Address—Steve Stewart
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We uh saying the 1St 6 verses of #64.
If someone could start that just the 1St 6 verses of #64.
And blessed me where sin can never come.
Yes.
I'll get it. His brows, His grace is going to life all the fall.
His joy had gone.
Shall find a blessing and strong.
And I shall never grow.
Before him thrown out.
Agree.
Our God and our Father, we thank Thee for the bright prospect that is before each of our souls, and know the Lord Jesus and Savior, that wonderful seeing, that peace unfold before our eyes, in which thou hast dwell even now with thy beloved Son, that thy right hand.
And we pray that.
That will give us that which would help us in the pathway here while we await that moment.
That would keep us.
I would encourage us.
And we just commend this little hour to thee and thy precious word for blessing.
The precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Heard of Second Corinthians chapter 6?
I'd like to take the subject up this afternoon of unity. We touched a little on it and the meetings and of God's principle of unity, which is separation from evil.
And in 2nd Corinthians 6.
We get uh.
That principle brought out.
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Verse 14 Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? What part hath he that believeth with an infidel? What agreement at the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God.
As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. And then back to where we were in Ephesians 4.
Just read it again.
Ephesians.
Four and verse 3.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called, and one hope of your calling.
And then?
In Matthew's Gospel.
And chapter 12.
Matthew 12 and verse 30.
He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Unity, I think in a little bit we've seen in our chapter in Ephesians, is the precious thing in the sight of God.
And it.
Is precious to us too, as we think of being members of the Church of God and the fellowship that we have been brought into.
God is a God of unity and we have those three circles of unity in Ephesians 4. We have that in most circle of reality, one body, one spirit, 1 hope of your calling. We have the larger sphere of unity, 1 Lord, 1 faith, one baptism, and then further out in creation one God and Father of all.
All three persons in the Godhead spirit.
God the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father represented there. God is the center of every unity that He has ever formed and ever will form. He is the center of every true unity.
And there is no unity truly other than that in which He is the center.
And so if we go back to creation, we see a wonderful system of things from the hand of God as creator. You know, we refer to it. Paul spoke of God as the one in whom we live and move and have our being. We're his offspring. As to creation, He is God and Father of all. All came from him.
It was all from his hand, and we learned later that the person of the Godhead, who you might say did the work was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, God's eternal Son. By him there was not anything.
Made that was or without him, there was not anything made that was made.
And in that wonderful united system.
In which God was the center, he placed a man.
I don't know that angels were ever the center of any unity of God. We don't read of it. As far as Scripture goes, we don't know any more than that.
But he put man as the as the in the garden, in the center of that creation, as his representative, because God was its center. But he put man there in his image and likeness, as the center to represent him in that creation. And man was there in dependence upon God, and it was his privilege to look up to God.
And receive everything from the hand of God.
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It was his glory.
To be independence upon God and receive everything from His hand.
He looked, uh, God made man upright, though we know what happened. He reached out an independency and disobedience and he took what God had not given him, He took for himself. He believes Satan's lie more than God's truth and he fell into sin and he was not able to sustain himself and his independency.
And his self will and he became.
In his rebellion against God and his authority, he became the slave of a mightier rebel than himself. Satan and this world fell under Satan's dominion, and we read in John's ministry that the whole world lieth, and the wicked one.
And we see a contrast as we move on in Genesis and we come to the 10th and 11Th chapter where God in the renewed earth after the judgment of the flood, tells Noah and his families to spread out and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. That was God's order for that time. To keep that was to keep that unity and creation. But man said, let us.
Make us a name, let us build us a power, unless we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth.
In the beginning of the Kingdom of a man named Nimrod was Babel itself, that symbol of man's independence and defiance and self will against God. His name means rebel, and so man became a rebel. But man is not sufficient to himself and so he became a slave of Satan in that rebellion.
And God is the God of unity. We'll still have a unity in which He is the center, but he is holy and he is true, and he cannot have evil and association with Himself.
In the unity in which He has formed and in which He desires us to have heart, and in the coming day when the Lord Jesus Christ comes.
Whom God has purposed to head up all things in Him, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, He's going to come. And in judicial power, in the manifest presence of God and the person of His Son, He is going to remove from His Kingdom all things that offend Him, all that do iniquity, and there is going to be a united system in Christ of unity.
That is going to be in separation from evil, because God is going to remove evil, the wicked.
Will be severed from among the just.
But that's not today.
Does God have no unity then until that day? No. He has a unity now, but it's in the midst of evil. It's not maintained in judicial power in this world. And so we're told not to root out the tears. That's another day, or to leave them to grow.
How is God going to then have that unity in this world, a unity in which he is the center, a unity that's characterized by his own nature as light and love?
In this world, well, we have that in 2nd Corinthians 6.
Come out from among them.
And be separate, saith the Lord. And I will receive you. I will receive you.
I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be unto me. Sons and daughters, that's God's way today.
And the unity that He has formed, in which He is the center, in the midst of evil. It's the activity of divine love in the midst of evil. That's a definition of grace.
The activity of Divine Love in the midst of evil.
Every other center is arrival.
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To that which he has formed, he that gathereth not with me scatter. And what happened at the Tower of Babel? God came down, and they were scattered.
No matter what that unity looks like to this world and outward display as a center of authority and power in this world, if it's not the unity that God has formed and of which He is the center, it scatters. It takes away from His unity. Doesn't matter if they're gathered together, if it's taking away from His unity and what He's doing.
Is a scattering.
He that gathereth not with me.
Scattering well.
In its perhaps weakest form, it might be a sect that forms among Christians gathered around some particular doctrine or a person or whatever it might be in in Corinth, that was happening, wasn't it?
There were fleshly things going on and it was there were schisms resulting the fracturing in the assembly centering around this person. I'm a Paul, I'm of Apollos and so on.
In its further development, as we have.
We don't offend anybody in the great Roman Catholic system.
Unity is insisted upon.
With that unity binds those that are part of that unity to the evil that it teaches and profound.
It binds them to go on with things that are wicked in the sight of God in order to keep that unity. Unity is powerful.
Powerful.
What effects it can have upon the souls of men and women we don't have to look far to see. And then it's worse than the great apostasy that is yet to come. Those that will keep the Unity under the Antichrist will be forced to receive the mark of the beast, and their foreheads are in their hands.
Every other unity is heading to One Direction.
And that is the great apostasy.
But God has a unity that he is forming, and he calls to us.
To be part.
Of that unity, a unity that is in perfect conformance with all that He is in light and love, in which He is the center.
What can separate us?
From the evil that this world lies in.
What can hold us to such a center? What can separate us from the power of evil?
There is one answer.
Christ. Christ alone.
Is the one who can separate us in power?
And draw and keep us at that center. Oh, we get it so beautifully told out in John's Gospel chapter 10. There had been a fold and enclosure called the Law and it kept the sheep in. But he said there's not going to be a fold anymore, but there's going to be a flock and there's going to be 1 shepherd. And what's going to keep the sheep then is the attractive.
Mess of the Shepherd, Christ is the one.
Who can hold us to that center Himself and separate us from the evil around? He is God manifest in flesh. He is the one who is the center of God's counsels and purposes. He is the One who redeemed our souls. He is the only mediator between God and man, the man.
Christ Jesus, He is the perfect manifestation.
Of truth and love.
The fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell in Him bodily. He is the only one.
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Who can keep us?
At that center.
I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.
Christ is the answer to that question.
Oh, it's not in judicial power. No, it's in the midst of evil. He doesn't separate the wicked, sever the wicked from among the just. Oh, but he's gathering the precious out from the vial.
To himself.
For this cause.
He gave himself.
I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.
What do? What do we have on the Lord's Day morning? A loaf and a cup.
Expressive of Christ's death, His body given His bloodshed, what is The central thing the assembly is to do is to show forth the Lord's death till He come. What do we have before us on Lord's day morning? We have a lifted up Christ.
The attractive center to our souls he gave himself.
That he might redeem us, that he might, as we read in Titus, have a peculiar people for himself, zealous of good works like him.
Oh, it's his nature that forms the character, that unity.
A peculiar people, zealous of good works, and he did not die just for that Jewish nation we read in the 11Th of John.
But he died that he might gather in one. The children of God that were scattered abroad He gave himself.
That he might have that unity.
Who else?
Who else?
And the one who redeemed us.
Be that center.
Who else could have that title?
That glory with Him.
It will be 1:00.
And one shepherd.
And in Ephesians 2, we refer to it a little in the meetings there was a middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, but he abolished that middle wall and his death. Maybe we could just turn to that.
Ephesians 2.
While the Lord Jesus was here.
His love and His grace reached out beyond the Jewish nation. We see him in John chapter 4 sitting on the well that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And he like Joseph in the prophecy and blessing that went on, Joseph was a fruitful branch, A fruitful by those branches run over the wall, and it ran over the wall and it reached a Gentile woman that came.
To that while it reached her in grace, but he didn't tear down the wall.
While he was here in his life, that wall that divided between Jew and Gentile remain.
It was in his death that it was abolished. Ephesians 2.
But now in Christ Jesus, verse 13, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself.
Twain 1. Newman so.
Making peace, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross.
Having slain the enmity thereby, he gave himself.
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That he might have that unity.
Hebrews 13 says, Let us go forth therefore unto him.
Doesn't it?
Doesn't he draw our souls to himself?
I just love that verse in John 12. I if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men.
Unto me.
Of God's purpose and unity.
It is evident from the Scripture He is the God of unity and that is his purpose. It's not just to buy the buy. It's not just a little thing over in the corner that sometimes we look at and talk about. Maybe in a conference like this. It is of central importance to God.
But if God is going to have a unity in the midst of evil and separation from evil, is it necessary?
Result.
Because he cannot be associated with evil.
And so, since it is a unity formed in the midst of evil, separation from evil is the necessary first principle of that unity. I don't say of the power of unity.
But its principal What is the power of unity? It's the attractiveness of the one who is at the center.
But it's necessary. First principle is separation from evil, and that is even given in principle before unity comes into view later on with Israel as a nation, it's given in principle to Abraham. What's the first thing that the God of glory who called Abraham?
Get thee out from.
Nation.
From Kindred.
From Father's house.
He separated him.
And so it's given in principle first there and then later in the nation. God calls them out of Egypt.
He redeems them, He gathers them, and He dwells in the midst of them.
That was his purpose we see throughout Scripture.
But the first thing is that he gets them out.
He separates them.
From all that he cannot be associated with in John 17, the Lord says I'm going to leave them in the world.
But the whole world lies in the wicked one. I'm going to leave them in the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. And for this 'cause I sanctify myself, he said.
Oh, set them apart.
For a holy purpose.
And I'm going to set myself apart.
That's a would be kept in that place. And so he's there in the glory, interceding for us, sanctified himself that we might be kept in that unity in a very practical way.
While the Spirit of God and the Day of Pentecost we've touched on came down.
Indwelt those believers.
The Spirit of God.
Calls us.
Spirit of God gathers his own.
The Spirit of God separates us.
In that calling and gathered, and then he dwells among his people. And we read in Ephesians, Well, we're right there. Let's just look at it, Chapter 2 and verse 21.
In whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, In whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
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Spirit of God.
Has taken up his dwelling place among his people. He called them, he separated them, he gathered them, and he dwells among them.
He could not dwell there except.
He had separated them from the evil.
In John's.
Ministry in the First Epistle of John. Let's just turn there.
John 1.
Verse 6. Communion is the subject.
Verse six. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.
Separation from evil is the first principle of communion with God. Separation from evil is the first principle of communion with God.
One that walks in darkness is not in communion with God. He can have no fellowship with darkness. We read that in 2nd Corinthians 6. What fellowship hath light with darkness? What concord had Christ label? What part he that believeth was an infidel? We are the temple of the living God.
Dwells in us, He walks in us. Come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord.
Oh, there's the appeal to the practical side of that truth.
First principle of communion.
And John's ministry is separation.
I'm evil.
While on the Lord's table.
As we mentioned, we have a loaf and a cup.
We have Christ lifted up the attractive center. Let's turn to 1St Corinthians 10.
1St Corinthians 10.
Verse 16.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
That cup, when we partake of it, we give expression to the fact that we're under the shelter, the precious blood of Christ. We're in fellowship with all that. That precious blood is in the sight of God and what it has done for us and cleansing us from our sins.
The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? When we partake of that loaf, that broken loaf, we give expression to the fact that we are in fellowship with Christ, offering His body on the cross.
A sin bearer, the one who put away our sins and his sacrifice. We express that we are in the good of that sacrifice.
We are in, as it says here. Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? That's not the body composed of many believers.
That is Christ's body offered for us on the cross. Then he brings in the next thought. Then he brings in and says, for we being many are one bread and one body. Four. We are all partakers of that one bread. He says we're like one loaf as well. We are one body. There is a unity that God has formed.
The power of the Holy Spirit sent down.
Uniting us to Christ in heaven and to one another. And when we all partake of that one loaf, we give expression to that truth that there is and we are of that one body.
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If we came in on Lord's Day morning and had the loaf setting there, and we've often enjoyed the thought that that loaf in its unbroken state reminds us of the one body of Christ. If we came in and had that loaf and that cup there and then we had a nice time of fellowship and Thanksgiving and praise and perhaps even worship, and we went home, we would not have given expression to the truth of the one body.
The loaf by itself on the table, unbroken, does not express in itself the truth of the one body. It is in all of us partaking of it, that we give expression to the truth that there is one body. It's the very central thing that the Church does.
When it meets together in assembly is give expression to that truth. So the Lord's table is the symbol and the expression.
Of the truth of the unity that God has formed in this world.
And all of these things that we've taken up just in such a brief little form.
Are beautiful.
But there is a question.
What if?
What?
If.
There comes into this one body into this.
Unity that the Spirit of God is formed. What if evil comes in?
God has not changed.
Because he has formed that unity, he is still holy.
He is still true.
When there is the manifest presence of God.
In this world, the wicked will be severed from among the just. That's not so now, but in the assembly.
In the assembly there is the manifest presence of God.
And when Ananias and Sapphira live, Peter said, Ye have lied to the Holy Ghost.
And they fell down dead.
I was in the freshness of the day, of that first freshness, of that unity.
But if sin comes in, God is faithful and he is the same, and he is holy, and he does not leave himself without witness, and he will appeal to us. He'll awaken us from our slumber, our spiritual stupor. He'll seek to awaken us to fresh spiritual energy, to a sensibility of what becomes Him.
And his holy nature and light and love.
In the assembly, and he will seek to awaken us. And so he did with Corinth. And Paul says, put out from among yourselves that wicked person.
Turn on 11 lump, but you're in danger.
Sin has come in, and instead of being sorrowful, you have glory.
Instead of being cast on the Lord as to what to do, they didn't have instruction yet. Then they still could have been cast on the Lord. They said oh grace covers everything.
It was put away from among yourselves, that wicked person.
Because to maintain that unity.
In fellowship with the one who is at center, who is holy and true sin.
Must be dealt with.
What if?
When God appeals and seeks to awaken the conscience and response.
When sin comes in, there is no response.
What's that?
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We recur to the same immutable principle. Separation from evil is God's principle of unity.
And the Saints bound in duty is to suffering.
I'm not evil. And if they be but one person left on the face of the earth, they are walking in the unity that God has formed and that which he is the center.
It is our duty to love every child of God.
But not to walk in their ways.
Second Timothy.
To.
Verse.
19.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God stand assure having the seal. The Lord knoweth them that are His. We can leave that to the Lord. He knows who are His.
We're not competent to root out the tears. It's not the time of God's judicial work in maintaining a unity in this world, severing the wicked from the just. We can't root out the tears. We don't know.
Sometimes the Saints are walking in such a low way and we each know it for our own souls.
That you can't tell the difference.
Between them and the world.
Leave that with the Lord, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that name it. The name really it should be of the Lord, all His lordships involved, because the unity which God has formed on this earth is going to be enjoyed and known by those who walk in obedience.
Independence.
Let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord depart.
I'm iniquity.
It is incumbent upon us.
Separation from evil is God's principle.
Yeah, OK.
You know our early brethren, who?
We are so indebted to the work of the Spirit of God and the truth that they mined out and and.
Enjoyed the truth of God in connection with that unity that He has formed on this earth, the one Body, and seeking to walk in communion and fellowship with God. And those truths were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
To seek to endeavor to diligently keep that unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
But that question came up. Evil came in. Evil came in.
And a man rose up.
Who, among many other things, taught that Christ was born under Israel's curse and that he had to, by being faithful and laboring, work his way back to God?
It was evil doctrine as to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and His spotless humanity.
And that developed into other evil teachings.
After appealing to the meeting where that brother was in fellowship because he was so influential there and there was no ear to respond, the Saints of God gathered to the Lord's name. That time had to recur to that immutable principle. Separation from evil is God's principle of unity, and they separated.
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From that communion where that?
Man was and where he taught those things.
But there were more tests to come.
There were some from another meeting.
It said, well, you know, if, if there's, uh, some that come from, uh, the, the meeting was in Plymouth, England, come from Plymouth year. As long as we feel they personally don't hold that teaching, we'll receive them into fellowship.
Oh, another test game.
Another test came. Before we go a little further into it, let's turn to Haggai.
Chapter 2.
Verse 10.
In the four and 20th day of the ninth month and the second year of Darius came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet saying, let's say at the Lord of hosts, ask now the priest concerning the law, saying of one bare holy flesh.
And the skirt of his garment, And with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat. Shall it be holy? And the priest answered and said, No. Here is one who in the skirt of his garment, as they did in those days, would fold it up, and it could be make a little pocket, so you could carry something.
And he says if he's going on in the things of the Lord, carrying out holy service.
And his garment, not the meat that's in it, but his garment touched something else. Is it going to be holy? No.
Please answer no.
No, you and I if we are going on in a holy path and for the Lord.
We can't, by ourselves and our persons in a holy walk, make anybody else holy.
Doesn't work that way.
We can't.
And he goes on to ask another question.
Verse 13 Then, said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?
So all these things that, uh.
Bread and pottage, wine or oil, meat, so on.
That could not be made wholly by the skirt of the priest garment touching it. What about if something unclean touches those things?
Will they be unclean?
Then answered Haggai. Oh, excuse me, the priest answered and said it shall be unclean.
No question in their minds.
The principle given to us here, and we don't have time to develop it in other places in Scripture, is this.
Association with evil defiles.
Let's come back to our account.
In Bethesda, England, they decided that they could receive at the Lord's Table those who came from Plymouth, where that evil teaching was going on.
And they really denied this truth, that association with evil defiles, and they said those ones who are coming from that place where wickedness is being taught.
Where it's being held, propagated.
Uh, they're not, they're not, uh, depiled by, we can't have fellowship with that assembly, but we can receive any that come from them because the assemblies defiled, but any of that come from, as long as they personally don't hold that doctrine, umm will receive them. It turns out later, some of them certainly did. They were like wolves in sheep's clothing. Not that they were unbelievers, but they were sneaky.
And so that puts the rest of those.
Little meetings gathered to the Lord's name, to the test. Now what?
Now, if some come from Bethesda to our meeting, can we receive them at the Lord's Table?
There was an old brother years ago at that time, and he wrote a little pamphlet.
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And he gave an example. I'm going to put it in modern day terms.
His name was William Trotter. The name of the pamphlet, I believe, is the whole case of Bethesda. Perhaps there might be another pamphlet, but he's the author.
An allegory, I think, is the name of the pamphlet.
Let's go over to.
Congo.
And a little village A. There's three villages AB and C.
And then Village A Ebola breaks out.
Terrible virus.
It's contagious.
And each of those villages has a school, and those schools are used to inter varsity games, children from one school coming to another, playing soccer together, whatever it might be.
And school B says.
We can't take anybody here that has Ebola virus.
But any students coming from School a if you don't show any signs of the illness, you're welcome to come and play with our children.
No, I'm gonna put you in school number C.
And your children are there.
What?
Do you want the school administration to take up as their policy as to reception from school A&B?
I'm gonna tell you what you say right now. You don't receive from either one.
Because there's an infection going around, and even though students came from A to B and didn't seem to manifest it, they were in contact with it. And now school B is in contact with it. And the only way we're going to preserve our children is to say we don't take.
Any from either school?
We cannot receive and have those games or whatever it might be from either school. It's the only way we're going to preserve our children. And the principal in School B says how awful. You must be so proud.
How can you do that? Our children aren't showing any signs of the virus. Any chastises?
Those from School C and they say, no, we can't do it, we can't do it. And that's what happened in the whole case of Bethesda. And brethren had to recur to that principle once again. Separation from evil is God's principle of unity.
And that's how.
The open grabbing division came into being, open to receive as long as they judge personally, they're locally that things are OK from wherever someone might come from, no matter what was taught in that place. I know I'm making things very simple. We don't have time to go into the detail. I'd like to turn in closing to Nehemiah.
And Ezra Nehemiah that God allowed a restoration.
Of some of the Jews in captivity. Back to the land. They came back and Ezra's day and the worship of God was restored. The altar was set upon its faces. Things were said in godly order. It was just.
Beautiful.
We come to Nehemiah and he comes and he sees there's something needed.
They're enemies to what has taken place in Jerusalem and he says we've got to build a wall.
Gotta build a wall around Jerusalem to keep out anything that's not of God. In order to preserve this restored worship intact and in its purity, there must be a wall.
And really, that's what early brethren went through with the Open Brethren Division. There was that wonderful restoration.
Uh, worship and the Lord's, uh, remembrance of the Lord on the ground of the truth that there is one body. But when that division took place, they began to realize there was a need.
And this principle came into prominence separation from evil, God's principle of unity and association with evil defiles. Therefore, we have to maintain that separation.
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And so Nehemiah said, we've got a bill.
And that wall had openings, and they were called gates.
Let's read.
In chapter 3 and verse one.
And Elias ship, the high priest, rose up with his brethren, the priests, and they builded the sheep gate, and they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it, even unto the tower of Mia, And they sanctified it unto the tower of Hananiel. Verse three. But the fish gate that the sons of Hassan.
Hasana Build, who laid the beams thereof, set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof.
And the bars there of you notice the difference.
Why should got there? Rose up first, full of energy.
It's a great plan, he says, So to speak. Say you've got Nehemiah. Let's build.
And I'll take responsibility for the sheep gate. And he set it up, but he didn't put any locks on it and he didn't put any bars on it.
Oh, I should seem foremost.
And energy.
But every other gate arena has locks and bars with his. It was the sheep gate speaks to us of the gospel. Some have said, and, and I hope I don't offend anybody in saying this, that the gospel, the sheep gate shouldn't have locks and bars on it because the gospel needs to go out freely. Well, that's the gospel going out. This is sheep coming in.
You know, if you don't have locks and bars on the sheep gate, if you're not watching it, you're gonna get a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Needs to be locks and bars on that gate. There better be a carefulness in the assembly as to the sheep.
That come in as to what kind of sheep you got.
Why she didn't want separation from evil in his gospel work.
Let's go over.
A little further, verse 21.
And after him repaired Miramar, son of Urijah, son of cause, another piece from the door of the House of Elijah, even unto the end of the House of Elijah, all they got to Eli ship's house. And where's Elisha?
Everybody else repaired the part by their house or where their house was part of the wall. But why should they wanna work on that connection with this house? Why should didn't want separation from evil in his home either?
Turn over to Chapter 13.
MMM.
Verse seven And I came to Jerusalem and understood the evil that Elijah did for Tobiah, and preparing him a chamber in the course of the House of God, and they grieved me sore.
Oh, Nehemiah went away for time and came back, and Elias ship had made a chamber a little place for one of the enemies that the wall was to keep out right in the temple.
Lionship didn't want separation from evil in his worship either.
Verse 28 And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Elisha of the high priest, was son-in-law.
The sand bell at the horror night. Therefore I chased him from me.
Why she didn't want separation from evil?
And his family.
Children or grandchildren?
Solemn, isn't it? He was high priest. The law.
Should be in the lips of the high priest, the scripture says.
It wasn't.
Yes.
Our time is out.
You know, in Revelation.
It says in chapter 3.
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And they shall go no more out.
I can't say that I paid a great price.
To be gathered to the Lord's name. But I know some have.
And they have had to go out.
Of places where they were and it has been very painful.
And it's not always easy, and God hasn't told us it will be easy to act on that principle that we've had before us and to be separate from evil, that we might enjoy the unity that he has won. But there's a day coming.
When we will go no more out, no more separation from any child of God.
For all eternity, for He will have judicially removed every trace of sin. For the Lamb of God beareth away the sin of the world. And in the day of God there will be nothing to spoil that unity of which He will be the center.
And power and source of blessing and joy for all eternity.
Spring, God and our Father, we do as thy blood.