Toronto Conference: 1963
Table of Contents
The Greatest Things
Gospel—C. Andersen
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Toronto, 1963 Gospel Friday PM.
16.
Whosoever.
Heareth.
All the world around.
Friends and I love you.
Forever my heart.
Will happen what happened to me and everything alone.
All the wonderful.
Through somebody over the world.
Now I'm sorry for all of them and there's Why are you doing anything?
You forget the truth.
Of the place you have to help me grasp it in the heart of the world.
Let us turn in John's Gospel.
The Chapter 3.
And read that one verse.
Verse 16.
The Gospel of John, Chapter 3.
Verse 16.
For God, Southern loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him.
Should not perish, but have everlasting life.
That verse, I'm sure, is familiar to most everyone in this room.
Perhaps you have memorized?
This has been called.
The greatest verse in the Bible. No doubt it's the most memorized verse.
No doubt it's the verse with which most of you are acquainted in this room.
Perhaps nearly everyone here could say that verse from memory tonight.
What a lovely verse it is.
Sometimes this verse is called the Good News of God in a nutshell.
Well, it's certainly good news, and it's put into a few words.
And I don't believe there is any man that could have put God's good news.
Into a few words like this.
This is the work of God. This is the work of the Spirit of God. This word is inspired by God.
It was penned by a holy man of old, as he was moved by the Spirit of God, and he wrote down in these few words the good news of salvation.
I suppose if we were to ask everyone individually tonight what he thinks of this verse, each one might say this is the best verse in the Bible. I no doubt there are many here tonight who have been saved by hearing and believing the good news found in this verse.
Many sermons have been preached on this very verse I have heard.
Of preachers speaking on this verse of scripture night after night. Why is it?
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Because you cannot exhaust this precious verse of Scripture. It's so full.
So full of riches and it's so full, just like a mine, a full mine of gold. You can't get to the end of it.
And no doubt, when we get to eternity, we'll meditate upon the precious news of this verse forever and ever.
It's something to think about forever, old friends tonight. What a wonderful verse of scripture we have before us.
John 316 all you say, you're not going to talk about that verse.
Yes, that's the very thing I'm going to do. I'm going to seek by the grace of God.
To say a little bit about this verse, to find something in this verse that some of you out there tonight.
Might come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, because that's why we have this gospel meeting.
We're desires that you should be blessed. God is above all desirous that you should be blessed and happy. God will not have any man to be lost. He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. God is not interested in the loss of souls. He wants souls to be saved.
And it's because you're unsaved and on your way to lost eternity.
That God has sent his son to die on Calvary's cross. And the good news about that is going out tonight, because God wants you to be saved.
You meet God.
At the very beginning of this verse.
We're going to look at some of the great things or the greatest things in this verse if this verse is the greatest verse in the Bible.
Surely there must be some greatest things in it, And the first.
The greatest thing you meet there is God. He is a person.
God. Have you ever met God? Have you ever gotten into the presence of God?
Well, when you meet God in this verse, you meet God as the greatest lover.
Nobody ever loved like God.
Oh, what a great being he is. What a great person he is. You meet God in the very beginning of the Word.
In Genesis, in the beginning, God, no matter where you go or where you read in the word of God, you meet him. You meet God in Scripture, and actually wherever you are in this world, you meet God. You meet God in creation. We went to the Belgian Congo.
Some years ago, and we went to a tribe of people who had never heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They had never heard the name of Jesus.
And they were using a word that was the name for God and zombie.
We asked them, what do you know about God?
All they say, we know there is a God.
And they said in words something like this, we see God in nature.
We see a tree and we see God. God created the tree. We see the grass and we see God. God created the grass.
We see the animals. We see God. We believe God created those animals. The whole creation came into being because of God. They knew God through creation.
But the sad part about it was they didn't know God is a God of love. They knew him.
As a God of hate, anger, wrath.
And as a result, they were always doing something to try to appease God.
They had their sacrifices. They offered goats, chickens. They shed the blood of them to appease God, to shield themselves from the wrath of God, from some judgment that might come upon them. But they had no knowledge of God as a God of love.
All tonight, God presents himself as a God of love in this verse.
God so loved. He's the greatest lover. Have you fallen in love with him? Do you know God is the greatest lover?
Well, what a wonderful thing it is to come to know God, to know God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, to know God as our Father.
To know God is the one who loves us beyond any love.
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Or, yes, you may be loved by your mother, You may be loved by your father. You may be loved by your husband, loved by your wife, loved by those near and dear to you. But you could never be loved as much as God loves you all. He loves more than anybody else.
So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
The next thing we see in this verse is sow loved.
So loved all that brings before us the greatest degree of love.
God is the greatest lover, but how much did he love? So loved. Can you measure it? You can't measure that love if you want to see how much that love is, how deep it is, how wide it is, how high it is.
How long it is. If you want to find a dimension of that love, look at Calvary's cross.
Where God gave his beloved Son.
What makes me think of?
The story in the Old Testament about.
Abraham over in Genesis chapter 22.
There we read about Abraham taking his son Isaac.
Taking him to Mount Moriah to offer him there.
Genesis 22.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham, And he said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his *** and took two of his young men with him.
And Isaac's son enclave the wood for the burnt offering rose up, and went unto the place which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the *** and I and the lad will go Yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac's son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife. And they both of them, and they went both of them together.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, my father, And he said, Here am I my son.
And he said, Behold the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, my son.
God will provide himself a lamb for burnt offering. So they went both of them together, and they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar. Upon the wood Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Oh, what a story. Why do you suppose the Spirit of God has seen to it that this has been put in the word of God? Why is it here in the Bible? Is it just to give us the story of Abraham and his son Isaac? I believe in this. In this story, God is telling out his own heart of love, the love for his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And God tells Abraham you take your only son Isaac, whom you love.
And you take him out there and offer him.
Slay him there on the altar.
And you can see Abraham going with his son Isaac all that three days journey.
Out to the mountain, leaving part of the company there.
Abraham and his son going up there alone, building the altar, laying the wood in order there.
And all making everything ready.
Oh, it's a picture of the heart of God sending his Son into this world and following all the way as his beloved Son comes into this world, God following him as he goes up Calvary's hill. Follow him up there.
And following him there when he's lifted up on Calvary's cross.
And when he cries, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
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God follows him all the way, but their God forsakes him.
God has to leave him, and there comes the dark clouds, the darkness in between.
God hides his face from his beloved Son, but at the heart of God.
Following him all the way.
Do you know what God went through when he sent his Son into this world?
And sent him to Calvary's cross to die. Do you know what the Lord Jesus Christ, his beloved Son, went through?
When he went up Calvary's Hill, all little do we realize, Little do you realize tonight.
What God went through, God so loved. If it hadn't been for that burning love in the heart of God for this world, he would never have sent his Son here. And that beloved Son would never have gone up Calvary's hill if it hadn't been for that love.
Because.
Being God and the Lord Jesus Christ being God.
They knew in every detail what it would mean.
For that Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to go to Calvary's hill and to be crucified there.
Ah, they knew the price that had to be paid.
Man had sinned, man was ruined.
And there was only one hope for man. And that was too for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to come down into this world to become a man.
That he might go to Calvary's cross and there die for sinners and take the penalty of sin, take the guilty ones place.
Oh, what love. Have you ever sat down and tried to measure that love?
To think about that love. I dare you tonight to think seriously about that love, the love of God in giving his son.
And the love of the Lord Jesus Christ in giving himself on the cross. I dare you to sit down seriously and think about that and not get saved.
Ah, you sit down. Seriously. Think of that. Think of that. In all seriousness. It's going to do something to your soul, and I trust that you might see.
What God did and how much he loved this poor world. Now you say, Well, that's all right. God so loved the world. Well, you're a part of the world, aren't you? We're all part of the world. The world here in this verse means the human race, and it means every child of Adam. Everyone that belongs to Adam's race is included here. God so loved the human race.
Yes, it's the greatest company.
Not only do we have the greatest lover here in this verse, but we also have the greatest degree of love brought before us, and we also have the greatest company that has ever been loved.
The greatest companies, the whole world, the whole human race, the love of God takes in all. And there's not going to be one person in the lake of fire that can say God never loved me.
God has loved everyone. He's loved the whole world, and he's proven his love in giving his beloved son.
The next we see is that he gave, That he gave. Oh, we might call that the greatest act that God ever did, the greatest thing he ever did.
That he gave.
God is a giving God, and that's what the Lord Jesus Christ told the woman at the well. He said to her, If you knew the gift of God or the free giving of God.
If you knew what a giver God is, you would have asked of him, and he would have given the living water.
Who of us here tonight really understands?
What a giver God is. What an act. What a thing he did when he gave his beloved son to die on Calvary's cross.
Anyone ever done anything to match that all men are trying to do things to get to heaven?
They do wonderful deeds.
But will those deeds ever match the deed of God?
Can man ever measure up?
To that thing that was done there.
Why? What God did dwarves everything that man does. Even though it might be good, even though it might be giving $1,000,000 to charity, that could never begin to come up to what God has given.
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Oh God is the giver of all givers.
Men are enjoying the gifts of God tonight. You enjoy life. You're getting breath to breathe. That keeps you alive. You're getting food to eat.
That keeps and sustains your body. You have clothes to wear. You have homes to live in. Why? Where does all this come from? From God. But man is willing to accept God's gifts, but they forget all about the giver. But all tonight let us get our attention focused on the greatest giver that ever was. Not only on his gifts, but on the giver. You know, there were 10 lepers and they came to the Lord Jesus.
And they were cleansed.
And one returned to give the Lord thanks. All those 10 leopards were all thankful for the cleansing, the healing they got. But only one came back and was occupied with the one who had done the wonderful work.
They like the gift, but they forgot the giver except one.
Our friends, tonight God is the giver. Have you forgotten him?
Think about it. Here's the greatest giver presented to you in this verse of Scripture tonight. What have you done with him? How have you reacted to him? Have you given him thanks? Have you given him thanks for that gift of all gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ?
Now the next thing you notice.
Is the gift that is given.
His only begotten son.
Now.
It doesn't say anything about the God gave money.
Or that God gave anything else?
But he gave the darling of his bosom.
It wasn't that God gave an Angel. It doesn't say he gave Michael or Gabriel. No.
His only begotten son.
It was not an Angel that came down into this world, but it was God's own Son, his only begotten Son.
Just like Abraham taking his only son out there on Mount Moriah.
Oh, what a painful thing it must have been for Abraham, in a way.
But Abraham, being obedient, he took his son out there.
And I'm sure it was a painful thing for God the Father to send his son into this world knowing.
What was going to happen to his son? What this world would do to his son? But he sent him anyway.
He gave his only begotten son.
Perhaps there is a father in this room tonight that has only one son.
If you were asked by some high authority to give up your son.
To give him up to die.
What would you do? How would you feel about it? Oh, you would be very reluctant to give up that son. You would try everything and do everything possible to escape giving your son.
God, saying it reverently, couldn't escape giving his son.
Now if God had not given his son.
If he had not given his only begotten son to come down here and become a man to die for sinners.
We'd be standing here preaching for nothing. You would be gathered together here for nothing. We'd all be miserable, lost creatures.
Going to judgment.
Ah, God saw that. God loved you. God loved the Sinner.
But God couldn't take the Sinner to heaven in his sin. What must he do? He didn't find one creature in this scene.
That could atone for his brother.
No, because all its sinned had come short of the glory of God.
And there was not one person or one creature, one thing in this scene that could be a fit sacrifice.
To atone for sin, so he must send his only begotten son, and he came into this scene and he became a man.
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He was born in Bethlehem as a babe, and he grew to manhood, and he walked amongst men, and he was so much a man that only those who believed in him could see in him anything but a man.
But those who believed in him, they saw in him that he was the Son of the living God.
But there he was, and mind walking in the sea.
And he went to Calvary's cross, and there he died as a man. He took man's place.
He took the place of the poor Sinner.
Would you acknowledge tonight that he took your place?
If you will acknowledge tonight that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you.
You will find that he is a fit substitute and that you can rely upon him.
God has accepted that sacrifice, the sacrifice of his beloved Son on Calvary's cross.
And you can safely rely on him.
That he's a fit savior.
And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now it tells us in the next place here.
That whosoever believeth in him, whosoever.
Well, that's that's a broad expression, isn't it, Whosoever.
We've had before us the greatest lover.
And the greatest degree of love, The greatest company that's loved. The greatest act of God, The greatest gift that he's given.
Now we come to the greatest opportunity.
Here is your opportunity tonight, the opportunity of opportunity.
Maybe you have had the opportunity of getting a good job.
Maybe you've had the opportunity of falling air to some estate.
Maybe you've had the opportunity to come into possession of something precious, something real, something good.
People grasp after opportunities and people are even told in colleges.
Schools today take advantage of your opportunities. Don't let your opportunities slip.
Now that's worldly wisdom. But here is God's wisdom whosoever.
Leave it in him, Whosoever, you're a whosoever tonight, you're one of this company to whom God is speaking. God is speaking to the world. And he says, Whosoever.
Have you taken your place there? Have you taken advantage of this opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
The only begotten Son of God. Have you taken advantage of this gift that God has given? Have you received that gift?
You've received other gifts and perhaps you've grasped them, grabbed them quickly.
Lest you lose the opportunity, listen, the opportunity is yours tonight.
To receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, it is the greatest opportunity.
That will ever be presented to you. And if you don't take advantage of this opportunity tonight, the Lord may come and the Lords own be caught up to meet him in the air, and you'll be left behind and there won't be any more opportunity. The greatest opportunity will be gone for all eternity.
Oh friends, tonight think it over.
Are you going to take advantage of this greatest opportunity, or are you just going to let it pass?
As though it doesn't mean anything.
God gives you the opportunity.
Shouldn't you think about it? Shouldn't you take advantage of it?
The next part of the verse says believe it. Just one word. Believe it.
Or believes putting it in simple English.
Believes.
Well, many things have been said about believing.
What is it to believe?
Well, it's to credit a fact. It's to credit that whatever is said or written is the truth.
Faith says God is true. What he stole us is the truth.
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Is that what you say tonight? You know, believing is a very simple thing. I suppose we might call that the greatest simplicity.
Many people think that believing the gospel is a very complex thing.
And so they put it off, and they never come to faith.
Faith has taken God at His word. Have you taken God at his word? This very verse of scripture that we're reading tonight here, have you really believed it? Have you taken God of this word? Have you really said why he's telling the truth? Yes, God is telling the truth in His word.
And have you acted on it and received the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?
We read in the first chapter of John's Gospel as many as received him. To them he gave the power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name. There you have two things linked together, receiving and believing.
As many as received him to them he gave the power to become the children of God, even to them that believed.
On his knee. If you really believe the Word of God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You won't belong in receiving him as your own personal savior. Now you may have believed the gospel. Perhaps you say, Yes, I believe. I believe everything I hear every large day of the gospel is preached. I believe it. But let me ask you.
Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?
Very definitely. You must receive him. You must let him come into your heart.
In another place, the Lord says, Behold, I stand at the door, knock if any man hear my voice.
Open the door, I will come into him and Sup with him, he with me.
The Lord is standing at your heart's door. He's knocking, He's speaking. He wants you to open the door and let him come in.
It's so simple that any boy or girl here tonight who understands.
The English language and understands what we're talking about and understands what this verse is Speaking of. It's so simple that every boy and girl can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him as his or her own savior. It's not a complicated thing.
It's complicated in men's minds, and it's complicated there.
Because they will not believe that God speaks the truth.
They will not believe.
Gone. They'd rather believe themselves.
But let God be true, and every man a liar.
Oh, May God help you tonight.
To act upon this that God tells us here to believe.
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do that simple thing tonight.
Oh God doesn't say do a lot of works to be saved if not of works, lest any man should boast by grace. Are you saved through faith?
And that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. Some came to Jesus and they said, what must we do that we might work the works of God?
And the Lord says, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.
God is not looking for anything else tonight but faith in the sent One, the Lord Jesus Christ that only begotten Son of God that was sent into this world. God wants you to believe Him, put your confidence and trust completely in Him.
Says Believeth in him, in him, O.
What about that?
Who is it talking about? It's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ in him, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This has been called the greatest attraction.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ the greatest attraction that you have ever encountered in this world?
No doubt right now many of you in this room are thinking about something.
That's a greater attraction to you than the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, that's a sad thing.
As far as God is concerned, there is no greater attraction for him than his only beloved Son.
There's no one that means more to God than the Lord Jesus Christ.
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He means everything to God.
And all of his affections are centered in his beloved Son. And when he looked down in this world, he saw him here, he said, This is my beloved Son, in whom is all my delight.
God's whole delight is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now let me ask you, is there anything in which you have more delight than the Lord Jesus Christ?
Have you ever been attracted to him?
The Lord said, And I have I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.
As that one who has been lifted up between heaven and earth.
Has he become an attraction to you? Have you been drawn to him?
Our brother this afternoon.
Cited the verse of Scripture that brings before us these 5 words. What thinking of Christ and your eternal destiny is determined by what you think of the Lord Jesus Christ? What do you think of him?
Is he God's beloved Son that was sent into this world to die for sinners to die for you?
Do you see him as such? Receive him as your savior? What do you think of him?
Is your heart drawn to him? Oh, I trust that your heart may be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ tonight, especially when you see him.
Hanging there on Calvary's cross, dying for sin, taking the punishment for sin upon himself, Suffering under the judgment of God.
Always in your heart drawn to him.
How can you go out of that door tonight?
Without falling down before the Lord Jesus Christ and owning him as your savior and your law, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved all that you might confess him tonight as savior and Lord.
And then it says should not perish.
Should not perish. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not perish.
While God had said plainly, the soul that sinneth it shall die, there is no hope for the Sinner.
All have sinned and come short. Come short of the glory of God. They missed the mark.
They will never reach heaven. They will never reach eternal bliss and blessing.
They will never reach eternal happiness, the soul the Sinner that shall die.
And the Lord said, If you die in your sins, whether I go, ye cannot come.
Oh, what an awful thing to die in your sin, but God doesn't want you to perish.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Oh, God doesn't want you to be lost tonight.
He wants you to be safe. That word perish is an awful word. Have you ever thought about it? What it really means to perish?
It means to pass into eternity without Christ.
That means to pass into the lake of fire.
To remain forever shield up there, confined there forever, in that place of torment for all eternity. Someone has put it this way.
There are 6 letters in the word perish.
PERISH, and to perish means pass eternally ruin into a sinner's hell.
Eternally ruined in a sinner's hell.
And the very one who came to die on Calvary's cross will someday sit on the great white throne, and he will judge sinners and all those who have not been saved, who have not been washed in the precious blood of Christ.
Not taken Him as their savior. They will have to stand before that great white throne being in their sins. They will be judged in their sins and cast into the lake of fire in their sin, the very one who has preached as a savior.
Will in that day be the judge and oh, what a solemn thing.
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If you will ever have to stand before that one who died for sinners.
And he will have to judge you, But it will be too late then to take Him as savior. Your opportunity is now. As we said before, this is the greatest opportunity.
And if you don't take advantage of the opportunity now, opportunity will be gone. Gone forever. Oh, what an awful thing to perish. But the promise is, if you believe, you shall not perish. Isn't that good news? And then it says but half. Why is that put in there? Well, that speaks of a great difference, The greatest difference.
The difference between perishing and everlasting life Having everlasting life but.
But.
Perishing is at the one pole, everlasting life is at the other.
And we read about the rich man and Lazarus.
That the rich man died, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment.
Lazarus also died, carried by the angels into Abraham's There was Lazarus.
Happy there was a rich man in torment, and in between the two a great gulf fixed.
Oh, what a difference, What a difference between the two.
The one perished and the other.
As life.
How about it tonight with you?
Have you thought about this great difference, the difference between the two extremities?
At which end are you going to be? At which point are you going to be?
Where will you spend eternity?
Ah, yes, there are two places.
There are two places in eternity.
There is a place with God, with the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is the place with the devil and his age. Hell was not created for man. Hell was created for the devil and his Angel. But if you don't choose God, and if you don't take his only beloved Son as your savior, you don't put your faith and confidence in him tonight.
And if you die in your sins.
Where are you going?
You will go with Satan and his angels to the lake of fire.
The Word of God is very plain about that, and we have to speak plain.
But all we're so thankful tonight that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture.
He was buried and he rose again the 3rd day according to the scripture.
And so we have the last two words of this.
Verse everlasting, Life everlasting, eternal.
What is eternal? What is everlasting? Something that never ends.
Your mind and my mind cannot conceive of what something everlasting is. Have you ever tried to think of eternity and let your mind go, and go and go? There's a limit, isn't there? You can't think in those terms because that is what we call infinite. Infinite, that is, it's unlimited. There's no limit to eternity.
Everlasting no end.
And beloved friends.
The states of spending an eternity in the lake of fire when it is possible for everyone in this room to have an eternity in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ to have eternal life. Our eternal life is set over against.
Eternal death, eternal perishing here.
What about it tonight? Are you sure of eternal life?
God tells us very plainly that if we have faith.
We have everlasting life in another place, the Lord says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word.
And believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.
Half everlasting life leave on the Lord Jesus Christ, receive Him as your Savior and you have according to God's word, everlasting life. Not shall have or might have or could have, but it's plain and simple. Half everlasting life.
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And if the English language means anything, and that word half means anything, it means simply that that you have it, you've got it, it's yours, It's your possession, and it's everlasting, not just for time, but it's for eternity.
Beloved friends.
So often when we read the word of God, we really don't read it.
And there are many people tonight who don't understand this. What does God mean?
That we have everlasting life. Some think that you can get saved today and lost tomorrow.
Well, if you have life only for a day or two, well, that's not everlasting life, is it? Oh, how simple God has made it in His word. You take the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. You believe in him. You have everlasting life. Oh, what assurance. Oh, this is the greatest certainty in life. This is a great certainty that we find in the word of God.
All that you might put your faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ tonight. And then.
There is the greatest possession.
Life.
Light. Divine light.
Life that God himself gives to the one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You have human life. That's a mercy from God to be alive, you know?
But that isn't what this is talking about. This is talking about divine life.
Being given to the one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have that tonight?
Oh, I like the verses over in one John.
They're wonderful verses.
To give a believer assurance, I John Chapter 5.
Verse 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.
He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record that God had given to us. Eternal life. God hath given to us eternal life.
And this life is in his son.
So when you see the Lord Jesus Christ according to Scripture, coming down from heaven's glory, it's eternal life coming into this world and as you see the Lord Jesus Christ walking through this scene, its eternal life.
This life is in his Son, he that hath the Son.
Hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God.
Hath not life?
Do you have that procession tonight?
Do you have the Lord Jesus Christ dwelling in your heart? Have you received him?
It's a person. Eternal life, divine life is not something you get apart from.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's not something as it were.
That God takes out and gives to you? No. It's in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and you must receive him to have eternal life. Have you received Him as your Savior? As many as received Him to them. He gave the power to become the children of God.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
It's put very simply and plainly there. Do you have the Son of God tonight?
Do you have the Lord Jesus Christ? If you don't, you don't have life. You don't have this greatest possession, the possession of that's greater than any other possession in this world or in the next eternal life, the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Down in the last part of this chapter, the end of verse 20, it says this is the true God and eternal life. It's speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, so if you don't have him tonight, you don't have this greatest possession. But we read here in this 16th verse of John three about the greatest gift. And that greatest gift is the greatest possession.
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The Lord Jesus Christ himself, Do you have him tonight?
All He wants to save you, He wants to be your savior. He wants to come and dwell in your heart.
And the only way he can dwell in your heart is by your receiving him.
Take him as your own savior tonight. Let him come into your heart, and any boy or girl can receive the Lord Jesus as savior.
He is standing at your heart's door tonight. Will you receive him? Will you have him?
This greatest gift, the best that was in heaven.
The best that God sent into this world.
God sent the best he had. He's done the very best. God commended his love toward you in that while you were yet sinners, Christ died for you.
Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world because God loved us and God loved us when we were sinners. He doesn't wake you, wait for you to become good before He loves you. No, He loves you just like you are. There's a poor, lost, guilty Sinner.
Deserving health and there's nothing in you to draw out the love of God.
God is just love, and he loves you. He must love you. And it's because God is a God of love.
That he sent his son to die for you. Now what are you going to do about it?
Are you going to go on your way? Go out of this door, this room, through the door and forget all about?
Oh, I trust that you don't forget about this precious verse John 316.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And that verse of Scripture, I suppose, has been translated into more foreign languages than any other verse of Scripture in the Bible.
We translated it into the language of the Bayaka tribe in the Belgian Kong.
And we told it to them like this. He Chrome again zombie cut, Ubuntu Vashi Kahana went underway. Yakalayandi Moshe Kwan. He also moved to a cumulative muyandi cafoko king. And they heard it and some of them believed it, and they received the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, and they were made happy. And some of them had to suffer for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ too. And some of them have already gone home to glory. And I expect to meet them up there.
When the Lord comes to catch us up to meet himself in the air, and when we will be forever with Him.
Well, if those black people over there in the Congo who were heathen before we.
Preach the gospel to them who would believe that verse has given to them in their own language.
How about you? You've heard it many, many times in your language. Is it just a verse of scripture to you? Is it just so many words in your mind? Or what have you done with John 316? Does it really mean to you anything? Is it the greatest verse in the Bible to you?
Is it really precious to you? Or if you take Christ as your savior tonight, that verse will become really, really precious?
That's saying #20.
Behold the Savior out the door. He gently knocks, as knocked before has waited long, is waiting. Still you use no other friend, so I'll #20 Shall we stand while we sing?
Behold our Savior.
Eagerly.
Oh, you know.
Where I'm going?
Oh man.
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I'm sorry. When you I will you. I will you.
Islam.
Where all family?
Are.
Oh my God.
I need your help, my blessed God. I never.
*******.
Whoa.
He lands.
I'm not with you. I'm you. Will him.
Ah.
Lie in line, I cry.
They are.
So.
Dear.
I knew your son.
Woe down.
Love Uncalled for and Undeserved
Gospel—A.C. Hayhoe
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General Meetings, Toronto, April 1963. Gospel Saturday PM.
Come, tis Jesus, gently calling, ye with care and toil, oppressed with your guilt, however appalling. Come, and I will give you rest for your sin. He once has suffered. On the cross the work was done, and the word by God now uttered to each weary soul is come. So we rise and sing #2.
Gently.
Calling.
The full price.
Where the.
Falling.
My will get you.
All your sin, he wants my son.
Forward grammar, Lord my God, now.
We also sing hymn #17.
#17 Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore the load of sin as he knocks and asks admission?
Sinner, will you let him in room for Jesus, Lord of glory, hasten now His word. Obey. Swing the hearts door widely open. Bid him enter while you may we rise again for #17.
You and me room for days on.
I'd like you to turn with me tonight, please. First of all to a text in the prophet Jeremiah.
The 23rd chapter of the prophet Jeremiah.
And the 28th verse.
Jeremiah chapter 23, verse 28.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.
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He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.
My beloved friend, the responsibility that is mine tonight is a very solemn and a very real one.
And there is a day coming when I shall give an account to God for the words that I speak in your presence. Tonight. I hold in my hands the precious, living, eternal word of God. Whether each and everyone here accepts this book to be the word of God, I know not. But nevertheless I hold it up before you, and I tell you with absolute conviction this book is.
The Word of God.
It does not merely contain the word of God. It is the word of God. From the opening words of Genesis to the closing words of the Book of Revelation. God has put this book in your hands and in mine, because there is a burning desire, I say it reverently.
In the heart of God himself, that you and I might receive a blessing, that you and I might be the partakers of his own heart and home. And there are those of us here who rejoice tonight in a portion that is beyond our power, to make known to you. But we do want to open this precious living book and proclaim to you that which God has to say.
I have been much burdened since the statement was made in the meeting yesterday morning concerning the solemn responsibility of anyone who seeks to preach the Gospel.
The comment was made concerning the 11Th chapter of the Gospel of John.
There we find the Lord Jesus standing at the grave of Lazarus. He and he alone had power to give light to the one who was in that grave, who had been dead 4 days. He and he alone, my friend, has power to pardon you, to give you that life which you need. But he said to those who stood by roll away.
The stone.
I don't think I had given too much thought to that expression before.
Except as he is giving to those who are about, some share in that which he was about to do.
But the comment was made that that's a very solemn responsibility.
There, hidden beneath that stone, was a body that they were afraid by that time would be stinking. That was their language. By this time he stinketh, for he had been dead 4 days. There was an objection raised to the rolling away of that stone because of that which it might reveal. That is the responsibility of one who picks up the word of God and seeks to make known the gospel of God's grace.
All the charms of God's love will have no appeal to your heart or to the heart of any other, unless in the presence of God you realize.
Your loss and ruined and guilty condition in the sight of God, Oh my God, grant that that stone, whatever it may be, may be rolled away from your heart this night. That stone, it may be a stone of unbelief.
It may be a stone of respectability or high esteem, with which the true condition of your heart has been hidden from the eyes of those around about you. Perhaps has even been hidden from your own heart. Perhaps, my beloved friend, until this evening, you have never yet been in the presence of God to find out what God has to say, not concerning the record that your neighbors might write of your life.
But concerning the record that his own books in the glory have recorded of your life, when Samuel stood before that son of Jesse alive, he was told, look not upon his countenance, nor the height of his stature. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth poor man, looketh upon the outward appearance that the Lord locusts upon the heart.
The Lord looketh upon the.
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Heart, my beloved friend. He has not only looked upon the heart of man, but he has solemnly and faithfully recorded in his word that which he has seen there. You and I had better not shrink from what God has to say about the natural heart. Let's turn to the Book of Psalms.
The 14th Psalm.
And the second verse.
Psalm 14 verse 2 The Lord looked down.
From heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God, they are all gone aside, they are all together, become filthy. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one.
This came from the pen of David, it's true, but written by inspiration of God. A good many centuries had already rolled by in the history of man when David wrote these words. Are they true or are they not, my friend? It's a solemn thing to deny these words.
Would you stand up with God's holy living word in your hand and say that the inspiration of God made an error here? God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside. They are all together, become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one.
Certainly this is not the conclusion that you and I would arrive at if we looked around at the conduct of our fellow men.
But, I say, is it not faithfulness on the part of God to reveal to us so faithfully and so clearly, so unmistakably, the true condition of our hearts, long before the day when you and I must stand before him?
Someday, my beloved friend, you and I are going to stand in the very presence of him.
Who inspired the writing of these solemn words? Then I say it is loving faithfulness in his heart that caused these words to be included in this book. It's loving faithfulness on his part that brought you here, my dear friend, to hear once more, as I have no doubt you have heard before, what God has to say as to the condition of every human heart.
In his sight every human heart here in the time of David God looked down from heaven, and this was what he must needs record concerning the heart of man turn over again to the prophet Jeremiah.
The 17th chapter of Jeremiah.
And the ninth verse.
The heart The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart.
I, the Lord, search the heart. Have you ever bowed before this true statement? Have you ever owned it to be the exact condition of your heart? Perhaps not in the eyes of those who love you dearly.
Perhaps not in the eyes of your neighbors, who might be quick to speak kind words about you, but my friend in the eyes of him before whom you must someday stand, the 4th chapter of Hebrews and the 13th verse solemnly tells us.
All things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do that is a solemn statement, a solemn thing you hear versus read here and there from the word of God.
And perhaps you pay little heed to them. Perhaps you treat them as you treated some of those things that were imparted to you at school.
The names of history and the dates when they were born and died and some of the events in their lives. I think we all had to memorize these things. Most of them have slipped from my memory already, but they were not of any great concern to me. But when I opened this book.
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When I read what God has to say about the human heart, what concern is it of mine?
That verse tells me all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom?
We have to do. My dear boy, my dear young girl, young man, young lady, whoever you may be, I know not. But this I know that someday you will stand before him who wrote this volume. Someday you will stand before him who in solemn faithfulness has proclaimed repeatedly throughout the pages of scriptures.
The lost their ruined. The guilty condition of the heart of every man of Adam's race. My heart, beloved, I point right here. The faithful finger of God has pointed down to this heart of mine. I am included in these verses in God's Word brought up as I was, and I thank God for it under the restriction of a God fearing Father and mother by publicly thank God for it. But I know this.
That the statements of God's Word concerning the ruin and the guilt and the deceitful wickedness of the human heart.
Was certainly true of mine, certainly true of mine.
And if the day had come in my life before I knew the Lord as my savior, when I had stepped out of this world into His presence, I would have been lost. Lost forever. Lost forever. I'm going to pause to tell you something here I will remember. On the way home from meeting one evening, I came to the corner of Sunnyside and Fairburn Ave. in Ottawa. There was an electric wire hanging down in the middle of the street.
With the curiosity of a small boy, I stepped up and went to reach for that wire.
And I heard our most dreadful shout from behind me. A fireman was standing there. There's a fire station right on the corner.
And he, with a shout, called me back, and then stood there trembling. Oh, my boy, he said. I was supposed to see that no one touched that wire. It has just come down. They've gone to shut off the power. If you had touched that wire, you would have been killed in a moment.
My mother was with me.
We walked the rest of the way home in silence when I got home.
Mother, said Albert. If you would touch that wire, where would you be now?
I didn't answer. I hung my head. My dear boy, with a praying father and mother, Are you the same as I was?
Did you know that they were speaking the truth when they read this book? Did you know the gospel was just the very need of your soul as you listen to it? And yet, time and again, you've heard the gospel of God's grace. You knew it was the truth. You went home lost. You went home without Christ. I stand here tonight, the trophy of the long-suffering, matchless grace of God.
Why ever he would look upon a harp like mine is beyond my understanding that your heart, my heart and the sight of God are dust as they are. Here described the third chapter of Romans. Let's turn to it.
The third chapter of Romans.
The description is most solemn beginning at verse 10, but we'll read just a summary of that condition as described in the last few words of verse 22.
There is no difference for all have sinned.
And come short of the glory of God.
We have seen 2 witnesses in the Old Testament and here we find this one in the New.
And, you know, we could turn to so many others in which God's so faithfully, so repeatedly.
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Tell man in love tells man of the ruined and the guilty condition of his heart in God's sight. That, I believe, is what man does not like to hear. The rolling away of the stone reveals the true condition of man's heart. It may be that your condition, as that of many another, has been well hidden.
Well covered. And if I were to ask among your nearest acquaintances.
They'd give such a glowing account of your good qualities. That's the kind of thing you so often hear at a funeral.
A recounting of their fine qualities, their good reputation.
Their thoughtfulness of others, as though they had the right and title to stand before God, allow God to open the book containing the record of their lives, and be invited to enter heaven as being pure and holy and spotless enough.
To be made welcome there not one stain of sin.
Will ever be allowed to defile those courts of eternal glory? What about you? Does that make you? Does that make me feel worthy and welcome there? Oh, if it were not for the glad tidings of God's wondrous grace, if it were not for the matchless way in which God has met us in our need, I would not dare to stand here. I bow my head as one who had no hope whatever.
Of a home and the glory.
But thank God we're able to turn in this precious book to that which not only reveals God as a God of light, but a God of matchless love. I long to tell you of that. My heart yearns to make known the matchless love of God. But I say once more, all the unfolding of the love of God's heart will never charm yours.
Unless you are willing to own your needs, shall we call, just briefly for four witnesses from the Word of God who are quite willing to tell us of their need?
If we were to turn to the book of Job, we'd find there a man who certainly stood.
Morally head and shoulders above all others of his day, but finally this man, Joel bound himself in the presence of God.
And what does Job say when he finds himself no longer in the presence of his three friends, but at last to his own blessing in the presence of God?
Job bowels his head and says Behold.
I am vile. I am vile. Such a man as joke, Yes. Why? Because he stood in the presence of God. We have called forth the witness of another Isaiah, one who also stood out among his fellow men as a devoted and faithful servant of God. But the day came when Isaiah found himself in God's presence.
And what was the language of his heart? Isaiah stands forth and says.
I am a man of unclean lips.
And then if we were to turn to the New Testament, we'd find a man named Peter. Everyone has read a good deal about Peter and they admire his zeal and his devotedness. But there came a day when Peter found himself in the presence of the Lord. And what did he do? Did he stand up and begin to commend himself? He fell down at Jesus knees and said, I am a sinful man.
Oh Lord.
You read of Paul, now beloved, devoted apostle of the Lord. He also bears witness to his own occasion in the presence of God with these words. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world of safe sinners. Of whom?
I am chief.
Solemn witnesses are they not my friend? Here stands Joe in the presence of God, and he says I am vile. Beside him stands Isaiah in the presence of God. He says I am a man of unclean lips. Can you claim any better?
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Beside him stands Peter. I am a sinful man, oh Lord, and last beside them stands.
Paul And he says, I am the chief of sinners. Will you stand with them tonight, my friend? Will you stand with them convicted in the presence of God, That that is your true condition and mine?
Asked by himself stands 1 lone man, described by the Lord Jesus in these words. This parable spake he and a certain which trusted in themselves.
That they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one of Pharisee and the other Republican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I am not.
Is that where you stand, my friend? Would you like to stand beside this Pharisee?
And say tonight in the presence of God I am not. It's a solemn thing to say. The Pharisee didn't seem to be afraid to say it. But I don't expect to see that poor Pharisee in eternity. The word of God says that the publican who owned his guilt went down to his house justified our friend. Here are 4 witnesses. I beseech you to take your stand with them. Here stands 1 Lone self-righteous Pharisee.
Are you of that stamp, my friend? Have you up until this evening, drawn yourself up among the citizens of Toronto, or wherever you may live, and said, I thank thee that I am not.
Perhaps you can look down on those in your community who have sinned in a deeper way than you.
But with God's record opening that day, my friend, are you going to claim?
That the statements of God about your heart were not true. Now to look at what God's word has to say.
About our God of love, who could meet those whose hearts were so guilty? Let's turn to the First Epistle of John.
First John Chapter 4.
Verse 10.
Here in his love, not that we love God.
But that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Isn't this a love that touches and delights the heart?
Here in his love, not that we love God. Bow your head, my friend, and all that's true. You and I know full well that we can look back upon the time in our lives when this was so true.
There was number no love in our hearts toward God, not only where our hearts as guilty as the Word has described them.
But at enmity against God, and when we were in that very condition.
Utterly uncalled for.
God loved us.
And as we heard portrayed last night so sweetly from John 316, that matchless, immeasurable love of God has been made known to man in a way that only God could reveal it herein is love not that we love God, but that he loves us. I know that strikes a sweet and charming note in the heart of many here tonight.
Just to be able to sit where you are and know that although you were lost, although you were guilty.
Uncalled for. He loved you. I love that thought.
The love of God to me, poor, unworthy Sinner, was a love utterly uncalled for.
Somehow man likes to claim that his heart is a seeking heart, and he longs to find out more about the heart of God. But the Word of God presents an utterly opposite picture. The Word of God presents to you and me tonight a love that flowed freely and uncalled for.
00:30:00
From the heart of God to poor ruined, guilty man.
From the heart of God to me, Isn't that delightfully personal?
And he wants you to be able to rejoice in that wondrous love this night.
I trust I may be forgiven for mentioning the last little lesson that our dear age sister, Mrs. Hatherly, left with her loved one. She was just a little short of her 99th years and her family was gathered around about her and she called for, I believe, two pieces of string. Well, they thought, Surely her memory must be slipping rather badly.
But she asked again. She said two handkerchiefs would do well, if I have it correctly. They gave her two Kleenex tissues.
And she quietly tied the two together and then showed them to those who were gathered round.
And she touched the one and said, let this one represent God. Then let this one represent poor, guilty men and women. And the moth that brings us together is the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a testimony. There is a God whose very character is purity, holiness, and light. And here am I, poor, ruined, guilty, Sinner, with a heart so stained that there's no possibility of my being up there in the glory. But he loves me.
He has set his love upon me, utterly uncalled for. He set his love upon us.
Let's turn to Romans chapter 5.
Romans chapter 5 and verse 8.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
In first John Four we see a love uncalled for.
Here surely we will see a love, undeserved, undeserved. God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Oh, may I stress that point. The natural heart of man reasons this way. Yes, I suppose there are things in my life which ought not to have been.
I suppose that without something done, there is very little likelihood of my being welcomed into heaven.
Therefore, what I ought to do is turn over a new leaf, make resolutions, try to live a cleaner, purer, more religious life, and it may be that God will look upon me with pity and with favor. Is that what we have here? God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
How utterly uncalled for, and how completely undeserved, was a wondrous love of God to man.
There is no illustration that can't possibly portray the mighty love of God, nor the cost to that love that you and I might partake of it. Here I stand this night by the grace of God, knowing something in my soul.
Of the reality of God's love. How can it be? How can it be?
The answer, beloved friend, is the cross of Calvary. Their God's beloved Son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, bowed his holy, sinless, devoted head. While a load of my guilt in all its shame was laid upon him, I did not lay it there. The very God against whom I had sinned laid the guilt and burden of my sin.
All of it upon the head of his own beloved son, upon the cross of Calvary.
And there stroke after stroke of divine wrath fell upon the head of that sinless one. The sword that should have been my portion swept through the bosom of the Son of God in my room. Instead, I'm going to see that Savior someday. I'm going to see Him who loved me with a love that was stronger than death. And my friend I yearn with a prayerful longing that you may know that joy too.
00:35:20
We used to sing a hymn on the street corner around Ottawa. When Jesus has found you, tell others a story that my loving Savior is your Savior too and pray that my Savior may lead them to glory and prayer will be answered. Was answered for you. There were those that prayed for my soul. I thank God for that. And my beloved friend, there are those who are praying fervently.
For your soulless might. Oh, I've seen the tears. I've heard the sorrows.
Of the fathers and the mothers whose sons and daughters have never yet accepted Christ, I wonder, are there some such here tonight? And I wonder also with an aching heart, are there some here?
Whose fathers and mothers?
Hope you're a Christian.
You've made some kind of confession. Somebody asked you one day if you were saved, and you said yes. And you've never said much more than that. And you've passed as a Christian, and you hope everyone will consider you a Christian. But, my dear friend, I want to ask you solemnly.
Is the person of Christ precious to your heart in your conversation with the other young people out here in the halls and outdoors?
Has the name of the Lord Jesus Christ come reverently and lovingly from your lips within the last two days as you gathered here?
You consider yourself a child of God. You consider yourself a Christian, and you hope everyone else will think so too. But the only confession that's ever come from your lips has been yes, when someone asked you if you knew the Lord as your Savior. Be honest, my friend. This matter is far too vital.
Far too eternal to be trifled with, have you in your heart accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have you, with your lips, confess that precious name to the saving of your soul? Have you? Just once, perhaps?
Oh, how delightful it would be to hear after this meeting one and another.
Joyfully, thankfully, confess that precious name as your savior.
Why? I heard it from those who have known the Savior before I was born, and it thrills my heart. I have had them shake the hand and say, thank God the Lord Jesus is my Savior and I'm not him. For 50 years and more. There's no greater joy, my dear friend, than the sweetness of that name to the soul. I say again, with a love uncalled for, with a love undeserved, made known to you in this precious book.
What does it mean to your heart? What does it mean? Let's turn over to John 316.
John 3 verse 16.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Oh, I thought as I heard this verse brought out step by step last night. Here Surely is a Love Unlimited?
Love Unlimited? Why even language itself seems to be challenged here for God.
So love the world. You just can't get beyond that, can't you? Can you? I remember Brother Willis telling us of an experience his dear father had in Shanghai years ago. He was walking along the street and he spied not very far in front of him, a dear old missionary who had served the Lord in sign of her many years.
And old brother Willis knew him well, so he caught up intending to have a conversation with him.
00:40:05
And as he drew near, he noticed the old man was talking aloud to himself.
The old man was walking along with his hands behind his back and brother Willis trailed him to see what he was talking about.
And this is what he said for God.
So loved the world.
And then he'd shake his head. He'd start over again, for God so loved the world.
And he'd shake his head, grown old, in the service of the Lord, and start over again. And brother Willis said he followed him for a whole block. And that's all the dear old man could say. He couldn't get beyond the wonder of it.
For God so loved the world. Oh, my dear friend and I look into your face tonight and realize in the little measure in which my soul has tasted it, the unlimited love of God to man.
I say this to you in solemn reality. You're going to meet the one who loved you so someday. Yes, you will. Yes, you will, my friend.
It's a solemn, solemn thing, Solemn enough to be at a gospel meeting, but more solemn still, the same face to face with him who loved you with a love uncalled for, a love undeserved, a Love Unlimited. And you heard about it too.
By God's tender grace, you were brought under the sound of the gospel, not once, not twice. But I believe you heard it many times. And I fear, oh I fear, there are those here whose hearts have been stealed against the pleadings of that love. But the hindrance may be Your heart knows and God's heart knows, but God so loves and cares for your soul, my friend, that he's brought you here tonight.
To plead once more face to face, that you might accept the grand and glorious offer made in this verse. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It's one thing to hear these words from the lips of someone.
Who trusts he has a message from the Lord, but my friend I may.
Beg of you tonight to receive this as an invitation from his heart. From his heart all, if it comes from my let's forget that part. Receive it as an entreaty and invitation from his heart. Sometimes we put it this way. I trust it's not irreverent if instead of facing the one who stands here tonight, you stood face to face at this moment with the one who died on the cross to show the unlimited love of God.
That he stretched out those piercing hands before you and calling you by name, looked upon you and said, Will you give me the joy of forgiving all your sins and taking you with me to my home in the glory? What would your answer be to that, my friend? What would your answer be to him who loves you? He's listening for that answer, and I say this with solemn truth.
Your answer is being recorded. Your answer is being recorded.
Whether it's spoken aloud, or whether it's the answer in your inmost heart, it is being recorded.
And the day is coming when you meet with that answer, the record of your life will slowly and solemnly be unfolded in your very presence.
And the moment in your life's history will arrive when you attend this Gospel meeting.
When the word of God revealed the true condition of your heart in the sight of Him who loved you, when the love of his heart was made known to you, and when the offer of eternal forgiveness and the home and the glory was presented to you. And then, my friend, the answer of your heart read out before you from God's record. But will that answer be?
Oh, how I thank God tonight for the day that came in my life when the answer to his entreating love was I come.
00:45:00
This afternoon we were told that sometimes conferences are occasions.
Very vital decisions and I bowed my head and silently said Amen to that, for it was at a three day conference in the City of Ottawa.
But my soul was redeemed by the grace of God. It was at our three day conference, I say, in the city of Ottawa. The meetings began with a poor lost Sinner attending those meetings, and they ended with yet another trophy of his grace, redeemed by the matchless grace of God. And it was at a conference here in the city of Toronto over 30 years ago that I first remembered the Savior who loved me.
And died for me in his death, as his word requested of Maine.
I thank God for such privileges. May it be an encouragement to those who labor so diligently at a time like this.
They are times of decision. You may not know much about it at the time, but some of us look back with deep Thanksgiving. Is that going to be the case with you? You look back to these meetings someday. Yes, you will. You'll have all eternity to look back upon these meetings. May I just digress from the gospel for a moment and plead with all that is within me to my dear fellow believers here tonight as I think of him.
Who loved us with a love so utterly uncalled for, so utterly undeserved, so gloriously unlimited, and as we read in the 13th of John, so utterly unending to for having loved his own, which were in the world he loved them unto the end. A love unending. What a savior. You know what will keep your heart?
The enjoyment of that love. The enemy knows that.
The enemy of my soul and the enemy of yours knows that the happiest path on this earth is the path of him who walks in the sunshine, of that love so unlimited, so unending. Are there times in your pathway in mind when we get cast down about this or that, What will fill our souls with joy like the memory of that unending faithful love of his? What will fill your pathway, dear young believer, with the richest blessings of God?
And the happiness that he longs to have, you know, day by day.
You have more than one voice to listen to in answer to that question, but one stands out above all others. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Eve listened to another voice and brought sorrow into her life. There are those here who have listened to other voices too. Has it brought you happiness, my friend? My dear unsaved friend, Has it brought you happiness? You know it has not.
I appeal to you in view of what the Word of God says concerning the condition of the natural heart of man.
Your heart, my heart. I appeal to you, and you are the love of God toward us. I'm called for undeserved, unlimited, unending, that you open your heart this very moment and receive that precious Savior as your own. There will be joy in the presence of the angels of God, and it may be your last opportunity.
One night at the close of a gospel meeting a good many years ago.
The one who had been telling out the message looked solemnly upon those who were present.
And he challenged them with these words. He said. Will you?
Will you, when you go home tonight, take a piece of paper and a pencil and write on that paper?
If I die tonight.
I will go to.
Now, he said, Fill that in solemnly under the eye of God.
And this, I understand, is what took place.
In one home, the father, the mother, the little boy and little girl went home from that meeting.
The father sat down and picked up the newspaper he had been urged to go by his.
Born again, praying white, the wife and the children got four pieces of paper and they began to write on them. At the top of the one was written the word mother. If I die tonight, I will go to heaven.
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And the little boy wrote down his name, and he wrote beneath it those same lovely words, For his heart had been cleansed in the precious blood of Christ. The little sister did the same thing.
And beneath her name was written the same glorious testimony. If I die tonight, I will go to heaven, another heart cleansed by the Savior's precious blood. And then they tried to interest their poor, indifferent daddy. They went to him with paper and pencil, and each showed him their little paper and said, Daddy, do you remember what the preacher said? Daddy, will you please write one for yourself? Leave me alone. I'm reading the paper.
And he went on, at least making a pretence to read the paper.
But he knew that there was reality in the heart of his dear wife and his dear children.
So finally they at least made a start for them and they wrote, Daddy, if I die tonight, I will go to. And the little boy brought it to his daddy, he said, Daddy, I've got this much done. Would you finish it, Daddy?
And his daddy in anger picked up the paper and the pencil. And they wrote, HELL. Hell, if I die tonight, I will go to hell. And he said, here, my boy, take it to your mother. And the poor boy looked at it. The tears began to roll down his cheeks. He took it to his mother, and the father picked up the paper again. But he couldn't read. In fact, he could scarcely see those words. The solemnity of what he had done burned in upon his soul. My friend, if you die tonight.
You will go to hell unless your heart has been cleansed in the precious blood of Christ.
Whether you reject such a testimony or not does not alter the facts. The Word of God proclaims it that I warn you with tender, solemn love.
Presently the man lowered his paper to see what was happening there. He saw his wife and his two children on their knees. They knew what was going on. He couldn't stand it any longer. He set the paper aside. He walked over and knelt down beside them. Yielded his guilty heart to the Savior, rose from his knees, rejoicing in the knowledge of sins. Forgiven.
And quickly erased that awful word and replaced it with the glorious word.
Heaven, everyone in the family sheltered by the precious Blood of Christ.
Is that the case in this company everyone of us sheltered and cleansed by the precious blood of Christ?
Oh, my God, grant that if there is someone here whose heart is still stained with sin in God's sight, and the precious Savior longs, that you might open your heart and receive him as your own. The God against whom you have sinned longs to wash away those transgressions through the precious blood of Christ. May God grant but as we close our eyes in prayer, that you, my beloved friend, may yield your guilty heart to the Savior's love.
And may confess him as your own savior and Lord this night.
Shall we pray?
John 3:1
Reading
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No 13 verse one.
Now, before the theme of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hours would come, that His hours would come, they should depart on this world under the Father. Having loved His own, which are in the world, He loved them under the end.
And suffer being in the devil, having now put into the heart of due to the scary diamond towns to betray him. Jesus knowing of the Father to give all the things into his hands and that it would come from God, and went to God.
Your eyes are coming up. And laid aside his God and took a toll and buried himself.
After that he poured water into a base and began to walk the cycle and the white sand with the towel were living with her. Then cometh thee to sign the seeker. Then Peter said from the Hilton Lord just got washed my feet.
See the fans in Saturday. What I do thou knowest out now but I got no of your ***.
Lord, have never washed my feet.
If I walk again, there was no part with me.
Lord.
But also my hands and my head.
Please accept on my head he doesn't want needeth not faith to wash his feet. What is clean everything and we are clean but not all.
He knew who should betray him. Therefore, said he, we are not all free.
I have taken his daughter. I'm going to step down again, he said. Other way, no evil I have done.
He called me master and Lord, and he say, well, for so I am. If I then you're a Lord and master, I've lost your feet. You also ought to wash one another's feet, for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.
There very I fail you. The servant is not straight into his Lord, neither he is spending.
If we know these things happily if we do this.
Watching this chapter, Brother Barry, do you feel linked with the capture we had this morning?
What came before me was that in the first chapter of God we get a new birth, we get eternal life.
And they have the success that that eternal life is the character of life now. But a man has been lifted up on the cross.
So the life of the believer possesses in that Blessed One who went to the cross, drove again because that we are associated with Kim's.
As a glorified man, God's right hand.
And I was thinking in the 10th chapter of John to get the verse that they might have life, they might have it abundantly, that more abundant life that the Lord thinks of. And there again in connection with the.
The death of the Good Shepherd Good Shepherd laying down his life for the sheep and in the 12Th chapter of John.
The Lord says there I am, I be lifted up from the earth will draw all that under me. That is, the Lord becomes withdrawing center.
For his people as the uplifted Son of Man.
Well, it seems to me that in the 13th chapter we have the Lord preparing his own for that thing.
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He is soon to take them if they hold nothing, if we, I believe, if we lay hold of it.
Is preparing a people morally or abusing of glory at heavenly feet of the Lord refers to there in the 13th and the 3rd of John where he says if I tell you of heavenly things.
Contrast there the earthly thing that is the earthly Kingdom.
That required the new person to see or to enter. I bring the heavenly 5 things and he is preparing our people or the heavenly glory which He himself has already entered.
So that you have in this chapter.
Jesus the third word. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand, and that he was come from God and went to God.
He is going back to the power he prepared the people to be associated with him.
And that place that he takes when he returned to the power.
Taking it into the 17th of John, isn't he rare there that there may be one as I.
That that goes right on.
The Upper Room ministry and what I felt about it and the death in this chapter, that there is such a need in these closing days.
When there is so much earthly mindedness.
So much prosperity in the world.
Growing the hearts of the things.
To object down here.
We might have that before.
Which would direct our forth from affection to that thing to which we belong, and to which we're through to soul.
For the battery and like the passing marking connection with verse 10, which I think tightened into the preceding chapter.
In the first tenant, Jesus messed with him. He that is washed. I think that's all over the Washington regeneration.
He does not seem to wash his feet, but is clean every whip. And God would go to the chapter preceding this.
That we find the character of those who are at the Lord's table. Those have been washed all over. We find that in virtue. There they meet in the supper. That's the supper.
And my concern? What labyrinth was one of them that sat at the table with him?
In verse at chapter 10, the Lord worked with the Sinner is finished, but he says this of his own sheep. They shall go in and out and find pastures. They go in. That's very fortunate. They go out, Martha has service, but they're at the Lord's table like Lazarus.
Beating at the table, those three things are brought out. That's professional.
But what we have here is the practical application of these things. We're fitted because we're washed all over. But here it's a question of our practical walk in the scene. That's country, desire, and every principle of which is in opposition to God's people. We do titles together in that way. Very nice.
Brother Amazing.
And there's a certain sense, perhaps, that we might speak of this 13th chapter.
As a little picture of the assembly that is the heavenly families here on earth.
Judas goes out, of course, just before.
The.
We learn in Luke.
The cup, but it is a picture, I believe a little glimpse at least of of that heavenly family on earth. And we have the exercises that go on both the washing of the feet, but also the exercise towards one another. All that's brought out in this chapter principle, I think.
Are you serious after Oprah? Well, when Jesus knew.
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The desire will come that he should depart out of his world of the Father, having loved his full which were in the world.
He loved them unto the end, going back to the office and his love for his own who will fill the and best. Well it hated him and was about to crucify him.
Didn't then the least diminished?
Because he was about to leave and behold, or he would be above.
That love goes on to the end.
And it's very precious for our hearts love it to meditate upon that love them onto the air. May, and we all do fail sadly far away, but it never changes the Lords love.
If heart goes outwards they have here is full and he could have no part with it, but still that doesn't change.
Love in his heart that will go on.
So the journey of complete as long as we're in this thing. But I believe that that first verse really opens up the captain doors, the Lord going back to the flowers his own left below during the time of his absence.
And his great world to his people, that never diminishes, that goes on as long as they're here, until he has them with himself. Love.
It is connected as, if not with the speech of the Passover. It's now before the feast of the Passover. He had that infusion. And then we have the service here, the washing of the disciples feet. Well, isn't that?
His care for His people here in the same. And how can we play hold upon what Passover really means, and what it should mean to us, unless we've had this care of the Lord in the washing of the waters of the Word?
Lovely hope everybody got that brother, everyone had just met that the Lord cared connection with the past and as we know the pass over the death of Christ and so for our poor heart to be in communion with him about.
A precious death of all. That death has a conscious force. We need thy peasant purpose.
But he's carrying on through his old wall that we're down here.
In this 4 miles.
Where he has been, for which he has department and gone back to the following, he would have us in communion with the various themes into which he ran.
That right for the letter happened. Yes. Lovely if you have them before.
I just been enjoying when her brother Eric very rich.
I'm sure we don't enter into the heart, feelings and thoughts of the blessed Lord as we come to this first verse of our chapter.
All what was going through the heart and mind of the Lord? What were His feelings when he was thinking about the time that he would have to leave this word and go back to the Father and leave it old down here?
We're still here. And what is his feeling about it while we're here? All we only knew how. His heart goes out to us.
His heart of love, how he cares for us, watching every move, every detail of our lives.
Our brother and the young people meeting was talking about following his steps or he's watching us and he would love to have us follow his steps and if we're going to have peace that are fit to follow his steps, they'll have to be washed feet and that's what he's thinking about.
Our pathway through this wilderness seed. He knows what it is to walk down here.
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Or it was an awful place.
For the blessed Lord to come to walk through this scene, this defiled scene, we know He wasn't defiled by it and we know it let it be in the washing, but all He must have felt it when he was walking through this being. I wonder if we feel it.
Like he felt, at least in some measures, like he felt.
And can we really appreciate his feelings about ourselves as we're walking through this scene? All He knows better than we do how we need this wash to the water by the Word He feels for us. And he's our high priest now, at the Father's right hand, the interceding for us. And we thank him that he's able to save to the other most.
All that come unto God by him.
Able to take us all the way home. But all let's think about what he's feeling about us. He's feeling taught us. What is he thinking? Or he's going to leave the disciples now. And his heart goes out to them. His heart goes out to us too. It was not only there on the ground that his heart went out to us, but his heart still goes out to us while we're down here this evening.
I was thinking children connection with that second person ever began as the devil, having now put it into the heart of Judith, Maryland done to betray receive a heart of Christ, we find the work of faith brought right here before.
So when the Lord is thinking of his own faith in his busy, he will betray and honor.
I blessed one, and how civil the enemy is indeed to being right in the very place where the Lord was eating the passport with his department.
So we have to be on our guard continually. As Paul says, we're not ignorant of his devices. We can never.
Be having one more.
We have to be dependent, watchful, prayerful. They have to be much over the word or speaking will get into the pack and the children have been lending himself to Satan service. Before then he was a thief and had to stay well. Now a Satan gives him then a special.
Carry out he puts them in these parts afraid of the Lord, but he has his heart Satan before and it's a very serious thing to be the attackers with the power of Satan.
If the demo here isn't that, I mean it's not just the spirit, but it's the power of Satan itself.
As all through John seems the the devil himself is is attacking and this is the end of the course. That is not for Judas.
It's it has started long before and according to Hebrews, we have the three steps in the third chapter. First, the hardening of the heart. None of our brothers mentioned the earring of the heart that is the.
He became a thief, and then this is the wicked heart of unbelief that departs from the living God at the end of the course. And so when one begins him stand.
Just to show the passage it takes in the prophecy and giving up the truth because Judah certainly had it. That is, he had the opportunity today of hearing the words from the Lord Jesus. A buddy hardened his heart against it. And when we hear truth, rather than harden our hearts against it, we do act on it.
This is the result.
And then the next step will be the.
Earring it may not be taking the place as a thief, it might be something else, but then the following will be I'm speaking now one is unsafe will be the wicked heart of unbelief that departs from the living God.
During recess, Mother, I had a letter give me three. I want to read it again, but it gave me to realize the solemn fact. There was never a time in the history of the Church, seems to me, when Satan was more active as a manual of life.
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This letter gave me the few words and at the pleasant time.
I want to read it again.
The great point in the chapter here too is though, are those words part with me. That is what the Lord desired was the company of his own. He was going about and there's a place prepared where we're going to enjoy His company forever, but he wants us to enjoy His company down here.
And what he is bringing out is how we can enjoy his company down here.
During his absence, and it's a lovely thing, I was thinking of the.
8th chapter of Nehemiah.
The 8th chapter of Nehemiah.
At the 9th 1St.
And Nehemiah, which is the tirshatha, and as to the priest described, and the Levites to talk, the people said unto all the people, This day is falling under the Lord your God horn, not in their weak. For all the people left when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them.
Go on your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them, for whom nothing is prepared. For this there is poorly unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. And isn't lovely in this chapter, that it opens with those words? Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.
Brethren, surely these are days when, just like in the time of Nehemiah, there's much to discourage.
There is much to try, but he loves his own unto the end. Nothing changes that love. The word of encouragement given to those in in Philadelphia is, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved Thee. And no matter how weak and feeble, things are, perhaps enough to move us to tears.
Isn't it lovely to know he loves us all to the end and he finds joy?
In a feeble field who desire to meet together in obedience to His Word, seeking to go on in the path of faith and faithfulness. And there may be, and there is with each one of us, things that the Word of God needs to be applied to our walking ways. And if we're sitting here in His presence, our people will walk through this afternoon.
Each one of us. This is not just some great sin body, it's that little company in Nehemiah.
It was the word of God led to them that moved into tears and he said, oh, that's going to have a good result. The Lord is finding his joy in this company here. And I believe this afternoon if we allow the word of God to speak to our hearts and consciences and know his love toward us and his joy in US.
Why lead to a closer walk in communion with Him that we will have part with him? And if we want to have this communion, brethren, it's important that we should allow Him to wash our feet this very afternoon so that we might continue in this precious enjoyment. I suppose because that's what you've been speaking. It would be the 14th chapter, wouldn't it?
I say that because we often speak of physicians, and it has its place, but we have it in the 14th chapter as well as here. Do we not be preparing them here in the next chapter? Is really that position that we should enjoy as in chameleon?
But it's not put in the sense of the term that we use this position, but it's really just that. It's the enjoyment of the Father's presence. In the next chapter, the Father's house, now eternal life, will be enjoyed, and it's full of sins in the Father's house up there.
But what he's setting before us, no doubt in this chapter also primarily, is that we might have that same enjoyment now and communion and so.
We speak a position, but there it is. I'm thinking that the marveling thought there in the first verse gave us, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he would come from God and went to God. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garment, and took an owl and burning himself, and then he agreed that he began to work with his heartful.
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I'd like to adjust all attention to.
What it says that the Father had put all things into his hands, and then the Lord lays beside his charm, encouraged himself with a power washing the disciples feet.
Of wonderful love, marvelous humility, that is, or any of us was withdrawing into the highest place in the whole land. How would we do? Wouldn't we try to go over in some way the dignity and the importance of the importance of greatness of the position in which we're brought?
Well, when the Lord was given the highest place that any man was ever given, and if that man that the Father put all things into his hands, that of displaying or showing some greatness or importance, the Lord takes the place of the plague, they will find his garment to have him laying aside his garments and begging me.
Thomas again, that is the Lord in connection with the washing of the feet of his back of of his disciples.
It doesn't have a teacher, but as taking the place really of a bond slave, lowest place that he could take.
And his love for his disciples, well, that's what the troubled leader. He couldn't bear the thought of being his Lord, so humiliated in his presence. But let's remember in beloved, in connection with the large precious services carrying on.
For his own, when the Lord has to come in, as He does continually, that it means that He takes that lowest place in love and interest in our, in our spiritual welfare. In a way, I suppose we find an example of this.
Or picture of it in Joseph dealing with his brethren down there in Egypt.
We know that Joseph is the type of the Lord Jesus Christ and not forgetting that the brother he's dealing with our type of of Israel, but yet there Joseph is in his dignity. He's next to Bell on the throne.
But as you watch Joseph dealing with his brethren, he's yearning over them. He weeps. He has to turn away.
And hide his face from his brethren because he weeped over his heart his yearning that there might be a resurrection there. And he doesn't do it all in one day. He works with them, detail by detail. He seems to be using wisdom in dealing with his parents, but all the time.
He's yearning over them, he's yearning for their restoration, and it doesn't seem that Joseph, even though he knows his exhausted position, is trying to humiliate them.
Nor we see a point there that he's trying to restore them. He wants that blessed communion and fellowship there between himself and them that there ought to be as being members of one family. And so he continues to deal with them until there is restoration or it's lovely to see that. And of course, when we think of the Lord Jesus, it's much more so.
Because the type can never come up to the thing that it's illustrated.
And then he wept over each one of his breathing through his arms around the window of the.
With full reference and confession of their guilt, when Judah, the leader of the of his brethren, said, God hath found out the iniquity of my service. Well, it wasn't merely that Joseph had found it out, but God had found out whenever a soul is truly restored.
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It's because they got into the large presence and have the thing out with him.
All that lens is the path to Joseph and all that the work has been accomplished. What has Peter's difficulty? Is there anything to indicate that some particular thing that was being corrected in theaters this time not to think further run things.
Something is more difficult here, in fact.
What we have here is.
Work as advocate.
As our education all he restores our soul. We haven't any man spent. We have an advocate with a father in Jesus Christ to raise if it's there, Of course that there were things first man. They didn't need it to be directed, but the whole subject is typical because the Lord says here that what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.
For those who literally carry out the washing of the feet early have never.
Accepted what the Lord says and what He was doing. Then they couldn't understand that time. Well, they could surely understand one taking a base and washing another seat. That was an easy thing to understand. So the whole subject here is the difficult subject.
Well, there's no no question that Peter neither.
Personally.
A work in his soul, because already as a Lord and that very mind had the warning.
Are there the seven specific things that the Lord did here? If we just meditate on them, probably someone can give us a little instruction on them. The seven specific things that He did show us the perfection of the work that He did.
The first one, first of all, he arrived from supper.
He laid aside his travel.
Took a towel and girded himself.
Before it quarter into a vacant.
The disciples speak, and he drives them with the dog.
Probably if we meditated them on their little sections that they are might have been helpful to it.
I'd just like to say before this though, that in connection with this third verse, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his past. The Lord Jesus was the perfect man of faith and at this time in which we had before appear, the cross was before him. He knew that all of the disciples earthly hopes were going to be dashed. They had expected the earthly Kingdom to be set up.
And now the Lord was about to tell him that he would be rejected, and he's introducing them, as it was remarked, into the heavenly side of things and saw in the 14th chapter and the the 14th chapter in the first verse. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's mouth are many mansions. If it were not so, I would.
Told to I go to prepare a place for you. That expression, if it were not so, I would have told you, is that the the Lord wouldn't have called upon them to follow Him in the path of rejection if He didn't have something better for them than they had anticipated.
They have looked for the earthly thing, and now the Lord Jesus, as the perfect man of faith, looks beyond the cross and sees that they're going to have richer, fuller blessings than if the Kingdom had been established then. And brethren, it may be that in your life and mine there's some difficulty presents itself. And we might say, well, what good is going to come out of this?
Why, if we allow the Lord to speak to our hearts and the water to be applied to our walking ways, it's maybe He's using that very circumstance that we know from earthly things.
For it was just remarked, was it something particular in Peter's life? Well, it isn't a particular said necessarily, but what is it for Evan, that keeps us from the enjoyment of heavenly things? Is it not because our souls are taken up with earthly things?
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That is what made a person speak dirty while walking on the earth without shoes. And if you and I have our spiritual shoes on, why we'll be kept from the department of this thing. But if so little traits of earth for little things that show that were part of this earth, perhaps not positively sinful things, but earthly things that they're hindering us. Well the Lord Jesus.
And his touching love for his own looks beyond all that they had anticipated and seeks to lead their souls into the enjoyment of better things.
May I 13 brother, we may have come to some situation in our lives and we say, oh, it's difficult to see anything good or think of the Father's house. Think of the glory that's before. Think of how these various things are making us realize that our rest is not here. It's up there with Christ and glory. And the result will be that we will have the enjoyment of what Peter was learning to enjoy.
But the last and sometimes hesitate like him and don't want to have our feet washed, something we don't want to give up perhaps and it just hinders us having part with him.
Not only that, it's not only that he washes their feet here, Bubba, No.
Wonderful that he made, but who? He was girded with a stall and he took that towel and wiped their feet. After washing their feet. He would have to feel comfortable and happy in his personal. Yeah, I like for others to hear that. So I'll repeat it for you, brother Joel. I'll repeat it for you. Some don't care about.
That, well, my my voice hasn't failed me yet.
I can speak louder.
I say it was not only the fact that the Lord Jesus washed their feet.
Not even good. It was a cow, and he takes that cow wherewith he was girly and they wiped their teeth. You know, if you wash your feet by then, you forget to wipe them with a towel, they'll have a kind of a sticky, unpleasant feeling with them. He wanted that his disciples to feel comfortable and happy in His presence.
So he writes asking you, you remember what Bubba to say about that? Bubba Barry. He said no. Why? Because his people, the club, didn't they? It's not a long distance operation, brother. No, you can't wait for your brethren. See the long handle mop.
It's a close down operation, they've got to get on their knees to do it.
Yes, Bubba Blanc used to make that the mark often.
It's supposed to tell you all to remember that Robert Hunt.
To close down operation, get down on your knees if you want to wash your brother thing.
It wasn't anything the Lord wouldn't do for the blessing of His disciples, whether it's getting down on his knees and Washington feet or even going to cross the Calvary and bearing machine.
Nice to know that still I felt having that he began to watch the disciples feet. Never felt that he seemed to wash their feet and neither has the Lord ever ceased to watch. In fact, the only reason that we're here this afternoon, any of us.
Enjoying the precious things of Christ because of that faithful service that he has carried on.
All through our journey down here, because there's so much in this theme in files and go on our way. The Lord is continually engaged as our advocate and cleansing us from the depound of this world that we passed through.
Now the water that we have brought before us here is surely typical, isn't it? We it's typical in the third of John as well.
Notwithstanding all the contradictory statements that we find in Christians on 2000, the watering the third of John is not baptism, but it's the Word of God. And we have ample scripture to show us that the water that is meant is the Word of God. There is one, especially in Ephesians chapter 5. It speaks of the washing of water by the Word. Well, there are the waters linked together with the Word.
00:40:19
And we get it also in Ezekiel and other scriptures. Well, isn't it nice to see that in the chapter we have before us this morning? But the water is the word, and here again it's the Word, is it not?
And then the Lord says, now you are clean after all of the war I wanted to beat with but through the word which I have spoken unto you. That's in the in the 15th chapter. That is important. We need to.
Be reminded about how necessary it is.
To be over the word of God. Never allow a day to go by that.
We don't care for the Word of God and we need to meditate upon it. After we read the portion, we should think it over and see how it applies to our walking waves. And that's the waves of our Flanders, of which, if possible, for our being to be going on with something we've never been exercised about.
And it's leading us away from Christ. It's wrong.
And define our soul welcome word reaches our conscience and we're checked up to see that it's not pleasing to the Lord. We tend to see and in that way that's our Peter Flynn, you know, in the 17th chapter of.
John's Gospel where the largest friend to his father.
The 1000. The 17th, 1St.
We ought to read the 16th verse first, though. They are not of the world, even as I'm not the world.
Let's take a latter moment.
The Lord was no more of the world when He was down here than He is now. Glory.
And he says that we're not in the world no more than he was of the world. Doesn't say that if we're walking consistently, if we're walking in separation, but that's the position into which he is brought in association with himself. And then he says sanctified and through thy food.
Sanctification and separation.
Then he says thy word is true. That is the truth of God is found in the crisis word. Then notice the next verse, as thou hast sent me into the world, so have I also sent them into the world. Well, there's a marvelous truth that just as all the Lord took us completely out of this world and where he is.
And then sends us back as a testimony to himself.
In their faith many pairs and the 19th verse, and for their sake by 25 myself, that they also might be sanctified to the truth.
However, the Lord, letting Himself apart in heavenly glory in order that we might be set apart, separated Himself in our pathway down here.
So again we have the Lord for His own while He has been glory, and we are here below.
We are not bad at what happened in the 19th December. Valley and Canadian believe things that rewarding demolition.
Brother John fell it in the 19th of John 19th of numbers. You get the fault of the word of separation.
I for your thinking brother, touching those things that are unpleasant.
Of being occupied with them in any way.
Even if they.
Yes, or a full I'm the one that would apply of the water of separation my first applied to himself.
00:45:01
Yeah, yeah.
I was just remarking that.
We have the company together and it's a it's a nice talk. We're here together this afternoon and the Lord and the myth and there is that which brings us and refreshes from his word. Now, I don't think we should look at this barely as a doctrine, do you, Brother Whitaker, In the sense that it's for someone else at some other time, but it's right now.
In this afternoon in this room that we have the word of God before us, we can claim his presence and the men and there is that needed in our lives.
And I trust that we each will go away refreshed as well because we have the two things do we not brought out here. The the water does is cleansing and it refreshes and it should be so with it.
I was going to say, notice where I believe the presence of Judas in their midst.
The devil having now thought into the heart Jerusalem scariest Simon son to betray him.
Jesus knowing the Father and him all he did in his hand.
We go down to.
And 1St.
He says unto him, He is what he is not making. Wash his feet, but he never whipped. You are clean, but not all, for He knew who should betray Him. I was thinking present computers in their midst was defiling, defying their walk.
They needed spending for our prayers. They used the Internet.
There's so many times.
We all have to do is bring in this life deprived of soul and soul We have to see. We have to be constantly and continually on our side. Now when the Lord came to Peter.
Peter says to the Lord, Dost thou wash my feet?
He loves ******* and said to him, What I do thou north, north now without help, no hereafter.
Either that on the end thou shalt never wash my feet, Jesus answered him, If I washed enough, thou hast no part with me. No, he doesn't say no part in me.
There was.
Peter belonged to the Lord and every believer in the Lord of Jesus.
Is in Christ for God, but within that subject of communion.
The Lord is setting forth here that without this service, without our beeping watch, we can have no part with Him, cannot go on with communion with the Lord if we allow things.
Unjust in our lives.
Or an awful sense need to keep the border councils off. We don't want to be out of communion for an hour or a moment.
Thing has been permitted. If there's an unclean frog or some unkind feeling towards someone, we should judge that thing immediately. Or if we don't, why we get out of chameleon with the Lord.
How important that word is. Have no art with me or beloved. There is nothing in this whole life.
No matter how successful we may be, what a good position we make get in this world, and what a fine home we may own someday or our owning at this time, there is nothing, I repeat it, there is absolutely nothing.
And compared to the lake where they going on in communion with that blessed 1A little vastly of little wall with greater blessing and happiness that was ever admitted or a man in this state. One of the one of the exploited this way brother Barry.
00:50:00
The progression of our souls.
Is 1 eternal link with Christ that can never be broken. That can never be broken. And that's what Peter was trying to do here. He went to the LXP. Stay here on earth. 9 Not only my feet, but my head, my hands, and my head also. Well, that had already taken place already at the salvation, isn't it? And so our salvation is 1 eternal link, so that can never be brought.
But the link of a communion, they claim that they're very, very thin one.
And can very easily be broken up and needed to be constantly restored. That's the correct brother question. Mention that this morning we were in the third chapter of John.
And the Spirit is brought in there in connection with the water.
And when it's the salvation of a soul, it's very definitely the work and the spirit of God.
And the word when it comes to communion, the Holy Spirit is there too. And the apostle Paul said, grieve not the Holy Spirit, for by your shield unto the day of redemption, not grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be grieved, grieved by our sin, grieved by our going on in a bad way, grieved by our.
Fraternizing with the Word and going in for the things of the world.
The Spirit of God can be grieved while the Spirit of God has been grieved. Then the Holy Spirit cannot occupy us with Christ. He will have to occupy us with our failure. And what does that say for the Lord mind, His Spirit, to have to occupy us with our failures? Well, it's necessary.
That there might be restoration and that the link of communion might be restored.
That we might be happy because the Lord is interested in that, but we should be happy. But I just thought that we might bring in here the man of the Holy Spirit too, in this connection, because the Holy Spirit is involved in this matter of going on with the Lord in happy communion.
Protection with our brothers remarked here before about Judas being present there and then being defiled. I think we should make this comment though, that we're in a world of sin and evil with defilements all around us, but there is a path by which we can walk through this world of evil and not be defiled.
So in the 19th of numbers mentioned, every vessel in a tent where there was death became unclear.
Except there was a covering bound upon it. If there was a covering bound upon it, the vessel was then cleaned, even although death was in the tent. Now we'd have to go out of the world altogether if we were going to get away from the fileman. But our precious Savior walked through this world, and He was never defiled by anything that was here, and He has given us His life. The reason we become defiled is because we allow the old nature to act.
So let us not to blame circumstances, but blame ourselves when we get these files, whatever condition we may be in, unless we go into it and self will, but in whatever condition we make the end the Lord is able to keep us. Unless I say we go into it in South, well then it's the will ourselves in ourselves that brought us into the department by its action.
But how blessed that a middle world like this.
There is a path in which we can walk in sweet communion with the Lord. Enoch was an example of it. Everything around him to discourage, everything around him to cause him grief, and yet he walked with God.
Mary, you referred us to the 17th chapter of John.
And the first verse.
Of that chapter.
Louder brother the 17th chapter of John of the first verse these words think Jesus and lifted up his eyes to the Father and said Father the power is coming. In our chapter chapter 13 verse five it has been pointed out his eyes are on the disciples feet.
And you give us a little thought on that.
I read something lovely from brother Phillip years ago.
00:55:02
And it would be what you're suggesting. That is 13th of John. The Lord is looking down at the wild feet of the disciples, and in the 17th chapter is looking up to heaven and addressing the Father. Oh, from the five feet of the dispatchers all the way to the Lord.
Absolutely where where the Father is, where we have the Father, where the Lord is occupied with his own. It's something like that. I read. Perhaps you read the same ministry. Yes, I enjoyed the thought very much. 17th chapter of John, where the love gives to the Father.
And the Lord returns it to the Father of our safekeeping.
As we go through the scene when I'm the 13th chapter, the Lord is caring for us, but then in the 17th chapter were transferred to the Father's care.
Could we say on the 17th of John, it's the Lord my priestly prayer, and that if we are availing ourselves obvious priestly work up there for us, we'll be preserved from failure, but it's because we don't avail ourselves of His high priestly work.
Therefore, we need his advocacy, and that is what is brought before us in this chapter.
How much happier than we should be availing ourselves of His present work for us on high, looking up and seeing Him there, feeding upon Him as you were bringing before. Then why we are kept. And that's what the Lord was bringing before them, I believe in the 17th chapter.
In connection with his present High Priestly work, Would that be so? I believe so.
I'm not only so.
In that 17th of John the Lord did who he was, could speak of things, could speak concerning things that had not taken place as though they had. Now He sits there, and that's in connection with His work down here.
He says I have glorified thee of the earth, I have finished the world which thou gavest me, that I should do it well. He was looking beyond the clock.
As a finished work here he has glorified God, both Ashley Ashley's walk and Ashley's whip. I have glorified me on the earth. I have finished the work. That was the work of redemption, was it not?
Well, it says in Hebrews, such a high priest became us, who is always harmless, undefiled, and made higher than the heavens. So that's what the Lord is Speaking of. He glorified his Father in every step of His pathway about the whole question of sin too. And now he's up there and such a high priest becomes us. He settled the question of our sins.
He passed through every circumstance in the pathway.
And so he had glorified the Father in such circumstances. Now he can sympathize with us in our infirmities and in what we have to pass through.
He is nor we in this world and my dyslexia specifies with rubbish earlier Morton in connection with fire with me. The whole purpose of speak wisely is that we could walk through this world as Christ walk. His feet were always clean. I therefore our feet are washed.
So that we might be in moral conformity to Christ and a man might be Christ enough. As we walk through this world, I think it's important to see that that's the purpose of Feet Washington, so that Christ might be seen in the same walking through this defile world.
The only question is, are we willing to have our faith in the Masters hands? Peter objected to that. And sometimes there is rebellion in our own heart because the old nature is not being controlled by the president of the new nation, and the old nature is always.
Opposed to the things of God so that if we're not watchful.
The Lord seeks to restore our growth where we can oppose the very worst that is so meaningful and so necessary and so important.
01:00:05
The brother once said he was in the break and I just thought out it isn't my own RRC in the Master's hand. I'm sure if we think of John beloved his fight.
I'm sure you'll see one who sees indeed were in the half of in the masters half because we find that he was leaning on the press with Jesus and when the disciple of Reno disturbed to pull the one was the Lord.
Thinking of the one that should be trained by John was leaning on his breath so he could get the mind of Christ either turned back into him.
Well, how lovely it is. One is near enough the blessed Lord to have his mind when things are so perplexing and distressing and disturbing to the hearts of the faith. And that isn't just.
Doesn't matter getting.
Getting him the large threat, but it's a continuous thing, having our feet of a master's hand, allowing the Lord to ever.
Be restoring our faith, never resisting that work of His grace.
We've often heard it mentioned that there's no substitute for communion. I was wondering, is there a thought regarding that in Revelation 2 and 17?
We find there the Church settled down in the world.
And to get the connection I might read the.
12Th and 13th verses of Revelation 2. Revelation 212. And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamon right these things that be which have to start towards the two edges. I know thy work, and where thou dwelleth, where they defeated, And thou holdest back my name, and hath not denied my faith.
Even in those days where Antifa's life was my faithful martyr, who was laid among you where they dwelleth. Then the 17th verse, he that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches.
To him that overcome will I give the heat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth said in heed that receiveth. It is their thought there of communion by the very. I'm sure there is a pretty grimly that might say the reward.
Back with union.
The White Storm, they play the.
In those days when they voted, they had earned from the those who voted.
Picked up a white stone. They had a pile of white stones. Here were these different earths representing the different candidates. They pick up a white soap and drop it in the earth.
The candidate for which they were voting.
Well.
October that is the Lord. The light to show is the school to those who are born on separation to Himself. The verses of address Wow where thinking well shows that it was a time when the church had had both parties.
That that they had got into the world so the world is safe to speak and those that.
William Lord Kickstarter overcome the whom he gives the white soul are those that are warm in separation from those worldly influences and it come into the church or if you can apply it anytime to preparation from what is on the earth.
And you see, the Lord shows in the school and he gives us a special name on the stone, showing that it's a special interest that the Lord.
When one goes on faithful to him, separation from that which is around.
01:05:07
I suppose in this chapter we have the state of freedom soul. We deal doing that and in the previous chapter we had the state of Mary's soul revealed. In the previous chapter we find Mary at his feet and spirit of worship and so that reveals her state of souls. She was enjoying Christ and telling him as you.
But here we find that the law was asked to disciples be just reverse order. This, I believe would reveal me to state assault because it's necessary for the laws to stood down to wash his feet. That's what a difference one is the Lord feet. And now we see the Lord in his infinite love and grace as a disciple.
So I believe we have those two examples of sustained soul and one chapter right. Mary was at his feet and pouring a coin from upon him. But we find here that the ball was that sweetest feet revealing his face at all. It's not necessary for the Lord to be a merry speech.
That it's been manifesting her love and walking the Peter was manifesting the state of soul toward the war.
Very precious in Luke Chapter 7 and verse 24.
That he turns to the woman instead of silence. Dear salvage woman, I entered into thine house now, gave it to me. No water to my feet, but she has washed my feet with it here in question with the hairs of my head. What do we have on this portion here?
In comparison with our chapter.
Are they the poorest sitter there from the street that came in wiped his feet with her gears for center from the presence of the blessed Lord and the in order to her, the Lord satisfied him with her. Many are forgiven by faith and faith all in.
The center of the feet of Jesus, isn't it?
Mary of the Brother Gladden was speaking off with Mary A Bethany.
One who had, I'm sure, long been Faith, and found her delight in being in the large company, sitting at his feet and hearing his word, then at his feet, and her sorrow on the 11Th chapter of John Lennon had his feet anointing them with the ointment.
As a worshiper is filling all the house for the odor of the ointment, and we give refreshment to the Lord by that, in that way indeed we can.
Also reply to us here. In our 13th chapter, we receive refreshment as well.
Well, Mary, in a way, following the Lord out to the cross when she was anointing his feet, those very feet that would carry the Lord to Calvary, they were the ones that she was interested in. They were the ones she anointed. We read in other gospel lessons his head was anointed, but here in John's Gospel.
It's the feet that would carry her to Calvary and I'm sure that if we were more occupied.
With the pathway that the Lord went when he went to Calvary and the work that He's done and all that He went through there, we would be kept and we would not need so much of the washing of our feet.
What you say brother? Fighting them and connecting with your comment.
If if we neglect what we find in Mary sitting at business and we'll have to have the Lord in our feet.
That's true. Sitting at the feet of Sea was comparing his words.
Just Meyer and confirmed Mary it should be characterized everything of God or we should continually be over his word and at his feet on the objection willingness to listen to his voice.
And feel subject to his blessed words. I feel that you're quite there. Brother Barry is very important submission to the word of God.
01:10:07
Always being willing to listen to what the Word has to tell us and to bow. Do it. Oh, it's so important. That is what we find. The opposite of inspections and generally speaking today, not submission to the Word of God.
Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes, not being sensitive to the word, or we should be exercised about that very thing being submissive submission to the word.
We see in the 7th chapter of Luke keeping us.
You remarked Brother Anderson, that same line of things that I think is very nice to notice this woman, although she's never yet heard him say Thy sins be forgiven me. She has full confidence in the Lord, and she is dependent upon it, and He has nothing evil to say of her.
But to Simon, he said, I have somewhat to say unto thee. Now we should be very careful when we judge one another. The woman was the Sinner.
Far as Simon was concerned, and everyone else, but she was in communion and to have gone strong, and so it says in one of the epistles, I don't recall which, that we should be able to admonish one another. There must be a state of soul.
If we're able to perceive, and sometimes I suppose there's Washington feed without the person who's doing it knowing he's doing it.
These perhaps is used to bring the scripture before another that will reach the conscience. But sometimes I'm afraid that we're apartment to judge and take the position of Simon where we see the Lord have nothing to say to this woman. But He did decide.
But isn't there It is mundane's not really a Sinner with the barn. See, he passed to her thigh. Sins, which are many.
First, sins, which are many, are forgiven during the Lord didn't diminish or he didn't.
He doesn't make the light in any way of what she was finished, but all the lovely thing is that he could forgive it all. One that loved came to him through a broken heart was deceased with her tears crying while deep with fence. Oh there was a level.
Got the flow forgiven and he doesn't say that washing his feet was washed finger. He says I faith go into the woman. The woman in the 7th moved there. She didn't know she was washing the feet of the war, but he gave her that credit for it. She knew what became her in his presence and he a creditor that was Washington state.
I'm rubbing into the spring before us the.
Way the Lord prepared himself to offer.
The feet of these dear ones. I was thinking of our 14th verse. Sometimes we seek to wash the feet of others, and we find that.
We haven't been able to accomplish that which we desire, and isn't this that there hasn't been?
That state of soul and that humbleness of spirit.
Seeking the minister.
Two others. Sometimes, as before, we make the water far too hot. I suppose it's what our brother Jones was breaking before in connection with numbers 19. That water has not been applied to us, perhaps sufficiently or in in the proper way. We haven't really gotten into the presence of the Lord so that we thoroughly judge ourselves and.
Not able to help anyone else.
The first step is arises from supper. There is spiritual energy. Everything the Lord did was done by spirit. Now is why what I seem to do in Washington is done in the energy of the spirit and the Spirit of God are operating in me causing me to do it.
01:15:01
Then the next is we have is the government.
Is there anything that I have on? It's going to be a heaven and that's I have to be divested on. Those are the point that I thought we might.
Now in Romans chapter 15 and verse 14 we have something of that where's the part of the verse was already forwarded.
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that he also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. So we see two things there.
Full of goodness, that is, we need to have the heart of God toward His people, and then we need to have the knowledge that His Word imparts to us.
There may be those who perhaps love the Saints but don't have very much noise or spiritual instruction, and so they're not wise in the way they handle a situation. But we find the two things there full of goodness. There is to be the heart of God toward His people, but also that the fact the Word of God imparts His knowledge as to how we should act in any given situation.
Well, in that way then, they were able to admonish one another.
The Lord Himself was the perfect example. Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And then surely He had perfect knowledge of what was in the heart of God for His own. He had come to reveal that and the Father's mind, and so He was able to do it perfectly. And only in the measure in which this is true a lot will there be the practical power to be able to carry this out.
The heart should always be full of love.
Simply, whether we're able to show it or not, just like children. When Jordan spoke roughly to his friends, it wasn't because there was any lack of love in the economy, but he couldn't show it at that time. And so he had to treat them just like enemies until they were broken down, and then he could show the love that was in his heart over time.
Well, at the very time that he spoke roughly to them.
Why he went off and wept over them all, that we should never allow Harden to park or any of our breath, although we may not always be able to show the love and the longing that's in our hearts. And like Samuel, even when they had rejected him.
And that they must have a good, he said. God forbid and I should spin against you by facing the prey for you.
Never cease to pray, no matter how they treated him, how bad their condition was.
And the importance of opinion. Communion, isn't it? This has been very important to be in Communion. Italy present.
We know that the need for this service of love will soon be over. Soon will all be home of the glory.
But all have blessed to realize and enter into that while there will be no further need for fencing from the founding. His service of love never ceases, does it? I was thinking of the cross chapter of Luke. Is just one verse there.
Golf chapter of Luton.
This will be our portion.
37 First, blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find what?
Verily I send you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to me, and will come forth and stir it. What a process.
John 13:1
Advocacy
Address—C.E. Lunden
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10 minutes, the 5th bird.
Our times are in thy hands, Jesus the Advocate and if those three thoughts that I had before me and taking up these three scriptures.
In the Old Testament.
But in taking them up, I might speak of them in this way. Israel had in their history 3 unsheathed swords, 3 unsheathed swords, and the first one is found in the 22nd of numbers.
You know, it might seem strange after these happy meetings, these both happy meetings and the how the Spirit of God has given us a range of truth. Take us into the heavenlies and then we see the disciples having their feet washed.
Do at the end just to bring in these three stores. It may seem strange, and it isn't that I desire, nor did I come to these meetings with the intention of it, but rather than these last few meetings that's been laid on my part, I believe.
You'll have to prove it as you hear these remarks, whether it was or not, but I feel it has and I believe it will gain profit for our soul. In considering these three passages, the first one, we won't go into detail because my thought was to speak more of the last one, but in this 22nd of numbers, we have in the first part of the chapter.
The Children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Mara. On this side Jordan by Jericho.
And Baling, the son of Zipper, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and more was a sore afraid of the people because they were many. More was distressed because of the children of Israel, more upset under the elders of million. Now shall this company lick up all and around about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.
Bailing to Southern Zipper was king of the Moabites at that time.
And he sent messengers therefore unto failing the son of the Arkham, which is by the rivers, the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth.
They abide over against me. Come now, therefore I pray thee, curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me. Now go down to the 21St verse. Veil rolls up in the morning and sound his *** and went with the Princess of Moore. God's anger was kindled because he went.
And the Angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
Now he was riding upon his *** and the two servants were with him, And the *** saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way, and he saw it drawn in his hand. And they asked turned the side out of the way, and went into the field, And Balaam smoked the *** that to turn her into the way.
But the Angel of the Lord stood in the path of the vineyards a while, being on this side and the wall on that side. When the *** saw the Angel of Lord, she thrust herself into the wall and crushed Baliams foot against the wall, and he smote her again.
And the Angel of the Lord went further, and said in a narrow place, where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left. And when he asked all the Angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam. Balaam anger was kindled, and he smoked the *** from the staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ***. And she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee? Thou Smit me these three times.
They instead of the *** because thou smart me I.
There was a sword in my hand, for now when I kill thee and the asset under bail, am not I thine *** which upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was dying unto this day? Was I ever want to do so unto thee? And he said nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way.
And his sword drawn in his hands, and he bowed down his head and fell flat.
On his face. Now, dear brethren, this sword should give our hearts comfort. Here we find the people that God has selected. Chosen reminds us of the adoption in the first chapter of Ephesians. God has chosen for himself, and we learned from other scriptures that God didn't choose them because they were better than other people.
00:05:07
He chose them because he loved them.
And he chose them so they would inherit a land that was, according to his own heart, a blessing for them.
And now he's leading them through the wilderness, and he's a guard for them.
Does that have any comfort for your heart this afternoon? Do you know that there's a sword drawn to preserve you through the wilderness? Perhaps you've gotten discouraged. Perhaps you feel that the way is too rough. Never mind. You know what God made Balaam do, The one who was going to curse his people.
He made him pronounce a blessing on them. In fact, the prophecy of Balaam is a marvelous lake in the prophetic truth, showing the ultimate for God's people. That's what God does. He makes the laugh of man to praise him and the rest of the wrath he restrains. Are you trusting today, or are you occupied with your circumstances? Are you under them? Am I under them? No. Here we have our.
And, you know, he took those people, and he took them all the way to the land of Canaan. And what's more, in the coming day, he's going to take the children of Israel, their children. He's going to fulfill all the promises that he made to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and he'll have them settled in their own land. And you know, brethren, perhaps this very night you'll hear the shout.
And every one of his people are going to be taken home. There won't be one hook left behind.
Is that an encouragement to your heart that the sword of the Lord is drawn in your favor, that He's protecting and keeping you all the way till He has your home?
Oh, shame on our hearts as we turn aside to this and that and become discouraged. The sword is gone and God will not allow anything to interfere with the one who's walking in communion.
But now let's turn to Joshua the 6th chapter. I believe we have a progress here in truth in these three pictures, but I believe also as we were noticing the failing that three times the Lord, the Angel meets him before he finally caused him to fall on his face. And I was just noticing yesterday is our your brother was speaking to the young people.
He was Speaking of a day's journey away from the Lord Jesus.
I know how easily that can take place, but I as as I was noticing that my eye dropped down to the lower part of the stage. You know there what it says it took them three days to find one day away. 3 days back. Isn't that sad? Oh how hard it is to get back when we get out of communion 3 days back.
Well, we have a very happy picture here in Joshua 6.
At the rather the 5th chapter. At the end of the 5th chapter, I'm sorry, the 10th verse And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
They did eat of the old corn of the land on the Morrow after the Passover unleavened cakes, parched corn in the self same day, and the Maze seized on the Morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land. Neither had the children of Israel mad anymore, but they did eat them the fruit, the land of Canaan that year.
And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho.
That he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went out to him and said on him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but his captain of the host of the Lord am I now, Tom? Joshua fell on his face to the earth.
And did worship, he said on the M1, says My Lord unto me, servant.
The captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua.
Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place we're in. Thou standard this holy. And Joshua did so.
Now we see.
Something a little different. It isn't an Angel here with a drawn sword. It's a man. It isn't the one who's come to guard his people.
00:10:09
But as ones to come to lead them into that good land. And he has a sword in his hand, a drawn sword, as it was before. We noticed too, that.
The Passover here is mentioned the 14th day, the proper day to keep it. They were keeping it, and we learn here too that now the change is going to take place from the eating of the Manor.
They're now going to face for the first time and eat the fruits of that land, the old court of that land. It's still Christ, but now it's Christ is glorified, the proper portion of the believer to enjoy.
And they enjoy it before they get there.
And that's what we've been doing here these last days. We've been eating, dear brethren, already some of that precious fruit of that land.
But notice how they were occupied here in the 11Th verse after the Passover. The unleavened bread and the farts gone. Now all three of these still brothers speak of Christ.
The Passover speaks of that which God sees in that precious blood when he passes over all God's people who are sheltered under it, and all God's people are sheltered under it. Everyone now, brethren, as we sit here and eat in these past few days of that corn.
Of the land, that new land.
I'm sure the Passover as to what it means, Christ, our Passover sacrifice for us. I'm sure this has been before us. In fact, this afternoon we're not Speaking of anything possibly than what we've had in these meetings, but just in a little different way and the summing up possibly of some of these things, Passover, precious blood of Christ that God saw.
So he could Passover the feet. And you know what that means? That God was fully satisfied.
But the unleavened bread, the heart occupied now with one, One who had never sinned, nor could he sin.
That one corn of wheat that fell in the ground and died, but he would not buy it alone.
Yeah, and what does that make us think of? Oh, it only humbles this heart. Nothing like that. Here steps through sovereign grace. God stops of his people a shelter under the blood and now soul occupied with one in all his perfection that the unleavened bread speaks of. But then they go a little further yet.
And we see the parks corn, that which has been through the fire.
Through the fire with no relief.
No relief.
Right straight in the fire, Dear brethren, you know all this was for us. For us. And those who eat the old corn of the land, if they eat it, we'll eat it in this way.
If you and I are occupied with a risen, glorified Christ, it's because this is true of our souls.
Is it not? Now we have the captain all we've already noticed the guard, but now he's the captain who's going to lead us into this good land. And so he stands there with a drawn sword. Why?
If we're in the good land, we're enjoying the good land. Why the sword?
Well, it'll always be so as long as we're here, we're eating the good food of that land.
Already, but conscious that the place of the grand.
The ground upon which we stand holy. Why? Because holiness becomes thy house, and there's no such thing as communion outside of it. And this, brethren, is practical holiness.
Oh, surely the work of Christ has brought us in all that perfection into His presence. But as long as we're here, we might we're reminded of the sword, and that there is such a thing as the holiness.
Of.
The place in which we stand now, the sword wants to drive out those enemies that took place took charge of the heavenlies, because the moment you and I began to enter into the place where we eat the old part of the land.
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We find that they're enemies in possession.
Heavenly, the wicked spirit. It would rob us of our inheritance.
And so the sword now in the captains hand is going to take care of that and he's going to lead the way. And he sent Hornets among them we remember in another place to drive out the enemy before.
So that his people might come into a good land and land flowing with milk and honey and land where there's no scarcest. What a land. What a land. Oh, you say yes. It's going to be nice when we get there. Brandon. Are you enjoying it now?
Now, well, that's the good land and the man with the sword.
So there's a man on high in the glory, leading his sin. Man now. Balaam fell on his face.
So that Josh remember.
Joshua worship. They look different.
Balaam was one who, although he was a prophet, would have to confess. I will see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh. There's a date coming when every eye shall see that blessed Satan come to the last time, to their everlasting destruction. Because we learned the sin available in the Book of Revelation, Book of Judgment.
His sin was to teach them to cast the stumbling block before the children of Israel.
That was his sin. No, but here Joshua worship. And so as we enter that good land.
As we this morning enjoyment together.
With all the people of God assembled here in worship all over the place, brethren.
Did we think back five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years when we didn't know Christ? Rather, how far have we come? And we've come just as far as the grace of God has brought us, and that's how far we've come. Where where are we? Well, we were in our sins, separated from God.
Now worshiping loose thy shoe off thy foot, for the place where thou standard is holy. Do you say, Well, I'm in the place, all right, it's holy. That's what the word of God says.
Does that pop us up or does it humble us?
All this has a bearing on the next sword that we have, and so we'll turn on.
To.
First Chronicles, 21.
Now we have.
These three shorts drawn our attention has been called in these meetings 2-3 and whatever else it may mean, it suggests to us, I believe, the completion of a work that God has undertaken down here.
We have 3IN connection with resurrection. We have 3IN connection with that poor man that lay in the field. In the 30th chapter. The first Samuel Davis found him on the third day, brought him to David. It speaks, I believe, of the completing of something that God has undertaken in the soul.
And that works, which he will perform until the day of Jesus Christ.
It's a wonderful experience to know that we have a guard as we go through this wilderness.
To know that the one who has taken us up is going to take us all the way home. Oh, how precious. Are you enjoying it?
Well, good to know too that we have a captain this week and we want to end as strangers. We'll go in with our captain. I believe that's the part of the 6th chapter of Hebrews. 4 owners for us entered. He's already there. Still, he's leading his sin. But now we have come to the third part.
And, you know, we were enjoying the second official, John. We didn't complete it and.
We enjoyed other things in place of it, but I'd like to call attention to the fact that we have three things there, the flesh and the world and the devil. Now in Luke's Gospel we have the same order, but I believe in keeping with that which applies to man morally, the order in which the enemy attacks the man. And the last one is what we have at the beginning of this 21St chapter.
00:20:08
Now it could apply to an individual in these last days, it could apply to the nation of Israel, as no doubt it does here, but it's an attack of the enemy. First two are his wives, but the last one is wickedness. It's a direct attempt against God Himself. It's not just deceiving them. It's a direct attack to throw the whole thing over.
You know, brethren, whether we're aware of it or not, the enemy is seeking to crush the little testimonies to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether we're aware of it or not.
The enemy is seeking to remove every trace.
Of the testimony of God in this earth.
Now, what will preserve the testimony, and what is the testimony? Whatever it may be, in all its weakness, it's still.
In God's hands is the maintaining of the glory of God on the earth in that measure, because God's glory is maintained down here through discipline in that sense, discipline. And you know, dear brethren, that's the ground of all true morality. I'm not. I'm quoting now someone else.
Is repentance and the confession of sin?
Repentance in the confession of sin.
And that's the subject we have here. We have come to the place now where.
Israel needs an advocate. We were having that before us at the meetings. We've had the high priest. I suppose that's Joshua's five. But here is the application and that little hymn. We noticed the guard, the guy and the advocate well.
Satan stood up against Israel. The first verse, the 21St chapter of First Christmas.
Stood up against Israel and provoked David to number the number Israel. David said that joy happens to the rulers of people. Go number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan. Bring the number of them to me that I may know it. Job answered. The Lord make his people in 100 times so many more as they be, but my Lord the king are not the Almighty Lord servants.
Why then, doth my Lord require this thing? Why will He be a cause of trespass to Israel?
Nevertheless, the King's word prevailed against Joy. Therefore Joy departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
Job gave the sum of the number of the people under David. All day of Israel were 1000 thousand and 100,000 men that drew the sword. Judah was 403 score 10,000 men that threw the sword.
That would be 1,570,000, I think. What a company that drew the sword in Israel. I'll think of it for a moment.
I don't know that there's never been that many men on the battlefield at once in the world's history. There will be greater numbers. Here's 1,570,000 men David had on his command. David was a man now of strength. The Moabites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Syrians were at his command. They were tributary.
David was a man now who was about to build the House of God.
And what has God said to him? In an earlier chapter he drew him aside and David sat down before the Lord.
And that's the way it was has been in these few days. Rather than together, we've been sitting in the presence of the Lord. And what has he been telling us? Just what he told David, what would happen to his house for a long time to come.
That he would establish his house forever.
What did he tell him This.
After this sad experience of David before.
He told him before that his house was established threatening before David sinned. That grace, oh it's grace spark off. Some of us were speaking together. Peter and his troubles trial.
But before the Lord said to Peter, Satan that desired to have you just like here, that he may sift you as we.
The Lord had said already I've appointed you a Kingdom.
00:25:02
And you're going to sit on 12 Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Why? Because God's purpose is one thing, in his governments another.
And just as sure as God is purpose, he's going to fulfill it, cost what it may or fulfill it. But remember also that his government goes on. It goes on as a completed his government. Now let's read a little further.
Seventh Verse. And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.
David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing, but now I beseech thee.
Do away the necrotie of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly. Now that's very nice. You know, we'd like to have it done away with, but what does God say?
If His Holiness demanded that there be a Passover, what else does this hold in the man? The place we're now standards is holy ground. Now what David going to do? David's in trouble now. We don't have a man talking to Joshua.
We have an intermediary. We have something in between. In another passage, we learned that David was afraid of the Lord.
He might well be afraid of that sort. He might well be.
Go and tell David saying, Thus saith the Lord Ioffer thee three things, Choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee.
Either three years of famine, 3 months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtake thee, or else.
Three days, Lord of the Lord.
Now what does David choose? Choose the sword of the Lord. You know, it's a wonderful thing to be able to sit in the presence of the Lord and learn something of the heart of Christ. You know he'll never let one unnecessary tear fall.
Are you willing to place yourself in the hands of the Lord under his government? Why did David take the sword of the Lord? Oh he says I don't want to be in the hands of man because he says I know the Lords person. He knew the heart of Christ.
David expresses it in the third Psalm, but everyone was telling him if he ran Solomon, there's no use. If you're going to the Lord, look what you've done. David had He brought it all on himself. He married a Syrian woman.
That's why he had asked. God told him not to marry among the enemy. Oh dear young people here this afternoon, be careful.
But you don't put yourself in the place of David running from his own son. Could he raise the sword against his son? No, he had to run.
Oh, how real the government of God is, and how precious the heart of Christ is. And that third Psalm? Read it when you get home. We find David cries out Lord in the very first words.
And all the time he passed through that government of God, the wheels that continue to roll do not stop. He was enjoying the sympathies of Christ, He was enjoying communion, even though he was under the government approach. 14 First. So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel 70,000 men.
God sent an Angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it.
And as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed it is enough, stay in our thine hands. And the Lord stood by the threshing floor of her Arnon the Jebusite David lifted up his eyes, and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven.
Having a drawn sword in his hand.
Stretched out over Jerusalem.
Then David and the elders of Israel who were clothed in sackcloth fell upon their faces. Now, dear ones, have you seen any advancement in these three cases? In the 1St place, we see Balaam falling flat on his face. That's the end of Balaam. Oh, yes, there were. There was subsequent history, but it was all wickedness. And then he was slain in battle.
00:30:01
All the ends of Balaam, the awful ends of Balaam, having seen all the blessings that were coming on God's people.
Yep.
But what about Joshua? He falls in his face that he worships, but now this case is different.
David is under the government of God.
Remember this, even though we bring it on ourselves, there's never an experience we go through. But what? Through grace, We're richer. Faith and evidence believe that. And so we have something richer here. We have something deeper. And notice then David and the elders of Israel.
Who were clothes in Sackalo? They were already closed in sackcloth. Now what Sackcloth. Well, if you've seen someone in the East and that day, I suppose clothes and sackcloth.
Would probably be black goats hair. You know, the king of Nineveh was clothed in sackcloth. So it was all his people and all the animals and that's why God spared the sins because they repented. And whatever else it may mean, I believe sackcloth.
Would indicate not only mourning, but the owning of the hand of God.
David was owning it for all his thoughts. He owned the hand of God upon him. They were clothed in sackcloth when they fell on their face. Supposing the sword now has been applied to Europe? You yourself individually? Supposing it's been applied to your house?
Supposing, dear brethren, it has been applied to your assembly, and that's what we have here. But the principle is true of an individual.
Or a house, or an assembly, or a nation supposing itself.
Here we have the divine order for restoration, for blessing. We're living in a day when there's trouble, trouble everywhere in the world and among the Saints. Do we have an order in Scripture for restoration, for blessing? Because God is not satisfied, you know, with simply dealing with evil. He hates putting away. God is satisfied with restoration. He's happy with it, and that's the end.
Of the whole purpose.
This sword we have here, David and the elders of Israel and justice in the 4th, the 12Th chapter of Matthew, it was the elders of Israel that conspired to put Jesus to death.
So we find.
In Joel two, it's the elders of Israel that drive between the porch and the altar when he removes the northern army from Israel. In the book of Ezekiel, it's the elders that come to the prophets.
When the question of restoration is blessed for Israel comes up, here we have David and the elders.
Held as Israel were clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. Now that's down in the dust. And you know, brethren, whether it be in my own case, if I should see him, or whether it be in the case of a household and the head of the house, or whether it be in the case.
Of an assembly or a nation.
Place is in the dust before there will be any restoration.
Oh, you say yes, that brother will have to get in the dust. You and I will have to get into the dust brother. And if I'm not mistaken, a brother called my attention wants to I I don't know, but I believe he called my attention to just mixed with water to be drunk in the place in scripture for restoration, but I'm not sure as to that.
Just why does that become us? Because that's what we are. That's what we are.
And if God is allowing something to take place in my household, because I need to be reminded, not just the one. And if it's so in an assembly, the whole assembly needs to be reminded that the places in the dust. But how?
Consciousness not only mourning, but the fact that God's hand is upon me.
Oh, you say? Oh no, that that brother he's the one. Or that sister me.
Why? Because the Lord Jesus took that place for us. And that's the character our dear brother has been telling us about following precious truth. Let's apply it now. Let's apply it. Is that the place for us and the dust? And I believe rather than that that's that's the case all the way through Scripture. In principle, one doesn't mean to take any more time. But remember Risma?
00:35:07
The second in the second Samuel 21 I think it is.
Remember, Brisbane was not even guilty, as far as we know, having anything to do.
With the evil and the famine that was in Israel, and her seven sons that were hanged on a tree, as far as we know were not even guilty men. Their brother David says it was slain a righteous man in his own house, on his own bed. And yet Rizba, who loses these sons?
She takes that cloth, she spreads it on the rock for her. You know what happened? God restored blessing to Israel because she reminded David of his responsibility. Oh, how the Spirit of God can use one sister or one brother in the right state of soul.
Store in the cell phone how quickly one brother in the wrong state of soul can just ruin things in themselves. How quickly the reverse could be true. The Spirit of God is working in a soul.
By example.
Well, David said unto God, is it not I, the commanders, the people, to be numbered? Now that's the beginning of blessing, is it not I?
Oh, how beautiful when those who take the lead on it. How beautiful, brethren.
That's the Spirit of Christ.
And I'm sure David is a type of Christ, even though in this case David was the offender.
But it was because of the state of Israel.
It was all of God's people that sinned, even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed. But As for these sheep, what have they done? Well, that's great. That's marvelous grace. These sheep, what have they done?
David takes the whole thing, the whole plane. Oh, how marvelous, President, if any little way we can manifest Christ, the Spirit of Christ in our lives down here.
And all what an opportunity, brethren, if there's trouble, what a challenge for the heart, if there is trouble to be able to manifest the Spirit of Christ. And let's not deny it. There's trouble. Let's not deny it. Let's not hide our faces from it. Oh, how the enemy is has stood up. If you if you read in 12Th chapter of Daniel, you see how Michael stands up for the people of God.
It's the same principle, but there's Michael.
Bring blessing to Israel here. Satan is going to try to ruin them. He stood up. He's taken his place. He's determined that he's going to rule them. And when was it?
Just before the glory.
In the next few chapters, we see Solomon taking the throne.
Glory rather than the right at the very virtue of the glory. Now that's when they Satan stood up. That's when Satan wants to crush everything and ruin everything and take all the joy out of the hearts of God's people.
Here's the divine formula. But this isn't all.
Then the Angel of the Lord commanded God to say to David.
That David should go up and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing floor of ornament Jebusite. Now why is the threshing floor set up here? Why is the threshing floor set up some place where God had ordered things in the 1St place? It wasn't the altar set up in some place where God had originally ordered things.
Although that won't do, Israel has defiled it. There has to be a new ground. It has to be on the ground of God's sovereignty. And unless you and I recognize that, there will be blessing if we say, well, everything is all right, let's get back to our original order and everything will be all right.
Fashion of sin, failure, confession, not accept God come in and his sovereignty.
There will not be any blessing that can't remember everything from the past. Oh, David would like to push it aside and find a way whereby he'd get out of it.
And now David's going through the prescribed order, the altar, when we go down to the end 26th verse. And David built there in order of the Lord and offered burnt offerings, peace offering. Now Arden has suggested that he offer burnt offerings.
And then he offered me off. But David doesn't do that. He offers burnt offerings and peace offering. You know, it's a precious thing that once the Spirit of God begins to restore the soul, how much light there is.
00:40:12
Was David afraid of the Lord? He certainly was.
If you call on the Father past the time of your sojourn here in fear.
He judged without respect to persons. Now David has come a long way. David has benefited by this experience that he's beginning to rise in his soul.
Back to the original places, Meat offerings were precious all. How precious.
But now he's come into the place of liberty.
Alongside of the burnt offering, the burnt offering, Speaking of all the excellencies of Christ, is known to the Father you and I will never enter into, but also the peace offering that brings us in, just like the Gospel of Luke brings us right into the place of blessing and the enjoyment of it. Rest.
Of heart, peace. That's what it is. Peace. That's what David did. And that's the end of the path of restoration.
Liberty, peace. Well now you notice that the sword 27th verse after the fire comes down from heaven, and God owns it.
Then the sword is put up in its sheath.
Blessing is restored, but that's not all.
Within thy clothes.
In the next chapter we find against the old the House of the Lord.
Wouldn't you like blessings? Wouldn't you like blessings, dear brethren, in the little assembly or in your own home, wherever it may be? This is the prescribed formula.