Toronto Conference: 1974
Table of Contents
The Spirit on Earth
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Right to say this evening in connection with the Holy Spirit and his work here fires now looking first of all of what we asked so much about us now in connection with the movement of tongues of healing and how to see that in God's Word. God has brought these things before us, but has shown us also how the work of the Spirit.
For the good and blessing of our souls, and not just in connection with these signs.
If I also how that the Spirit has been given to encourage us in the pathway of faith so that we might have that power to live to please Him.
First of all, to act the 2nd chapter and that's where we have the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Acts chapter 2 actually this week the 1St chapter in the fifth verse to get the connection. Acts 1 and verse 5 For John truly baptized with water, but he shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
And the eighth verse. But you shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and under the uttermost part of the earth.
In the 2nd chapter in the first verse.
When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with 1 accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there there appeared unto them flown tongues like the fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, and they were drawing in Jerusalem. Jews devote men out of every nation under heaven.
And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. They were all amazed, and morals saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak yellow ends? And how here we every man in his own, our own tongue, wherein we were born parkings and maids, and evil lights, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontus.
Asia, Bridget and Pathilia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya, about Syremi and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Greeks and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our drawings the wonderful works of God.
I'd also like to turn to a passage and Second Peter chapter 1.
Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 20. Knowing this verse that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, for the prophecy came not an old time by the little man, a holy men of God, because they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
It also turned to the second chapter of Hebrews, the first verse. Therefore we ought to hear the more earned key to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Or if the words spoken by angels was steadfast, that every transgression and disobedience we see the just recompense of reward, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which?
Began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. None of us so bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will now be just one more passage in First Corinthians chapter 12. First Corinthians chapter 12.
And verse 4.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are differences of administration, but the same Lord, and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh All in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man, the prophet with all, and four to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
To another faith, by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healings, by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning experience, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But always worketh that one the self same Spirit dividing to every man severally.
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As he will.
On the end of this chapter, the 28th verse. But God hath said to me the church first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles and gifts of healing, health, governments, diversities of tongues, are all apostles, are all prophets, they're all teachers, they're all workers of miracles.
Have all the gifts of healing you all. Speak with tongues.
To all interpret the color must play the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
But I'd like to turn to another a number of other scriptures described, but I just like to speak of these. First of all, we see that the Holy Spirit of God has not come to this earth until the day of Pentecost. We remember in the passage that we were reading in the in the Bible reading in first Peter chapter 1, it mentioned how the gospel was preached with the Holy Ghost sat down from heaven.
Now that is what characterizes the present Christmas.
Translation and that is the Spirit of God here upon earth is a divine person Now he would not hear upon earth as a divine person in the Old Testament. It is true, as we noticed in first the second Peter chapter 1. The Spirit of God indicted the writing of the scriptures at a prophecy came not an old time by the will of man.
But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Times 2, when the Spirit of God came upon different ones and LED them to do different different things in the Old Testament. For the Spirit of God has always been acted here, even in creation. It says the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Yeah, creation itself. It says that it was by His Spirit that He garnished the heavens, and indeed all those who were born again in Old Testament.
It was a work of the Spirit about what we need to distinguish is that there was something very remarkable that happened on the day of Pentecost. The Lord Jesus had spoken of it, He said in the 8th chapter of John. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. And he told his disciples too that the Spirit would not come until he had gone back to the Father.
And so.
Under their Pentecost, the fulfillment of that promise took place. The Holy Spirit of God came down to earth as a divine person.
And reign here in this 2nd chapter of Acts that he not only indwelled the bodies of believers and that is sitting upon each one of them. And as we learn from other scriptures too. After that she believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. But it tells us that the Spirit also filled the house where they were sitting.
Some of the screw of God not only indwells the body.
Believers have I also dwells in the professing House of Christendom to turn to all the different scriptures that speak of these things. Have I just mentioned it in First Corinthians 3? It tells us there that.
There are different kinds of workmen, and it speaks to 1. And it says, If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. And then he speaks in that same chapter, how the tear are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now let's not talking about an individual.
This is talking in First Corinthians 3 about the House of God.
Where the Spirit of God dwells from the man defile the temple of God. Where the Spirit of God dwells, whether have the nose in places of Christian profession who have brought in evil doctrines that have attacked the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so right in the place where the Spirit of God dwells, they have introduced.
Now that which is subversive to the Christian faith and.
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This was a very serious thing now because the Spirit of God dwells, as we're told, in the house, and more than this.
We're also told that the Spirit of God dwells in the bodies of believers, and so it says in First Corinthians 6, Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. How about speaking again of the Spirit in the in the house? In Ephesians chapter 2 it says in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God.
Through the Spirit. So let us continue with them between the Spirit.
God willing, in the bodies of believers individually, and the Spirit of God dwelling in the house, the protesting House of Christendom.
Which makes the Christendom very, very responsible because of the privileges that we enjoy.
But then we we also see that in that passage in two Peter chapter one that the Scripture was inspired by the Spirit of God. And one of the reasons why I read that passage is to show that the Spirit of God will never believe contrary to the word. How could he inspire a certain thing to be written down in this lesson book and then lead a person to disobey it?
That be according to consistency and truth now that God by his Spirit would inspire this book and tell us what to do and then we find people telling us that they're led by the Spirit to do something that the word of God condemns. Let us remember this that the spirit and the word cannot be separated and unless one put it. He said that if we separate them we'll fall into fanaticism on one hand and that's what we.
People who talk about the Spirit of God but don't test things by the Word of God fall into all kinds of fanatical ideas and leave the door open too, for the enemy of their souls to come in and lead them far away from the truth of God. And then?
This brother coming out, he said. On the other hand, if we have the word without the Spirit, how then you have rationalism?
People that read the Bible, but they don't have the Spirit of God, so they rationalize the Scripture. I'm sure you've met some of them. They bring the Bible to your door. How about they don't have the Spirit of God and I don't see that this precious book honors the Lord Jesus. And they take this very book and they use passages of scripture out of their connection to dishonor our precious Savior to tell us that He's not God's all, that He's only a created being.
See how a person can actually take the Word apart from the Spirit and rationalize it so that we need the fear of God and the Word of God.
Still we find in First Corinthians chapter 12 where we read and let the Spirit of God has given different gifts and that there were gifts for edification, but there were also sign gifts, healings, miracles, times.
Now these gifts also were given in the early church and it tells us in the 2nd chapter of Hebrews that those gifts were given. And I want you to notice to confirm the word now that is it's talking about.
How shall we escape? Well, I should read it again because.
He was two, and the second verse or of the words spoken by angels, with steadfast and every transgression of disobedience, received a just recompense of reward.
Nobody is talking about when the law was given, because the law was given by the disposition of angels. Now he says, and God has given us his word in Christianity and was spoken first by the Lord. It's been confirmed to us by those that have heard him. And God then gave these signs to confirm his word. And just as when Allah was given, there were signs, the mountain shook.
Evidence to the people that God was speaking to them, and they saw this, the fire and the smoke, and they heard the voice of God speaking to them. Why? Now this was a very solemn sight, and there were signs to confirm it to them. Some of the day of Pentecost that God gave signs and until the New Testament scriptures were all written, God gave those signs to.
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My word, I want you to notice, particularly now, that there was no promise that those signs would continue. Now there was. There is a promise that you'll see later in Ephesians 4, the bullet gifts for the education of the church would continue, but there was no promise that the signs would continue. They were given to confirm the word. There were signs when the law was given, but every time the law was read to the people.
Both signs didn't appear. ******* are the signs in the beginning until God's word had been confirmed and written down for us were present.
What do you say to abide in God tell us that those signs would face well, I think there's a very simple reason why he didn't because the hope of the Lords coming was always a present hope for believers. It was a present hope in the early church. They were the look for the Lord's coming even in their own lifetime, and so if God had said we'll always signs you when to cease. They couldn't have been watching for the Lord. The current calm good day.
Notice Thessalonians couldn't have been looking for the Lord to come, yet the Scripture had said that the signs we're going to see about God when he's telling us about those things for the edification of his people, Why he tells us till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and of the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Now he's going to call your attention to a couple of things that I think are also important.
And that is that it tells us in the verses that we read.
You all speak with tongues do all interpret and that is even in the early church all didn't speak with tongues. So we couldn't say that even in the early church that it was proved it was a proof as to whether or not one had the Holy Spirit.
Because some who have the Holy Spirit didn't speak with some, some who have the Holy Spirit gifts, some who had the Holy Spirit rotten miracles, and some who had the Holy Spirit didn't. So therefore, as it tells us, those signs were given to everyone severally as the Lord willed, and they were given to certain ways, but not to all. And the pencil we can see.
That for someone to say they can't have the Holy Spirit if you don't speak with tongues.
Wasn't even true in the universe church because even then they didn't all speak with tongues. That was a special here given the sound as well as to be able to interpret.
And then we also say, you turn with me to the oral chapter of Africa, chapter of Acts, chapter of Acts from the 12TH verse. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, and they were all with 1 accord in solemn sport, and the rest there is no man joining himself to them, But the people magnified them, and believers were the more added to the Lord.
Born of men and women influenced that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches. That at the least the shadow of Peter passing by my holy shadow. Some of them. There came also a multitude of the cities round the boat unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them which were vexed with unclean spirit.
And they were healed, Everyone, I want you to notice that particular.
They were healed, everyone. Now, that is, if there was going to be a sign of the power of God, if there was going to be a sign that God's word was true, then anyone who came to be healed must be healed. Otherwise, if they came and Peter had to say, well, we're sorry, we can't heal you. Your case is too hard for us.
Why there would be no sign of the truth of God's Word.
If they had to go away disappointed and so we finally in all the instances through the.
Scripture in the Lord's lifetime, also in the acts now that when people came to be healed, they didn't go away disappointed. And it doesn't mention here whether those people had faith or not. Perhaps some of them did, perhaps some of them didn't. The Scripture doesn't tell us very blame that on the Isle of Moleta, that when Paul was shipwrecked in that island.
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Why he yield A Coolius, who was the chief man of the island?
And we're not told whether he was saved or not. And we're told that other people on the island who have diseases came and were healed, but it says they were barbarous people. So there's no evidence in the Scripture that everybody that was healed had faith. As I say, perhaps signed in. In fact, it's rather remarkable in the Scripture how few instances are given of believers being healed.
They're mostly young as a sign to show us how that God was working in special power. I want to distinguish between this and how God answers prayer. If if one is sick, I believe the Lord often comes in and answers prayer, and the scripture encourages us to turn to Him in all our difficulties and even in our sickness. But I'm not Speaking of God answering prayer.
Talking rather of the gift of tongues and the gift of healing. And this was something that was special in the early church. It's called in Hebrews chapter 10, the powers of the world coming. Why is it called the powers of the world to come? Well, because when the Millennium is brought in, why it tells us at that time he'll forgive all our iniquities and he'll heal all their diseases.
It tells us in Isaiah.
The inhabitants shall not say in that day I am sick. So when the power is manifested and people were healed was a little display of what's going to take place when the Lord Jesus takes his place as kings, kings and Lord of Lords, He'll straighten out the problems of this poor world and he will heal sick. And so this was a little sample that the one whom they.
Rejected and said we will not have this Mandarin over us. It's the very one who had another day is going to take his place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and set things right in this poor troubled world. About the reason I'm calling attention to this is that what we see around us today doesn't correspond with what we have here.
And that is we all know that in these so-called.
Healing Campaigns.
Why very many people go away disappointed. The very, very many cases are too difficult for these people. And in fact it's quite questionable about the permanence of these cases that they speak about. So it doesn't correspond to what we have in the Scripture. If you have been present as all those cases, why you would have seen a real.
Work of God. In fact, quite remarkable that when the man was healed in the early part of the Acts, he sat at the beautiful gate of the temple asking on why did God select such a person as that? But because everybody in Jerusalem knew him, they had all seen that man sitting there, and they all knew that it was a bona fide case of healing. There was no question, even the people.
I have said that a notable miracle has been done of Him is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and the Canada life. They have to recognize it, and so we can see that God was confirming His word with that which for clear and definite evidence to the power of the one who may have crucified.
Who is now arisen, glorified man at God's right hand.
And then Hannibal to hear the tongue, when we notice there in the second of Acts that they now people were there from every nation under heaven, and they all heard known tongues wherein they were formed the wonderful works of God. Now in that connection, I'd like you to just notice one birth in First Corinthians 14.
First Corinthians chapter 14 #2 Verses here the 21St verse.
In the law is written with men other times and other will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that.
They will not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore come there for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not, but from the sign serveth not for them to believe not, but for them which believe.
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When this story is striking because many people that I have spoken to in connection with this tongue movement have feel that this gets the tongue to the signs of themselves. Something that is given to them as a sign to themselves that they have the spirit. But the scripture says this gift of times was not a sign to those that believe, but to those that believe not.
So that.
Can't you see what took place on the day of Pentecost here there were all these people from every nation under heaven. They noticed who these ones were that were talking. They even said are not all these that speak Galileans? And how here we every man in our own tongue when we were born, in other words.
Now, this was an assembly that was perhaps answer to the United Nations.
And all these people there and the one that we're speaking were all galleons. Another place tells us unlearned and unwattered man. And here they were speaking in the tongues. When these people were born was not assigned to those who believe not. Is there anything here about it being assigned to them? No. But it was a tremendous sign to the people that were there, and they took notice of it too.
They realized that God was doing something.
Very remarkable. And it was a testimony because they understood the message. They understood that they were declaring the wonderful works of God. They were speaking in such a way that they could understand. And it wasn't necessary to have an interpreter. Why? For the only time it speaks about an interpreter is when a man might choose the gift of tongues in the assembly. And since all didn't have the gift of tongues and since all didn't.
The interpretation, it'll be just like a man standing up in this meeting and speaking to us will say in German, well, unless somebody interprets it, we wouldn't understand. And so it was necessary if a man used it in the assembly now, that it should be interpreted. Sometimes we've got a missionary come back and the same disorder song in another tongue, and then he interprets it. He tells us what it means, so he'll understand what he's saying to us.
Very nice. Wouldn't be much use so much. We did understand some interpretation was given for the good of those who were believers, but the sign was to those that believe not. Now the reason I'm calling attention to these things is to show first of all, that these signs that were given in the early church were not given to everybody.
And that is, the gifts were not given to everybody.
And more than this are that these signs belong in such a way that everyone could see the manifested power of God. And there was no question as to the reality of it. It was very clear, very definite, and it confirmed the word. Now, what we see today that we see in the way that the Scripture records it there, it would be impossible, as far as I know, for any group of those.
Profess to have tongues to get a number of people together of quite a few different nationalities, and then proclaim to them the wonderful works of God without having first learned their language. They all are. Missionaries have to go and learn the languages before they can serve God in different countries. Let me show you that what we see today doesn't correspond.
To what we find in the acts enemies.
Healing campaigns, I say again, does it correspond? Aren't many disappointed? Don't many find that something has something is lacking? Young man that we knew back in Ottawa, he thought that he would go and get healed. He had, he was crippled from his childhood infantile paralysis and he thought he would go and he was sure that he was going to get healed.
And after he came back and he wasn't healed.
You couldn't even speak to him about the water.
Did it confirm the word? No, the imitation on me shook his face instead of helping to confirm God's word to him. And then the third thing I want to call your attention to is how that is strange that these movements who profess these things.
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Her associated with so many other things that are not according to God's word. We see almost all of them our organizations of men where the church is not an organization. Christ is the head of the body of the church and the scripture speaks of meeting in his name alone in their services they have an ordained.
Clergy, which is contrary to Christian position.
In their services, women are able to speak and the Scripture says that if they were submissive to the Word, it says I suffer now I want them to teach, I want to speak, but to be in silence. Then if they do have the signs that they're confirming this obedience to the Word instead of obedience to the Word, because the system that is set up not according to God's Word, and we all fail.
And I certainly wouldn't want to say.
That all of us and carry out the word of God in our personal lives. We should be failed but to set up a system where it's quite clearly and definitely allowed and encouraged to disobey the Word of God and to carry on in a way that's contrary to God's plan for his assembly. And I would God give signs to confirm disobedience to his Word.
What I say hopefully these things for you to.
That check, check by the Word of God, the Scripture says, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. And so if they have these things or professed to have them, surely we have every reason to expect that they would have it in the same way that Scripture speaks of. And secondly, that it would be used to confirm God's word and that they were seeking to proclaim.
And act upon God's Word.
As I say, there's failure. It was failure in the early church. We always fail in carrying God's Word. But to carry on an order of things that is condemned in the Word of God to encourage it is indeed a very serious thing.
Now I must turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 verse 10, how the power will be the seventh verse. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Verse 11 And he gave some apostles and some prophets.
Some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried above with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of man coming.
Whereby they lie and wait to deceive by speaking the truth in love may grow up unto Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, for whom the whole body simply joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier, according to the effectual working in the measure of every cup heart, make an increase of the body under the edifying of itself.
In love how you notice very carefully.
I'm sure that in this chapter there is no mention of tongues or healing or anything in the way of miracles and signed gifts, but we find that an ascended Christ has provided that which would be for the edification of the Church and someone that says the apostles and prophets. Just turn back to the second chapter.
The 20th verse and are built upon the foundation of the.
Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings that we frame together grow up unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also our ability together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Well, here we find that.
They were built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Now that is, as Paul says in First Corinthians 3, as a wife.
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Governor, I have laid the foundation.
The apostles and prophets of the New Testament, as we find in First Corinthians 3 and also in Romans 16 at the end of the chapter, but they were the ones who laid the foundation. And that's why we're not to add to God's Word. It's complete. The foundation has been laid and it's preserved to us today.
The work of those who laid the foundation, just like when the building is going to be put up.
The foundation is laid and also laid. The foundation can move on there the the work that they have done by the structure goes on afterwards. And so there are those who have in some measure the gifts of Christ, says in the seventh verse. To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
And then there are evangelists, pastors.
And teachers and the 16th verse, that which every joint supplier, so we can see that each one has some part in this. Now there's that which every joint supplies. Now that everyone has some part in the measure of the gift of Christ. And what is the part? What other part here is?
That the body might be edified and the gifts have been given.
For what purpose? So that we wouldn't be carried above with every wind of doctrine now if God were to give.
Those signs to confirm what was contrary to his word. Why surely that wouldn't be according to his mind of what he has given the gifts so that that we might be preserved from every wind of doctrine and all we can see in Christendom that all kinds of different ideas and thoughts of man.
Now that which men have introduced and how they have taken the scripture out of its context, how they don't have proper understanding of the times.
And so we find real creation to believe that a a person could be saved and lost. Others think that the old nature would be burned out. How do you get carried away, as we've been noticing with looking for signs and then?
Disappointed. What isn't it lovely that God has given us in this chapter? How the Christ, the Ascended one has given those gifts that would occupy our hearts with Christ, as it tells us here. From the perfecting of the same for the work of the ministry to the OR the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith, and that is a gift properly used.
Is used that Saints might be built up, drawn closer to the Lord, knowing more about him and about his love. He encouraged to follow him. And then too the unity of the faith. Supposing a gift is used to build up some system of man, or how much, how much better when the gift is used to give souls to see that the Church.
One where one body the Christ is the head and that he should be honored and that he should be exalted and then too that the truth should be spoken in love and I trust what I'm saying tonight. It's not so that that we get a little more hair knowledge and over our hearts through the operation of the Spirit of God would be more attracted to Christ because you know people like you could actually find with other things.
You know it's in the gods.
But when the Lord healed people on different occasions, He told them not to say anything. Why did He tell them not to say anything? All people loved to get occupied with signs. He never told anyone not to speak about what He had done for their souls. But a man was free from the power of Satan. He said, Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. Yes, it was a privilege to.
Speak of what Christ had done for the soul and yet it takes more courage, doesn't it? People can talk about the healing of their body. They can talk about some miracle. Even Herod wanted to see a miracle wrath by Christ. But to speak about what's been done for the soul. Now that exists Christ that honors him and some of the gifts have been given for this purpose. And again I call attention to this till we.
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Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, and unto a perfect man. Notice this, till we all come. That is the promise of the continuance of these gifts which ever have in view how that souls would be built up to a full knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and would be preserved from those things that would lead them away from him.
Away from the truth that would set them free.
And fill their hearts with gladness and rejoicing, occupy them with something that the men have done through their organization. Even even the introduction of musical instruments. Everybody can't play a musical instrument. So the person that can get a little bit of exhilaration doesn't he for for what he can do that's a little bit more than somebody else. And he gets a little bit of the glorious. It is in the church.
We don't find those things brought in because you and I are to use our voices. And brethren, it's not how well we can sing. The Scripture says singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. If anything that I could say would encourage you, it would also encourage me to think more of the Lord Jesus as we sing the hymns together. Then there would be a melody that I would rejoice at the heart of the Lord.
What you know when people can pray?
Well, or when I can sing a soul or something like attention is attracted to them. Somebody find in the Scripture the greatest simplicity in connection with worship because Christ is to be the theme, an object of it all. Indeed. I might just add too, that I believe in the gift of tongues that were given, were given to show that God was going to reach out beyond the limits of Israel.
Because it wasn't necessary in the Old Testament. Because salvation was a legitimate of the Jews.
Now we're dealing with a particular nation. By the day of Pentecost, the bounds were going to be enlarged. The message would go out, as the Lord Jesus said, to every nation under heaven. And so how me? At least he provided so that this work would begin at once. I think it's lovely, you know, when a person wants to go to foreign land now for a delay until he learns the language.
But just think of the Day of Pentecost. It didn't need to be any delay because.
For the Spirit of God that's going to work and gathering living stones, that spiritual ability from every nation under heaven and how beautifully he began to work, showing how he had grown beyond the limits of Israel, was going to reach out and black him. Oh, how lovely it is to see the purpose of God in connection with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
And now let us notice again.
15th and 15th verse, while speaking the truth in love may grow up under Him in all things, which is the head. Even Christ, from whom the whole body simply joined together and compacted by that which every joint supply us according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, may have been increase of the body and the edifying of itself in love we know on the human body.
When all is functioning properly.
It's a healthy body.
And there's no hindrance. The food that we does is proper work and so that our body is nourished, we feel well and strong and able to take on situations and face the things of life. But you know, if some part of the body isn't functioning properly, the whole body suffers and stolen spiritual realm too. Now that is if one of us is a hindrance.
That's all that souls are not enjoying Christ.
By them is going to have an effect upon all things of God, so each having the heart to fill in this.
You know just a little briefly in connection with the work of the Spirit. Notice Ephesians 1 and verse 13. In whom ye also trusted. After that she heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after that she believes you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of.
Glory.
Turn to Romans 5, Romans 5, and verse 5. And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us again in the 8th chapter and the 15th verse. For ye have not received the spirit of ******* again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption.
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Whereby we cry, have a Father. The Spirit itself beareth witnesses.
Our spirit that we are the children of God.
Here we find something of the Word of the Spirit, and it certainly doesn't say that any of these passages.
You all are all seals of the Spirit. You all know God is your Father. You all have this love of God shed brought in their hearts by the Spirit. Oh it doesn't say that does it? This is a common portion of all believers. This is what happens when the Spirit of God comes to indwell the body of the believer even in the early church as I say when they receive this.
Some spoke with tongues and some didn't. But when we're indwelled by the Spirit of God, it's true of every believer that he's the earnest of our inheritance. He's the pledge that God is going to complete the work He has begun. The sword he's going to finish. Just like when you put some money down on a piece of property, that's the pledge you intend to carry the deal through.
And when the Spirit of God comes to indwell a believer, it's God's pledge.
Until the day of redemption that he's going to finish what he has begun.
Then two, every believer can now look up and say, God is my Father. The Spirit of God teaches us as we sing sometimes, and by Spirit too has taught us and a father of us to cry. This is true not just of some believers now. This is the work of the Spirit for all believers to know God.
As Father, and then too.
In the passage in Romans 5, the law of God is shed upon our hearts. Is there anyone who has accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior that doesn't know that God loves him right? Sinners may not realize that God loves them, but the work of the Spirit in the heart teaches us that God loves us. And so we see that this is a word as the Spirit of God.
It does in the hearts of believers. There may be hindrances in our part to the enjoyment of our.
How about it isn't just thoroughly some, some have the right to call godfather and some it's for all believers. Some can say, well, it's the earnest of my inheritance, but others can't say that. Oh no, that's not true. It's true of all believers. And so how blessed we can see that at the work of the Spirit to occupy our hearts with grace is for all believers.
And let's turn now to this in the same age of Romans.
In the 26th verse it says likewise the Spirit also help us our infirmity, for we know that what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Here we find that the spirit helps our infirmities. Notice we were talking about healing and attempt in the early church how there was the gift of healing. But here it doesn't say the spirit helps our removes our infirmities, but the spirit helps our infirmities. They leave us in some of these things and what helps us to bear them and how awesome we have visited.
The bedside of a child of God who is sick.
And I truly seen that the spirit, health care, infirmity, instead of getting depressed and sad under the sorrow or under the trial, we find the triumph, we find the Lord has made Himself very precious to their souls and helped them. And so even others will notice the joy that they have in their infirmities. Oh boy, what is the divine gift to indwell the body who helps our infirmities?
And this isn't just for some. Now this should be the common and enjoyed portion of every believer that the Spirit helps our infirmities in order that is, whatever difficulty and trial or sickness you may have, isn't it lovely that the Spirit of God at this very moment, who wants to lift you out of that trouble, that trouble? Maybe you say, well, just get me down.
Wasn't it lovely that the spirit indwelling you will help you?
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In this, by occupying you with Christ, occupying you with his love, putting you on to your happy heavenly home, He helps you to endure the things that we endure if you go through this pathway down here.
Mother in John 16. John chapter 16.
And the 13th verse, Verse 13. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine.
And shall show it unto you. And here we find something else that the Spirit has been given for.
The scripture tells us the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Neither can he know that. Won't be surprised if you quote a verse to an unsaved friend and he says I can't understand that. The Bible tells you that they can. The Bible says the natural man receiveth not to think.
Of God neither can be known. But when we get saved now then the Spirit of God who comes to endure our bodies is they are to lead us into all truth. And so as we sit in the meeting and as the truth is ministered from the word of God, the Spirit of God who indwells us leads us to lay hold of those things. Don't you often sit in a meeting and something that perhaps you didn't understand as it was ministered?
God made it good in your soul and LED you right into that truth and it became precious to your soul. Well, if you're an unsaved person, that wouldn't be so, but the Spirit of God indwelling you leads you into all truth. And notice it says here, He shall glorify me. One of our remarks about this.
That we can make a simple test of any doctrine that is presented by just asking this.
Does it exalt Christ? Does it exalt Christ if it's the truth of God? If you're being taught by the Spirit, the truth will glorify Christ. Because man likes to use verses in the scripture to his own himself, takes them out of their context and uses them to exalt himself. Supposing I teach that I can be saved?
Saved and lost again does not exalt self, I say the Lord.
You made me, but if I do my part, I'll keep saying so. I think I'm a pretty good Christian. Why? I can exalt myself as being a faithful Christian. Faith for heaven because I kept myself safe. Don't you see how the enemy hinders souls from enjoying the truth by bringing in something that exalts man? But the truth is always Christ. He shall glorify me.
And the work of the Spirit.
Is to bring that truth home to your soul and mind in such a way as to make Christ more precious to us. And so instead of the meeting you say, isn't that grand?
The Lord is never going to let me go. The Spirit of God indwelling you takes that verse of Scripture. Perhaps in John 10. I came to them, Turn away, and they shall never perish and say good in your soul. And Christ is honored in His own. And so it is. The truth of God honors and exalts him. And then we find another passage too in Galatians 5. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16.
If I say them, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill us, but the flesh.
All the flash lusteth against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to 1 The other.
So that she cannot do the things that she would. But if he be LED of the Spirit, he are not under law. Well, here we find that we still have the old nature within us call the flesh here, and it doesn't improve after we're saved. But we also have a divine gift with him and the Spirit of God helps us.
To overcome the flesh, perhaps you say, well, I just feel so weak. Well, the Lord Jesus said the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The flesh is weak.
But we heard it is not only willing about the Spirit of God is the power and the spread. Ye shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come upon me. But a Christian has power. Is it because he is a strong personality? No, the flesh hasn't improved. But the Scripture says greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
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And you and I have this new power. So here's another thing the Spirit helps us to do.
And that is helps us to overcome that energy of the flesh within.
Oh, how often we find that flesh rising up and wanting to do something that's not honoring to the Lord, so we dishonor him, and then we allow the Spirit of God to occupy us with Christ, fill our hearts with heavenly peace and love, and there comes through Him the strength to overcome of those things.
Now that the enemy would seek to lead us into through the flesh.
And so the the Christian then has a spirit and the flesh and the spirit are contrary to 1 to the other, as we're told, greater is he that is in you and is the Spirit of God is the stronger. And if we allow the Spirit of God who's way with us, he will give us the strength to overcome. So we see them that the Spirit enables us to overcome the flesh.
Now just one more time, did you like to turn to in Second Corinthians?
Chapter 3 and verse 17. Now the Lord is of spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all with open faith, beholding us in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here I believe we should say we have two more things brought before us in connection with the Spirit.
1St That where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is.
Poverty and then to let the Spirit of God you know.
Occupying us with Christ changes us into His image and likeness. How that is we become more like Him. Just a few words about where the Spirit of the Lord is. There is liberty and that is the Spirit of God is not one who leads us into ******* it says.
Not receive the spirit of ******* again, the fear. Now the Spirit of God leads us into liberty because everything that is pleasing to God, the new man within us, delights to do. And so for the Spirit of God leaves us. He leads us to do the things that the new man wants to do.
It's not ******* to do things you want to do. Is it that you call that liberty? Every one of us say it's supposed to be. Well, why do you do the things that I want to do?
And I would feel free. Well, the sun therefore shall make you free, shall be free indeed. For the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. And if you and I allow the Spirit of God working upon the new man to lead us, it won't feel like a *******. Just like Lazarus when he was raised from the dead, the Lord said, listen, he was set free, wasn't he? He wasn't brought in the ******* again.
Say fire up again now because he might fall into sin. He said let him go. He had a new life now resurrection life hasn't his blessed where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And so in his family too, where we recognize the presence of the Spirit of God, there's liberty. And so anyway, these different ones to give out of him to pray, to praise him.
Using different ones to occupy us as the Spirit does with God belonged to Son and further.
The Lord if there is liberty. And now it is known as this last verse.
Now we look upon him as we see him as the root of man there and glory of God. We have what is it that takes place. I were chained into the damage from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now that is as we're occupied with Christ in boy the Spirit and does this work with us of producing in US blitness to Christ.
As soon as I think we can see rather than that God gave these signs by the Spirit in the beginning, they fulfilled A definite important purpose of God in connection with the confirmation of the Word and in connection with the spread of the gospel in the beginning, but there was no promise that they would continue. But all these latter things that we have noticed that these things are intended to be common for all believers. They're not something that are especially.
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The things that are especially given to some believers and not to other people. Every one of us are entitled to enjoy the liberty of the Spirit in our life. Everyone of us are entitled to be so occupied with Christ that we become more likely. Every one of us, when we're sick, are entitled to allow the Spirit of God to so occupy us with Christ and with coming glory. Now that we get help in our infirmity, every one of us had the way.
To allow the Spirit of God to help us to overcome the flesh who's so strong within us. Number one of us are entitled to call God our Father, to rejoice in the love of God and to know that we can never lose this glorious salvation. So we can see that those things that have been given for our spiritual good, for our edification.
Are now to be enjoyed by every believer by the Spirit.
And then we get home to glory, for then the Spirit will change our bodies. You say, well, are we going to be healed or we get home to heaven? Why? These bodies will be changed. It says He'll change these mortal bodies. He'll quicken these mortal bodies by his spirit that dwell within you. And so the Spirit of God, who now fills our hearts with occupation with Christ, and.
Love and speaks to produce like Mr.
Then complete the work and will be physically like Christ. And then when we're up there in glory, the Spirit will still be there because it says you'll abide with you forever. But He won't have to help us overcome the flesh, because we won't have the flesh within us. He won't have to help us in our infirmities because we won't have any infirmities. So you'll just be unhindered to do His blessing work.
To fill our hearts with the joy and peace and happiness that is ours because of what Christ has accomplished. May God grant that we will want more in the enjoyment of that which is ours through the Spirit who has been given to us until the day of the end.
Bringing to the Lord
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn first of all to Titus from the second chapter.
Titus chapter 2 and verse 11.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust.
We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Well, the young people, this afternoon, it was on my heart to speak about some of the things that we could bring to the Lord. But first of all, of course it's fitting that we should speak of what He has brought to us, because the little that we can bring to Him is exceedingly small when we think of what He has brought to us. And I believe these verses bring before us in a very touching way what He has brought to us.
And form deserve kill. For it says the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men the grace of God. When we think of grace, it means God's undeserved favor. Did we deserve any of this kindness that He has shown to us, that we deserve to be picked up on our downward course and brought to Him, brought to be made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ?
For the salvation that we possess.
Is not merely to know our sins are forgiven, but every blessing that God has destroyed is such a wonderful thing that it's almost beyond our minds to take in in fullness even one of the many blessings. While the psalmist said, How great were those thy thoughts unto me, if I should declare and speak of them.
They are more than can be numbered are we find the apostle Paul to.
When he speaks about it, he says, and to know the law of Christ, which passes knowledge. He spoke of knowing something and then in the next breath he said, but we really can't know it. It passes knowledge. And so I trust that each one of you here this afternoon can say, thank God, salvation has been brought to me, the grace of God that bringeth salvation.
You realize how restless you have been blessed. You realize that you.
Have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Perhaps you spend a little time, and I hope you have, thinking of the wonders of knowing Christ as your Savior, to know that you've been delivered from coming judgment and that heaven is your home. But oh, when we think of how God has blessed us so abundantly, the little hymn we sang this morning said Trembling. We had hoped for mercy some low place within his door.
What? The crown, the throne, the mansion, all the rest.
Long before now, that is God.
Not only gave us a safe place within His door, but oh, how wonderful to share with Christ are those unsearchable riches. And so when we think of this, the little bit that we can bring to Him is surely very, very small. But as we meditate on what He has brought to us, it is a privilege that we have that we can bring.
Don't think the hem. And we notice here in these verses that His grace teaches us certain things. It teaches us how we ought to live in this world, because we are a peculiar people. We don't really belong to this world anymore. We were once walking according to the course of this world. We were once part and parcel of this great vast system. Who is going on away from God?
About we're not any longer and we're a peculiar.
Only have been brought apart from it. Our position is somewhat like an ambassador in this world. He is in the midst of a nation. He sees a lot of activity, but he's not part of it. He's there to represent his own country in another country and you and I can say our citizenship is in heaven. Someone saw so we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus.
That's where we belong and say this grace has taught us how we should live in this world.
That there are many things that have an appeal to our fallen natures. And we only have to be honest to acknowledge that we still have that fallen nature and that the world still does make an appeal to that nature. But God has given us something better. And when we have something better, we just stop and think, well, I, I don't need that because I've got something better than that.
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And that's how we deny ungodliness and worldly lust.
Seven times Satan makes an appeal and says, look what you're going to get by going after this. Just stop and think, well, what has God-given me? Is it better what he has given me in him than what the world is offering to me? I'm sure if we think of this, we would immediately settle it and say, well, I can see what I have in him. It's so much better. And more than that, dear young people, if you sow to the flesh of the flesh, you reach corruption and many, many.
Young people have gone after something in youth and it has spoiled their lives. Now we know how that David sinned and the Lord forgave in his sin and he was restored. He wrote some of those beautiful psalms, but oh, there was a lot of sorrow that came into his life because he had sowed to the flesh an order of young people. It's my desire that when you come to the Lord Jesus.
And if you would see how risky you are blessed in Him.
And that you would be preserved from those things that will only bring sorrow into your life later on if you have to look back upon with regret and wish that you had listened to the warnings of God's precious words.
And then it tells us to something we're looking for. Are we looking for this world to improve? No, we don't expect it to improve. Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. Do we expect, too, that there's going to be more freshness and desire for the Lord? Why we always find in the Scriptures at the end of the dispensation as things go down.
How weak things were when the Lord Jesus was born into this world.
Holy things are in the last state of the church described in Laodicea, So we see that. We're taught to expect how that gaze will become more difficult. But thank God, we have a blessed hope looking for that blessed hope. The Lord is coming. He's going to take us to that home where there will be no sickness nor sorrow nor crying nor pain.
He's taken us to that. He's going to take us to that place where there are places will be smooth and.
The crooked things will be made straight and that's our hope. And then to the spoon of the day when this world will all be set right. And that's why it says the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. He is going to set things right in his poor troubled world. He's going to come and he's the only one that can improve and set things right. The mess that this world has got into which we feel.
And then isn't it lovely?
What it says Who gave himself for us? What kind of a sacrifice did he make? He's brought salvation. What does it cost?
Who gave himself the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. You know we can give things to the Lord about this thing. He gave himself His love, could not give more, and would not give less because He wanted us. Yes, dear young person, as we remarked yesterday.
He not only wanted to bless you.
What do you want is your company he wanted to have your company and that he's the joy of his eternal glory is going to be to have his redeemed people there and that at that time it says he felt joy over them with singing. He shall rest in his love. Oh what a future then is ahead of us. And so let us just meditate for a few minutes on what he gave for us.
He came to bring salvation.
He gave himself for us now that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people of good works means that we're really in earnest. The Christian is not a wishwash person. He's not just one who goes through this world that everybody can change his opinion whether things are right or wrong. He has something definite to go by. He has the word of God, and he is to be zealous. He is to be in earnest to live to.
He is the one who has done so much for him and I besides you, dear young people, not to take on the characters of this world today, whose standards of what is right and what is wrong are almost changing and going down daily. Remember, you and I have standards set by God Himself. For it says all of sin comes short of the glory of God. God has a standard that is inflexible. It doesn't.
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And so you and I are to have certain standards, and these standards are not set by public opinion. They're set by the Word of God and word of the zealous. As the apostle said, it's good to be zealously affected in a good thing. You know, people can be turned around so easily. We often see how that person is going on and someone influences and they turn the other way.
I remember the Lord Jesus who saves you. 2 Saves you can give you.
Strength to live, to please Him. He can help you to have real decisions, real purpose in your heart. One of the first exhortations to unbelievers that we find in the Acts is that with purpose of heart or they would cleave unto the Lord. And so may the Lord grant them that with purpose of heart that you choose, and they cleave unto the Lord.
When I believe we could say the next thing we can, or the first thing I should say we can bring to him, let's turn to Deuteronomy 26. Deuteronomy chapter 26. And it shall be when thou shalt come into the land, under the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance and possesses it, and Louis therein, that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth.
Which thou shalt bring of the land.
Of thy land, that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in the basket, and shall go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. And passing on the eighth verse. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outskirts arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders, And he had brought us into this place, and hath given us this.
And even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now behold, I have brought the first fruits of the lamb, which thou, O Lord, hast given me, and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. Well, here we find the very first thing that they were to do when they reached the harvest, was to bring the basket of first fruits and set it down, and worship before the Lord.
And this is important too, but the very first thing that the Lord desires from us is that we should bring Him praise, that we should bring that the overflowing of our heart to Him in worship and in Thanksgiving. We all remember about the 10 lepers who were cleansed. Every one of those 10 lepers were cleansed, perfectly cleansed.
But it tells us that one of them came back and with a loud voice.
Glorified God arm down at the feet of the Lord Jesus, who gave him a little of the thanks that was due to the Lord for what He had done for him. And so when he is, the light came into the land, that good lamb flowing with milk and honey, and he had reached there, and he had to come there and see what a fine harvest he had before he partook of that harvest for himself. He brought a desk to the first fruit.
And he set it down before the Lord, and he looked back and retraced that he was once a slave in Egypt, and how he cried to the Lord, and how the Lord delivered him, and how he was brought into such a place of blessing. And there he was in the place where the Lord had chosen to put his name, and there he was. He's a worshiper. No, dear young people, isn't this a wonderful privilege that you and I can find in God's precious words?
Anthony is marked out for us, how he would have us to come and gather around the Lord Jesus for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, and there to present Thanksgiving and praise and worship to him, where he set down his basket of first fruits, and there it says he worshiped before the Lord. That wasn't a fearless exactly, was it? It was worth it. People talk about suraless and.
Very definitely has a place in our Christian life, but the very first thing that God would have is the worship and the Thanksgiving of our hearts. For from again to heaven it tells us the Spirit and shall serve Him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their forehead. And I believe the service of heaven will actually be worshipped. But he knows sinners to be saved, there to be no poor people.
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Health. But there will be a service of praise. In fact, one has sometimes remarked that I have been struck by the similarity between the remembrance of the Lord and the gospel meeting in the remembrance of the Lord, that we present to the Lord the person, and the work present to God the person, and the work of His beloved Son. We tell God how thankful we are that His beloved.
Turn down here and accomplish that worth of redemption for us. And we pour out our hearts to him and Thanksgiving and praise for that. And then when the gospel meeting comes in the evening, we have the same message. And we're telling sinners that just as we were saved through that work, for which we're giving thanks so that they can be saved, killed to that glorious work, so in the morning we present the person and work of Christ to God.
God as that which is a theme of our worship and evening, we present the person and the work of Christ to the sinners as His way of blessing. Isn't it lovely to see if this is God's order first to God and then to others? But God always delights to have us occupied with his beloved Son. And so they they took that basket at first down and all. I just want to ask each one of us here.
Have we taken that time?
In our lives have we realized the importance and the privilege of being married as worshippers around the Lord Jesus just to thank him, just to praise him and just to say that we we want to tell him a little of our of our appreciation of what he has done for us. For the very first thing that we bring then is worship to him through the Lord. Grant that I thinking of what he has done.
There will be more worship in our heart. I think of that passage in First Corinthians 14 where it says.
Has it been, brethren, when you come together, everyone of you have a thong, half of him, half a doctrine, half an interpretation? The Scripture doesn't contemplate such a thing as coming together without some praise upon our hearts. It even says.
None shall appear before me empty. How could we come into His presence, knowing what He has done for us, without praise in our hearts for Him and Thanksgiving in response? Because He has said that this do in remembrance of May.
Helen, a lot of terms of John chapter 1, John chapter 1 and verse 39. Heed up the Lord Jesus speaking. He saith unto them, Come and see. They came, and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that day, for it was about the 10th hour. One of the two which heard John speak and proud him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
He first first findeth his own brother, Simon and Sarah.
Unto him we have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted to Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus, and when Jesus beheld him, he said, as our Simon the son of Jonah, thou shalt be called Caesar, which is thy interpretation of stones. And in this little incident before us, here we have one who had been brought to know the Lord Jesus, and when he is bringing, here is his brother to Jesus.
Bring this knife here, and we've seen how that the Lord has brought salvation to us, and that we can return in praise and Thanksgiving our basket of first fruits, as it were, filled with worship and praise to Him, and we present that to Him. And then here we find, 1. He came to this place where the Lord was, and in his 39th verse it says.
He saw where he dwelt, that is, he saw that God did have.
My dwelling place and the person of the Lord Jesus here upon earth, that there was a place where they could go and there they could be in the company of the Lord Jesus. And from that place then he goes out and what did he do? Well, he had a brother, but he didn't believe knew the Lord Jesus. And so he searched for his brothers. He wanted him to hear the good news and you can think of that person and how you long.
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They could be saved. How you long that they should know the Lord Jesus as you do, or up with the feeling that came in Andrew's heart. I'm sure his heart was so thrilled that he had been brought to know the Lord, that he had come to the place where the Lord Jesus dwelt. And probably we could say that spent the happiest day of his whole life there because he adored with him that day.
This was so overcome with joy at being where the Lord Jesus was and in his company that he just said I don't want to leave. This place is wonderful. I want to be in his company and a young person. The grandest thing on earth is to be in the company of the Lord Jesus.
Now he thought of someone who had a need, his own brother.
Because it tells us in John chapter 17, the Lord Jesus there is praying to his Father. And he said, I claim not that thou should have take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. And then again he said, as thou hast sent me into the world, Even so have I also sent them into the world.
Now you know the Lord could have taken us to heaven the very day He saved us.
Will never be anymore fit for heaven than we were the day that He saved us and washed our sins away in his precious blood.
About the land had left us here, and he has left us here, just like he left Andrew. And just like the Lord in that prayer said, I don't ask that they should be taken out of the world, but that they might be preserved and that they might realize that they have actually been sent into the world. Given till I say a little.
To do. And dear young people, we have a little service to do. Perhaps when you were saved you wished the Lord would have just taken you out of the world altogether, out of all the troubles and problems and all, and you just thought it would be grand if you could take it straight to heaven. Why did you leave us here? Well, He has given us the privilege of being in this world as His sent ones sent into.
World to be a testimony for him, the same for him to think to bring others to him and our dear young people. I wonder if you and I value this privilege. How many of us were brought to the Lord by someone else speaking to us about the Savior, someone else praying for us, someone else perhaps bringing us to a gospel meeting and we thank God that they had such an interest in us that.
Amount of us to be saved too and they brought us and I just passed this on to you. Have you thought it was a privilege that you have?
Someone has said that next to the joy of your own conversion is the joy of leading someone else to the Savior.
And it's a marvelous thing too, that in the coming day God will associate such with the little service that they did for him. Nor tells us in the Psalms. Peter goeth forth and reap us bearing precious seed. Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his keys with him, just like the man who's harvesting.
Goes out and he cuts down the the grain and then he puts it into a seed.
And he turns it back. That's the fruit of his labor. He brings his sheep with him. So renewing with this to the apostle Paul that he spoke about the Thessalonians Saints at the coming of the Lord. And he said, for what is our hope of joy or crown of rejoicing are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming in the verse we read yesterday where he spoke about the Corinthians.
And he said that he desired that he might present them as a case virgin to Christ.
Nigeria young people, isn't this a wonderful thing that if you have some little part in bringing someone else to the Lord Jesus, you're going to know that in heaven and it's going to be a special joy to you? I sometimes said that the verses that show us that we're going to know one another in heaven are not connected with natural relationships. You can't think of any verses that talk about knowing one another in heaven that talk about natural relationships.
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They all talk about spiritual ones. How did the disciples know Moses and Elias? Not because they were naturally related to them, but because they were men of faith. Why did Paul speak about these Thessalonians Saints in a coming day, being his joy and crown of rejoicing? They weren't related to him, but they were part of his service for the Lord.
And so the Corinthians and so you know.
Natural relations have a very, very important part in our life down here. And Andrew here brought his brother to the Lord about what is going to last. What is going to last in eternity is the divine relationship. And wouldn't it be lovely if your own brother, who's your brother in the flesh, your natural brother should become by being saved, your brother in Christ.
Then there would be a bond that would abide. Then there would be one that would last.
And the threat is, if there's someone that you bring to know the Lord Jesus, it's going to be your joy as well as his joy in heaven. And so I just wish to encourage you a little bit not to someone that you could bring to the Lord. You can't save them, but you could bring them to the Lord. And the Lord Jesus can do that work and bring them to himself.
To know him, to know him personally.
As our brother brought before us last night to have a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus, acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace.
And then we find that when Simon was brought to the Lord, something else was revealed to him. The Lord changed his name from Simon to Cephas, which means a stone.
And you know, that tells us that God is putting out the spiritual building in this world, and every saved person is a living stone in that building.
And so Mr. this brother of Andrews was saved while he was brought to learn something else very wonderful, and that is that he was going to be a son in God's building. Because, you know, men talk about a church and they think of a physical building and they call it a church, but this building is not a church. The people inside.
If saved are part of the church, but the building itself is not.
Friendly same person in this room that are letting strong in God's building as I sometimes mentioned a little incident. I brought her back in Ottawa. He was going to be meeting one morning to remember the Lord and he picked up a neighbor and gave him a ride in town and his neighbor said where do you go to church? And he said well taught a minute and he said well, I'll tell you the place where I go.
The church goes to the building. The church goes to the building. Yes, friends, the church goes to the building because this is just a building. But the church is peaceful and Cifas means a stone, and the Lord changed the name of Simon to a stone. Isn't it wonderful to be a stone in God's building? Well, there's something that that.
Peter learned that day he was brought to the Lord by his brother. He was brought to know.
Him and he was brought to find out a wonderful thing, that he was a stone in God's building. And if you were saved, the Lord has already added you to his church. Well, isn't it blessed that we can bring a friend to the Lord Jesus?
Now let's turn to Matthew 17. We'll find something else here. Matthew 17, verse 14. And Herman would come to the molecule. There came to him a certain man kneeling down to him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and saw that for all times he falleth into the fire and asked into the water, and I brought him to the disciples.
But they could not.
Cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, all faithless and perverse generations, How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him, hit her to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said.
I could not. We cast him out, and Jesus said unto them, because.
Unbelief. For verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, he shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence beyond your place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
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Well, I like to look on that little incident as bringing our problems to the Lord Jesus. Here was a Father who had a problem. We all have problems of different kinds. Darling's problems are just so great, so seemingly insurmountable, that we just don't know what to do and we don't know how we're going to get an answer or how we're going to be able to handle the difficulty of the problems of life.
Life is so full of hard.
Question glorious. So a situation that we just seem to find too great for ourselves. And here we find this Father. He had a problem, and he brought this problem to the disciples. Now you see, he brought this, He brought this boy first of all to the long person who brought the problem first of all to the disciples. And you know.
The disciples would have been able to handle a situation because they had just been on the mountain of Transfiguration. They had just been there with the Lord Jesus. I suppose we could say the most wonderful experience of their life to have been on that mountain. Peter never forgot it, even later on, many, many years later, he said, he said.
This voice we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount was a marvelous experience.
And it's nice to be at meetings like this when our hearts are lifted up in occupation with the Lord Jesus. However, that doesn't mean that we don't have problems in life. Perhaps some of you can think even now when you go back to work tomorrow, or when you go back to the situations of life tomorrow, you can see some insurmountable problem. You can see something that just seems too difficult for you to handle.
And if you've asked someone else?
What you should do, that's just exactly what this man did. He brought this problem to the disciples, and the disciples, even though they had followed Jesus, even though they had been on the mount, they didn't have the solution to this problem. All dear young people, there are problems in life. How that the Lord alone can enable us to find the solution?
The land can enable us to meet those difficulties in a way that is pleasing to him. But what I wanted to specially bring before you is that when this man said, well, I brought my son to your disciples, but he they couldn't cast out the evil spirit. What did the Lord Jesus say? He said bring him hit her to me.
Bring him hit her to me in this blessed.
We have one whose name is wonderful counselors, the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
We have one of whom it can be said, is there anything too hard for the Lord? And surely this was a hard situation. Here was this boy, it says he was a lunatic. And you know, people do funny things sometimes too. You almost wonder why they do them, and I suppose we all do them too, and we just wonder why.
Have these things you've done this boy with a lunatic and then it says he's forced. He's 4 vets, 4 vets off the oftentimes.
Who falls into the fire? And you see people and they gain disappointing and they don't seem to learn at all by the problems and the difficulties. Isn't it true how slow we are to learn by the situations we pass through? How slow we are to see the hand of God in our problems and our trials? We try to solve them ourselves. We try to get somebody else to solve them, just like Moses.
When he was faced with going through the wilderness, he thought, I know a man that knows all the answers. He's lived here for a long time. He knows the way through the wilderness. And he said to Hoda, he said, you know the way through this wilderness. Now will you guide us through this wilderness? And Hubbard turned back. Hubbard declined. He wasn't able to guide them.
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And why did the Lord alone this?
Why did he allow Kobab to turn back? All because the Lord wanted them to turn and lean upon him. You know what Moses said to Hobbes? He said thou shalt be to us. Instead of I said the Lord had just said that He was going to guide them by the pillar of cloud. They would have to look up. He was going to guide them through the silver trumpets, and they'd have to listen for his voice.
But instead.
He said, Holdab, we don't need to look up if we just look to you because you know all the answers. You've been here for a long time. But Hobad declined. And all dear young people, you and I know what it is to dwell in the company of the Lord Jesus, to bring the situations of life to him, to read his words so that we discover in his precious words the wisdom that we need for our pathways.
All we have such a 1 and so the Lord Jesus said bring him hit it to me. And so here's something else we can bring, not just bringing a friend to the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you have a personal problem and you say it just seems just about as bad as this. I found so many difficulties and problems through us.
Isn't it lovely? Bring him hit her to me? Was the Lord superior to this situation?
Was he able to look after it or isn't it lovely? He was able to cast out that evil spirit and a handed boy back to his father. There's no situation too difficult for him. So after this the disciples came to the Lord Jesus privately and they said why couldn't we cast him out? And the Lord Jesus said.
This kind of not out but by prayer.
And fasting, and that is sometimes we haven't been sufficiently before the Lord about it. We want to get an answer very quickly and we haven't really been sufficiently in His presence, looking to him and waiting upon him. And then what about this fasting? Well, fasting means self denial might be self denial for food, could be self denial for a great many things.
Sometimes it's something that's a hindrance to us getting the answer because he made-up online you can't do without certain things. We say, well, I just couldn't do without that. And so the problem isn't removed because we have never really passed the whole thing before the Lord and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Content to make some sacrifice for the sake of the Lord's Jesus.
Oh, what a sacrifice he made for us. What did he give for us?
He gave himself, He gave himself.
And when he left that glory on high and came down here, he knew the sacrifice involved and came to this point in this.
In the chapter where we read about the amount of configuration in the Mary Gospel, it says when the time came that he should be received up, he settled faith to go to Jerusalem. That is, he could have gone back to heaven in his own right. But he said no, I want to have company, and the only way I can have it is to go to the cross and die that I could have them there.
Is any little sacrifice that we could ever make very.
When we think of what he did for us.
So here we find an instance of bringing our problems to the Lord. Maybe others have disappointed us, these disciples, wonderful people, or they were very disappointed. This man thought the Lord didn't disappoint him. The Lord took care of the situation and the Lord told the disciples what they needed in order to meet these problems of life. And that is complete dependence upon the Lord.
For I believe we should say that prayer expresses 2.
Confidence in the Lord and dependence on the Lord. That's fair. And fasting is self denial. So remember those three things. Confidence in the Lord that He's seeking our good and our blessing dependent on the Lord that He's able to undertake for us. And then self denial, willing to give up anything that would hinder His will and His glory in our lives.
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Let's turn to Matthew again in the 14th chapter and the 15th verse. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert plate, and the time is now past. Send the molecule away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves little. But Jesus said unto them, They need not be part, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him.
We have here about 5 laws and two faces. He stabbed. Bring them hit her to me. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fishes. And looking up to heaven, He blessed and break, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, and ate. All eat and were filled, and they took up of the fragments that remained 12 baskets full.
And they that had eaten were about 5000 men beside women and children. Here we find a little incident. I like to think of this as giving our resources to the Lord. Notice you were someone who had five loaves and two fishes didn't seem like very much, but the Lord said bring them hit her to me. And dear young people, Perhaps you look over what you have and you say well.
I don't think I have very much that I could give to the Lord. I couldn't say that I have very much in the way of money, and I don't know that I have a great deal in the way of town. And I don't think I have much time. I'm a pretty busy person. I don't really think that there's very much that I could give to the Lord. I can think of other people who have quite a bit of money, who have quite a bit of time, who have quite a bit of ability. Why don't they do it?
Ramada was a pretty big crowd of people on this occasion. There were only over 5000 there. And another gospel tells us that this was just a little boy that had these five loaves and two fishes. And that boy could have said all these people here has got lots of money in their pockets. They can they could buy food if they just all contributed together and we'd have plenty here. And there's other people here that could handle.
A situation and what could I do? A little.
Only enough for one person. Whatever good would that do when there's 5000 people here? And so he looked at his little lungs, but he cites his looks at what he was willing to offer to the Lord. And as they said, as they said, as it were.
Turn the multitude away that they might go into the cities to buy and if they can get food for themselves and perhaps you might say, well, there's lots of good books in the book room. There's lots of things that people can read and and they can do this and they can do that. Oh dear young people, have you ever been exercised to try and make your life a blessing to other people?
That other people might ask you?
Be drawn closer to the Lord Jesus through your life.
All this I don't think I have very much. Well, this boy didn't have very much. He said he just had enough for one person about it. Isn't it lovely? He was willing to give what he had to the Lord Jesus. Are you willing to give what you have? I don't believe there's a young person here whose life couldn't be a blessing to learn if you're willing to hear what you have.
So the Lord Jesus God uses the most unexpected.
People on different instances in order to accomplish his purposes.
He used he used the first to bring up a coin to pay the tax. He owns the two mites that the widow passed in and said it was more than all the rest. Why does the scripture tell us that he had two Knights that make a Farthing? Well, if you only had a Farthing, she might have said, well I either cast in the whole Farthing or not. But when she had two mites she had a choice.
He could have said, I'll put in one might and I'll teach the other for myself. He had a choice that instead of making the decision to keep one for himself and give the other to the Lord, he cast them with him. And what was the result? He found that the Lord took notice of it and saw that he was giving. And he said she gave more than all the rest. And if you were here.
On this day that we're reading about here.
When is desert place where there was nothing to eat? And perhaps that's the way you sometimes feel. Perhaps you say, well, I don't come to the meeting very much because I don't think there's very much there. I don't feel that there is the stressness and the food that there might be because of quite a few assemblies represented here. And I noticed very often many people get discouraged and say, well, I don't seem to get.
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Much when I come to the meeting, but here.
Now this the disciples, we're going to send the people away and let them find for themselves. But the Lord said they need not be parked and give ye them to eat. And when this boy was willing to give his lunch, his five loaves and two fishes to the Lord, how wonderfully it was multiplied. And I say again, dear young person, your life can really be.
A blessing your life can be an encouragement. As I look back upon my own life, I can think of young people who have had a great deal to do.
With my young life as their love for the Lord Jesus, their desire for Him influence me and I don't forget it to this day. And it isn't that I remember very much of what they said to me, that there was just something about it that I knew that they loved the Lord.
And that they were trying to encourage me to follow him too. And you can. Your life can be a blessing. I'm getting a bit older. And perhaps you might say, well, it's easy for Gordon Hale. He's getting older now. But dear young people, I have found this, that young people have far more influence in helping other young people than older people do. Don't ever think that your life can't be a blessing. And what did the what did this one boy's lunch?
Do it, said 5000 people. And who can tell the blessing of someone who says will I want to live for the Lord Jesus and I want my life to be useful for him. You don't have to go to a foreign field. This man, this boy didn't have to say, well, I'm going to go to some foreign place in order to serve the Lord.
He just had to turn over what he had to the Lord.
And right in that desert place, right in that spot where all the people were, when that food was brought to the Lord, he looked up to heaven. He blessed it. And I always enjoy reading this little incident because it doesn't say that the Lord distributed it after after the Lord had blessed it, he handed it back to those unbelieving disciples.
Those disciples who had said send them away.
The Lord says I'm going to use you if you ever feel discouraged, you feel like saying send them away. They don't seem to care. And then the Lord says, well, you, you, how are you, you, you can be a help. And so isn't it lovely to see that he handed the food back to the disciples and how they must have wondered. It doesn't say, you know that there was big stacks of food piled up, but as they passed it, it just.
As it went along, and that's the way the Lord does. But we're willing to do take the first step in faith and then he undertakes. And then when the next step comes, we find He's the same faithful God. And if you live in this world, if the Lord should leave you here for 20 years, you'll find he's the same faithful God. At the end of 20 years is when you took that step the very first day.
He doesn't change, he's able.
And so here we find this, this boy who brought that little lunch, and he was an encouragement to all the disciples. He was a blessing to the whole. 50000 May the Lord encourage us to bring our little resources to him. And as you're looking at them right now and perhaps saying to yourself, I wonder what I should do? I don't think I have very much. I just want to ask you, will you bring what you have to the Lord?
When you bring a little bit, you have to Him and let Him do the rest. Leave the miracle to Him. He's the only one that can work the miracle to make a blessing. I can't bless you that the Lord can work the miracle that blesses you. And all that we can do is try and pass on a little He gives to us.
Now, just one more passage. Well, I actually there's two passages with one thought in them. Let's turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. I think it is. Yeah, Second Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 5. And this they did not as we hope.
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But first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
And then in Romans chapter 12 and verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that He presents your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Well, here we find those who gave themselves to the Lord, and we find the apostle beseeching those Roman believers that they would present their bodies a living sacrifice to the Lord.
We've spoken about how we can bring worship to him.
How we can bring our friends to Him? How we can bring our problems to him? How we can bring our resources about. Isn't it lovely? As a little hymn puts it, love the transcends our highest powers, demands our soul, our life, our all. And so when Paul thought of the mercies of God.
He said I beseech you as you think of what?
Mercies are that have been extended to you, that you'll present your bodies alone. Sacrifice. Perhaps you have tried to bring your problems, perhaps you've tried to bring your resources. But all is more than that.
Present our bodies a living sacrifice, and just as if we stood in his presence and said, Lord, here I am, I belong to thee.
It speaks in the test about thus praising the Lord and the instrument of 10 strings, and someone has compared it. You know that our little song that we sing, two eyes, 2 ears, 2 feet, two hands, one eye, one heart, I should say 1 heart and one tongue at 10, and that we did present ourselves to the Lord.
Oh dear, young people, what a privilege. And it's a wonderful thing to do it when you're young.
Well, you say, well, but I have to earn a living. I have to choose, my friends. No. If you present your life to the Lord, why, He'll take care of you if he's interested in making you happy for all eternity and if He hasn't spared any expense to make you happy for all eternity with the very best that His infinite resources can supply.
Could you ever doubt?
That if you gave yourself to him now, that he was going to disappoint you here in this world.
Have you ever seen a person who presumes themselves to the Lord, who ignored his claims over everything? And as I have often said, you hear it said, nobody's going to tell me what to do. But all dear young people, I often say there's one person who has a right to tell me what to do. I'm glad. I want him to tell me what to do.
And that's my Lord, that's my savior. And so-called the sophomore that they.
Present themselves to the Lord, and as if he said was this, and this was their reason of the Lord, their intelligence service.
And then when he's writing here in Second Corinthians chapter 8 about these believers, it's quite a remarkable expression. These people were, they didn't have too much in the way of resources. Now, they were quite poor. The ones that he's speaking about here, and he said this, they did not as we hope.
As he thought that perhaps they might have dipped down in their pockets and added a little bit that they had, they might have been willing to give. But he said all they did more than we hoped.
Gave themselves to the Lord, that's what they did. And you young people, are you willing to do this? Am I willing to do it? He says more than I could help. And all what joy it gives us when we see those who do even more than we hope, and that is, they present themselves to the Lord. And then he said unto us, by the will of God.
When we present ourselves to the be at the service of one another.
To do the will of God, that's important because somebody might ask you to do something that wasn't the will of God. You say he's a Christian though, and he asked me to do it. Well, remember, when you're doing something for another, you have to ask, is it the will of God? Because a Christian might ask you to do something that was not the will of God. So that when you present yourself.
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As being willing to help someone else, you have to say by the will of God.
Just to do what the Lord would have you do. But when you present yourself to the Lord, you can do it without reserve. Because then when you present yourself to Him, He'll never ask you to do anything but what is according to His will. And more than that, He'll never ask you to do anything that isn't for your ultimate good. Because I say again, He is seeking. You're good and your blessing.
His joy will be complete.
When in that glory the Holy Dean Family are supremely and eternally blessed.
May the Lord give us grace to acknowledge his claims. You're young people, we only have a little time. The Lord's coming is drawing near. He's done so much for us and may we have grace as we look over in the little bit that we may seem to have and think about what he has done for us that will say I can give this and I can give that. And then when we thought, well, we could give that, then we come to.
Point where we say, I just give everything I give myself. The little song says gladly to thee my Savior, I give myself a lamb. May God grant me that each one of us, young and old will do it, that we will gladly to him our Savior and give ourselves away.