Egypt were to die.
But they were given.
Israel were given a way of escape from that judgment.
Because they were to take a lamb and lamb foreign house.
And they were to shed the blood of that lamb and put it on the doors of their houses, the upper door posts on the two side posts. And Jehovah said, when I see the blood, I will Passover you.
How what we were considering in connection with Isaac is very touching the person of God's.
Beloved Son, taking our place and suffering in our stead.
00:20:07
But out full is the word of God, especially in connection with this precious land. For when we read about the Passover, it's the blood of the lamb that is so prominent there. Because Jehovah said when I see the blood.
I will Passover you.
And we know to when Peter is recounting his thoughts about why he rested upon, he said that we were are redeemed, not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold from our vain conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
When we think of John standing at the cross of Jesus.
And seeing that Roman soldier pierced his side.
John's heart was so unwrapped with feelings of love and devotion, it seems, that he left out in his account what other writers gave. He doesn't tell about the Lords being forsaken. He doesn't tell about the earthquake, which must have been.
A tremendous upheaval and the rocks rending.
And the darkness had covered the land. All his heart was riveted on that one he loved, on whose breast he had leaned his supper, and to see his side pierced, and to see that blood flowing down there. So he says that he that sought their record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he sat true, that we might believe.
Oh, if they love beloved friends.
Are you all sheltered by the blood of the Lord Jesus? Have you trusted your soul to that blood?
That was shed there at Calvary, and of which the same writer says that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Well, there are many connections in which the Lamb of God is brought before us, and sometimes not only in connection with the sacrificial.
Fewer things, but I was thinking of a place in First Samuel 7.
And the ninth verse.
And Samuel took a sucking lamb.
And offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord.
And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel.
And the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.
That the Lord flundered with a great Thunder soul that day upon the Philistines, and discomforted, discomforted them, and they were smitten before Israel.
Now the land there was specially expressive of the law and humble position that Israel were taking.
You know they went out against the Philistines when Hoff 9 Phineas carried the galore and the made of great shouts, great noise. They were absolutely defeated and they lost the ark and went into the camp of the Philistines. Later was returned, but now we see a humble people and we find that they took water and poured it on the ground.
That is to express how absolutely countless they were. And it was then that Samuel, feeling the special need for the people, took this sucking lamb a little helpless line, and over it is it for the whole bird offering unto the Lord. Well beloved, our Lord Jesus.
00:25:16
The Lamb of God is the one that has put away our every sin.
But he is also the one who has left us an example that we should follow in his steps.
And on this occasion, we get a picture of the brokenness and humility that should characterize those who belong to the Lord.
That little soaking land told of how helpless God people were as the Philistines were drawing near and victory seemed to be on their side.
You know that shout there, when they carried the orchids of the camp, was a hollow shout, but when Jehovah thundered, there was nothing shallow about that, nothing hollow about that sound, and it broke up the Philistine when they grained a mighty victory at that time.
I was thinking to how John the Baptist in his day. In the first chapter of John we find that John the Baptist had been preaching in the wilderness of Judea. He was calling upon the people to repent. He said repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repents is a very important subject.
Beloved friends, our dear old brother Potter used to say that repentance is no savior, but there's no salvation without it. The Sinner that repents and takes sides with God against himself is the one who receives the gospel to his salvation.
But I'll lovely after having called upon the whole nation.
Correct, 10 But why the need of repentance if there's no remedy for the sin that they were confessing there at Jordans? So when John presents the blessed Lord to them, he explains, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. There's the remedy as the word John says.
The Lamb of God.
That will take those sins that you had confessed.
And put them away forever.
In connection with the lamb too, I was thinking of.
Revelation 5, which was also read this morning.
Revelation 5.
But before we come to Revelation 5, we have Revelation 4.
And there we see the 24 elders sitting on Thrones around the throne.
And we find that out of that throne in the fifth verse of that 4th chapter preceded lightnings and thunders and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
Well, we love it, friends, as we know that today God's throne is a throne of grace.
A mercy seat to which we are told to come bold in fine grace to help in time of need.
But after wearing glory the 24 elder represent all are redeemed in glory, the very throne that now we where we found mercy so often has become a throne of judgment. For out of that throne there the mutterings of coming judgment on the earth. But isn't it lovely, those glorified ones?
00:30:07
Are not trembling there, although everything around them is trembling. They sit there and calm report.
Why such peace and repose?
And the very presence of the awful, consuming judgment that's coming upon man. Well, what we read in the 5th chapter gives the answer. And low in the midst of the throne.
And of the four beasts. And in the midst of the elder stood a lamb as it had been slain.
Will I know, as every instructed one understands, that the reason why the Lamb appears here in this chapter is because.
There was no one found able to open the book.
Containing those seven seals that were to release the judgment that was going to bring in the Kingdom of Christ. But could we not also see that the the reason why these elders can sit there in perfect peace in the midst of the the roar and the.
Lightning killing of the sooner soon approach. The soon approach of the approach of judgment is coming.
Can be perfect peace where Ah it's because.
The lamb appears.
And it says as it had been slain, just as all that death on the cross had just taken place in the 90th Psalm, we get that 1000 years in thy sight.
As but one day and then it says as.
Uh.
As a watch in the night, well, we usually think of the the one day, but if you take it a watch that's only three hours. How long ago since our Lord was on the cross?
And God's thinking it's only but six hours.
And so you could almost hear those shouts away with a crucifier.
As though the darkness inbuilt that scene is scarcely faded from the sky.
God would have you and me, beloved Saints.
Realize that that transaction at Calvary is something so near and so precious in his heart. It's just as though there's only six hours ago.
Remember when Isaiah cried, Woe is me for I am undone, that the seraphim took a coal of fire off of the altar and touched his lips and said that thine iniquities are purged and passed away? Like to think of that?
Live hole.
Freshly burning. Oh how we need to keep nearer the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can think too of in the 7th chapter of Revelation.
About that great company that no man can number. It seems to me that in Revelation, as soon as we're in the midst of a scene of judgment.
That God's precious lamb is introduced.
As the only hope and provision for those who are not judged. And after the church, who's gone? The 24 elders representing the redeemed are in heaven, where we find a great come and that no man can number. What does it say about that great company?
In the 13th verse.
When the elder says, What are these which are raid and white robes? And he said, Sir, thou knowest, And he said to me, These are the which come out of great tribulation, and have voiced their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
00:35:19
I asked and while they'll be in different circumstances.
And while their portion will be unearthly portion a Kingdom here in this world, but yet the same means that has brought them into that blessing below that we'll enjoy above the same lamb. And perhaps we could say that the very fact they've watched their robes that they've been through.
Watched the Lamb of God has already passed through.
In his rejection by this world, they have been true and loyal to him when the beast is in power and when they can neither buy nor sell unless they have the mark of the beast. They've been faithful in those days.
If good faithful to Christ.
Their robe now, in which they enter the Kingdom, have been washed.
In the blood of the lamb, another company and the 14th chapter 144,000 just a representative company are viewed and it says he saw a lamb.
I'll just turn to it 14th of Revelation.
And I looked at lower Lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with him in 140 and 4000, having his father's name written in. Therefore, it's so we've come to another scene where judgment is to be poured out in this chapters engaged with judgment. It ends with the with the.
Discriminating judgment of the Reaping of the harvest, and then with the unmitigated.
Judgment of the vine when the winepress is filled and the awful wrath of God is poured out. But here is a company in the midst of all I've seen. I have been associated.
In Communion.
Where the the land that appears on Mount Zion? I just have one more scripture.
To call attention to. And that's in the 19th chapter of Revelation.
In the sixth verse, and I heard, as it were, the voices of a great multitude, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of mighty thundering, say Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him.
For the marriage.
Of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness says that's the correct word there of Saints.
Well, lastly, the church looked at as his wife is right at the end of the book, and then we get the marriage in heaven and we get this wonderful precious thought that has been carried all through the word of the Lamb.
He doesn't say that the king.
Oh no, that's something more precious than the thought of being united in marriage to the King of Kings. And surely he is that. But it says the marriage of the Lamb is coming.
Our beloved, we are to be united to Christ in His victim character for all eternity.
00:40:03
Well, that we get to know more.
Of His love down here as that precious lamb that has.
Given his life for us, and to know more what it is to follow him, and to have him as the one before us who humbled himself, made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of man, and laid down his life.
So that we might be his traitor and share eternity with him in his glory.
Where we've seen that him 318.
Oh.
Oh.
My God.
Perhaps we could just turn to.
A verse in First Peter.
First, Peter.
Chapter One.
Verse 8.
Whom having not seen.
00:45:00
He loved in whom?
Now you see him not.
Yet believing.
Ye rejoice.
With joy unspeakable.
And full of glory.
I'm sure that each of us.
Have looked forward.
To being together.
At these meetings.
It is with anticipation.
That each of us.
Have looked forward to being here.
And hearing more.
Of the Lord Jesus.
Hearing more of this blessed person.
There's one our hearts.
And so.
The time draws to a close.
And how we rejoice.
That God by the Spirit.
Through our brother has brought before us.
The Lamb of God.
And the fact that we're going to see his face.
The time has come.
When several have left.
The Lord leaves us here.
And soon, each of us will return to our homes.
And perhaps it will be with anticipation to see our loved ones.
Or something that we have planned in the future in this world.
But as we.
Look into the future.
Perhaps.
We can realize.
That God has given to us.
Something.
That is unspeakable.
Here in this first.
We have joy.
Unspeakable.
Joy unspeakable as Peter penned these words.
The one who had walked with the Lord Jesus.
The one who knew him.
The one who had looked upon him.
And enjoy this company here.
And knew the wondrous love.
In the heart.
Of Christ.
The restoring grace.
And all.
As he looks on.
And speaks of the one.
Whom having not seen.
We've seen him only by faith.
But surely?
Seeing Him by faith is when our hearts.
And we do love him.
And we longed to see him.
But what is it going to be?
That scene, that day.
When?
We shall look into the face.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lamb of God.
We see that one.
Who suffered such agony on the Cross of Calvary?
For our sins.
Beloved, how blessed that moment.
00:50:01
How blessed do you think that perhaps today?
Faith will give way to sight.
The beauty of Christ shall be before us.
This word unspeakable.
Comes before us.
In Corinthians as well.
The very short verse.
Thanks be unto God.
For his unspeakable gift.
Thanks be unto God.
For his unspeakable gift.
The Lord Jesus.
And Psycho as well.
In speaking to that dear woman.
Said to her, If thou knewest.
The gift of God.
If thou knowest God.
As a giving God.
In James we read.
That every.
Good and every perfect gift.
Cometh down from the father of lights.
With whom there is no variableness, neither shadow.
Of turning.
Do we realize in our souls the blessedness?
That our God.
Is a giving God.
And God gives.
Because God is love.
Love.
What joy fills the heart?
As we enter into this.
In simple childlike faith.
Just to be seated in his presence.
To know that He loves us.
That he is for us.
And to consider the privilege we have.
Of rendering thanks to God.
Beloved.
Isn't it a blessed holy?
Privilege to be able.
To render.
Thanks to God.
To be able to offer that.
Which God would accept.
Four worms of the Earth.
Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
Able to render to God.
That which God would accept.
Thanks be to God.
His unspeakable.
Unspeakable gift.
The prophet Isaiah said his name.
Shall be called wonderful.
Counselor.
The mighty God.
Wonderful.
We found him. Anything else?
In the little that we know of him.
But would render that word true.
Wonderful.
Think of the graciousness.
Of Jesus.
Think of the tenderness.
Of the Lord Jesus.
00:55:03
Think of this Blessed One as he spoke to different ones.
When he was here.
His name shall be called Wonderful.
I wonder if we could just turn to Psalm 45.
I think it's such a privilege to.
Read the The very Breathings of the Spirit of God through the Psalmist.
As his heart.
And his lips and his hands.
Think of the unspeakable.
Christ.
The unspeakable one, the one that we can call our Savior and our Lord.
He opens with my heart.
Yes.
It is true, the heart must be touched.
It's an inward thing.
It's real.
And so the psalmist utters these words. My heart is indicting a good matter.
Is that our life?
Is that the way we live?
Our hearts indicted.
Good matter.
I speak of the things which I have made touching the King.
My tongue is the pen, A ready, lighter writer.
Thou art fair than the children of men.
Grace.
Is poured into thy lives.
Therefore God hath blessed me forever.
Surely we couldn't add to such meditation.
Verse 7.
Thou lovest righteousness and heatest wickedness.
Therefore God, thy God, had anointed thee with the oil of gladness, the life fellows.
All thy garments.
All thy garments, everything about him.
Smell of Myr.
And Alice.
Busy now.
All together lovely.
His name?
Shall be called wonder.
Is this the way we think of the Lord Jesus?
The unspeakable gift.
The one that God.
Was pleased to give.
And do we?
Make a habit.
A rendering thanks to God.
This is a very thankless world.
This world is one.
It signs little satisfaction.
Even in light.
But our hearts.
Should overflow.
In praise and Thanksgiving.
01:00:01
To God, how blessed it was this morning as we were together, that there were several.
Rose up to render Thanksgiving and praise our touched our hearts to see His dear people.
Before him as worshippers of how much more did it touch the heart of God?
God's heartily rejoiced.
To see.
That praise concerning his son.
Thanks be unto God.
Well, we have this word unspeakable.
In another place.
In Second Corinthians.
Chapter 12.
The Apostle Paul, who has been caught up to the third heavens.
Verse two, he says.
They knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago.
Whether in the body?
I cannot tell.
Whether out of the body, I cannot tell.
God, Noah.
Certain one caught up to the 3rd heaven.
And I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body. I cannot tell God, no one how that he was caught up into paradise.
And heard unspeakable words.
Which it is not lawful or possible.
And we realize in our souls.
This dear man.
Taken up into heaven.
And there perhaps receive money.
Wonderful revelations.
Because he speaks of receiving things of the Lord.
One is the remembrance.
The precious privilege given to God's people.
And in that place he receives from the Lord himself.
That which he expresses to be the very desire of the Lord.
That is.
That the Lord Jesus.
Would have his own to remember him.
He makes known to this dear one caught up.
Into the third heavens.
That which would bring joy to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And in the breaking of bread, I believe.
We can know.
That we have the privilege of bringing joy.
To the Son of God.
And I believe that as we go back.
To our homes and to the assembly from which we have come.
And perhaps the numbers are few.
The one thing that perhaps will cause us to continue.
By his grace, I say.
01:05:02
Till he come is the fact that when you and I.
Are gathered by the Spirit.
Unto the name of the Lord Jesus, where he has promised to be in the midst.
That we realize.
That it brings joy to his heart when we answer to the very expressed desire that He is made known.
This.
Do in remembrance of me.
And the fact that the apostle here speaks of being there in the 3rd heaven.
That it is a place that there were not words that could tell out the glories that appeared to him.
Is this before us?
It is if we are a child of God.
A place that is.
Unspeakable.
A place that we look on to be in and to see the face of the unspeakable One, our Lord Jesus.
We're going to see him.
Is it any wonder that Peter says where we ran Joy Unspeakable?
Full of glory.
As you and I look on into the future.
In this dark day, in this Dark World.
As we look.
Beyond this scene, this world.
To be in a place.
Where there be such joy?
That we will not be evil.
To express.
That joy.
How little, how very little, I say, do I enter into this?
So very little.
Do we have our souls in the enjoyment of it?
We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Yes, beloved.
This is what we look forward to. Oh, we haven't seen him face to face.
But he's had the privilege of having himself before us by faith.
And we have been given from the Word of God exceeding great and precious promises.
Very expressive, isn't it? Exceeding great and precious promises.
Just to consider.
One or two.
One faithful promise he has made. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Do we carry that with us as we walk through life?
That Jesus Christ will never leave us nor forsake us.
Another promise, where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Another promise.
If I go and prepare a place for you.
I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Will he live up to his promise?
These wonderful promises exceeding great and precious promises made.
By the Lord Jesus Christ.
01:10:06
They were just.
Look at two other verses.
One in John 17.
This prayer of the Lord Jesus.
And our hearts are overcome, I'm sure, as we think of our precious Savior and the words He uttered before God is Father.
Words that have to do with us.
Let us consider the 24th verse.
Father, I will.
That they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.
That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for Thou loves me.
Before the foundation of the world, I will.
As we think of the Lord Jesus and as this.
Prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is brought before us.
And not only his prayer, but his desire.
The desire of my Savior, my precious Savior, the Lord Jesus.
I.
Will expressing it to his father.
I will.
That they also.
May be with me where I am. Or doesn't it touch our hearts?
To think of the Lord's love and the Lord's desire.
So touchingly expressed to think of this blessed one.
Here saying to the father, his father, that he would have us.
The cause to himself infinitely.
We were reminded of that precious blood which was shed. We're reminded of the sacrifice he made.
Christ died through our sins.
Yes, Christ died.
For our sins.
That he might have us with him, and it's his desire.
To have us with himself there.
That we might behold his glory.
What a day.
Put an hour for a moment.
What an eternity.
With Christ, beloved, with Christ.
To behold his glory, to see his face.
One other verse in the end of Matthew.
18th verse of the last chapter of Matthew.
Jesus came and speak unto them, saying.
All power.
Is given unto me in heaven.
And Earth all power.
It is given unto me, heaven and earth.
The end of the 21St.
And lo, I am with you.
01:15:02
Always.
Lol I am with you.
Always.
88.
No.
Father, Son at the Cross
Address—A.M. 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.
And God has in his.
Ways poured out a flood of old because of the wickedness of man. He showed his wrath in connection with the world of sin. And God's character hasn't changed. God is still holy and he must judge sin. So when Isaac said, behold the fire in the woods.
He was thinking of what was there was being.
Carried to consume the offering.
The judgments, as it were, that was to was to be shown there when the lamb that was to be sacrificed was to be offered up. But how touching the story is.
All that Abraham said, my son God shall provide himself a lamb.
Well, God has provided himself a lamb, as we know.
Few types in the Word that carry us as far as the type we have before us, as to God the Father giving up his own Son to die and to suffer for our sins on the cross.
We think of the Lord in communion with his father and guest family.
Pouring out his heart to his father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, and then surrendering, saying, not thy will, but not my will, but thine be done, Just the Father and the son, as it were going together.
Beloved, all that had a trial there before the High Priest and before Pilate the Father there.
In company with his son and then the journey there to Calvary where he is suspended on the cross.
Oh, let God the Father was there, so close to his son, but all beloved. No type can complete the story, because if Abraham had actually plunged that knife in the heart of Isaac, we know just how God the Father felt.
When his son became a sin bearer in those dark hours.
God had to turn his face from His Son and forsake him in the most solemn experience He ever passed through, or ever will pass through, when He became.
An offering for our sins all the time fails there.
For God must forsake the Son of his love. But God permitted Abraham to go so far as to take the knife.
To slay his sons. I was thinking of something else to leading up to this.
That Isaac doubtless was familiar with his father, offering sacrifices many lambs. Had Isaac seen his father slay and lay on the altar? Because wherever Abraham went, you know he built his altar.
Was familiar sight to Isaac to see his father offer a lamb.
But it was a strange circumstance, no land and yet going to offer a sacrifice there on that mountain.
But how the heart of Abraham must have felt, what sorrows must have been run from that tender heart who loved that son? As he said, My son, God will provide himself the lamb.
And we know, according to this account, that he did.
Provide we might say, not a lamb, but what took the place of a lamb? What is related to the lamb?
For God the Father always had special.
Types in view of his son. So when the Angel called Abraham out of heaven, and said, Lay not thy hand.
00:05:10
He said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For I now I know that thou fearest God, seek thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a ram caught in a thicket by the horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering.
Instead of his son.
Why was it that he didn't find a lamb to offer on that occasion? Well, there's always a reason in scripture. And you know, the ram was the ram of consecration. When the priest was consecrated. The ram was the victim to for that occasion.
Will we think of the Lord in His perfect consecration to do His Father's will?
And that holy consecration took him to the cross. Sometimes, you know, we have the tree mentioned in connection with the death of our Lord, but here it's in a thicket. Or I think the Spirit of God would basically tell us.
Of the character of that death.
No other.
Water condition, things are in when there's a thicket, everything.
Tangled and everything.
And and dismay, as it were, and confusion, oh, the Spirit of God would tell us something.
With all that awful character, what his consecration led him to, he was caught there by the horns, and the horns speak of power, that is the power of his consecrated light. Let him to that death.
There, as it were presented by the kits in which the RAM is found when Abraham turns and looks.
Oh, what a beautiful scene it is.
When Isaac and his father together see that Ram consumed instead of Isaac, who had been bound and laid on that very altar on that occasion.
You know, Abraham said to his young men.
He left them with the *** and said that the lad and I will go Yonder and worship, but he said something else and return. So if we have the father and son going together to the mountaintop, we have the father and son returning from the mountain top.
Oh, what wonderful communion there was.
As they returned from that solemn ordeal that sets before us that which has given God an opportunity to remove all our sins forever from His holy sight.
You know, there's something rather interesting when God told Abraham to take his son, He says thine only is Isaac, whom thou lovers, that that's the first place in the Bible where you get the word love, and it has to do with the Father's love for his son. Well, as we think of the sacrifice and we think of the love of the Father.
Father's heart for his son. It gives you and me just a little understanding.
Of how great and how immense the salvation of our souls really is, beloved friends.
Well, they went down from the mountain together.
And the thought of worship, you see, was on the heart of Abraham. And the 17th verse of the 11Th of Hebrews tells us that by faith Abraham offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice.
Then by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered of Isaac, and he that had received the promise, offered up his his only begotten son. Now I may not be quoting it exactly, so I'll turn to Hebrews 11 for a moment, and the 17th verse.
00:10:17
Offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promise offered up his ownly begotten Son.
Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting, that God was able to raise him even from the dead. From whence also he received him in a figure wonderful faith that Abraham possessed, that he could say, the lad, and I will return.
That is, God had made all his promises in Isaac, and Abraham said, if I take his life, God of necessity must raise him from the dead. So Hebrews 11 speaks as though.
Abraham went to the full extent of offering up his son, for from whence also he received him in a figure.
Well.
It's wonderful, beloved Saints, to think.
That God has provided himself a lamb, and may the preciousness of knowing Christ as the Lamb of God keep us near to his side and keep us because from going our own way. And to me, we often remember what it costs God.
In order to provide a full salvation.
Where you and me and our need. I was thinking also of other places where we have the lamb.
In in the.
In Exodus.
The 12Th chapter we are all familiar, I'm sure, with a Passover lamp.
And how that the children of Israel, that terrible night when the Angel of death was to pass through Egypt, and all the first born in Egypt were to die?
They were given.
Israel were given a way of escape from that judgment, because they were to take a lamb and lamb for a house, and they were to shed the blood of that lamb and put it on the doors of their houses, the upper door post and the two side posts. And Jehovah said, When I see the blood, I will pass over you.
Now what we were considering in connection with Isaac.
Is very touching the person of God's beloved Son taking our place and suffering in our stead. But how full is the Word of God, especially in connection with this precious lamb? For when we read about the Passover.
It's the blood of the lamb that is so prominent there, because Jehovah said when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
And we know that when Peter is recounting his thoughts about why he rested upon, he said that we were all redeemed, not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold from our vain conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
When we think of John standing at the cross of Jesus.
And seeing that Roman soldier pierced his side.
John's heart was so unraveled with feelings of love and devotion.
It seems that he left out in his account what other writers gave. He doesn't tell about the Lord's being forsaken. He doesn't tell about the earthquake, which must have been.
A tremendous upheaval. And the rocks rending and the darkness that covered the land. Oh no.
His heart was riveted on that one he loved, on whose breast he had leaned his supper, and to see his side pierced, and to see that blood flowing down there. So he says that he that sought their record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he sat true that we might believe. Oh, if beloved friends, are you all?
00:15:24
Sheltered by the blood of the Lord Jesus, have you trusted your soul to that blood?
That was shed there at Calvary, and of which the same writer says that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Well, there are many connections in which the Lamb of God is brought before us, and sometimes not only in connection with the sacrificial fewer things. But I was thinking of a place in First Samuel 7.
And the ninth verse. And Samuel took a sucking lamb.
And offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord.
And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near the battle against Israel. That the Lord flundered with a great Thunder soul that day upon the Philistines, and discomforted, discomforted them, and they were smitten before Israel.
Well, now the lamb there was specially expressive of the lower and humble position that Israel were taking. You know, they went out against the Philistines when half nine Phineas carried the ark, and they made a great shout, great noise. They were absolutely defeated.
And they lost the ark and went into the camp of the Philistines.
Later was returned, but now we see a humble people and we find that they took water and poured it on the ground. That is to express how absolutely helpless they were. And it was then that Samuel, feeling the special need for the people, took this sucking lamb.
A little helpless lamb, and offered it for a full word, offering unto the Lord.
Well, beloved, our Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the one that has put away our every sin, but He's also the one who has left us an example that we should follow in His steps. And on this occasion, we get a picture of the brokenness and humility that should characterize those who belong to the Lord.
That little sucking lamb told of how helpless God's people were as the Philistines were drawing near and victory seemed to be on their side. You know that shot there when they carried the ark into the camp was a hollow shout, but when Jehovah.
Bunred. There was nothing shallow about that, nothing hollow about that sound, and it broke up the Philistine when they drained a mighty victory.
That time I was thinking to how John the Baptist in his day. In the first chapter of John, we find that John the Baptist had been preaching in the wilderness of Judea. He was calling upon the people to repent. He said repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repentance is a very important subject. Love it, friends.
Our dear old brother Potter used to say that repentance is no savior, but there's no salvation without it. The Sinner that repents and takes sides with God against himself is the one who receives the gospel to his salvation. But now lovely, after having called upon the whole nation to repent.
00:20:08
But why the need of repentance?
If there is no remedy for the sin that they were confessing there at Jordan, so when John presents the blessed Lord to them, he explains, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. There's the remedy as it were, John says, the Lamb of God.
That will take those sins that you had confessed.
And put them away forever.
In connection with the lamb too, I was thinking of.
Revelation 5, which was also read this morning.
Revelation 5.
But before we come to Revelation 5, we have Revelation 4.
And there we see the 24 elders sitting on Thrones around the throne.
And we find that out of that throne in the fifth verse of that 4th chapter preceded lightnings and thunders and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
Well, we love it, friends, as we know that today God's throne is a throne of grace, a mercy seat to which we are told to come bold and find grace to help in time of need.
But after wearing glory, the 24 elder represent all the redeemed in glory, the very throne that now we where we found mercy so often has become the throne of judgment. For out of that throne there the mutterings of coming judgment on the earth. But isn't it lovely?
Those glorified ones are not trembling there.
Although everything around them is trembling, they sit there and calm repose. Why such peace and repose, and the very presence of the awful, consuming judgment that's coming upon man? Well, what we read in the 5th chapter gives the answer. And low in the midst of the throne.
And of the four beasts. And in the midst of the elder, stood a lamb.
As it had been slain.
Well, I know, as every instructed one understands, that the reason why the Lamb appears here in this chapter is because there was no one found able to open the book containing those seven seals that were to release the judgment that was going to bring in the Kingdom of Christ.
But could we not also see that the the reason why?
These elders and sit there and perfect peace in the midst of the the roar and the the lightning killing of the soon approach of judgment is coming. They can be at perfect peace there. It's because the Lamb appears.
And it says as it had been slain, just as all that death on the cross had just taken place.
In the 90th Psalm we get that 1000 years in nice fight.
Has but one day and then it says as.
As a watch in the night.
Well, we usually think of the the one day, but if you take it a watch that's only three hours. How long ago since our Lord was on the cross?
God's thinking is only that six hours.
As though you could almost hear.
Hear those shouts away with him crucify as all the darkness inbuilt that scene is scarcely faded from the sky. God would have you and me, beloved Saints.
00:25:17
Realize that that transaction at Calvary is something so near and so precious.
In his heart, it's just as though there's only six hours ago.
Remember when Isaiah cried, Woe is me for I'm undone that the seraphim took a coal of fire off of the altar and touched his lips and said that thine iniquities are purged and passed away? Like to think of that alive hole.
Freshly burning.
Oh, how we need to keep nearer the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We could think too of in the 7th chapter of Revelation.
About that great company that no man can number. It seems to me that in Revelation, as soon as we're in the midst of a scene of judgment.
That God's precious lamb is introduced.
As the only hope and provision for those who are not judged, and after the church is gone, the 24 elders representing the redeemed are in heaven where we find a great coming that no man can number. What does it say about that great company?
In the 13th verse.
When the elder says, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And he said, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are the which come out of great tribulation, and have voiced their robes and made them white in the blood of the land. I asked. And while they'll be in different circumstances.
And while their portion will be an earthly portion, the Kingdom here in this world, but yet the same means that has brought them into that blessing below that we'll enjoy above the same Lamb. And perhaps we could say that the very fact they washed their robes that they've been through.
Watched the Lamb of God has already passed through.
In his rejection by this world, they have been true and loyal to him when the beast is in power and when they can neither buy nor sell unless they have the mark of the beast. They've been faithful in those days.
If good faithful to Christ, their robes now in which they enter the Kingdom, have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Another company in the 14th chapter, 144,000.
Just representative company are viewed and it says he saw a lamb.
I'll just turn to it 14th of Revelation.
And I looked at Lower Lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with him in 140 and 4000, having his father's name written in there for it. So we've come to another scene where judgment is to be poured out in this chapter is engaged with judgment. It ends with the.
With the discriminating judgment of the reaping of the harvest, and then with the unmitigated.
Judgment of the vine when the winepress is filled and the awful wrath of God is poured out. But here is a company in the midst of all I've seen that have been associated in communion where the the land that appears on Mount Zion. I just have one more.
Scripture to call attention to.
And that's in the 19 chapter of Revelation.
In the sixth verse, and I heard, as it were, the voices of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him.
00:30:19
For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, For the fine linen is the righteousness says the correct word there of Saints.
Well, that's the the church looked at as his wife. It's right at the end of the book. And then we get the marriage in heaven and we get this wonderful precious thought that has been carried all through the word of the Lamb.
It doesn't say that the king. Oh no, that's something more precious than the thought of being.
United in marriage to the King of kings, and surely he is that. But it says the marriage of the Lamb is come.
Our beloved, we are to be united to Christ in His victim character for all eternity. Will that we get to know more of His love down here as a precious Lamb that has.
Given his life for us, and to know more what it is to follow him, and to have him as the one before us who humbled himself, made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of man, and laid down his life so that we might be his traitor.
And share eternity with Him in His glory.
John 14:7
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.
John's Gospel chapter 14 and verse 7.
If he had known me, he should have known my father also.
And from thenceforth you know him and have seen him.
Phillip says an in law and show us the father and suffice of us.
Jesus southern him have I been so long time with you and get past thou not know me Philip.
He that have seen me have seen the Father, and I will sayest thou them show us the Father.
Believe us, though not, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me. He doeth the work.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works sake.
Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall they do, because I go unto my Father.
Whatsoever he shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in His Son.
If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because I see them not. Neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him.
For he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless.
I will come to you.
Get a little wild in the world seeth me no more. But ye see me, because I live, you shall live also.
That day you shall know that I am in my father, and ye, and me, and I and you.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, He it is a loveth me neither love me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Judah saith unto him, not his carrier Lauren houses. I will manifest thyself unto us, and not under the world, Jesus answered.
Unto him the man loved me, He will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our vote with him.
He that loveth Me not keepeth not my sayings, and the word which ye heareth not mine, but the Father which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, and whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.
Not as a world giveth, give I unto you. Neither let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You have heard now, I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.
If you love me, you would rejoice, because I said I'd go unto the Father, for my Father is greater than I. And now I've told you before, come to pass, that when it is come to pass, you might believe.
Thereafter I will not talk much with you, for the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me but that the world may know that I love the Father, and if the Father gave me commandment, Even so I do.
Arise, let us go ahead. I think it was like this. I am the way to the Father, I am the truth about the Father, and I am the life that brings us into relationship with the Father.
And it seems to me so beautiful and so honoring to him that I have wondered if that's one reason why Satan has so vigorously opposed and attacked this, and even presented, it seems to me in the last epistle, sort of a counterfeit of this. Well, we read in Jude, Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain.
And ran greedily after the error.
00:05:02
Of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsay of Korah. It just seems to me that in those three little statements we have sort of a counterfeit, an attack against that beautiful truth we have here I am the way, the truth and the light. And there before the scripture closes, we have.
They have gone in the way of cave ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and Harry.
In the game saying of Korah as though everything that the Lord Jesus here presents is attacked and given a counterfeit by Satan. Presented as a warning there in June.
There is also.
Something that is spoken abroad, quite generally in Christendom.
And that is that Jesus is a way of life, as though there might be other ways of life.
And it's taken over in Christendom, so much so that.
They're even conniving with the Pagan religions.
And mixing them up.
The Scripture says the Lord himself says I am the way of. I am the way, not a way, the way. I'm not some of the truth. I am the truth.
There's not some other way. That's the life. I am the life, not some other religion. There's only light in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's the only life that can bring us into relationship with God.
So that we know him as our Father and ourselves as his children. Of course, when I speak of that, we also have to recognize that we must have the power of that life, the Holy Spirit, that we might come to the consciousness to know consciously that God is our Father. And it's wonderful to see that the Holy Spirit is brought in here in this chapter in that connection too.
Mentioned with that brother Anderson.
A warning today as to the various translations that have come out and our King James translation is good and we don't need some of these new things that men's minds have brought up who were not able in the 1St place, not knowing the language, the 2nd place not spiritual man to prepare the scriptures and translate them and so.
I believe it's an order. There should be a warning because there's a widespread use of some of these translations that are.
That should not be used at all by Christians, because the young people.
Do not understand sometimes the the meanings that are introduced in some of these translations, which undermine the very essential truths of scripture, and in such a subtle way that.
The average person, unless they are acquainted with the doctrines of scripture, they'll be tripped up, turned aside. I've had some experience with.
Translating Translating scripture into the language of the tribe.
In the Congo and I found that I could not translate word for word. I must seek, by the grace of God, to get God's thought that was there in the Scripture before I could adequately translate it. Well, in a case like that, it means you have to be before the Lord in deep exercise. You have to be in touch with the Lord, and you need to be exercised about being in a state of soul where you can do that.
And when these translations come out, we feel and we know that some of those who translated were not spiritual men. In fact, on one committee it was found that there was some communists on the committee for doing this translation work. Well, how can it be suitable? How can it be a spiritual translation? Another thing, the Greek language.
Is such a perfect language.
A complete language.
And it's not that I know much of anything about it, but I have studied it some. But there are some of the words in the Greek that are so full of meaning that it's impossible to translate them by another word in another language. Now, in order to get a translation as close to correct as possible, you must get the mind of the Lord as to what word to use.
00:10:20
To translate that word, and if the mind is not spiritual, that person might take a shade of meaning in that word and use the word in the English or some other language into which is translating. Use a word that translates into the English only that little side meaning that might be in the word, and then you get something that's not exactly correct and it throws the word off. It's not in balance.
I don't mean to get off our subject, but I did feel it was necessary to call attention to this, by the way. Well, I think we have to be on our guard against using these other translations, and I believe God was in it when this translation that we're holding in our hands was made years and years ago. I believe God was taking care of this and saw to it that we got a translation.
That would be shooted.
And I don't see any reason for for giving it up. It's alright to use.
Like Jan Darby's translation and refer to it. But I believe we do well just to stick with the King James Version in our reading meetings and in our meetings generally.
In First Corinthians 2 and verse 13, I think it's important to notice this verse, First Corinthians 2 and verse 13 which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teach us, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.
Comparing spiritual things with spiritual now, that is the very words of Scripture are inspired, not just the thoughts. And so when a translation is made, it needs to be in the very words of Scripture to be accurate if we try to substitute our own thoughts. And many of the so-called translations are not really translations.
They are called paraphrase, which means that an attempt has been made to put them into words.
That they thought were more understandable, and so they departed from the very words that the Spirit of God had used. I think it is so nice in Mr. Darby's translation when he did have that difficulty of which you speak of trying to get an English word that corresponded with the Greek word. If he couldn't get the word, he has a little footnote explaining.
That he tried to get as close a word as he could in the English.
Because he was very much impressed with the fact that it is in the original, the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth. I believe we must always bear that in mind because it's not just the thoughts that are inspired, it's the words that are inspired. And we can be thankful for the translation that we have, but I believe rather than we can be very thankful for such a spiritual man as Mr. Darby who.
Not only had scholarship, but had communion with the Lord.
And another thing, when there is a little difficulty and perhaps the translation is not too accurate.
The Spirit of God has seen to it that another scripture somewhere else will make it clear.
And when you find a translation, perhaps even in the King James, that's not thoroughly accurate, if you refer to some other verse in the Scripture, you can see where the discrepancy has come in. I just mentioned this for the sake of some who might have had a problem.
In Revelation chapter 5 we read about those who are singing in heaven, and it says and they shall reign on the earth.
Now I am not a scholar, but I did take the trouble to look it up and see that in many cases the same Greek word is translated on, in other cases it's translated over, and therefore either word could be a translation of the original Greek word. How is one to know which words should be used? Well, by referring to such a verse as Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse one.
We have a building of God and house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.
We see that the believers eternal portion is in the heavens, therefore if we're reigning it's not going to be on the earth. Now the Greek word would allow either one on or over to be used, but a spiritual mind as it says here, comparing spiritual things with spiritual or communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.
00:15:20
A spiritual mind then discerns now that the correct word was the word over.
Well, it isn't just making a random choice of two words, but we must remember that God's Word is 1, harmonious, complete, whole, and it all stands together. When the enemy quoted Scripture to the Lord, the Lord answered it by quoting another Scripture, and we'll find the answer within the pages of this blessed book.
Where we can be thankful for a good translation, but I only mentioned this. I would say to be aware of anyone that is called paraphrase.
And then I agree that we should be concerned about who it was that did the translating. Did they walk in the fear of God? And you often find in the preface of the Bible something that will set you on guard. I've noticed in reading the introduction to some of these new translations that the men didn't. They were not men that trembled at God's Word. They were not men who really accepted it as.
The very words of God. Well, as soon as you find that in the introduction.
Beware of the translation because the man hasn't handled it as the living, precious word of God.
Very cute. Quoted this morning from the first chapter of John and the 18th verse. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him so.
The Lord is making that clear here, that to us seen Him was to have seen the Father, and I take from that that we'll only see the Father revealed in the sun, even when we're in glory.
Some have objected to that thought. Well, surely we'd see God our Father. But no, I think it's only as we see him in the sun that we will see him in glory.
I suppose the scripture.
In Revelation chapter.
22 might be one that they used to.
To come to that kind of a conclusion.
But I think if that if that scripture is looked at closely, we'll find that it's Speaking of the Lord Jesus. Revelation 22.
Verse 4.
And they shall see his face.
But whose face is it? Well, it says in verse three, And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God.
And of the Lamb shall be in it. Well, it's the Lamb that's on the throne, like we see in more places than this in the Book of Revelation. But he's, he's seen as God as well. So it's the Lord Jesus Christ and it's his face that we will see.
Two and nine help him.
For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the God hath bodily Speaking of Christ.
And he never left that bosom, did he?
Who was in the bosom of the Father? Even money was here. And so as he walked through this world, he gave expression to that new that life that was never known here before, which to us, of course, is new.
Not new to him.
It's that life that he always had, but now as a man giving expression to that life.
And even the very feelings now in the human body of that new life that would be found with each one who has that new life, the very same feelings, the very same.
Understanding and appreciation of things, that new life and that life is that eternal life. And the sun came down to reveal that life which was in the Father and in the Son. Of course, now we have the communion and fellowship.
With them in that life and unless there is holiness, we can't enjoy it.
00:20:02
Do not think that a fairy that though.
We will not see the Father as such. Don't you think that His presence will be very real to us and enjoyed by us? Indeed it will. It should be enjoyed before we get to glory down here.
Father's presence of father himself loving you because you have loved me and been with me so we can enjoy our.
Fathers, our presence, our Father's companionship, all the journey from beginning to end.
A chapter six, I think there's something there. First Timothy chapter 6 and verse 13. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickeneth all things and before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that they'll keep this commandment without spot unrebucable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Which in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate.
The King of kings and Lord of Lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, unto whom no man hath seen, nor can see. To whom the honor and power everlasting. Amen.
We need to remember, brethren, that the glory there is a glory in connection with the Godhead that cannot be seen by mortal eyes. And the Lord Jesus became a man, but he never left His place in the Godhead. And there is a glory about His person now, that even he, that one who became a man, there is a glory about his person.
That is beyond us, and that he will always be infinite and we'll always be finite, even when we're in the glory.
And I believe it's good for us to remember this because there's a little hymn says about how wondrous the glories that meet in Jesus and from his face shine. And then it says his glory. Not only God's Son in manhood, He had his full part, the glory of his person and how he was perfect. God and man we'll never be able to fully comprehend even for all eternity.
But all that can be revealed, and all that can be made known of God.
Has been and is revealed in the sun and beyond this we must be careful not to go because.
Even the Lord Himself, I say reverently, has a glory that is beyond their minds and that we'll never be able to see because He never left his place in the Godhead.
Would Matthew 11 give us that? Subject to Matthew 11 and the 27th verse, All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son.
But the father neither nor any man. The father saves the son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him, That is the the son does reveal the father, but when it's the subject of the sun, it simply leaves the subject by saying.
And no man knows the sun but the Father.
So we mustn't try to go beyond.
What is revealed the higher mysteries of Thy fame? The creature grass transcends he only that Thy blessed name a son can comprehend. That was beautifully put in in that hymn and expresses it so in such a wonderful way.
One also brings us before us that what God intended was that the sun should display this.
Because in the first chapter in the 1St 2 verses.
God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners.
Spake in time fast, and the fathers by the prophets half of these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He had appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world, being the brightness of His glory.
00:25:00
And the express image of His person, and so on all speaks thereof. God speaking unto unto us, and the person of His Son, not as one sent simply like the prophets, but in himself coming down here to reveal God Himself to us.
The Lord always has His distinct place in the Godhead.
Error. Confused. Saw that verse in the first chapter of John's Gospel.
And it says there that which is from the beginning.
Oh, I'd have to read it. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You see there the Word was with God shows he had a distinct personality in the Godhead. So it in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
Christ the Same
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.
I would like to turn first of all, dear young people, to a very well known verse in Hebrews chapter 13, what I have upon my heart to speak of this afternoon.
Is the subject of change.
In all, we live in what is often referred to as a changing world.
And you, dear young people, are growing up in a world where changes are coming more and more frequently.
But how wonderful it is for us to realize that we can pick up the book.
The last words of which were written nearly 2000 years ago, and find that in spite of all the changes.
That have come in in this world. We still have the wisdom of God for our pathway here in a changing world.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8.
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday.
And today?
And forever.
Now, beloved young people, we find there the one who knows.
No change, no change, the little hymn we've just finished singing says.
Though all things change, he.
Change is not and beloved young people this same.
Precious Savior that went to Calvary's cross to save your precious soul and mind nearly 2000 years ago.
He is unchanged. His love to us is as bright.
And as precious as that moment when he was paying for our sins upon the cross of Calvary.
We find that.
There is a change. There is a change in US.
There is a change, dear young people. There was a change in you, a change of mind.
A change of heart when you were saved. We sometimes speak of it as repentance. That is that change of mind that owns before God. That we are guilty, that we are lost, That we deserve to be sent to hell forever.
But that God, in his wondrous love, has provided a Savior.
We have a change of mind and so we reach that conclusion by God's Spirit.
That God is for us, not against us.
That we were the enemy and that God was the one who loved us.
And gave his son for us.
But when we turn to the Lord Jesus, we find that in Him there is no change. No change. Now would you turn over to Malachi chapter 3 for a moment?
Malachi Chapter 3.
And verse 6.
Four, I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. You know I love to connect this verse with what we have in Hebrews 13.
There we have the Spirit of God by the hand of the apostle.
Advising us concerning the Lord Jesus and telling us.
Concerning him that he changes. Not that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, but here we find it is the Lord Himself.
The Lord himself who addresses your heart and mind. And he says, For I am the Lord, I change.
Not all beloved young people. What immense comfort it brings to our hearts.
When we lay hold of this precious truth in our souls, have you and I failed the Lord this past week?
00:05:01
He has not changed. His love hasn't changed.
His interests, His desire for your blessing, His determination.
That you are going to be with Him in the glory has not changed.
Those purposes of His remain the same, and above all, He remains the same. All we might very well say at times you don't realize how far away I've got in my soul the things that I've done that have grieved the Lord. Now, dear young people, make no mistake, the word of God doesn't excuse us.
But it does assure us that he changes not.
That we are still infinitely precious to the one who died for us, that we are still in his care and under his charge as the captain of our salvation, to bring us safely home to glory. Indeed, it is well said here. Therefore ye sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
If you were to follow the history of the children of Israel.
If God's attitude, if the attitude of the Lord Jesus toward the children of Israel had changed.
Every time they fail, truly they would have been consumed.
And so it is with you and I, we can look back over our pathway.
I can look back over the 25 or 30 years that I have known the Lord Jesus.
And I can see the time after time when I have failed him and undoubtedly grieved his heart.
But I can rejoice this afternoon, dear young people, in spite of all my failures, to know that he has not changed, that he remains the same. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and.
Forever now we find in Genesis chapter one.
That God the Father and God the Son had a consultation.
And their purpose was announced. Let us.
Make man in our image after our likeness. Thou beloved young people, that was the purpose of the Godhead. That was the purpose of God in Trinity, that we should be made in the image of God.
And after his likeness.
Now it was true that as far as this earth was concerned, Adam for a while fulfilled that purpose, that is, that he was here in this world in the image of God, as God's representative, and he was created in the moral likeness of God.
And placed in headship here.
He failed. He failed, but God changes not. The Lord changes not. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, and He has not He.
Has not abandoned his purpose.
That man should be in the image.
And likeness of God that you and I.
Should be in the image and likeness of God.
But now turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter one.
Romans chapter one.
Verse 18.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.
And unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them.
00:10:00
For God hath showed it unto them, For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.
Being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power.
And Godhead or divinity the better reading so that they are without excuse.
Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the.
Incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.
And to birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped?
And serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen.
Now, beloved young people, we find that the Lord has not changed.
That he himself has said, I am the Lord I.
Change not.
But we find something has changed. What is it?
Why it is man's conception of God that has changed. It tells us here in the first verses that we read, that the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divinity.
In other words, if man looked at creation with open eyes, he would see that which speaks of God's power and His divinity.
But what has happened? Why man has changed? What is revealed in creation of God? He has changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. In other words, in Genesis chapter one God said let us make man in our image.
Instead, what man has said, let us make God in our image.
Will change our concept of God into something that is more acceptable to us.
And the result is that he changes him. He changes him into idols so that men worship golden calves. He changes his image, the image of the glory of God. He changes that image into that which is made like unto corruptible man, and as it says here, and to birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.
Now, beloved young people.
We don't see a great deal of idolatry in this world, not in Canada.
Not in this country. There is some, undoubtedly, and perhaps it's increasing.
But the fact remains, we don't see a great deal of it, but we do see.
And on an ever increasing scale where man has changed.
What is spoken of here as the glory of the incorruptible God?
Into something that he can grasp and understand and rationalize by bringing it down into human terms. And so we hear Ben talk about nature. We hear men talk about the creation of the world by accident. We hear men talk about the creation of the world by some supreme kind of being that has no actual interest in man at all.
All sorts of rationalizations. Dear young people, God hasn't changed.
But man's concept of God has changed and who changed it? Why man did he change it? Because he didn't want the image of God that he saw in creation. He didn't want what he saw, so he changed it so that it would be more suitable to what he wanted. Now we find in the 24th verse it says wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness.
00:15:17
Through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who change the truth of God into a lie. The truth of God into a lie. I heard a man back home in Toronto the other day, a man that is very well known in Canada, man who claims not to be an atheist. He says he believes in some kind of supreme being.
But he made the comment, he said.
That he had talked to dozens and dozens of ministers.
Was his own term that he used. He had talked to dozens and dozens of ministers and he hadn't found one.
That still believed in heaven and hell.
Our dear young people. Does that sound strange? But that's the kind of world that so-called Christendom.
Is adopting to more and more. This man went on to say, and I just say this to bear out because there's no real profit to be gained in being occupied with these kind of comments. But the one thing that struck me so much he made the comment he said, I suppose it really what these people are trying to tell us is that we have the choice of going to heaven and being bored.
Or of going to hell and being burnt.
Now, dear young people, that's a man who's 76 years old.
He's on the brink of eternity, but heaven has no attraction for him at all. No attraction because he doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. And So what does he do? Why? He changes the truth of God into a lie. And he's found a whole lot of supporters. People that will go along with him will tell him that they agree with him and they change the truth.
The God into a lie. Now what practical effect does this have?
Dear young people, we see it all around us. We see it in the schools, we see it in the colleges.
We see it in the moral climate of the world in which we live, where God condemns in the clearest, most specific terms that which man now looks upon very lightly. And what does he do? Man changes the truth of God into a lie and reaps the consequences for it.
Dear young people, may you and I have in our own souls the sense that we have to do with the One.
Who changes not and when the word of God speaks?
In clear, explicit terms concerning such things as morality, they have not changed. God has not changed. His truth has not changed, and the only way you can, as it were, get around for the time being, what God has said is to turn it into a lie, to excuse conduct on the basis of what is acceptable in the 20th century.
Beloved young people, May God give to you and I to have nothing to do.
With this kind of change, all we hear about people being enlightened.
That this is the 20th century, beloved young people, the God that you know as your Father, the Lord Jesus that you know as your Savior, He does not change and neither does his truth change. It is the same, the same. And you and I need grace from the Lord, beloved young people, to go on.
In a changing world.
Where moral corruption is increasing as they turn more and more away from the truth of God and make it all into a lie.
We need grace from the Lord of glory to go on with the one who does not change.
In the middle of a changing, corrupt world.
Let's turn back for a moment, if you will.
To the Book of the Psalms, Psalm 15.
00:20:09
Psalm 15. We'll read from verse one.
Lord, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He that backed by this not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.
Now notice, dear young people, the next verse particularly.
In whose eyes a vile person is contempt, but he honoreth them that fear the Lord.
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
Dear young people, if you are going to be faithful to Christ.
If you're going to walk in the company of the one who knows no change, it is going to cost you something.
You're going to need purpose of heart. You're going to need, above all else, grace from the Lord and strength from Him.
But here we find that the Lord sets His approval upon those who swear to their own hurt. And change, not change is not. What does that mean?
Well, I believe it means simply this.
That we seek grace from the Lord. That with purpose of heart we will go on for Him. That we will seek to honor Him at school.
At college, at the office, wherever it is and not change, even though it hurts.
Even though it brings mockery, even though it brings reproach, even though, dear young people, it may bring lack of promotion in the office, Even though it costs you something. Oh, dear young people, the devil, the enemy of your soul and mind, would have us to look at the cost and decide it's not worth it.
But the Lord of glory.
He says, Who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
And he gives the answer he that sweareth to his own heart and change. If not all beloved young people, don't change, don't change. Don't change the truth of God and try to substitute some lie to excuse the conduct, Don't change.
You belong to Christ, walk with Him. How one covets this for one's own soul, dear young people, to walk in the company.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ and in spite of all the opposition, and it's going to increase.
Make no mistake about that, it's going to increase.
But don't change, don't change. Don't let the pressure. Don't let the temptations.
Get through and change all you say. How can we do this? Well, I trust in a few minutes we'll look at another verse that perhaps gives us a little bit of the secret of it. But here the Lord is showing us that which meets with His approval. Now, how does this come out practically? Well, dear young people, there are many things that are changing.
Many things, as they say in this world, are changing the world.
Accepts as acceptable conduct today things that it rejected itself 50 years ago.
But the Lord hasn't changed.
And the Lord wants you to walk with him. And so when the Word of God condemns conduct.
When the Word of God condemns acts, when the Word of God points out that which is a dishonor to Christ, it is today. It was 50 years ago, it was 2000 years ago. He has not changed or how this has been so impressed upon my heart of late. Beloved young people, as I mentioned before, everything around us is changing.
Everything around us is changing and we sometimes hear and all I it.
00:25:04
It hurts one's own heart to hear it say, well, you've got to, You've got to be in the 20th century, the love of young people. There's only one place, only one place where you have to be.
And that is at the feet of the Lord Jesus.
We were noticing some of us the other day and talking about it, the Lord Jesus said specifically.
One thing is necessary.
And Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her.
You turn over to the book of Proverbs for a moment. Proverbs Chapter.
24.
Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 21.
My son, fear thou, the Lord and the King.
And meddle not with them.
That are given to change.
All we find.
We find dear young people. As I say, this is a world.
That is changing very rapidly.
And there are goals, and some who truly are the Lords too, but they're given to change.
They're given to change. Whatever new idea comes along, they're the first ones to get hold of it. Whenever somebody comes along with a new suggestion of how to do things differently, they're the first one to grab at it.
Well, the word of God says meddle not with them that are given to change.
Now someone might say, well, does that mean we change nothing?
Dear young people, we change nothing. Nothing.
That is not.
Consistent.
With the word of God.
We change nothing if the change is not consistent.
With the word of God.
Now someone might say, well, I don't mean to be facetious when I say this, but someone might say, well, we drive automobiles today.
And 50 years ago, we drove horse and buggy. That's true. We do change. We change in that way. But that isn't what the Word of God speaks of. It speaks about those children who are tossed about with every wind of doctrine.
Have you met them?
You find out that what they believe is based upon what they last read.
You find out somebody gave them a pamphlet to read and all of a sudden they're all excited about that.
And then somebody else gives them something else to read, and all of a sudden that's what they're all excited about.
Beloved young people, the truth of God has been revealed by the Spirit of God.
And if you're here at this conference expecting to hear something new, that has never been given out before.
You're going to be disappointed because God hasn't gathered us here together to reveal some new truth.
There isn't going to be some new revelation given to us during these meetings, but simply the precious truth of God that the Saints of God have enjoyed for hundreds of years, for over 100 years.
Now, beloved young people, there are those who are given to change.
And if you meddle with them, if you meddle with them, you're going to be stumbled by it too.
You're going to be stumbled by those who are taken up with all the new ideas.
God calls upon you and I.
To meddle not with those who are given.
To change given to change.
Which you turn with me now to First Samuel chapter 21.
I might say before I comment on this portion here.
That there are many things.
And I say it with sorrow, as I know many other brothers would too.
There are changes.
There are changes, brethren, that are coming in amongst the Saints of God.
And these changes I don't believe are of God at all.
Changes that are coming in and it brings sorrow of heart to see it.
When we talk about meddling with those who are given to change.
00:30:04
We speak of those who are taken up with every new thing, like those who at Athens.
When we speak about those who swear to their own hurt and change not.
I speak of those who take a stand.
For what God has revealed to me as the truth God and stand for it even though it hurts.
And dear young people, I would encourage you to stand for the truth.
To stand for the truth of God, as God has revealed it to you from His precious Word.
To stand for the truth, even though at times it will hurt.
But, brethren, we should be exercised. I say this to my own heart about some changes.
I feel saddened, as I'm sure others do, but I speak for myself, saddened.
At what at times seems such little interest in the Gospel.
I see assemblies and I trust I won't hurt anyone's feelings. When I say this, I don't mean to.
But I see assemblies, substantial assemblies.
Where there is no gospel testimony.
And brethren, I submit to you that that is sad. It's a change. It's a change.
God is still interested, infinitely interested, in the gospel, and we have the privilege of having fellowship with the gospel.
Just recently I had my attention drawn to the.
Suggestion that open meetings.
Perhaps should be avoided.
At times because of what might be said or who might say it.
But dear young people, lots of change. And beloved brethren, that's a change that's not of God.
Oh, I say it, and I trust I speak the truth when I say it, but it's not of God. God wouldn't have us to make changes by substituting human reasoning or human resources.
We only have to look around and christen them and see to where that is lead.
Changes.
That depart.
From the truth of God and the interests of God.
May God give us the grace to swear by that which God has revealed to us.
And not change.
Not change, not give up any part.
Of the precious truth that God has revealed to us. And dear young people, if the Lord should tarry much longer.
The responsibility for standing of this truth is going to fall upon you. It's going to fall upon you to stand for the truth, to learn the truth, to have the truth in the heart, and to stand for it even though it hurts.
If you notice here in First Samuel chapter 21.
And verse 10.
And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to a Kish, the king of Gas.
And the serpents of Akash said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land?
Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David is 10 thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Akish, the king of gas.
And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Then said Akish unto his servants, Lo, ye see, the man is mad. Wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
This is one of the saddest episodes in the life of David.
Here was a man of God. You notice the expression that's used in the 11Th verse. The servants of Akish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? Isn't this David the king?
00:35:04
But David?
For fear of the a Kish.
And his soldiers changed his behavior.
Dear young people, do you and I do that?
Do we change our behavior?
Because of the fear of man.
Do you find that you're one thing when I say this to my own heart more than anyone? Do you find that you're one thing at the meeting?
But another thing at school?
Something else at the office. There you've changed your behavior so that you fit in.
Or change your behavior to avoid the reproach.
Of belonging to Christ.
All David was the anointed king. David was the king.
But he conducted himself as one who was mad, as one who was mad. What a sad sight. What a sad sight, dear young people, to see King David in such a condition as this.
And dear young people, we can change. We can change our behavior to fit in, but it's a sad sight. It's a sad sight to see one who belongs to Christ, one who is a child of God.
Accommodating his behavior and his conduct.
So as to avoid their approach.
To avoid the conflict.
To avoid.
That which would come upon him.
If he was faithful to Christ.
You know it says in Second Timothy chapter 2.
Take thy share of suffering from the new translation that says take thy share of suffering.
As a good soldier of Jesus Christ now, dear young people, grace is needed, strength is needed, but the Lord has undertaken to supply it all.
Grace, he giveth more grace. Strength. The apostle Paul could say, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. And so, beloved young people, God is looking for a change. We'll notice that in just a moment. God is looking for a change in you and a change in me.
But not this kind of a change.
Not the kind of a change that accommodates to the world around them.
You know, in Romans chapter 12, it says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transform. Here's a whole world, a world I might say, dear young people, that man has changed.
You know, in the.
4th chapter of Genesis we find that man changed the world.
Have you ever noticed that?
In the fourth chapter of Genesis, man changed the world. He accommodated it to himself. Cain went out and built a city and set up a world that accommodated himself. Just as Romans chapter one says, he changed the image of the invisible God, change that glory into that which he could fashion with his own hands.
Well, may the Lord keep us, dear young people.
Keep.
So that any change in our behavior.
Would be that which meets the Lord's approval.
And is never.
Done to accommodate.
A world that is opposed to Christ.
You turn over with me now to Second Corinthians chapter 3.
We were mentioning earlier.
That the Lord commends those.
Who swear to their own hurt and change not.
Because they have the truth of God in the heart and they stand for it.
He commands those who meddle not with those who are given the change. We're always looking for something new, some new idea.
00:40:08
But here we find that there is a change that God is working.
2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18.
But we all.
With open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
You can leave out the words as in a glass.
But we all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Are changed.
Into the same image.
From glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
In Genesis chapter one.
God said let us make man in our image after our likeness.
Here we find that God is still.
Working that purpose, he is changing man.
Changing the believer, dear young people, changing him.
Into what?
Well, in Romans chapter 8 we're told.
That we have been, you and I, we belong to Christ. We have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. That's God's plan and he hasn't abandoned it. He hasn't given it up. It is still His purpose that you are going to be conformed to the image of His Son.
And so am I.
But here we find out that now.
In this scene, in this world right now.
God is working by His Spirit, and so it says here, we all with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord.
Our shame.
All beloved young people, here is a change. A change that not only meets.
With the Lord's approval.
But which he is working.
By his spirit.
You notice it says R change not change themselves.
But are changed.
How are we changed?
Into the same image.
All dear young people, can I put it very simply? How do you and I right now? How do you and I as we go about day by day?
At work, whatever it is, how do we become more and more like Christ? That's what God is seeking to do in your life and mine. How do we become more and more like Christ?
Why it says beholding the glory of the Lord?
Now, dear young people, what this very simply means is this.
That as your heart.
As your life, as your mind.
Is taken up more and more with the Lord Jesus.
You are changed by God's Spirit more and more into His image.
Now here is a change, a vital change, a marvelous change that God is seeking to work in you and in me.
To change us even now.
That we might be more and more like Christ.
All beloved young people, this isn't something this isn't something, as it were, that we do by.
Deciding it's going to be sold.
But by being occupied. Oh, how often you've heard that expression.
Occupied with Christ.
What does it mean? How can you be occupied with Christ?
Dear young people, it is from reading his word.
It is from having your heart and your mind taken up.
With Christ.
That is how we are changed.
Into the same image.
In meditating on these things, it struck 1 S much.
00:45:03
That there are changes that God says have nothing to do with.
And there is a change that God would encourage.
To be more like Christ.
All beloved young people, may it be so with you and me. May we find the Lord Jesus soul.
Much apart of our everyday life and thinking.
That we find ourselves changed more and more.
Into his image, you know, it says of Moses. And I think it's so lovely.
It says of Moses that when he came down from the mountaintop, his face shone, but he didn't know it.
The Word of God doesn't encourage us to become occupied with how much I am like Christ.
But what it says is be occupied with him.
And this is how the change comes about.
This is how the change comes about.
All the forces of this world and the Prince and God of it.
Trying to change it to change you so that you accommodate yourself to this world.
And the Lord of glory is seeking to change you, that you might be more like Him. And he tells us the secret of how.
There are two other verses I would like to turn to before we close. First is in Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
And verse 20.
For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body or our body of humiliation?
That it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
You know, we've mentioned in Genesis chapter one, God said let us make man in our image.
After our likeness in Romans chapter one, it tells us that man took.
And can change.
What God had revealed of himself in creation and changed it into the image of corruptible man.
Now God says I'm going to take corruptible man and change him.
Into the full conformity.
With the body of glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, Beloved young people, you and I, this is our future. We are going to have bodies fashioned like unto His body of glory. We are going to be chained. In first John chapter 3 it says it does not yet appear what we shall be.
Oh, you can look at me and I can look at you. And we say, well, I don't see much of that body of glory. I don't see much of what you're going to be.
Stuff that 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.
Now, beloved young people, this is a change. A change.
A change that God is going to work in power.
He's going to change it.
In One Corinthians chapter 15 it says we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed.
And at any moment, beloved young people, you're going to receive a body of glory fashioned like unto his body of glory.
God is going to work the change, and you and I are going to be in a scene of glory in a body suited to that place.
One other change. Hebrews chapter one.
Hebrews chapter one.
And verse 10.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens, of the works divine hands.
They shall perish, but thou remaineth, and they all shall wax old as doth a garment.
And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up.
And they shall be changed.
00:50:02
But.
Thou art the same.
And the year, thy year shall not fail.
All we began our meeting this afternoon. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Here we're reminded that he is the same, but thou art the same.
But beloved young people, everything around them.
Is going to change.
As a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be.
Shame, you know, I found myself at home the other day.
Matter of fact, some of us were talking about it at home and justice enjoying in my own soul the thought.
That, brethren, you and I are going to be.
In a scene one day in a scene of eternal blessing.
A scene where there is a heaven and an earth, though you and I will be in the heavenly part of it.
But it struck one in meditating upon it, to think that we are going to be.
In a scene in a place.
Where sin has never been.
There is going to be an Earth.
And newer.
Where sin has never been.
And we are going to be in the heavenly part.
Of that eternal scene.
In a life.
In a life.
That has never sinned and never can sin.
And we're going to be in a body.
That is fashioned like unto his body of glory.
In other words, brethren have seen where there is nothing.
Nothing to remind us.
That sin has ever existed.
Apart from the wound.
In the hands of the precious Savior.
That's the scene that's before beloved young people. We need to be changed.
To enter.
God is even now.
By his Spirit through occupation with Christ.
Seeking to change us even here, to be conformed to his image.
But there are changes.
Changes in this world.
Changes in Christendom.
Changes, dear young people, that by God's grace, you and I want to have no part with.
We want to avoid them with all the abhorrence.
That we should have for anything.
That is a dishonor to Christ.
And to remember beloved young people.
That that with me, with God's approval.
That.
Which meets with the approval of the Lord of Lords.
Is that which He has revealed to us in His precious word.
And to change.
To conform in any way to this world.
Is a side side spectacle.
May the Lord bless His word to your heart and mind your young people.
That we might more be more conformed to his image now.
More to his image now.
And dear young people, may you and I have the grace.
Given to us of God.
To stand for the truth.
And it changes our suggested.
If changes are advanced.
That are not.
00:55:00
Consistent.
With the word of God.
And with God's interest here according to his Word.
May we have grace.
To stand for the truth.
Even though it hurts.
He asked Oscar.