Vestal Conference: 1993
Table of Contents
1 John 2:1-6
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My Father's infinite and great source of eternal joy, I'll make our hearts to that blessed place where it rests without a light 178.
Look at First John chapter 2. My thought is that there are so many families and uh, there's such a break up among us and among many, many Christians. I wonder if it wouldn't be profitable to read first John chapter 2 where we get the fathers, young men and the babies.
My little children, and these things that are unto you, that you said not.
And if any man's in, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not our for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Either that I know him, and he was not his commandment to the liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoso keepeth his word in him bearing is the love of God perfected.
If I know we that we are in him.
He that said He abideth in him for himself also, so to walk even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you.
But in all commandments which you have had from the beginning, the open language is the word which we have heard from the beginning. Again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passed, and the true light now shining.
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother is in darkness, even until now.
He above his brother, a partisan alike, and there is no occasion assembling in him.
But he hated his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness.
I know it's not where he going, because that darkness as blind as his eyes. I write unto your little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His namesake. I write unto your Father, because you have known him as from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you overcome the wicked one.
I write on to your little children because you have known the father.
I've written unto you, fathers, because you have known Him, that is from the beginning. I have written out to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abyss in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world is the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world.
The last of the flash, the last in the eyes, and the pride of life.
It's not off, it's not off the Father, but it's off the world, and the world passeth away, and the lust there are. So he that doeth the will of God abide in forever. Little children, is the last time.
And as you heard that Antichrist shall count, even now there are many Antichrist, whereby we know this The last time they were not promised.
But they were not of us. But if they had been of us, they wouldn't have died to continue with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But you have an option from the only one, and know all things. I've not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and the no lie is of the truth.
Who is Maya? But he does not that Jesus is the Christ. He is Antichrist, but not the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denied the Son, the same is not the Father, but he that acknowledged the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning.
Is that is, that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you. He also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written on you concerning them to seduce you.
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Because, you know, I think what she ever see with Him abideth in you. And you have need not that any man teach you, that the same anointing teaches you of all things, and His truth. And there's no lie. And even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed for Him at His coming. If he knows He is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.
I believe we have some very precious truth in this chapter concerning the family of God which is being destroyed or Satan is seeking to destroy the family of God. God is interested in families and I think this is such a beautiful chapter. Just to call attention to the opening of this, of this chapter. It's not little children here, really the better reading there is.
My children, that is, he's speaking to the whole family of God, and then he brings in in detail that which is for the fathers, the young men, the babes. And at the very end of the chapter he just says this. And now children again, he goes back to the whole family. Now children abide in him. That's the key. If it isn't so the family can't keep itself, but God can keep it and does. And I think it's so beautiful.
Abide in Him that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him of his coming. I'm I, I feel there's going to be much shame at some point. I don't know just where it will be, but I believe that this chapter should be would be very helpful for us to look at.
And your pencil, Through Romans we have the truth of the two natures developed, but here it's the manifestation of it in the family. Now that is, every believer possesses a new life, but it's seen as being operative here in the family. And different stages of the family too. The fathers, the young men, the babes. But that same life displays itself. You might say a certain bird has a certain nature, it does certain things.
But you see it displayed in the way that bird acts. It has a nature, but it's displayed in the way it acts. And so I believe it's important to see this. If we say, and if we are true believers, we do because that's the new life. But how will let new life display itself? Well, this is what is brought before us. It'll it'll display itself in obedience, it righteousness in love, because that's the character of the new man. It's the very life of Christ that God has given to us.
But he begins with this chapter by showing what's going to be the hindrance to this. Any sin allowed in our lives as believers, as being in the family of God is going to be a hindrance to two things, to the enjoyment of the family relationship and to the manifestation of the life and nature that we have in the family. So it's going to hinder communion and others are not going to see that I'm acting as a child of God.
I believe that's a very important thing that is brought before us because as we know, even in the natural family, we like our children to enjoy the relationship, to enjoy the love that exists in the family of God. Our Father wants us to enjoy the relationship that he has formed. We've been born into the family of God. We've been given the new life. The power for that new life is the Holy Spirit and the character of it is love and obedience and holiness.
Well, I believe it's very precious and very practical the way it's brought before us in the chapter.
I think it's also important to notice that God makes no excuse for sin the believer's life, but he makes provision for it. These things right eye unto you that she sinned not. So there's no excuse for the believers sinning because full provision has been made.
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That we would not send, but why we do send. And in many things we all offend. Then provision is made for the failure. And uh, we have the advocacy of Christ brought in here because that is what goes on continually on our behalf so that we might be restored when we fail. But let's not excuse ourselves for sad and say I couldn't help it, but rather let us seek to draw on the resource that we have.
So that we don't send, but if we do, thank God their relationship is not broken and restoration is made possible.
Very beautiful to see that.
And interesting there in that first verse, if any man sin, it's not supposed that we do. But if we do, he says we have an advocate or a go between or a Paraclete.
With the father, not beautiful to think that the children of God remain. They are the children of God and they are children of God forever and so are they. If if any man sin, we have an advocate with a father, relationship is still there, but communion needs to be restored. So as a child of God, if I sin, I get out of communion and I need an advocate. I need someone to come in between.
And the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus, we have an advocate with the father because with that relationship goes on, it doesn't change it, it, uh, it doesn't mean that if a, if a child of God sins, he's not God's child any longer. That's not it. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the mercy seat for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. But just lovely to know that.
We have an advocate, and that advocate is with God our Father, and that relation, that relationship remains forever something to encourage us with.
Part of the priestly work of Christ, isn't it? That was half brought before us here and the advocacy, and we know that the Lord is our great high priest to keep us from falling. But after that we have that yielded. But it has never looked upon as inevitable in the life of the Christian that he should sin. But if it takes place, we have one who is pleading for us his advocacy that leads the the believer to, uh, to judge that sin and to repentance.
The work of the Spirit of God in the in the Soul of the believer.
But to bring them before him the the seriousness of the of this, of the.
Departure, in fact, uh, I think the word advocate and uh.
And comforter is the very same, uh, wording the original. So we have two comforters or two advocates, one that's leading for us as God's right hand and UH-1 operating in our souls by the Spirit of God here below.
Good to hear something as to why we need an actual cake. The Lord Jesus is in heaven and, uh, what is happening there? Uh, the word advocate, we could perhaps say it's a lawyer, the one that stands besides you to uh, to take up your calls. Why is that needed? Who is accusing me and what for Could be here, perhaps something about that.
Well, we, we remember in the Battle of Amalek, Moses went up onto the top of the mountain, held up his hands, and if one hand went down, the other hand didn't go down. The one hand is the priesthood of Christ. And why do we fail? Because we don't avail ourselves of his priesthood. I think I like Peter perhaps. Oh yes, I can handle that situation.
Peter thought he would not deny his Lord. He said he wouldn't. He was sure he wasn't, but he didn't know his own heart. He didn't realize how weak he was. And so the Lord allowed him to come and have that fall. He didn't ask the Lord's help. If when the Lord had said to Peter, Peter, you're going to deny me, If he had said, Lord, without thy help I will, then I believe the Lord would have kept him. But he felt he could handle the situation alone.
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And so when we don't ask the Lord for help to meet the situations of life and that we failed, but then when we fail, we have one who pleads our cause. And if I might put it very simply, our brother has just sat the Lord Jesus as our advocate is like a lawyer or an advocate who takes up your cause at the very moment the believers sin. The Lord Jesus is there before the Father saying I paid for that sin.
I think that's very beautiful. That's why he's spoken of as Jesus Christ the righteous. If I have broken the law and I go to a lawyer to plead my cause, how is it possible for him to get me off righteously? It's not because I'm guilty. But here I'm guilty and I have one bleeding my cause righteously, and that's because the Lord Jesus at the cross for our sins, as it says, is the propitiation for our sins.
At the cross of Calvary He met the whole question of them, and all our sins were laid upon Him. And so God has been satisfied with that payment. And so He's there at the Advocate before the Father. But we're not, we're not restored until, as we have in the first chapter, it says that we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now let's restoration, and when I come and own it to the Lord.
And then he restores me, not to my possession. I never lost the possession of being a child, but he restores me to communion. And so this is necessary. And it's necessary that he's righteous. God never, as I said, overlooks him, never makes little of sin. But thank God, we have an advocate, a righteous advocate who pleads our cause because he settled that question of self across. But I'm not a communion.
If I could illustrate it like this, I, I make some slip in my business and, uh, I wonder what's going to happen when I find out about it. Oh, I say, I've got myself into a lot of trouble here, but I have an advocate and he's looking after my affairs and I go to him a week after and I tell him, oh, I'm afraid I'm going to get into trouble over this, uh, situation. And he said, I saw what happened and I took care of you at once. Now my mind is at ease, but it was already taken care of. And brethren, the Christian is always maintained.
Holy and without blame before God in love. But the advocacy of Christ is necessary to restore us because, uh, we get out of communion. We don't enjoy the relationship. And when we confess that, we're restored to it. What a precious thing this is. Now that's, uh, his priesthood then is to keep us from falling. When we don't avail ourselves of that, then the same blessed One is our advocate and he restores us when we confess it, that he's our advocate before we have confessed it.
As a believer at all times is holy and without laying before him in love as to our standing.
You say that we have a little picture of this in Route 1-2. Umm.
Before the Lord went to the cross.
Part of the fact that he had been speaking to them about the glory in verse the 31 The Lord said Simon, Simon Satan have desired to have you that he May 5th this week, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith sail not and when thou art converted or restored, strengthen my brethren. It seems that the Lord had already were taken up this matter even before it transpired and all about it and uh.
Since I have great, I think so.
Perhaps you could read a few verses in the Book of Revelation may show some light because perhaps happening right now.
Revelation chapter 12.
Of course the event must recorded there will take place in the future, but in per seven it says Revelation 12 and seven. And there was war in heaven they might call. And his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought in his angels. And we held now neither of us had placed out any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, an old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come salvation and strength.
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And the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accuses them before our God day and night, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony. That seems the famous victim a little bit. There is an accuser in heaven, and he doesn't accuse his once in a while when he failed, but nonstop.
A constant barrage of accusations, and oftentimes.
Yes, they're a good reason for his refuses because so often we behave inconsistent with what we really are the children of God. Often times we do not behave as the children of gout and so we give lots of occasion for Satan to accuse us nonstop day and night That incentives that first eleven how blessed and they overcame him by the blood of the land. And so we have heard an advocate taking up our cost. I have I have paid for this myself.
Is the price rather yes.
Where I believe propitiation really means mercy, see. And so he is the mercy seat for our sin. That is when we preach the gospel. That's why it says and, but not only, not for ours only, but also for the word sins of is in italics and it's not in the original, but also for the whole world. The blood is on the mercy seat. So I say to any Sinner, God can meet you if you come by way of the blood. The blood is on the mercy seat to meet you.
That blood by which God can meet the vile of Sinner is that blood that has put away my sins. I have come and I have found mercy. And so it's there on our and that's why it's brought in here. He is the propitiation. The only ground on which God can meet the Sinner and the only ground on which he can go on with me is a as a believer is because the blood is on the mercy seat. In Israel it was once a year that the blood was sprinkled so they never as it tells us in Hebrews, they.
The conscience could never be made clear.
Because it had to be repeated over and over and again. But for us, it says he entered in once by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And so for us who have come, why we've entered into by faith the value of that blood, that same blood that would avail for any Sinner, who would come with the same blood that has availed for me and that has brought me into a position of favor and acceptance before God.
There's a difference between propitiation and substitution if they're not.
There was a word on it, brother, are you well? For appreciation is available to all, isn't it? But I was just like God, holding open the offer of salvation and blessing and pardon to everyone to whose serve I will. But substitution means that Christ actually covered my sins with precious blood. It it flows to me, and it's only bad faith that I can lay hold of that. And that applies only to those that come by faith.
And taken the weight of Christ, applying it to their own tone. And they are that that sheltered under the blood of Christ, and come under the wonderful, uh, effect of substitution, where Christ died as a substitute for my sins.
Not only that's very important because it's much misunderstood and Christendom and often it's a preach that Christ bore the sins of everybody. The Bible never says that he bore the sins of many. We cannot separate the truth of God. It's uh, because I often say word truth is never in the plural in the Bible. It's in the singular because the truth of God all stands together. And so if I tell a Sinner that the Lord Jesus for his sins.
Why, how could God send him to hell if the Lord Jesus for his sins on the cross, little him we sing says God will not payment twice, demand first of my bleeding surety pan again, then again is mine mine. And so the Lord Jesus for the sins of many, but the blood is on the mercy seat for all. This is very beautifully brought out in type on the Day of Atonement. There were two ghosts on the Day of Atonement.
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The one the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and by that blood God could go on with a guilty nation and provided a way of approaching to his presence. But the other one, the sins of the people were confessed over it, and only the sins that were confessed over it were born away and saw a very important when you're preaching the gospel to tell a Sinner the blood is on the mercy seat, God has provided away, but to tell him that Christ has already borne his sins.
It's not true unless he afterwards gets saved, and you don't know that. So the truth of redemption and the truth of predestination stand together as all the truth of God does in the Scripture. Well, these are things that are very important. That's why there's so much confusion about being saved and lost and all kinds of things, because very often this truth is not laid hold of. And so people get all kinds of confused ideas, but.
The word of God is always so perfectly accurate and so all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus can say my sins were born by him and all those who will be saved, their sins were born by the Lord Jesus. But God only knows who they are. But he gives an invitation to all and says I provided a way that I can meet you through the blood and their responsibility to predestination meet together.
His profitiation meeting the holy claims of God against them.
Or sin that we have in our capital.
Yeah, because it says he is the proficient.
And who is he Christ and where is he? He's at God's right hand that speaks about the Lord Jesus. When he was here he said that. I'm just looking at the 16th of John.
S.
John 16 and verse, uh, beginning of verse nine or verse well, verse 8. And when he has come, he will recruit the world of sin, Speaking of the Holy Spirit here of, uh, righteousness and judgment of sin because they believe not on me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more. The Spirit of God now in this world is testifying to the fact that our righteousness is at God's right hand. And who is it? It's not just a, a theme or a.
Or a condition. It's a person, the person of Christ who lives at God's right. He is my righteousness. He is my propitiation. So it's beautiful to see that the Spirit of God, that the Spirit of God makes it clear to us that it's the person of Christ, isn't it?
Beautiful.
OK, could you say that propitiation is as satisfaction has been paid by the Lord Jesus to God, and on the basis of that God can be merciful to whosoever comes to him?
I wonder if I can ask a question about this from Romans chapter 3 and verse 25.
I enjoy the comments but a little just made out from our chapter that it's the person he is with the officiation for our sins.
In in Romans 3 and 25.
Just read for the connection umm verses 2324 and 25. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood.
Declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed for the forbearance of God. Declare, I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and to justify our him which believeth in Jesus.
My question is this, I've I've understood propitiation to be in a certain sense God's side of the cross that like you mentioned there in the in the two goats in Leviticus 16, the first goat upon which Jehovah's law fell is the goat that slain and his blood is taken in.
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And I'd liken that first go to the side of the Lord's work, the Scripture called propitiation that God's majesty is has now been vindicated by Christ's death. And as such, he's, he can now declare himself, uh, righteously to be a justifier of all that come. But my question is in verse 25. It always puzzled me why it says in that verse through faith in his blood. In other words, we know that.
That we can claim Christ as our substitute because we believed and taken avail ourselves of the of the blood and the mercy seat. But it's always, uh, puzzled me why in that particular verse, it, you know, my my thought is that he is that whether I believe or not, he is that And why here does it say through faith in his blood? Maybe I'm not understanding it right.
But it goes on to say he declared his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Abraham lived and died before the work of Christ upon the cross. How could Abraham be in heaven? It was necessary that sin would be put away. Blood of bulls and goats couldn't put away sand. So God must show his righteousness in connection with Abraham sin and connection with Moses sin.
But before ever the Lord Jesus died, God viewed the faith of those who believed in Him as being faith in him, and in that way in His word. And so by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, though Abraham. Abel rather approached God with that we spoke of the value of the blood, and stood before him not like Cain, who brought the fruit of a cursed ground.
But he stood before God, bringing before him, and place you between himself and God the value of a sacrifice. And God, I believe, put on that the value of faith in his blood. But the payment wasn't made then. It wasn't possible that that little animal could put away sin, But God must declare his righteousness. And that was declared at the cross through the work that Christ has done. But now those of us who live since it says in the 26th verse.
To declare I say at this time.
His righteousness now it's the not to come before him with the blood of animals, but we come before him and all the value of the work that Christ has done. And so to declare at this time that now a Sinner, I don't tell him to offer a sacrifice, to tell him to sacrifice was made. And God can be just in justifying him through that word. That's the way I looked at it. And I think it's important too, because some people have taken up that verse as referring to their past sins and they say when I came, all my past sins were put away.
That's talking about those who live before the cross and how God could bless the ones who lived and died in faith before the cross.
Isn't the key there to that 25th verse the end of the verse through the forbearance of God? God forbore with that long before ages before knowing that in the coming day his own beloved son was going to be put upon the cross. He was gonna his bloodless to be shed to cleanse from all sins. So I think I I've enjoyed that the 25th verse in this way that it's the forbearance of God is the key to that verse.
That's awesome. You have a little illustration. That closing I had a great depth that I'm unable to pay. And a friend comes to my creditor and says, don't bother Gordon Hale about that. Then I'll promise you that in one month I'll pay for it myself so he doesn't bother me at all. And somebody says to me, well, your creditors, not after you. Has your debt been paid? No, I say. But a person whose work could never fail has promised to make that payment.
And that was the faith of those who lived before the cross. So a month later, the pavement is made. But I was free from any bothering about that debt because a person who had given his word that he was going to do it was a satisfaction that it was going to be paid. And so that's why it says in Second Corinthians, all the promises of God in him are gay and all men.
To the glory of God, by Christ, so by us, brother, and so God has been glorified in the payment that has now been made.
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Things that they believe are especially in view and effort in Roman 325. Isn't it proportionation for faith in his flat and we have the same act here in our second verse in our chapter and 1St John. Do we not adhesive propreciation for our sins? But then next time further, and the apostle brings in the fact that that same propreciation that has been made for our sins is valid for all whose services common available. So it brings us like into a wider sphere and expands the form now thinking of ourselves only, but thinking of those many who still could avail themselves of their mindful opportunity of coming under that depreciation.
John, he lays the ground of all our blessings in the first chapter. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin, not saying that we don't have sin, we don't sin. Well, you say what about after your after you're a believer and you said, well, provision is made for that because is the he's the one who is the advocate before the Father and can righteously represent our cause because of the blood that was shed there.
His emergency.
And but now he speaks of the practical thing. I'm in the family. How should I walk that I now I'm in the family? Should I say, well, since I have an advocate who undertakes my cause, even if I fail, I'll still be in her favor before God. No, he says if one is really saved, there's going to be, there must be a practical manifestation of it. Not that we don't fail, but there will be. And if there is no practical manifestation of it in the life.
John immediately it all through the epistle raises the question as to the reality of the confession. If there isn't a desire for holiness, if there isn't love for the children of God, there isn't obedience. He raises the question constantly, is that person really in the family? Because if he's in the family, he has a new life, he has the Spirit of God indwelling him. And so it does become very practical as to our lives, not as to our standing. That's in Christ what we're really saying.
I think it's very important to see in this in the opening of this chapter that the the as we've been speaking about the provision that God has made for us. What are we to do with this? Are we just to say, well, we reach out, we take it well and put it in our pocket as it were. No, it's, it's more than that. It says in verse four and five he.
That says I know him and keepeth not and then notice in verse 5, verse four and then verse five. But whoso keepeth his word, if if you and I have salvation, if we have eternal life, if we have Christ as our righteousness, are we keeping that? Have we are we embracing it? Are we making it our own? I I believe that that the Spirit of God would bring it down to where we are that we might see that there's so much.
Oral, uh, confession today of the mouth. But you know, I thought of the verse in Romans 10. It's with the heart. Men believeth unto righteousness. And if our heart is not exercised, what good is the mouth? And so I believe here it's really, John looks at it right. He cuts a straight line through the truth because he's interested in the family of God and he wants the family to be sure that you have this in your heart, in your soul and that you're enjoying it because a family that's going on together, they enjoy one another. It's a real joy.
But if they're not, there's disunity, there's disruption, there's, uh, uncertainty. But with the fam, God wants his family to go on in happiness together. And I, I think the introduction to the family here, uh, in, in these verses has really, God cuts a straight line through that. You either notice what he says. If he, if, if he that says, I know him and keep us, not his commandments. He's a liar. I can't say that, but God does say it.
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If we're just going on in a profession, if it's just a religion, if it's just some kind of a form or ceremony, God says you're a liar. We can't do that. We can't speak for one in that term, but God does. And I think it's very, uh, very searching to my, to my own heart for me to search. Is this a reality with me? Is my heart entered into it? Am I really embracing it? I believe that's the thought.
Well, we got some virus removed from the back of, uh, Jesus Christ, our, uh, Lord and savior being an advocate. Could we pay this that it is in the aspect of this being the chief shepherd that cares for the sheep who restores our school when it comes in. That's his, his rights and privilege and his joy to restore his people to fellowship with himself. You gotta get, he didn't do that because he was also the Good Shepherd that gave the advice for the.
Business. Isn't that the whole character? Each one of them?
And I might say that the Christian has more specific sins to which he's comfortable to God, that even as a Sinner who does not know Christ, Savior because now he is more comfortable to God as his Father.
But how, how wonderful it is to know that God has made this wonderful provision for our whole pathway. And if there's any, any kind of God here that is falling into sin or walking from the Lord, be assured that you'd love for you whatever the same. And that is aggression. He was able to watch all things away in order that you might be brought close to him. He says, come here to be my brother. He doesn't want us at a distance, but he wants to restore our soul and the beauty of fellowship and community.
So I'll be cutting this pressure, yeah.
Because it saw that the there's never a scripture.
A necessity that we have believer within. It's uh, it's always because he has failed to, uh, avail himself of the provision of the priestly work of Christ. So.
As soon as, uh, it's serious in the life of an unbeliever, it's more serious than the like of a believer. And, uh, we should, uh, the exercise to, uh, walk carefully and not, uh, shall I say, use this as an excuse for a loose, uh, weight of light. It should be very, uh, you should realize what sin cost the war Jesus to put away.
And therefore.
We should have been very careful in our walk.
This is if you were saying, well, you need such and such a family. You'll see certain characteristics about them. And so when you meet the person, you expect to see those characteristics in their appearance and in their manner and so on. And so being brought into the family of God, possessing the very life and nature of the family, John takes up that practical side of things.
The display of the nature of the family and he's very dogmatic about it, shall I say very definite because, and I think that's important for us. When you meet somebody who professes, what do you expect to see? Well, you expect first of all to see a love for the Lord, because if any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let it be anathema Maranatha unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious. Because one brother said if a person has really been reconciled, he'll never be an enemy again.
He may get cold, but he'll never be an enemy again. We're reconciled, brethren, but now he brings out, I believe, these three things, obedience and love and holiness in our lives. And those things will be a manifestation to others that we are in the family of God. And John speaks very definitely. If you don't see those things, then you have every reason to question whether the persons in the family at all.
Hope I'm not being too speculative about this, but.
Looking to John's first epistle, in addition to what you've mentioned about looking for a reality and evidence of life in other, uh, people who confess the name of the Lord, there seems to be the burden on John's heart with these, uh, these uh, believers having assurance themselves that they were in the family of God. You almost said that there was a backdrop to this epistle of, of people questioning their own reality.
00:45:12
Because if, if you think about it, you put through these UH-5 chapters, uh, many, many times we see the word no, we know. We know.
And, and things that truths are brought out by way of sometimes reminder to these, uh, things so that they might know. And, you know, I don't mean to be speculative. I assume that this John who wrote this epistle was, uh, one of the sons of 17. And, uh, I sometimes think of how, uh, when the Lord called the James and John, they were mending Nets. And here we have John, the apostle John.
Apparently people say at the end of his life, uh, doing that same kind of thing in spiritual way, just like Peter was, uh, you know, a Fisher of men having been taken away from, from being a, a, a fisherman proper. And it seems to me that, uh, in addition to, as you said, brother Gordon, there seems to be a burden on John's heart that he might comfort as well as stir up the conscience of these things and call them Saints. Uh.
Because perhaps doubts or lack of assurance, uh, ha, has come in and he would remind them of truth and show them things, perhaps in their own life. Uh, to say that, you know, this, this thing is true of you, you love the brethren. And, uh, and you go through the epistle, I think you'll see what I mean. I, I think of a brother who's now with the Lord and he used to be plagued by doubts as to whether he was really a child of God, even to his, when he was in his 50s and 60s.
And uh.
He says, you know, it's a strange verse that says the Lord used to comfort me with and as soon as it's in first John chapter 3 and uh, in verse 14, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. And he used to say to him, so he was a brawler. He was a rough and tumble man. He was a fighter and a bad character. But he says, you know, I, I can't hide the fact I love the brethren. And he says that's not me. That had to come from him. And the Lord used that verse to assure him that he had a need pass from death on the life as I know.
Hello brother. And so not all of us are afflicted with the same kind of difficulties. Umm, some perhaps go through many years in their life with doubts of assurance as to whether they really belong to the Lord or really are in the family of God. And umm, this epistle as well as perhaps the 2nd and 3rd in another way, are very helpful to such to show them and not just the umm inconsistent things, but to show them the evidence is in their own life.
Umm, that they are.
Uh, part of the family is gone and have that same life in nature that they might know and have that assurance that to go on happily and fruitfully.
You look at Second Corinthians chapter 13.
And verse 5.
2nd Corinthians 13 five Examine yourself.
You have some comments about sins.
Our our assessment of what that behavior that constitutes a sin.
May be very deficient, very defective.
The Australia thoughts the weakness.
And I'll be gross in as men count sins.
But if we examine ourselves at all.
Certainly it's a fine guts. Can this be me, real believers?
And first, John has a.
It has been referred to a variety of suggestions as to how those dots may be overcome. We don't need to lose our confidence.
Proves for our own satisfaction, for our own confidence.
And chapter 2, verses 3-4 and five, maybe the first one here. Why do we do the moment now we know him?
00:50:04
What?
I realize I do know.
I'll have confidence in.
We keep his commandments.
The next one, perhaps?
Since chapter 3 has been referred to verse 14, we know we have passed some technical life because we lost the brethren and another fruit, verse 18 in the same chapter.
Let us not love in words given tongues, not just by verbal expressions, but indeed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are a history.
And if we have that affection one for another, then we have assurance and shall assure our markers.
Verse 24. The end of the first time. Hereby we know that He divided enough by this man which he has given him.
Our conduct and behavior such that it may be to ourselves desertable.
That's some of the thoughts that come to our minds are not all they're not all from the pitch. There's something in us from the Holy Ghost. More fruit, verse six in the next chapter. We are of God.
Writer Speaking of the apostles, he that knoweth God heareth us, that is being honest with us, right?
For the position to check in your Methos doctrine to accept it.
You're buying only.
Spirit toothpaste, spirituality and verse 13 here behind no weight, not weed, dwelling him and seeing us because he has given us off His spirits. Chapter 5 verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God.
I'm kind of closing a little back to what was in the second capture by way of roots and tape is commandments and the 31St chapter 5. These things have I hear that believe on the name of the Son of God.
That you may know that you.
But you know, back to chapter 2 hereby with your notes.
Anow regional need for doubts?
Our behavior is we can't get rid of some habits or our conduct is.
So our own assessment we know deficient.
Should be doing something differently.
Confident in the way you lose insurance.
You.
The confidence of the Lord because we're too far away from Him. We're following at a distance.
Injection to that package in 2nd Corinthians 13. However, I believe the context of it is important that the third verse, Second Corinthians 13 and verse 3.
Since she seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you it is not me that week, but is mighty in you. And that is, uh, if there was any question that what Paul was saying was really the word of God.
Then they needed to examine themselves whether in the faith, I'll tell an instance that I believe if I the story right happened in this very city, there was a man who would not accept it that a sister was not to take part publicly in the meeting. And he said, well, times have changed and that was just because Paul was not married. He didn't understand or something. And this was his line of argument. And the brother to whom he said this, he said.
Are you a saved man? And he said, yes, He said, how do you know that you're saved? Well, he said the Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Well, he said it was the same person who said that. He said let your women keep silence in the churches. Is that if you can't accept his word in what he says about let your women keep silence, how can you be sure that you're saved? I think that was properly applying the Scripture.
00:55:31
That is, if there's some verse in the Bible that you and I seek to set aside, we have destroyed the whole foundation of our faith. And they were saying, well, we don't believe that what Paul is saying to us is really a message from God. He says, well, you better ask yourself if you're really saved. And I believe that's an important thing, that if I had the assurance of my salvation because of my luck, I'm afraid that I would be in uncertainty.
But I have the assurance of my salvation because God has given me His Word and I've accepted it as His Word. The evidence of it is seen for us, and we have the inward proof that we desire to please Him because we have a new life in us. But I believe it's important that the foundation on which we stand for our salvation is taking God at His Word. I just mentioned that because there are Christians I know who examine themselves and, uh.
Uh, they're looking for the evidence of it in their life as the proof that they are the children of God and they don't have really saddled peace. But I do believe that, uh, if there is really new life in the soul, the heart responds to Christ. And I believe that as you've been bringing before us is brought before us in John's epistle, that is the heart responds to the claims of Christ and that's the fact that we're in the family of God.
Is it through us that God never would minister comfort that insurance, that soul that is walking carelessly and.
And it's honoring Him. On the other hand, if we are seeking to go on with the Lord, He gives us that sweet assurance, that sweet comfort. And how many proofs, you know He gives unto us? That's the foundation which we rest as a sure foundation, and we can be happily constant before Him. But depends on our state of soul, doesn't it? And probably that if a believer is going on in his own ways of counsel and support, he may easily lose the sweet company, the insurance that he shouldn't have at all times really, if he was going on happily with the Lord.
God doesn't command his family, does he?
We have the word there. It says that he that says I know Him and keepeth not His commandments, but truly God doesn't command his family. He gives them His word. Notice the next verse, verse 5. Whoso keepeth his word, Ah, the word of God comes to me as a child of God. My dear child, I love you. And He shed that love abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which He's given to us. And I think it's so beautiful to see what is brought out there.
It says whoso keepeth His word, in him, verily is the love of God. Perfection. Isn't that beautiful to me? That's a beautiful verse. Who keepeth His word? I keep His word because of His love and His love assure. And by doing so He assures me in my own heart and soul that I'm His child and He truly loves me. I think it's so beautiful to see that it's not just a commandment. Commandment has to do with authority, and He has authority.
But as, as our dear brother Gordon's father used to tell us, the husband, don't command your wife. You don't do that. And God doesn't command his children. He has a word for them, and that word is very much of love. His word of love, isn't it? As it says, whoso keepeth his word in him, verily is the love of God. Perfect, good, perfect good. Yes, in in his love is hereby.
No, we that we are in him, as our brother said. The knowledge of this the child of God can say I know.
We know. We know Him. We know who He is. We know what He's done, We know His love. But how can we know it? By keeping His word. By keeping His word.
01:00:02
It's very just for a, a minute or two to John chapter 14, the Gospel of John chapter 14, uh, we have the same.
Same turn of the Lord penning these words as in the essential word reading.
Anyway, we have, I think the people have in the area, but we need to hear our commandments. There's a connotation of the Galaxy, uh, like in the name of Moses, except that this little thou shalt live.
Well, we're living under grace and grace is not law. Law is not grace. We can't make this. But here in John chapter 14, we get the secret every year, uh, preaching near you with the Lord. And that is verse 21, the Lord Jesus himself, we can he that hath my commandment and keep himself. He is that loveless me, and he that loveth me shall be loved with my Father, and I will love him and will manifest to him and I talk to him. Now that isn't an individual personal revelation of Lord Jesus himself.
As free of arms of embrace around us and manifesting it. How much he wish he loves us.
And when the heart of the believer has really has been entertained by his love in no desire, uh, on his behalf to ever walk, uh, this unit is obedient way or willful way. But further down it says that verse 23, Jesus man loves me. He will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come under him and make our vote with him. He's a loveth me. Not he does not my saying in the word which he hear, not mine, but the father sent me.
I like to enjoy that I work so much, it says. Whereas my father will love him and we will come under him.
Next I will go with him. And when there is that, that desire, that willingness in the heart to keep the word of the Lord, not because of reality, but because of who he is and what he has done, how he is not best for stuff to it, How he is so wonderfully proven to death. And then the wonder of his love and going all the way to the cross and moving to dashboard, shedding his precious sight. And now if they've been in our industry, join us all that measures the wonder and greatness.
Jehovah manner of love the Father has pursued upon us. How could we ever willfully desire to do our own will?
Walking and distance from him was still nothing. And who is so able to manifest the pool or the gunhead starts to work in the end. Do not, do not each and everyone desire to have that, uh, right in our pathway as we go through this world of, uh, Internet and joy and legends of the questions and groanings all around us to have the love of God to shed a drug in our hearts by, by obedience. It is for a simple obedience by any kind of God.
All right, time is up, brother.
Mm-hmm. You're saying him number 99?
The number 99 Christian Rescuer, the Rock of Ages, mustenger. Nor can that face be overthrown, rest upon the living stone in number 99.
John 11
Until He Comes
Ruth as a Bride
1 John 2:7-17
Reading
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First John chapter 2, verse 7.
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment.
Which he had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
Again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother.
Is in darkness even until now.
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him, but he that hateth his brothers in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write unto you Father's, because ye have known him, that is from the beginning.
I write unto you, young men.
Because you have overcome the wicked one, I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
I have written unto you Father's, because ye have known him, that is from the beginning.
I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abide within you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, love the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
And the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
Little children, it is the last time, as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now there are many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us. But they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.
But they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.
But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, He is the Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He had promised us, even eternal life.
These things have written unto you concerning them which seduce you. But the anointing which you have received of Him abideth in you. And you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.
And now little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.
God doesn't have any different standard for us than the pathway of His beloved Son here because we possessed his life. Christ Himself is the believer's life.
It's, uh, when he says here and no new commandment, and then in the eighth verse again a new commandment, I believe it goes on to say which thing is true in him and in you? And that is since the Lord Jesus has gone into death and risen again. And we remember how he breathed on the disciples and said, receive the Holy Spirit and now we have life and resurrection power.
00:05:22
We have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. It wasn't anything different than what was required even of the disciples, but now the believer in this dispensation is much more responsible because he has the risen life. I think it's the same thought as what it says. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it abundantly now that is now because the Spirit of God indwells us why we enter into or have the privilege of entering into.
But no Testament faith could ever enter into the wonderful place of nearness into which we have been brought. I might also say that perhaps to illustrate it, we have what we have in Galatians. It speaks about the air. When he was a child he didn't have, he didn't understand the place he was in. But at the time appointed of the Father, he is declared the heir to the throne. And then he has he can enjoy.
His possession in liberty, He had life before, but He had it more abundantly when He is publicly declared to be in the position of being the heir to the throne, and rather than what a wonderful revelation of truth has been given to us in Christianity. And so we not only possess life, but we possess life in a risen Christ. And here it manifests itself in walking in this world, in the pathway in which the Lord Jesus Himself lost.
Gordon, like you said.
Hi, anybody that knew me, I, I always like the railroad and, uh, I always thought I always wanted lo. I would love to run my own engine and, uh, I was able to do it and now it, it's, it's as much fun, but it's different than what I thought it was going to be because there's a lot more responsibilities with it that I didn't see it at first.
But now I see them and it's the same as what you were saying that, uh, if we have been given more to do, there's more responsibility and we're more responsible to do what we're supposed to do than we were before.
Right.
So it says the end of this eighth verse, the darkness is past or the darkness is passing. As Mr. Darby's translation read, there's still a lot of darkness in this world, but the true light has shone. The Lord Jesus has come into this world. He has glorified God, his Father. He has gone back as the one who has accomplished that mighty work of redemption, and He has given us resurrection life, and we possess that just as He brings down his disciples.
And the power of that new life is what was not true before the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. So it isn't that different in one sense, but it is different in another, that we are far more responsible. And so we got bored with many things in the Old Testament. They were children, but they weren't in the wonderful place that we're in. And so we have a greater responsibility and the standard is lifted, as it were, in Christianity. The darkness isn't all gone, but the true light shines.
Coming on the large years into the world that the blue light marks now the new beginning, doesn't it? That's what John has occupied with here in the first epistle. The beginning as there was a full revelation of God-given unto now, unto us now. And first of all, our Jesus Christ we have brought into full light now that He came this world.
00:10:22
To turn to Galatians 4, you see that what I was Speaking of, I think it might be helpful to notice. This I think helps to understand the passage.
Relation 4 Now I say that the air as long as he is a child, if there is nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but he's under tutors and governors until a time appointed of the father.
Even so, we, when we were children were in ******* under the elements of the world, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law.
That we might receive the adoption of sons, because the Our Son God has sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA, Father, where? Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son.
And if a sign that an heir of God through Christ. Same person who has a family life. Before he was only a child, he was under tutors and governors, but now he's grown, he's entered into it. He has that he has a different position now because he enjoys his relationship and ought to walk in the dignity of that relationship and rather we are far more responsible. God may have what he did there with many things in the Old Testament.
But now, uh, we have that more abundant life, that is, we have life in a risen Christ, and that's why he brings before us in the chapter. God is no lower standard than the pathway of his own beloved son down here in this world. And you and I ought to display that life. We ought to walk in that pathway that he walked and indwelled by the Spirit of God, we have the power to manifest that life.
But the new life is one thing. The Holy Spirit of God indwelling us is the power of that new life that we possess.
The gospel is done. You have this eternal life, uh.
Beautifully manifested in the first in a crisis. It's halfway down here, but they're more particular with the falling than the first drone. Is that same divine life with me now? Well, that's my grace, matter of fact, in the child of God.
OK, a member of the family is gone. So which thing is true in Him and in you? I mean that we possess the same life as the Lord, and we have a power. And if the flesh is kept in the place of death where it should be, and the divine light will be.
Developed in manifest and the believers, uh, pathway down here, but it's.
It also in involves an intelligence in the things of of God that that was not possible even for the disciples before the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Well, it always brings before us what God has done for us. And then the practical side of it, as seen in our lives, what God has done is brought us into that position. Now we're to walk. And I believe that's why the word commandment comes in because everything that, uh, the Lord wants us to do has the power of a command over our hearts. Someone you love ask you to do something you wouldn't say. Is that a request or a command?
I really love that person. It becomes a command to you. You say to somebody, oh, I have to do that because the person you love asks you to do it, and it becomes a command to your heart. And I believe that's why this comes in. Even the Lord Jesus has said in the end of the 12Th chapter of John, even as I have kept my father's commandments, so he didn't even speak a word of himself, but as his father commanded him, he did.
00:15:04
The Lord Jesus found his delight in doing his Father's will. That is the life that we possess. And so for a Christian to say, well, do I have to do that? The question is, who asked us to do it? Has He given us a life that wants to do it? The Lord will never ask us as believers to do anything, anything. I say that the new life in the believer doesn't find delight in doing. The good pleasure of Thy will, O God, is my delight.
The Lord Jesus could say, well this speaks to our hearts and I think as we fit here in these meetings and claims of Christ are brought before of us, before us. All of us feel that constraint. Why? Because we loved him. We don't say, do I have to do that? But the heart responds, I want to do it because it would please the one whom I love and who loves me.
The reality of profession is negative in the perfect light of what he is, isn't it? We had his expression already in very full heat and said I know him. And again, he then says he's in the light for his mind. So it's much profession around them. But the profession is to be tested in the light of what we find in the personal law, Jesus, in the light of the truth as in him and for them. We see all things tested by that perfect mind here.
It's stumbling too, isn't it, to have one who says he's in the light and he's walking in darkness or contrary to the light. It has a stumbling effect upon others. It trips others up by thinking over here. He that in verse nine, he that says he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now, and he that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. So the the confession.
And the walk that is the mouth and the walk should go together. It should be a testimony. And so if it isn't, it may not only be a a deference to my own soul, but I could stumble others with that. And that's happened in many instances in in Christendom this very day that many have been stumbled because of what people what different ones Christians have said and their walk didn't comport with that. So it's very important to see that, isn't it? I just just going back. I don't want to go back to all these first, but this I've noticed in that verse 6.
He that abideth in him aught himself also so to walk.
As he wants. That's, that's an object there before us that, that is, uh, as a dear brother used to say, it's, it's an impossible object, but God's object is Christ and he, that's what he puts before us. He doesn't give us anything less than that. Uh, he doesn't say to walk as Charles little walk or somebody else. He says as he walked. So it's really interesting to see that, that God's, the whole object of God is a, is the exalvation of his son.
And in soul walking with him, then we can be a blessing to others and not a stumbling block.
We have a little picture of it and the IT Likes You walk with Elijah in the time that he was going to be taken up.
And uh, Elijah said to Elijah, uh, what will tell that I do unto thee before I be taken from thee? And the license reply was, I pray this is a double portion of thy spirit may be upon me.
So when I said that I could be your last, your double when you're gone, and so you said, well, if you see me when I'm taking off, it shall be so, but if not, it won't be so. And so he was very careful to see him.
When he was taken up, and brethren, that's the whole secret for us. If we have our eye upon the one who's been taken up, as it tells us in 2nd Corinthians 3, we all would open or unveiled faith beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image. So as soon as he saw him taken up, what did he do? He took his old mantle and put it in two pieces and picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. Beautiful picture of him seeing the end of all, as he was always said, this is the end of all Elijah. And so he rent his own mammals and he said, I want to be like the person that went up. So he picked up his mantle and he didn't have to tell anybody.
Now that he was going to take the place of Elijah or anything like that, as soon as he had crossed through Jordan, the river of death, we were to reckon ourselves dead indeed under sin, but alive unto God. When he went through the river of death and came up on the other side, he didn't have to say a word. They said the spirit of Elijah does rest upon Elijah. He didn't have to talk about himself at all. But people saw that it wasn't the same man that followed him over that was now returning. And rather than that's what we need, we need to see the one who's gone up and we'll see the end of ourselves.
00:20:35
In the ham up across and we'll see in his resurrection that we have a new position entirely newness of life, life in a risen Christ and power for us too by the spirit. He asked us, I said, Elisha said that the spirit of him that was went up by rest upon him. Well, I believe this is the what is brought before us in this precious chapter. And uh, it's a practical thing that affects everything in our lives, not only what we do, but the spirit in which we do it.
OK.
Very beautiful here. I recall our brother Jr. Gill, who, uh, in reading this little epistle, he noted verse 12 and uh, he made this comment about it and I believe it's true. I write unto you children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. He said this is the family tree or the family Crest for the family of God.
I write unto you children, because your sins are forgiven you. Why? For his name's sake. That's a beautiful thing to follow out in the word of God that our sins are forgiven for his namesake, not because we were different or because we graduated from some, but it it's, it's a person of Christ. Our sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. Someone enjoyed the thought that it's, it's like the family tree, the family Crest.
For the family of God.
MMM yeah, the question I'd like to ask about the ninth verse, he just said he is in the life and hated his brother is in in darkness even until now. Uh, it's actually mean for Christians like one brother, sister. And he said, quote you you don't like me or I said, yes, I do brother, but I don't like your actions. I don't like your ways. Is that what that means?
The Apostle John always speaks abstractly, if you notice in the third chapter in the UH.
The third chapter and the ninth verse, whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. Now, that is, he speaks of what is the character of the child of God. Now it may not always be manifested, but immediately it's not seen. It raises a question, uh, supposing, uh, you heard me, uh.
Do something that when I saw me do something that was certainly very contrary, the way a Christian could act, he wouldn't say I'm acting like a child of God. He would immediately say, well, he surely didn't act like a child of God in that situation. Now, I might be one, but what John is bringing before us is the character of the children of God. But he didn't see that character. Why he spoke very definitely because he said he, uh.
In that verse that I just read. And his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin if they can a Christian sin. He doesn't act as a child of God when he's sinning at all. He's acting as though he were not in the family. He might be, just as I might act thoroughly consistent to the play my place in an earthly family. It wouldn't mean that I wasn't in the family, but it certainly wouldn't be consistent with it at all. And as I say, I think that's very important.
This side of things that you see in John's ministry, so he says if there isn't love, there isn't holiness, if there isn't obedience.
I can't recognize that person as a child of God because a child of God as a child of God doesn't do these things. He's acting kind of inconsistent with his place in the family. I think, uh, the verse in Ephesians chapter 5 would be helpful there too. Ephesians chapter 5, umm and verse.
00:25:01
8.
He says, for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light. Why does he have this admonition here in the book of Ephesians which we have? The highest possible truth that we have is because it's possible for a child of God to walk in darkness although he is in the light. It says for ye, uh, uh, but ye are.
But verse eight again, you were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light. In other words, prove the the testimony of it. Then notice in the in the parenthesis for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable under the Lord. So the child of God is possible for a child of God, though he is, he is in the light to be walking in the shadow or in the darkness and God would admonish him for that. And here as we do it here.
And uh, so it's, uh, umm, it brings out the walk there, doesn't it either Is he, that is, uh, Seth, he is in the light and hated his brothers in darkness. And the Lord would have us to walk as children of light, not as we were once in darkness.
Mother of James is done as the replacement's right left hand N shrimp.
This is Matthew 20. He was 24. That the other bill, the other ten were filled with indignation against the two names and John.
No, the ten were not in darkness, but they weren't acting according to guard or they, umm, the Lord wasn't filled with indignation against pursuit, but the ten were. What really is the characteristic of, uh, those in the family is what we have here. We know that we have passed indefinite life of those we love with revenue. That is what is characteristic of the children of God. Now I may do something which would cause my breath into temporarily, you know, be very upset with me.
But that's entirely different from the pain.
Brother and flew him. There was a man who was in darkness all his life, you know.
Terrible thing, but I think that the answer to Lee made his question there. This nice verse is, uh, he that sent me is in the light and hated his brother from darkness. Uh, absolute statement. It's one who never knew the Lord. He says our nation's brother.
Well, to remember, isn't it that every child of God here is in the light? In fact, every child of God is in the light or he wouldn't be a child of God. But every child of God is not walking according to the light. And I believe that's good to remember that, that every child of God is in the light because the light is shone in or he wouldn't be a child of God. Uh, but he's not, they're not all walking according to that light. So if the walk comes in again, the testimony to that truth comes in again, doesn't it?
So, and it's good to remember that, you know, we're not all, we're not all, uh, uh, motivated as we should be to walk according to the lights. We should be, but it's a, it's a real exercise for us.
My brother Armstead Barry is illustrated, uh, with ducks those, and there were 10 ducks beside a pond and they see eight of them go in, they're swimming and two of them stay on the shore. And he said, I wonder why those other eight, those other two didn't go in.
A little closer and they're sick or something's the matter. They're really, they're really dust. All right. But they didn't, uh, they weren't in a condition, do I normally the way a duck would. So the eight went in. The others are really ducks, but they're inconsistent with their character. They stayed on the shore. You might expect the chicken to stay on the shore because it doesn't like water. And so you say, well, doctor, acting as though they were chickens, afraid of the water. No, they weren't afraid of the water, but they weren't acting consistently with their character.
And I believe that's the way he looks at it. That's the way our brother, uh, Barnstead very used to illustrated. So it's not really the two nature that's in view, although it's the result of having a new nature, but it's the person that I've looked at and that's helpful to see. And John, the person is looked at as a person, as a responsible person in the family of God. He's acting inconsistent with character. He's acting more like a person who's not in the family at all.
00:30:20
Mm-hmm. Let's get it in the third chapter along that line is that you have committed sin is of the devil.
Well, uh, uh, God of God, him that, you know, falling into sin, but, uh, looking at it abstractly here in the, in the characteristic sense, if you see a person, uh, committing sin, you can apply this scripture. He didn't commit a sin is of the devil, you might say, but I'm a child of God. But, uh, he's not acting in that character of a child as well.
You would never be lost, but uh, he's manifesting the characters that we should is umm.
Characteristic of a of a an unsafe person.
That's very clearly brought out in what happened with Peter when Peter would have forbidden the Lord to go to the cross. He said, thus it shall not be to thee. What did the Lord say? He said, get thee behind me, Satan. Was he really talking to a true believer, a true child of God? He was. And he said, get thee behind me, Satan. In other words, no doubt, of course the Lord knoweth them that are his. He was a child of God, but he wasn't acting like one, and the Lord didn't call him one. And so we see this in the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
And as a as a very solemn thing, when you and I, who are real believers, act as though we were not react the way the world would act, we act as one let on a Satan instead of one who is seeking to walk to please God, the character of the new life.
Now he goes on here in the, uh, well, first on the different stages in the family of God. And I think this is very beautiful too, because there were those who were, there's the one general address that our brother spoke of. I write on to you children. That's the whole family.
You look at the, uh, footnote and Mr. Garvey's translation. This is the whole family that's spoken out in the 12. First I write on to you children. Everyone in the family is entitled to know and enjoy this precious truth that he's in the family of God. His sins are forgiven him for his name's sake. But now he addresses the father's.
He addresses the young man and he addresses the little children obeyed. And there are different stages in the Christian life. There are different dangers in the Christian life. And so it's nice to see this because we as parents don't expect as much from an older child as a younger one. And God brings before us these different positions, even in the family of God. And I think they're important for us to bear in mind.
MMM.
I just like to go back to that verse, uh, again, it just, uh, stands out for we are forgiven for his name's sake. What is the purpose of this? It's to make his love known to us. If you turn over at 105th Psalm, uh, I just wanna, or 106th Psalm, I'm sorry. I just wanna refer you to her first. That, uh, uses that expression, but it's in a different way.
Psalm 100 and UH-6.
Well, I wanna read verses 7 and eight. Our fathers understood not thi wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Verse 8. Nevertheless, He saved them for His name's sake. I've enjoyed that verse, and I think it's a beautiful verse to see wrapped up there. But notice what it was for, that He might make His mighty power known to them.
Different there, isn't it? There's a different thought He that his power might be made known to them. But he, he now we have the forgiveness for his name's sake that his love might be known. What a difference and what a contrast. And that's something for us spreading to really vast in his love. It's part of his namesake that his love has been manifested to us. We know his power, of course.
00:35:16
I want to say that it wasn't you.
I'm going to ask the question whether Little children was the correct, uh, rendering hearing.
You know what, I believe that the Garvey has a shell test. Umm, it's just children. It's a whole family. It's the whole family. But I was just going to say that it doesn't matter if a person would just say yesterday or has been saved for 20 years. He has no more title in 20 years to know that his sins are forgiven than the person that was saved yesterday. And that's very lovely. He's addressing the whole family. You were just saved yesterday. Your sins are just as much forgiven, and God wants you to know it and enjoy it as if you've been saved for many, many years.
It's the common knowledge or position of every believer. Your sins are forgiven for His name's sake.
God's order is always perfect, isn't it? Uh, we, we've met up with those that would try to tell us. Well, there's a, uh, I don't, uh, I certain certain things in the Bible, uh, you know, they're mixed up. We don't understand them. Well, we'll never understand them with the mind. We'll have to accept it in heart and believe it. So I just thought of the order here in verse 13, I write unto your Father's because you have known him, that is from the beginning.
That is, they've grown. They know him.
And the responsibility of course is fathers. They're they're mentioned first. Then he says, umm, I write unto you young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. Strength we see there fathers, they have known him. That was from the beginning. Now he says, I write unto you young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. But I would love this last part of this verse. I write unto you little children here. It's little children or babes really.
Uh.
Because you have known heart, known Father, that's all that's necessary. They know the Father very and very in a very simple way. So God's order is always so beautiful, isn't it, Fathers, young men and babes.
Interesting too the one has this repeated in the 14th verse. It's the very same wording about the Father's. Notice the first part of the 13th verse I read on the you fathers because you have known him, that is from the beginning.
Again, in the 14th verse I have written unto you, Fathers, because ye have known him, that is from the beginning.
How the different words in the second instance to the young man? A lot is said to the babes, but to the fathers you have known.
Because you have known the Father and I believe that's very important. As we grow older, we have to be careful that that simplicity of knowing the, uh, knowing him that's from the beginning remains. The truth of God remains. We know that errors have been brought in often by people who had a great knowledge of the Scripture.
But wanted to bring out something new and that has led the church into error. Very often it was in some simple child of God. It was someone who took the place of knowing the things of God. Let's remember, no matter how old we are, we never get beyond the place of knowing the Father. And we don't make progress beyond the truth as God has revealed it in connection with our place as children before the Father.
I think the point is that Christianity begins with a person, as you say in John One, he's Speaking of all created things and before everything that was created, there was a person who was there. As the Lord gives us in Proverbs 8, when He prepared the heavens, I was there. That is when all the created the and the created universe was made. The Lord Jesus was there. He was the one, the instrument by which Allah was created.
But now he's thinking about something new that has become that is, Christianity begins with a person, that very one who was there when everything was created and who created all the things, has become a man down here in this world. And God reveals himself in that blessed one. And so Christianity, I say again, begins with a person.
00:40:21
Perhaps I could further say that the verse that sometimes taken up by those who deny the deity of Christ, the Lord Jesus, the beginning of the creation of God, that simply refers to new creation, the beginning that is new creation. Adam was the first man and he ruined everything. The Lord Jesus is the second man and last Adam, and he's the beginning of an entirely new order. He's the beginning of that new creation.
And the head of that first creation was a man who fell and ruined it all. The beginning of the new creation is God himself, the son in manhood form. No thought of time or anything as to his, uh, beginning because he's eternal. But it's, uh, it's very precious and important, I think to see this because that verse has been misused by those who deny the deity of Christ.
An enthusiastic what matters to?
We don't return to some tradition or man or some uh.
Mediastical system, we return to the awful doctrine and fellowship that which was from the beginning, which we have presented to us in the official when we, uh, are exercised about a ground of gathering in accordance with God's mind for today. And the apostle says in the second official, this is love. This is a commandment that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. So that's important that.
You don't go back to some, uh, teaching of man, some, uh, reformation. We go right back to the apostles doctrine.
And fellowship that we have in the in the New Testament when the the instruction for the ground of gathering.
However, the particular snare for the fathers to go beyond, and there's a particular there for those who are young. And so he says here, the 13th verse I write on you, young man, because you have overcome the wicked one. And again he takes up the same theme in the end of the 14th verse. I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you.
And he had overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Any man love the world. The love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
The pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. I believe that's very important, the warning, because so often our life is molded upon the choices that we make when we're young. It's true that a person might be restored, but very often our afterlife is molded. And how we delight to see young people who make the word of God their guide, who are strong and realize what the world is.
Because the world seeks to dilute, dilute especially those who are young, presenting before them something that it has to offer, which is all a disappointment. And how lovely it is to see young people who seek a plan and pattern their lives according to the word of God. So it says here, the word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Someone has said that deception of this world is of Satan. The perception of it is of God.
Without that, umm.
Guidance and direction by the word of God. Just referring to some verses over in the 40th of Isaiah. I was thinking of this year and Isaiah chapter 40 and verse, uh, beginning verse 29. Very familiar portion here.
It says, uh, umm, I'm sorry. 28 Isaiah 40 and verse beginning of verse 28. Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength. Then I was thinking of verse 30. Even the youths shall faint.
00:45:15
And be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. It's a warning, isn't it, that they could, they can't depend, as it says here in our chapter a year, year. Umm, I have written unto young men, because you're strong, don't depend on your strength. You may fall. Satan can trip you up. And so it says here, the even the US shall faint and be weary. Young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint. Somebody has suggested here that the flying as an eagle is not the not the realm of, of, of man, is it? He can't keep soaring through the through the sky because he's not an eagle. He's a man. But it comes down to being run and not weary and then walking and not painting. Walking is characteristic of the man of the.
Say of the young men, who's speaking to the young men here? So I thought of it how he says I have written to young, young men because you're strong and the word of God abideth in you.
You've overcome the wicked ones, but don't depend on your strength. Depend upon the Lord. Get your strength from Him. He is the one through whom you will derive your strength in order to walk in the path to please God. And I I thought of it in that connection in Isaiah 40.
The world is looking at here is a vast system of things that it's build up of Satan in man by man and his alienation from God and as we see it, if you go back to Genesis that Cain's posterity began the world we might say the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle. Perhaps that's the business world the father of such as handle the harp of the organ, the entertainment world and.
An artificer of all the structure and our, uh, our, uh, in brass and iron brass. That's the scientific world.
Until we have the whole world system introduced by Canes Prosperity, and here we have that, we're told we have to live here. We use those things, but we have to be careful that they don't get hold of us. And so this is the warning. I believe that given here the whole vast system of things that man has built up in his alienation from God. And we are thankful for automobiles. We're thankful for this building and for the lights and everything they can be used for God's glory. But our hearts are set on things above things that are outside of this world.
And we have to be careful even in our using these things, as it says in First Corinthians 7, yells that use the world is not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passes away. So I think it's very lovely to see the way this is brought before us here. We can use these things, but we have to be careful that our hearts are not set upon them. We're just passing through and we're to seek to do the will of God, to seek to use our time and our energies for him.
Neither doeth the will of God abide us forever.
And colonizing to realize that the religious will is just part of that entire world system that is another domination of Satan. It's a system of religion that is suited to man, that is designed to please man and to satisfy man. That's how man oriented sort of faith. And you know, even as believers, we are in a danger of being attracted by those some of those things that we see in that vast religious system, you know, some of these things that seem to be nice to nature, to the flesh, you know. And so we have to watch as to those things also. It's not only the ungodly world that we are to be guarded again, but in a very special way the religious world, because it's a very subtle influence that can come, can come in and we may be induced in imitate some of these things that I find in the religious world.
OK, allow our own past return by some of those things that we are not watchful.
Everything you've got has the world is opposed in different ways. Uh, thinking here in, in our chapter, it's the, the world is opposed to the father. And then also in looking at Galatians, the flesh is opposed to the spirit. And then in Luke, we find that the, the devil is opposed to the sun. So we find there the, the world, the flesh of the devil opposed to God in Trinity.
00:50:12
Uh, every point, every phase in every part of the truth of God is opposed. And so I think it's Mark marked out here that the world is opposed to the Father, particularly in John's Gospel or John's ministry.
For this transaction is not presented to the Lord Himself and and through the wilderness of India.
Of course, there was no response to the temptation, but there we have the Lord in manhood presented to us prominently. And how did he overcome the wicked? One was by, uh, entire submission to the word of God and, and answering each temptation by implicit obedience to God's word. And that's an example for us because there Christ is presented as a man and.
And tempted. And, uh.
An example for uh re one of us to follow.
The world that we read about here is the world that God did not love.
The world that the God Master became is only begotten. Time is the world of mankind.
And dude, I think you point out second to young people many years before I really didn't understand that there are basically three types of the Eastern word the world of nature to God created the world of his own power and that's what the world nature that we enjoy the handiwork. He's a great empower and wisdom and we have the the world of mankind and the transfer to achievement understand.
We have the other than the socioeconomical world.
And it stopped world in which you and I are called to walk through at the wilderness. And we're not to green anything or effectively anything past signs from that side of the world. We're used for evolving, use that world and actually use it and go through that world. Uh, what the object is for us with the one that set the pattern who is once appeared and he kept that word and now is the object for us to help us to walk through victoriously. Victory is gone.
They see those 3 lusts we're at uh, Satan used for attempt Adam and Eve. It says that the tree was flattened to the eyes. Good for food, a tree to be desired to make one wise.
As good for food, that's the lust of the flesh, pleasant of the eyes, that's the lust of the eyes. A tree to be desired, to make one wise. That's the pride of life. Well, he came down and they fell, and that, uh, temptation as he presented those we lost to them. And then he cave was the same to the Lord.
As our brother has just remarked and the Lord answered the way Adam should have answered or he should have answered. He should have said, well, here's what God said. We're not feet of that tree. But they didn't answer. They reasoned about it that yielded to the temptation when the Lord met those things that is command that these stones may be made bread. That was the lust of the flesh. Uh, brings the Lord to the pinnacle of the temple and uh, shows them all the.
And the comanzium or asked him to, uh, cast himself down, That was the pride of life, to be able to jump from the top of the temple and not be heard. And that he shows them all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. That was the lust of the eyes in every temptation. The Lord simply said, it is written and made. We say that as these things are presented to us and they are presented to us in the family, just as we have here. What is our answer? Well, it looks very nice and I think I'll try it.
As often said, people say, well, I'll try anything once. That's what Adam said. You try anything once. But we know what happened. By trying it once, he ruined his own life and he ruined the this whole world.
As a result of it, don't try anything once, but God forbids. Make the word of God our guide. So Satan comes to the family. And if we're going to overcome, we must walk a key walk. Answer each temptation by what does the Scripture say about it? And so it tells us about these young men. The word of God abides in you. That's the only way that we can overcome the wicked long brethren, by the word of thy lips have I kept me from the path of the destroyer.
00:55:05
Well, only the Lord can keep us, but He has marked the path out in this world, a safe path amid all of this world has to offer, where we can walk in communion with God our Father. The path where the Lord Jesus walked. It's a happy path. It's free from the dangers that are found in the path of our own self will. So how blessed that there is such. And this is what we have our brother remarked before in the Gospels. We see eternal life manifested in the Lord Jesus.
And that's a pencil to John. We have that same life manifested in the family and a path marked out as he was.
On the, uh, 14th capital of Romans in verse UH-16, I'm sorry, 17 and 18, I think you see, uh, by way of contrast, the principles of the Kingdom of God that are really the divine replacement for these three things that energize the world, the luck of the flesh up to the eyes and part of life. Verse 17 For the Kingdom of God does not need his reign, but righteousness and peace.
Enjoying the Holy Ghost, for he didn't need the same serve in Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men. So if you think about it, they really line up so that instead of the lust of the flask, you have righteousness governing the man who walks according to the principles of the field of God. Instead of the lust of the eye hugging, uh, at his heart and uh, stirring up covetousness and so on, you have peace instead of the pride of life, uh, swelling, uh.
A man's chest, and I'm sure even a child can possess the pride of life. You have joy in the Holy Ghost, which is an experience that, uh, the world can never taste of. I enjoy too, uh, a comment I've heard.
Timothy 2 where Paul writes to Timothy and says plea also youthful us and brother Lundin, who was far beyond the age of youth at the time, he said, he said you don't have to be a, a young man, uh, to fall into youthful lusts. And I thought that was a good comment uh, that.
Though I'm sure that these different things, the loss of the flash loss of the eyes, might be more characteristic in one stage of our life naturally than another. At any age we could succumb to these things. I've seen again the children swollen with the pride of life for some achievement they've accomplished in a natural way, whether academically or out on the playing field. And also you see some who are very old to come to philosophers of the eyes, to their hurt and sorrow.
Great men are not always wise. Neither do the aged understand judgment. So they make mistakes too, don't they? They get into, they get trapped into sin. Also the agent.
We speak here of young men, but I'd like to say a word to those who are indeed young, but not only young men, but young women too. Sometimes we hear about peer pressure. I'd like to say a word about peer influence.
Many years ago there were these youths that were brought in from Jerusalem and they were sent to Babylon, and you read there of Daniel, Hananiah, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they were told to do certain things which were contrary to the word of God.
They might have said, well, it's no use to go on when those things we have learned from the word of God. But it was one young man and perhaps I might say there could be a young woman here this afternoon.
Who purposes in his or her heart? And so it says that Daniel purpose in his heart, that he would not be found himself a proportion of the King's needs, nor with the vine which he drank. And then it says, therefore he requested. He was polite about it, but he had purpose in his heart. And so we have here no peer pressure, but peer influence. Here we have a young man who influenced these three others, and it was the beginning of the long life of blessing of these.
Used there in Babylon where everything was contrary to them. And so one might pray that there may be young men here or a young woman who made inference, peer influence to those around you for blessing that should the Lord Jesus tearing his coming sometime. Yet you may have a blessed life like those men there in Babylon. Everything was against them, but there is a pathway marked out for the children of God.
01:00:05
We had our mind in the Golf Club John attempted 17 that we are not of the world, we not belong. We do not belong to it morally. John family and verse 16 the annual of the world, even as I am not of the world. And then in the preceding verse the Lord says, I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from evil. There is a safe path in the midst of that world. And also to think of that race in Galatians in chapter one where it says in verse 4.
Referring to the Lord Jesus.
Who gave him some problems and that he might deliver us from or out of this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. So we see that the large purpose was to take us out of that system for himself. And in Colossians it's very beautiful too, to see there how we have been translated and transferred from one sphere to a completely new fear of things now that is completely in opposition to what the world is as a system.
And so we find that, uh, in the first chapter.
Uh, the officials of the Colossians are insulting who has delivered us from the power of darkness. That's the power that governs this will system, isn't it? But delivered us transparent darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom of Dearborn. We have been introduced into a new fear of things. Our life is now hidden with Christ and God. Our war, given our citizenship is in heaven. We do not belong to this world down here. And may Lord, might the Lord give great each one of us, that we might display this in our lives too, that we are not really of this will.
We are not, as the rest of the world around us, we belong to a heavenly sphere of things. Our home is in heaven and our appreciation, our affection should be, uh, connected with those things that are found above where Christ is sitting at the right end of God. I think that's a good point, uh, that you mentioned that we're in the world. The child of God is in the world, but not of the world. And it's interesting that we have here verse 15 and, uh, umm.
Verse 15 love not the world neither the things that are in the world. And if any man love the world, uh, the, the, the love of the father is not in him. It's the loving of the world. We have to live in this world until the Lord comes. The Lord takes us home. We have to live in this world to make our living here. We have to earn, uh, sustenance and so on. It doesn't mean that we can just dispense ourselves and get out of the world somewhere on some isolated island and.
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean. That doesn't mean that it means that our hearts should not become attached to the world that we love. It's it's system. We love all we see in it. The Lord would deliver us from that. Not just the fact that we can't, we can't extricate ourselves from it. We work in the world and I'm sure everyone here has to have a job somewhere, has a boss somewhere, and they have to work in the world. But that's not what he's talking about. He's speaking about those that take up the world and embrace it for themselves.
Forgetting that they are a child of God.
Gospel 1
Gospel—Randy Hale
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Open our gospel meeting this evening by singing together #14.
#14 it says.
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the land?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? And then are you walking daily by the Savior's side?
Do you rest each moment in the crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? And when the bridegroom cometh, will your robes be white, pure and white in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions right and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? In the soul cleansing blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb 14?
Have you been to Jesus?
How are you?
Umm, so all right, we don't want to say I didn't have a lot of time.
We will fly at the end of your lungs, beginning in Christ, and that's all I can do by us from our own.
Call Joanne Baldwin. Credit for the man's son, right? And I've been involved in that, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah, blah blah.
I'd like to turn first of all to a verse in the Gospel of John.
John, Chapter 7.
John, Chapter 7.
And verse 37.
In the last day.
That great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
00:05:04
You know, for the most part of my life.
I've heard over and over again that the Lord Jesus is coming. I've heard over and over again that judgment is coming. And I know there are many in this room who have heard that much longer than I have, many more times than I have. And they've been waiting for the Lord to come for many, many years. And I know I look around and I see young people and children here who are being brought up in Christian homes.
And who have come to the gospel meetings many, many times.
And you've heard that over and over again. The Lord is coming.
The Lord is coming and judgment is coming. Are you ready? And you've heard that over and over again.
But I want to tell you something, there is going to be a last day.
In that time, when NOAA built that arc for 120 years, he preached of judgment to come.
And those people laughed at Noah and for a long time, perhaps at the beginning they might have taken him seriously, but later, when the judgment didn't come for a long time, they laughed. But there came a last day and the door was shut. And I'm sure they came. And they pounded on that door and they said, let us in, let us in. When they saw that rain come down and that judgment come, they pounded on that door in earnest. But it was too late the last day.
Had come and the door was shut.
Dear friend, you may have heard the gospel many times.
You may be scoffing. Oh, I hope there's no scoffers here tonight.
Tells us in proverbs, Thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself.
But if I'll scorn, thou alone shall bear it, and you'll bear it for all eternity in hell. Because the Bible doesn't speak of anything else. It speaks of heaven and hell, forever with the Lord, for eternity in the lake of fire. And I say again, there's going to come a last day.
We've just been singing about the precious blood of Christ. It cleanses from all sin.
And I want to tell you, friends, this world has to answer for the murder of the Son of God.
They cast him out and they said we will not have this man to reign over us. And this world is stained with the blood of Christ, the blood of the Son of God, and it has to answer for that and it will answer for it.
You know, in Hebrews we read a verse there, it says about the blood of Christ that it speaketh better things than that of Abel. And you remember Abel, the story of Cain and Abel, most of you here, I'm sure all of you know that story, how Cain in anger and jealousy and in rage he slew his brother and killed him. And what did God say?
God said the voice, Thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground, and I want to tell you, friend, if you don't have the precious blood of Christ speaking for you.
You'll have it to cry against you in that day of judgment.
If you don't have it speaking for you, it will cry against you.
And with this world, you'll suffer the judgment that awaits you.
There's going to be a last day and it may be today, and I want to tell you something else further.
Bible says he did. Hath my word. Let him speak my word faithfully. And I wouldn't be faithful if I glossed over and told you only that God loves you. Oh, he does love you. He loves you more than anyone ever could. And I would be very unfaithful if I didn't warn you. Because aside from the judgment that you'll suffer along with this world, I wanna tell you there's coming a day when you'll stand before God alone. You'll stand before the great white throne.
Why is it white Bible speaks of other Thrones? There's a throne in Isaiah.
And Isaiah was cast down. He said, Lord, I'm a man of unclean lips. But there was an altar at that throne, and an Angel took a pole from off that altar and touched his lips. Then he could stand.
There was another throne on the ark, a mercy seat, and there was blood sprinkled upon that mercy seat, and so there was blood at that throne. And in the beginning of Revelation, there's another throne too, where the Lord Jesus is seen. And what's around that throne but a rainbow covenant of mercy.
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Even in judgment there is mercy.
But at that great white throne, there's no altar, and there's no blood, and there's no rainbow.
It's white because only there is the piercing light of God, and he knoweth the secrets of the heart. And it will search every corner of your heart, and it'll be exposed for all in the sight of a holy God, and you'll stand there trembling with nothing to say, and that light will cleave right through your soul.
And then you'll realize the terror of what's to come. You'll know what's to come because the last day has passed.
And you'll stand before that great white throne with nothing to answer. And it says the books were opened and they were judged according to their works. They will be judged according to your works.
Everything will be exposed, and it also tells us that the Book of Life was there, and whosoever was not found written in that book was cast into the lake of fire. And that Book of Life will be there to mock you because your name won't be in it.
And you'll know what's coming.
And I tell you, friend, you may have gone through things in your life that frightened you, that terrified you, but there will be nothing, nothing compared to the terror of standing before that great white throne that will go through your soul.
And it'll be for all eternity. There's coming, friend, a last day. But today is still the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. You still have the opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Do it now before it's too late.
Well, I'd like to turn to a story about a man tonight in Second Kings chapter 5.
And you know, in the past month I've listened to 22.
Two brothers speak upon this.
Period Chapter.
Second Kings chapter 5.
You know the Gospel is a very simple message.
And I believe that this portion illustrates very simply the gospel of the grace of God.
And I also want to turn to this portion tonight because I believe that this portion speaks very clearly about the kind of world we live in, especially here in North America, because we live in a society in a world that's characterized by pride.
It's characterized by pride.
Is there anyone here who would say there's no pride in their heart?
You know what, dear friend? You know that every one of us is filled with pride.
And man is filled with pride.
There's nothing more hateful to God than pride. Nothing more foolish than pride.
Tells us that everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. An abomination. And further on in Proverbs it says everyone that is it. It says umm, gives a lift of the things that God hates. And at the top of that list is a proud look. Just simply a proud look. God hates pride. Well, this story is the story of a man who is very proud and he almost let his pride send him to hell.
So I just like to begin and read right through this chapter.
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel. A little made, and she waited on Naaman's wife.
And she said unto her mistress, Would God my Lord, were with the prophet that is, in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went and told his Lord, saying Thus. And thus saith the Maid, that is, of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him 10 talents of silver, and 6000 pieces of gold, and 10 changes of raiment.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel.
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Saying Now, when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naim and my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God to kill and to make alive, that this man does send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
And it was so when Elijah, the man of God, had heard.
That the king of Israel had rent his clothes. That he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou red thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naomi came with his horses and with his Chariots, and stood at the door of the House of Elijah. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan 7 times, and I flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth and.
Went away and said, Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand and call in the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the Leopard, Arnot, Urbana, and far par rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of I Israel. May I not wash in them and be clean? So we turn and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had, did thee do some great thing? Must thou not have done it?
How much, rather than what he says, did he wash and be clean? Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again, like under the flesh.
Of a little child, And he was clean, and he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore I pray thee take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, as the Lord liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. And Naman said, Shall there not then I pray thee be given to thy servant? 2 mules burden of earth.
For thy servant will henceforth author, offer neither burnt offerings, offering or sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.
In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the House of rimmen to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the House of Remen, when I bow down myself in the House of rimmen, the Lord pardoned thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. But Kahazai the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naam in the Syrian in not receiving his at his hands.
That which he brought. But as the Lord Liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat of him. So Gahazi followed after Naaman.
And when Naman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master have sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags.
With two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants, and they bare them before him. And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house. And he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in and stood before his master. And Elijah said unto him, Whence comest alga has I? And he said, Thy servant went No whither he said unto him, When not my heart with thee, When the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee.
Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments and all of yards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men, servants and maidservants? The leprosy, therefore, of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
As I say, the story is about a man who is very proud.
And we read first of all some things that this man had some characteristics that said he was captain of the host of the king of Syria. He was a great man with his master. He was honorable, and he was mighty man in valor. And you notice right what it says in the middle of verse, it says by him the Lord had given deliverance on the Syria. By him the Lord had given deliverance. I want to ask you, dear friend, all the things that you have, you count them as your own.
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Do you have a good mind?
You have a good job, you have good health.
You have lots of money.
I want to tell you everything you have is given to you by God.
There's not a thing. You have the very breath you take, Elvis in Job, that God in whose hands is the soul of all, every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. The very breath you brought tonight is given to you by God, and what are you doing with it?
Are you taking it as if it was yours? Are you taking as if as if you had no account to give to God? Just everything you have is your own and you're using it for your own pleasure.
Well, it's not.
It's given to you by God everything you have.
So you may be like this man. You may be honorable.
You may be a mighty person in dollar, you may be a great man or a great lady, but whatever you have comes from God. Everything.
What a terrible thing to take all that and to walk in pride.
You know this man Naaman, He may have been a great man and everything he received was from God, but he had one problem.
He was a leper. He was a leper and it was a very deadly problem, a serious problem.
You know, leprosy, in those days there was no cure. It was like a sentence of death.
A sentence of death.
And you may laugh off many things in your life, dear friend, but you can't laugh off the King of Terrors.
And it comes at any time. It comes sometimes when you're young, comes sometimes in middle age, and sometimes when you're old. You don't know when. It can come anytime.
You know, one time, some may have heard this before, but I had a man on my bus one time and he was an older man and he was quite jovial and he came on the bus and he told the whole bus how to be happy. He told everyone that if you don't like what you're doing, get out of there.
Years ago or so I couldn't. I hated my job and I didn't like what I was doing and I was miserable and I was dying. Doctor told me I didn't have long to live. Did. So I quit my job and I started to do something my life. And he said today he said I've never been happy. That was 20 years ago. Said I'm getting to be an old man because I love life. He told everyone that's the secret to happiness, the secret to life.
Well, he didn't stay on too long. As he got off the bus, he had his back to me and I asked him. I said, are you going to live forever? He stopped. I didn't see his face, but I know that that big smile had faded away. He just shook his head and he said no, and he walked off. Your friend, you're not gonna live forever either. You may be enjoying the pleasures of this life. You may think you have the world by the tail, but when you face the King of Terrors, what will it be then?
One time there was a brother.
And he worked in an office and there was a young man there. He used to speak to this young man about his soul.
And the young man didn't have any time for these things. He didn't have any care for these things at all. Eternal matters didn't matter to him at all. He was thinking about his future life here below. So one day the brother sat down with us and he said.
What are your plans for life?
And he said, well, said, I'm gonna work real hard and I'm gonna pretty soon I'm gonna get a promotion, My brother said. What's that?
I said well, I'll keep on working hard and I'll save up a lot of money. I'll probably get married and have a family.
My brother said what then? He said, well, I'll work real hard in the company. I'll try and rise up as much as I can. I'll put away some money for retirement.
My brother said what then? He said, well my family will probably grow up and I'll retire, maybe play golf and enjoy the rest of my life.
And the brother said, what then?
He said well, but I guess eventually I'll die.
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My brother looked him in the face and he said what the.
And that's the question, dear friend. That's a big question. What then?
God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day into which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, and that man is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And man is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he's going to judge the secrets of the heart.
I say again, Death is the king of terror, but it says it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
What's that?
Well, this man was sentenced to die.
And he was concerned about it, very concerned in all. Leprosy in the Bible speaks of sin too.
And is there anyone in the world who is not afflicted with that scourge of sin?
Is there anyone here who would stand up and say no, I have no sin?
Because the Lord says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, No, not one. And that's God's destination, not mine and not yours. That's God's estimation of you and I.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You know, there's some boys here this evening, young children in the room too, and young people. And you may think, well, I'm only little. I haven't done a whole lot of bad things. What could I do that was so wrong?
Well, we're born in sin, but let me tell you something else.
Sometimes, you know, when we're young, we think that we can have just a little bit. We can fool around with thin just a little bit.
We'll only go so far and I'll be able to pull myself out. I'll be able to stop at a certain point before it goes too far. But I wanna tell you, children and young people, you won't be able to do that. There's a little story that I remember reading to the boys when they were smaller, and it concerns a man.
And he was what they might call, I suppose, a snake charmer.
And he had gotten his snake when it was small, it was just a baby, a little snake, one of those pythons that coil themselves around their prey. But it was just a little baby. And he trained that snake. He trained that snake that when he blew a whistle, the snake would come out and it would crawl up on his hand and circle around his finger. He would blow that whistle again. And the snake would crawl off his finger and go right back into its little back while the snake got a little bigger. And he would blow that whistle and the snake would come out and it would come up and it would wrap itself around his arm, up to his elbows.
He would blow the whistle again and the snake would uncoil itself and go right back into that basket.
You know, by this time the man was getting quite a crowd and people would come and watch this. They thought it was quite a thing, but he kept doing it. But that snake kept growing and growing.
Finally, that man, he trained that naked, would come out now at the blow of the whistle, and it would circle around and coil around his legs, right up to his waist. He would blow the whistle and the snake would uncoil and back into that basket and the people would come. And you know, the man had added a little something else to his act. He would start to scream and turn and everything else as if the snake was squeezing him, taking the life out of it. And the people thought this was quite a display, and they would come from all around to see it, and they knew that the man was only pretending.
You know that man, he thought he had that snake.
Under control.
One day he blew the whistle and that snake came out coiled itself around. At this time it was rather large and it coiled right up to his chest.
We started to roll around and scream and the people applauded. They thought this was a wonderful show. The man blew the whistle. Nothing happened. The snake just kept squeezing, squeezing.
And he blew the whistle again. No one did anything because they thought this was part of the act.
And let's make it squeeze, squeeze.
You do it one last time because he had no breath.
Snake never went back into his back.
I don't know what the name of that snake was.
Yeah, the name of that snake? Sin.
And that's the way it is. If you think you can control it, I wanna tell you you'll never control it because it gets out of control and pretty soon you don't control it, it controls you.
And if you don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, it will be too late and you'll never get out of it.
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Just a warning to those especially who are younger, but to those all of us don't play with sin.
You don't have a chance. You're no match for Satan. He'll outwit you every time.
Well, this man had that plague of leprosy and there's not one of us that don't have a plague of sin. So let's find out what he does about it because there is a remedy. There is a remedy and it's found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, you see in verse two that there was this little maid in his home, a little maid that was brought captive out of the land of Israel.
You know, she was just a little girl, but she knew about the God of Israel. She knew about the one true God. Doesn't even tell us her name here.
You know, it doesn't matter who I am, doesn't matter what my name is, I'm just a Sinner saved by grace. And I want to tell you that the Lord can do for you what he's done for me too. Just a Sinner saved by grace. But he's brought me into his family. He saved my soul for all eternity, and He's given me a new life. He's given me a new life.
That I can enjoy. It's giving me new desires and He can do it for you too. The Lord Jesus said I am calm that they might have life.
And they might have it more abundantly. You know, the Lord not only wants to save your soul, but He wants you to have a happy life too. He wants you to be happy. Sometimes those of us who know the Lord is our Savior, sometimes we feel with the problems we face in our life. We heard a little bit about that this afternoon. Sometimes we think the Lord really doesn't want me to be happy down here, but He does. He really does. He wants you to have a happy life, not just to save soul. And He's the only one that can do both for you.
He's the only one that can do both.
Well, here was this little maid and she had the answer.
And the Lord Jesus has the answer stands before you tonight, and he says, Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Come unto me, all the ends of the earth, be safe, for I am God, and there is none other. There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved well.
He hears from this little girl from his wife passed it along about this.
Man of God in Israel. So Naaman goes to his master, and he gets a letter, and he's sent to the king of Israel.
But is that what the little girl said? Did the little girl tell him to go to the king of Israel? Oh, she said, there's a prophet in Israel, a man of God. And dear friend, are you going to the wrong place?
You know, if you would ask anyone, I don't think anyone would honestly say they want to spend eternity in hell. But there are so many people who are going to the wrong place, doing the wrong thing, getting the wrong counsel.
The word of God tells us.
The place to go The Word of God tells us the remedy for sin, but how many people are seeking to join a church do the best they can?
How many people are seeking in those ways to earn their way to heaven? Now it tells us in Isaiah that all our righteousnesses are as filthy ranks. Not just the good things we do, but our righteousnesses are as filthy rag.
There is nothing acceptable to God but Christ. Dear friend, you're either in Christ or you're without him. You're on your way to hell or you're in Christ and you're on your way to glory. There's nothing else the Bible speaks on.
Nam and Wen, first of all, to the wrong place.
Don't go to the wrong place. There's only one place, one name, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well.
He goes to this man and he finds out that this man can't cure him. But what happens? Verse 8 And it was so when Elijah the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes that he sent to the king and saying.
Wherefore us thou rent thy clothes. Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. You see, Elisha waited until the man had found out that there was no salvation in the king of Israel.
And sometimes the Lord has to wait until we're at the end of our rope, because in our pride and stubbornness, we won't come to the only place where there's salvation. And so the Lord waits patiently until we're at the end of the rope. But isn't it lovely? Elijah sent it on him. He says, send them to me, send them to me.
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And that's what the Lord is saying tonight. Come to me.
Come to the Lord and be saved. So he obeys. He goes down to the prophet.
But he comes to the profit in all of his pride, things that he thought were his, and that's the way he comes. Are you trying to come to the Lord in all your pride? I want to tell you, dear friend, you'll never find the Lord Jesus in your pride.
I say again, God hates pride.
You'll never, never find the Lord Jesus in your pride. You have to come down. And so Naiman comes with all his pride, and what does he say? Elijah sent a messenger unto him saying, Go and wash in Jordan 7 times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
The profit sent unto him a very humbling message. I've never been over there, but I've seen pictures of that river in Jordan. It's not a very pretty pretty river. It's muddy, it's very dirty. Not a pleasant thing to go and take, take a swim in. But this is what the Prophet says to him. He doesn't even come out himself. He sends a messenger and he says you go and dip in Jordan 7 times and you'll be clean. What a humbling thing for this man. But you know.
It's a pretty humbling thing to accept the precious blood of Christ, isn't it?
It's a pretty humbling thing to admit. The Son of God had to go to Calvary and suffer on a cross for your sins. It's hard, isn't it? It's humbling, isn't it? That river was not very pretty. But I want to tell you, dear friend, it wasn't very pretty. When the Lord Jesus went to Calvary for your sins and for mine. He hung there on that cross with nails in his hands and a crown of thorn on his head.
And it was for you.
Because.
Illogical. It was for you because he loves you.
You know, there's a story, many of you know, that track called The Scarred Hand about a man. And there was there was a fire in a house and there was a little boy upstairs and he was going to die in that fire. There was no way up but a pipe which went up the side of the house.
So that man climbed up that pipe and that pipe was red hot.
And he climbed up that pipe and he got hold of that little boy, and he put him on his back.
And then he got back out that window and he slid down that pipe and his hands were completely destroyed, scarred beyond anything you can imagine.
Well, that little boy didn't have any parents.
And the authorities were looking for someone to adopt him. And there was a day when the when the court was sitting and they were trying to decide what to do with this little boy. And he had some relatives there who laid claim to him and they wanted the little boy.
And the judge asked what what their claims were upon him. And they said, well, he he belongs to us. He's a relative of us. And then in walk, this man was no relative.
He said that little boy is mine. Should I clean that little boy?
The judge said, why, what's your claim upon this little boy? He held up his hands and he showed the scars in his hand. That's my claim. Those are the scars of love. And says in Isaiah, dear friends says, can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yay, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee, behold that graven thee upon the palms in my hands.
The Lord Jesus carries those prints with the nails, those marks of love.
For you, are you going to turn it down? Are you going to turn away from someone who loves you so much because you know there's nobody, nobody ever will or ever could love you like the Lord Jesus Christ?
He went to Calvary for you so that He could have you with Him for all eternity, and all you have to do is accept Him. Yes, Lord, save me. He longs for you to come tonight, but you have to come down and accept the precious blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. You know, one time I was speaking to a man at work.
We were talking a little bit about children raising our children and I mentioned that there were certain things I didn't allow my children to do. He said to me, why? He said, is that for some religious reason? And I said feebly told him. I said, well, I'm a Christian. He said to me, well he said I'm a Christian too. What does that mean? So I thought to tell him that I'd taken my place as a Sinner before God and accepted the precious blood of Christ to wash my sins away. You know what he did? Turned away with a disgusted look on his face.
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He was too proud to accept the precious blood of Christ.
It was too humbling for him, and yet he told me he was a Christian.
Your friend, are you really a Christian? Have you gotten down and accepted the precious blood of Christ to cleanse you from all sin? Because that's the only way, Nahum. And what did he do? Just like that man I spoke to. He went away in a rage and didn't go away in a rage, but he was disgusted. Naman went away in a rage. Are you gonna walk away in a rage because you're too proud? Are you gonna let your pride take you to hell?
Well, thankfully, Naaman didn't.
They haven't listened the second time. Naman had another opportunity.
How many times has the Lord spoken to you? How many years has the Lord been seeking for you, speaking to you? And what's He gonna have to do to make you listen?
Maybe, dear friend, there's coming a day when you'll cross that line. It's.
Seeing a little Him, there's a line that is crossed by rejecting our Lord. The call of His Spirit is lost, and He counted the cost.
I say again, there's coming a last day. I hope there's no one here who's rejecting the Lord Jesus because that last day is very near. Well, we find that He did, He did accept what he was told and he went down and he washed in Jordan 7 times. And what happened? Well it says.
In verse 14, he went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan. According to the saying of the man of God, he obeyed. He obeyed the gospel.
And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Is that wonderful?
He wasn't just healed, he was cleansed, it says. His flesh came as a little child.
And you know if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
He doesn't just change you, He doesn't just change your heart. He gives you a brand new life, brand new one with new desires. He doesn't just change you, He gives you a brand new life, a life that will live for all eternity with Him and the glory, new desires. You can do that for you and He wants to do it for you now. But you have to come and you have to come down to a humble Christ. You know, Lord Jesus wasn't too humble, or rather too proud.
To go to Calgary for you, are you gonna be too proud to accept him as your Savior? It says he humbled himself even to the death of the cross. The Son of God humbled himself for you.
Well, this flash was like a little child. And that's what the Lord can do for you, give you a brand new life. And then what does He do? I think this is very lovely. What comes next?
He said.
He tries to give a gift, you know.
And you can't pay for salvation. Salvation is free. It's a free gift.
It cost the Lord everything, cost him his life, but it costs you nothing. All it takes is a cry of faith. Sometimes people think, I've heard people say, well, the Lord, yes, he died for me on the cross, but now I have to do my part. You don't have any part in it, dear friend. The Lord has done it all. The Lord's done it all. There's no part for you to do except to say yes. Lord, you remember that thief on the cross? What was his cry? Lord, Remember Me?
That was all a cry of faith. Did he have time to go out and do something good? Did he have time to be baptized? It's right and proper, if you know the Lord, to be baptized, but he didn't have time for that. What was the Lord's answer to him? Did he tell him he'd have to go and do something, pay something? Oh no, he said today. The response was immediate. Today shall thou be with me in paradise?
Paradise. What a word.
And that's all it takes to your friend is a call of faith to the Lord Jesus. Well, the next thing we see Nahum in here.
He has a little bit of a problem. After this he says, Naaman said, Shall there not? Verse 17 Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant? 2 mules burden of earth. For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering or sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord in this thing. The Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the House of rimmen to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the House of women, when I bow down myself in the House of Remen, the Lord pardoned thy servant in this thing.
00:45:15
There was this mighty man of valor.
And yet he was strayed. He could stand up against armies and he could fight.
He was a mighty man, he was courageous, but when it came to the things of the Lord, he was very much a coward.
And you know, many people say, well, I'd like to become a Christian, but I don't think I could. I don't think I could live the life. I don't think I could stand for the Lord. Your friend, the Lord's not asking anything of you. He doesn't ask you to do anything for him. He just asks you to come.
Because the Lord will give you, he'll give you the strength, He'll give you the grace when the time is needed. You know, way back in the Old Testament when the Lord called that man a holy ad to make the things for the Tabernacle, He said, I've called him by name. And then he said, I've given him wisdom. I've put in him wisdom to make all these things. And then he said, and I've also given him someone to help him and the people to help him.
The Lord supplied everything.
Call that man by name. He gave him the wisdom and he gave him the means to do it, and the Lord will supply everything. You don't have to do anything. Lord wants to save you, and He'll give you the grace to live for Him. You ask Him for it, you know. You know what's our frame? He remembers that we are dust and He understands our weakness. He understands how feeble and weak we are. And so I like what he says here.
Says in verse 19, And he said unto him, Go in peace.
So he departed from him a little way, so he couldn't follow closely. He had to follow from a little distance. He had to be a little ways away. But I think it's lovely. The Lord Jesus says, I want you to come. You may say you're a coward, he says, but I still want you anyway. Better to come as a coward than not come at all. It's all safe. But how wonderful it is to follow the Lord closely.
How wonderful it is because he not only wants to bless you, He only wants to save your soul. But I tell you, he has blessings for you for time as well. He wants to bless you in your life and he has things for you that the world can't offer. And that brings us to the little time that's left. I'd just like to speak about this last little portion here because you know what? Paul preached the whole gospel.
Bible says that God wants all men to repay. He wants everyone to come to a knowledge of salvation, rather to come to salvation and to acknowledge of the truth. He not only wants you to be saved, your friend, but He wants you to come into the knowledge of all the blessings that belong to you. When you do get saved, you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior and you're brought into the family of God. You're made a child of God. We have had a little bit about that in meetings today.
You brought in to the family of God.
That wonderful, you know, not too long ago it was a brother at home and it was just after Sunday school. We were talking and he has a class of young boys and he said the boys asked them. They said are you rich? And he said yes I am. He said my father owns the cattle on 1000 Hills.
The boys looked at him and they couldn't believe. I thought that was wonderful and he went on to explain to them.
That he knew the Lord as his Savior, that he was an heir of Christ, joint heir with Christ. And those of us in the room tonight who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. Do you realize what belongs to you? Do you realize what's yours in Christ? Everything.
You're a child of God, you're a joint heir with Christ and everything belongs to you and you're gonna have it. You may not enjoy it now, you may not, you may not enter into it now. The Lord wants you to enter into it now, but someday you're gonna have it all. But you can enjoy it now. You can enjoy those things, the confidence that it gives even now. And the Lord wants you to. But you know, there's so many hindrances, aren't there, to a child of God entering in.
To all that belongs to him, and I think we see a little bit of that in this last portion because it's rather sad, but I'd like to speak about it anyway for just a few minutes. That's left. We have the servant of Elisha.
And Gahazi had a problem, you know, if any licensed servant, and he'd seen all these great things.
00:50:01
Those of us in the room tonight who know the Lord is our Savior, what great things He's done for us.
What great things he's done for us and what great things he wants to do for us. But Gehazi had something else in his heart.
Gehazi had something else in his heart that got between him and Elisha. And I wonder, as those who know the Lord as our Savior, those who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, are we letting things in these last days get between us and the Lord? And are we going to lose the blessing that He wants to give us even now that we can enjoy even now because something has gotten into our hearts?
You see this sad story, Gehazi?
He ran after Damon.
And he said to him, Naheem had said, Uh, rather verse 22 And he said, All is well. My Master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them, I pray, the Italian of silver, and two changes of garments.
Nagajazi had covetousness in his heart.
Covetousness in his heart. What an awful thing.
What an awful thing. You know, Israel, we look through their history and the thing that they always had problem with through their whole history was idolatry. You might say it was their national sin. It continually got between them and the blessing that God wanted to give them.
Brethren, it tells us in Colossians covetousness, which is idolatry.
Has that not gotten in and spoiled our enjoyment of the things of the Lord so much? He wants to bless us with all spiritual blessings. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. But are you letting a covetous heart rob you of this? Are we letting covetousness rob us of the blessings? Because that's what Satan wants, wants to rob you of the enjoyment of the things the Lord has for you.
So here was a covetous heart, and he lost the enjoyment of those things. You know, I say, and I wanna say plainly, that you can never, never lose your salvation. Or Jesus said, none can pluck them out of my Father's hand. Nobody will ever take you out of the hand of God, but you can certainly lose the enjoyment of your salvation, and you can certainly lose the enjoyment of all the blessings that the Lord wants to give you.
Covetousness, which is idolatry. Well, that was his problem and we just noticed a few things here.
He came to the tower, and He took them verse 24 from their hand and bestowed them in the house, and He let the men go, and they departed. He hid these things away.
Sometimes, you know, things aren't obvious. Sometimes there's hidden things in our hearts that rob us of the blessing the Lord wants to give us. We hide them down deep. Well, that's what Gehazi did.
And he came to Elisha and says, But when he went in and stood before his master, Elijah said unto him, Whence comest thou? Gehazi think that's nice? He asked him a question. He gave him opportunity to repent, gave him opportunity to turn from his way. He knew what he'd done, but he gave him opportunity. And the Lord is so patient with us. He wants us to enjoy those blessings so much. He gives us plenty of opportunity to turn from our ways and plenty of warning too. Gehazi didn't take the warning. He didn't take the opportunity. He kept it up.
Verse 26 And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned against again from his chariot to meet thee.
Is it a time to receive money and to receive garments and all of yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and men, servants and maidservants?
Brethren, everything belongs to us. Everything. But it's not the time for reigning now. Someday we're gonna rain with Christ over the earth and everything is gonna be ours. But the reigning time is not now. It's not a time to receive these things. One time there was a king in Israel.
And he hired some soldiers to help him in a war, cost him 100 talents of silver, a great sum. And he hired those servants and then God sent him a prophet and he said shouldn't have done that. That's not trusting in me. You don't need those. Those soldiers from Israel is all take care of you.
And the king was all concerned about the money he spent. He spent a great sum, he said. But what about the money I've done with to hire these soldiers? You know what the answer was? The answer came from God. God is able to give thee much more than this. Let me tell you, dear friend, your brother and dear sister, if you give up anything for the Lord, you'll, you'll never be your debtor. You'll never be your debtor. You go ahead, you give it up. Give it up for the Lord, and he'll bless you more than you could ever imagine.
00:55:25
He wants to bless you. It's not a time to receive those things now. The Lord will never be anyone's debtor. It all belongs to you well.
Before I turn to a verse in closing, I just want to look at the last part here.
Verse 27 The leprosy, therefore of Naeem, and shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever, anyone out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
You notice it says he went out from his presence, doesn't say that Elijah sent him out. I say again, you can't lose your salvation, but you can lose your communion with the Lord through that kind of a spirit, a coveted spirit, letting things get into your life, into your home.
You can lose that enjoyment of the Lord in communion with him, but I think very solemn here says, Shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever.
No, brethren, how solemn it is. When we allow things in our homes, we're responsible, especially those of us who are fathers. We read a little bit this afternoon about fathers. Those of us who are Christian fathers are very responsible for what comes into our homes.
And it's not easy. Sometimes it just seems as though the world is crowding in. Satan is trying to push his way into our homes.
For the sad result here, you may not lose your salvation, but what about your children?
You feed them on the world.
And they never get saved because the world is put into their heart. What a responsibility we had, We also had before us this afternoon. Hold fast till I come. Hold that fast which thou hast. Rather than let's keep those things out of our homes. Let's bring up our children. Seek by grace to bring up our children, and the nurture and admonition of the Lord Cleveland, and thy seed. Solemn thought.
But I say again, the Lord wants to bless. He wants to give you a happy life, and He wants to bless you for all eternity. So I'd just like to close with a verse in Malachi.
Last chapter excuse me. Chapter 3 of Malachi.
Alekhai, Chapter 3.
And verse 10.
Bring ye all the tides into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now here with saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive. Had a wonderful verse. Not a wonderful verse.
But at the beginning it says bring the ties into my house. The Lord says put my things first. Brethren, in these last days, let's put His things first.
We all love to quote that wonderful verse. The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
But it is also in Ephesians. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Brethren, you and I are part of the Church of God. We're part of that building. What are we giving for the thing that's precious to the heart of Christ? Are we seeking to build each other up in our most holy faith in these last days? How important that is. Say again, the Lord will never be anyone's debtor.
Bring the tithes into the house. What the Lord thinks first. Put his people 1St and he'll take care all your needs.
Or Jesus said, Your Father knoweth he had need of all these things to seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Brethren, let's put the Lord's things first.
And he'll bless us. He wants to bless us. But let's put his things first. And if there's anyone in this room tonight, all of these things can belong to you too. A child of God, blessed for your whole life.
Joy and radon into eternity, A joy that never ends. All eternity with Christ in the glory. How can you refuse it? Accept it tonight. Come, come to the Savior. Let me just pray together.
Cain, Karuba, Rahab
Children—John Kemp
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Good morning girls.
Good morning girls.
Good morning, boys.
Ah, the boys are awake.
Is this a happy time? Is this a happy time for boys and girls? It should be, shouldn't it then?
But this is not a time for entertainment. You know, it's a very serious time, a happy but serious time. Because you know why it's serious? Because we want you to come to know the Lord Jesus so that you can be in heaven with the rest of us. We don't want you to be left behind when Jesus comes. And I hope that everybody here is ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus because you know, it well could be today. In fact, it could be the next moment. That's just what we're waiting for. There's nothing more to be fulfilled.
According to the word of God, by the coming of the Lord Jesus, for all those whose sins are forgiven, I might ask you right now, do you know that your sins are forgiven? Oh, it's important to know that. It's important to know that your sins are forgiven. Let's sing together.
And so on. Who wants to have the first song? Or should I have it?
Anybody wanna have a first song? OK, we'll sing #52.
I think everybody can sing this one from the bottom of your heart.
I think maybe I could hear everybody sing real heartily this morning as though you're really happy that Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves me design.
Him live on. They all reached by me as strong.
Yes, Jesus, Loudspeed. Yeah, she's just lost me.
Yeah.
So.
GALLANDIONK, Clover and wine.
He will wash the way my turn life from him.
Yes, he is not allowed to leave everything. Yeah, give me a plumber's Lily.
Yeah.
I will tell me. So we're going to sing that course two more times and as we sing this course the next two times, every time we say Jesus loves me and point you point to your heart, OK, Point to you, OK.
Jesus loves me.
So, well, I'm early, we can go.
Brown Village.
Nsnoise.
OK, is there someone else that has a strong run thing?
Boys. Girls.
#66 old.
Like a little wandering lamb lost upon the hills, I am like a shepherd. Jesus stands holding out his blessing.
00:05:00
6160, I'm sorry.
Can a little child like me thank the Savior? Fittingly, yes. So yes, He loves to hear praises from the children, dear, That's a good one, Number 16.
Yeah, yeah.
We love things that I've never been in the house and I've never done that.
How old do you have to be before you can pray?
If anybody can tell me how old you have to be before you can pray?
How old do you have to be before you can talk?
You talk as soon as you can, don't you? And you pray as soon as you can. And you pray as often as you can. You know why? Because the Lord Jesus is listening for your voice.
Are you used to praying? Have you prayed to the Lord Jesus all by yourself? Because you can. You pray to the Lord Jesus, you talk to him just like you talk to your mom and dad. And you know, this little hymn says I will need his help today in the things I do and say. So you know, you can pray. Lord Jesus, help me, help me. That's as simple as it has to be.
And he will hear you. Isn't it nice to know that the God of heaven, the one who created all the flowers and the trees and all the wonderful things that we see around all the animals, little ants and the big hypotamuses?
Yet he is the one.
He loves to hear your voice.
Will you come and talk to him today? Maybe you already have talked to him and that's that's happy to think about, you know, you know, the little children will talk to the Lord Jesus. OK, now who has another one?
Number.
77.
Salvation is a big word, but I am not too small to know Christ died on Calvary from sin to save us all.
Well, somebody's gonna have to start this one because it's a new one, I mean.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're not. I'm not too small. There's no price. I don't know how long. It's right in.
I was very proud that that's all I have been saying, that I cannot fire any blood. And then we saw that he showed. When all I can go on and have fun at one brisk down printer, that's big question.
One fellow World Bank gave his son to try and do.
00:10:03
Celebration and celebration of all his free or Jesus die for Sinner sleep and give you a name.
OK, 87 minutes or a very Delaware. How can I get this plan? Uh, she didn't fall asleep.
Cannot be lost again.
Well, our name shall never.
Be unplugged and from his turn.
No journey thou had their own. They have been when they thought about his time.
A real nice message in that one. Now do we have another one from a girl? This time any of the girls have a strong executive sing.
I don't see any girl's hands.
OK boy, it's your turn again. Anybody have another one?
Pardon 93.
We heard the joyful sound, and it is a joyful sound to hear that Jesus saves sinners. That's what he came into the world to do. Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinner. You know why we know that.
I'm sorry, it was 92. Is it 9293 All here, Second mistake. Second mistake here 93. What a friend we have in Jesus. Oh, that's a precious one too. All our sins and griefs to bears. Jesus your friend. Are you a friend of Jesus? It's wonderful to know that, isn't it? What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and grace to bear. How do we know all this? Do we know this from this precious book, don't we?
Is this book a precious book to you?
This can be your friend also, every step of your pathway to get acquainted with the Bible, the Word of God, the Holy Word of God, the word of a thrice holy God, the one with whom we all have to do testing number 93.
What a friend we have in Jesus.
I understand that you're.
Don't care.
00:15:25
You know what I was thinking as we were singing this hymn, that somebody had to write this song, somebody had to write this in. And you know, when we read the words that they write, it tells about the writer, doesn't it? So to me, as I, as I sing this hymn, I think Joseph Scriven must have learned something.
About the Lord Jesus, how he wants to be a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
And you know, that is so very true, boys and girls, as you go through life, you're going to need Jesus as your close friend. You're going to find that you cannot do without him. And the sooner you learn to have Jesus as your close friend, the better it is for you. You live a happy and a clean life. You know, so many people in the world today, they think little of making their lives all dirty with sin. But you know when you're when you live close to the Lord Jesus and keep close to him.
Talk to him, let him talk to you many times through his holy word, then he will help you keep your life clean and happy. And that's what the Lord Jesus came for is that we might have life, eternal life and that we might have it abundantly abundant life. Now we're going to look to the Lord Jesus in prayer now because the brother is going to talk to you has a very important message for you, and I'm sure that he was going to want both your ears.
Tuned in to what he has to say. So you listen, listen very carefully. And now we're going to pray to the Lord Jesus and ask him for help, OK?
The Jordan is actually come up to the front here because we have some things to, uh, to throw you here and you're not going to be able to see them at the back very well.
Lots of front seats available here yet.
OK.
Well, together.
Good.
First of all, boys and girls, I'm going to tell you about a little muffler that I saw on the wall one day when I was in a house.
Attack. Just a simple little message for children. It was a little girl and she was asking a question. Listen, she said, Lord, how much did you love me?
This much and he's rest for his hand and die for me. That's how much reward love you boys and girls. Now we're going to talk about the love of the more Jesus a little this morning and I've got some things in my case here, a plate you see, and some other items in here.
Look.
Long ribbon. We'll talk a little about that later. What color is it?
Correct. All right, now we've got something else in here. What's that? Yeah, correct. And we have this. What's this?
Good. What else do we have in?
You know what this is? Sure.
Right.
And look what I have here.
And it works good.
Have I got anything else in here? Oh, I got something else.
Correct. Yeah, Now we're going to talk about some of these things, boys and girls. You'll have to pay attention because, uh.
We'll have a great deal of time.
Umm.
You know, it reminds me of a little story about a boy. And this boy was 10 years old and his name was Tom. And Tom was a pretty brave boy. He could climb trees and and go out camping all by himself and so on. But he was afraid of a plate that was on the wall in the living room for the dining room. And every time he went into the dining room, he looked at that plate.
00:20:25
And it had something on it that he didn't like.
He wished that plate would fall down and break into 100 pieces, but it never fell down. It was there all the time whenever he went in. And these were the words on the plate, boys and girls.
Thou God seeth me now, Tom was told by his mother. Tom, you're a pretty good boy. You don't do a lot of those bad things the other boys do. But Tom knew deep down in his heart.
That he was a Sinner. He knew that he had done bad things. Sometimes he had covered them up, but they were there on his heart and the plate used to speak to him every time he went into the dining room. It was there the one day Tom came to a came to a Sunday school, to a hall where he heard that the Lord Jesus had died for him. And someone put their hand on Tom's shoulder after the meeting and said Tom.
Don't you want to accept the Lord Jesus today as your Savior?
And Paul realized that God was speaking to him. God looked into his heart. God loved him. And there sitting on the seat, Tom opened his heart to the Lord with save from his sin. And he was no longer afraid of the plate on the wall. Thou God seeth me because he knew that his many sins were all washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Now we're going to get on with our story now.
And I'm going to speak about three people, first of all.
This man here, what does that say? And that his brothers on the other side. Yes, Abel, right. Now, these were brothers. In fact, I think they were twins. They were brought up in the same family. They sat at the same table.
They had the same father and mother, and they heard the same message. You know who their father and mother was? Hands up.
Correct Adam and Eve now.
One day both of these boys came before the Lord. They brought a presence with them.
And then here was the president that came, brought. Now Cain was a hard working man.
We should really look mostly at what the scriptures say about it, because that's the important thing. Let us look at Genesis chapter.
The Four.
And we'll read that.
Two the again bare his brother Abel.
And Abel was the keeper of sheep, but King was a killer of the ground.
Now Abel was a man who had lost and heard, but Cain was a man who worked with his hands in the field, and it was off hard work in those lands. It was very warm, and Cain had to work hard every day, and he grew vegetables and fruits, and he had a beautiful field and gardens and came.
Was a hard working man and he was a sincere man too. He was a religious man. Oh yes, you say Cain was a fairly good living man. One day he brought to the Lord an offering.
Here he comes with his offering. It looked very attractive. If you have seen it, it was a big display. It says here in the Bible the process of time it came too fast. It came, brought up the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord, if you had been there.
You would expect the Lord will will surely take Cain's offering. Look at it, all the work that has gone into it, and it's beautiful to look at.
And pain is a sincere man He's he. He believes in God. And what God did not look upon the offering of Cain.
00:25:04
He turned away from it. God turned away his face from it.
And Jane was very angry about that. Anyway, his brother Abel came along.
Shortly after this time, Abel did not bring something that looked so nice. It was rather bloody looking. It was that part of the herd or the flock that he had there, and that the animal was dead there and there was blood all over the the offering there, and it didn't look so very attractive.
But God.
Accepted the offering that Abel brought, God was pleased with it. It says in the Bible, Abel he also brought of the first links of the flock, and of the fact thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. That means God was pleased with what Abel brought. I'm going to ask you a question. So listen carefully. And unto Cain, and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance found.
Hands up who?
Brought the offering which pleased the Lord.
Yes, correct. Now the next question, why did God accept the offering that's able brought?
This one.
All right, someone else has an answer to my question. Yes.
All right, that boy has the correct answer, but he didn't speak up very well. Yes, God was looking for one thing in the offering, one thing. And boys and girls, this morning God is looking for one thing in your life and on your heart this morning. He's not looking for your good work. Jane had lots of those he's not looking for.
The, uh, turning over of a new leaf and trying to live a better life. You'll find that the, the second lease is just as filthy as the first. No, God is looking for the blood on the heart of boys and girls and he can see right into the heart and he knows whether those things have been washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Now, while you know the end of the story, I'll just mention it when time is going. What happened in the field?
Well, pain rose up, got a knife, and he killed his brother Abel right in the field when they were alone. He took his knife and he brought it down on his brother Abel. He was angry and he was jealous. God says that Abel's blood came down onto the ground, but the blood of the Lord Jesus was dead on the cross too.
But God says that through that blood.
You can be saved from your sin. I go to India sometimes and when I go to India I see people going on long trips. They go and they wash in the rivers. Down into the rivers they go and they come up the same way as they go down.
Their sins are on their hearts, many black sins. They go down into the water and they come up out of the river Ganges and there they are the very same, the very same as they went down. Not one change, because soap and water can never wash away your sins. Boys and girls, the blood of the Lord Jesus can wash away your sins and nothing else. In India there was a man, his name was Karuba.
And he was abandoned.
And he was a, a, a, a cruel man like, like Cain here. He had killed many people. And one day he came to a church and there was a man speaking in the church at the front. And the man was saying this, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can wash the sins of anyone away who is in this room. And Karuba had never heard that before because he was a Hindu and he.
Worship idol but he was really a murderer and he listened and he heard the verse and he came up to the front and he said to the man, what is that that you said the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses us from all sins. Man said yes, this is what it says right here in first John chapter one Aruba said what about a person who has killed two people Yes what about one who is?
00:30:23
Did 5 murders, committed 5 murders? Yes, the blood of the Lord Jesus can blend that person.
10 murders, he said. Yes, even the blood of the Lord Jesus can wash away those horrible, terrible things.
What about a person who has killed 20 innocent people, Yes, even 20 people. That thing can be forgiven. In Karuva had killed about 20 people, innocent people, and he just wept there and he thought about the Lord Jesus loving him enough to die and spread his blood on the cross to wash away his many sins.
Now we're going to get on with our.
Our story here about another lady.
Look, I'm not an artist at all, but this will do to show you what I mean. All right, we're going to talk about a lady, and here's my red horse and this red cord.
Was hanging out of a window like this.
And this house was on the wall. Look, and if you had passed by the city of Jericho, you would look up and you might say to your friend, look at that Lady. She has that red cord hanging out the window all the time. And I don't know what it's for, but I see it hanging there. And, uh, I'll tell you how that cord got there. Here's the city of Jericho.
And rehab.
He was a lady who lived in the city of Jericho. She was a lady.
Uh, I don't think you'd want to walk down the street with her. She was bound with many sins. Oh, sin has got a grip upon that Lady. Just like James. She had many of them. She had a mountain of sins. Her heart was black as a piece of coal and you might not want to walk down the street with her. She was an unclean lady. Although are we unclean boys and girls? The Bible says we are all as an unclean thing.
That means there's not one of us that are any different to, uh, rehab in the story that we're telling today.
He was ruined. Ruined by spin.
She had no hope. She lived in this city, in Jericho. The walls were very thick in the city. And one day there were two men that came into the city. We don't know their names, but they came in through the gate and they were spies and they were looking around all over. They came from the camp of Israel.
And they came from Joshua and they were looking around to see.
The, the, uh, fortifications of the city and there they were going around and the king found out they were there and he said, we're going to catch those men. And you know what happens to a spy, We're going to take their heads off. And the king was looking everywhere for them. He couldn't find them. The police were looking for them. They came to the House of Rahab and they knocked at the door and Rahab opened the door to them.
And she said, come in.
This is found in the book of Joshua chapter 2. Come in because the police are looking for you and she had a roof on her house look and she heard the feet of the the police all around the house. They were searching everywhere for these two men.
She said if you don't make an escape, they're gonna find you if you don't get out of here quickly.
We're going to catch you and then your life will be taken.
Now they were coming, so she had to, uh, hide them someplace. We hit them on the top of the roof and she put grass there growing. It just looked as if there was some, uh, garden growing on the top of the roof. And the peaks came and they looked around. They said, Miss Rahat, is there anyone, has anyone come into your house here? Those, those men that we're looking for? No, she said they, they came in, but they've gone out. So not only was she unclean, but she told lies too. And.
00:35:21
That God doesn't say that was right. No, but she said you have to go and look for them because they've escaped through the gate and that so the the police went and they searched for them and they never found them. But Rahab said after that that happened, She said men get up right away. There's no time to lose because they are looking for you everywhere.
And if you don't make an escape soon, you're going to be caught. Now here comes the story of the the Red Cork. Where is it?
Here it is, right here. All right, she said. Now here, go out the window.
Down by the red port at night and escape because you can't get out the door. The gates are all closed and they're watching them everywhere.
And they must escape. Over the window, out the window and down went the two men, likely at night. And they ran as fast as they could. They got away now, they said to Rahab. Before they left, they said, Rahab, we're coming back again.
Joshua is coming back with the armies, with the swords, with the trumpets.
A great army is coming, right Have. There's only one way that you can be safe and you must be in your house. Not only must much to be in your house, but you also have to have that red cord hanging out the window. It's not enough to be in the house if you don't have that red cord hanging out the window.
You will not be safe or anyone else in your house. What it says in the Bible that whosoever that means anyone who was behind the red court.
Not a hair of their head would fall to the ground. They would be safe, but anyone outside the sword would come down upon their head. Now, boys and girls, I don't know umm umm, exactly what Graham did. The Bible doesn't tell us.
But I think that she did this. She realized that the Word of God was true. She realized she was a bad Sinner. She knew that God's judgment was hanging over that wicked city of Jericho because they were living bad lives and God was going to punish them for their sin. And God is going to punish those who go on with their sins in this world too, because He hates sins, many people who are bound with the cords of sin.
And can't save themselves at all. God can break the fetters of sins. God can deliver them. Those people, if only they will come to the war. Jesus. So Rahab, I don't know how much time she had, but I'm sure she went out and she knocked the doors and she said come quickly, come into my house. There's only one place of safety in this whole city of Jericho.
They might say rehab, I went to your house. We know the kind of a life that you have lived. We really don't want to have much, uh, company with you, Rahab said. God has warned us that judgment is coming.
The profits are going to be sounding. Come immediately. I think she went around the city and she LED with people coming to the house. Don't delay. There's only one place of safety. How many obey? We don't know. What we do know that whoever was in that house would be safe. Now we come to the trumpet. We must finish our story. The time is going.
A little while after.
Joshua came back.
And all the armies of Israel with him, they had swords and they had trumpets.
And Joshua was there, the commander in chief, and he was leading the Army. And Rahab, she looked up the window and the scarlet cord was in the window and she made every attempt to get people to come in. Maybe she made a last minute call around her neighborhood and said don't delay. We can hear the trumpets, the warning notice being given.
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Six days. The trumpet sounds good day after day.
You have an opportunity to come.
The gates were all full. No one could go out. No one could go in.
And rehab was in the house and all. I think all her family were there too. I think many of her family and probably some others believe God's word and they were inside the house.
And I see the last dinner, the 7th day. What happened? They got up early in the morning and they went around the committee this time blowing the trumpet.
The last opportunity to get into the House of rehab. Seven times they went around. God was waiting patiently.
God was looking down upon that city. He didn't want to bring down the sword upon it.
We love those people just the way he loves you. And he said God had his arms wide open for those people to be saved if only they would put their trust.
In him and the red corn boys and girls the third thing we have here on our on our sheets the red cord speaks to us of the same thing that we had in the offering of Abel hands up when it.
What? Why couldn't this be a yellow cord? Or a blue cord that was hanging outside the window of the greyhound? Yes.
Good. And what does the red speak up now? Yeah.
Correct you speaks of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus and every boy or girl here who puts their trust in the blood of the Lord Jesus and just takes their place there at the center and looked up to the Lord, whose arms are wide open in his hands of the mark of the nails and in his side of the mark of the sphere. You'll be rescued, rescued from.
Thin and danger and hell.
And you'll be safe be trumpet sounded for the last time.
And all of a sudden down came the walls of Jericho and the commander Joshua with that gleaming sword in the sunlight, He said forward. And the men of Israel went right into the city of Jericho with their thoughts, brave men, and everything that grieved.
Died in that city, animals, even boys and girls that would not go into Rahab's health.
Men and women who are going on with their evil ways and sins, God's judgment fell upon them.
They never had another opportunity. But first of all, everyone who was in the House of rehab was taken out and placed in a safe place. They were taken out of the house and not one of them.
Uh, suffered any harm?
They were brought into a place of blessing. In fact, Rahab married.
Man indeed the nation of Israel and that he became in line with the war of Jesus Christ. Now our Sunday school is almost finished boys and girls I just want to tell you story and closing time is going.
I tell you, a little boy who lived in England, this little boy.
Was just a street boy, he didn't have nice clothes on like you children have, just had rags on.
This little boy heard that a great preacher was coming to speak at the hall.
His name was Mr. Moody and he said all I would like to see, to hear Mr. Moody speak. And he went through the door of the hall. He didn't have shoes on his feet. He, uh, his hair was all, uh, uncombed and his face was dirty. And the poor little boy thought I'm going to try to get into this hall, knocked at the door or he came to the man who was.
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Looking out through the door and he said, Sir, I want to go in to hear Mr. Moody, that there's no room. He went to another door and he got the same answer. There's no room here for you. And he went to another door and it was the same thing.
All built. You can't come in here. The poor little boy sat down outside of the front door and the tears trickled down his face Instead of only I had nice clothes on and some shoes on my feet, maybe they would let me go in there. And all of a sudden there was a big manager stepped out of a chariot that stopped at the front door.
And the doors blew open, and the man walked.
Looked down and he saw the little boy there weeping, crying. He said. What's the problem like? Oh, he says, I want to go in there to hear Mr. Moody, and they won't let me go in.
And he was heartbroken.
This uh man said give me your hand.
And he took the hand of a little boy, and he walked right into the hall, right up to the front, and he put the little boy right on the front seat where you told her. And I said. And then he stood up to preach the gospel from the platform. It was Mr. Moody himself, that little boy.
Took the hand of the man that lost him and had mercy on him. Boys and girls, with the hands stretched out to you today, one whose hands were nailed to the cross. The hand that has never failed a man. Won't you put your trust in him?
The blood that he shed for you on the cross.
The red court feasts of the blood of the Lord Jesus. Nothing else can make you safe, can deliver you from your sins, boys and girls, but that precious blood and won't you just come as you are this this very morning to the feet of the Lord Jesus who is waiting and longing to save you. And I just want to read a little verse as being both in the book of Timothy.
You might have some friction children here. It's in Second Timothy chapter 3.
I will just read this verse and make a few comments because the time is gone. Second Timothy chapter.
315.
And that from a child.
Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make the wise of the salvation to faith, which is being priced to be years ago.
There was there were not male men going door to door to deliver the mail like Mr. Jenkins done. They didn't used to have those kind of people. They had what was called a pony express and this pony Express had 500 of the fastest forces in the country and they went about 50 miles each right across the country from.
Missouri right across to California.
Nearly 2000 miles.
And it took them ten days to get the mail delivered.
Now in those days they have $5 was a lot of money. So the letters have to be on very, very thin paper and it costs $5 for an ounce. And the horses were small and they had small saddles and they had no horse shoes. Everything was lightweight because they had to go fast and then change a horse and go on.
But there is one thing they always have. When you join the Pony Express, boys and girls to ride those those horses, you are given something standard equipment. Everyone had it.
They never went without even gold. They tried to keep everything else to a minimum weight and all were presented with a life. Every man in the Pony Express, he carried a full size Bible with it.
The people in those days, those pioneer days, they knew the value of God's Word. It's their company. It was their company and their dying and children, you have a wonderful treasure here in your hand, the greatest in the world. You realize the value of it. You read it as those people did on the Pony Express. They realized the value of God's Word. They treasure it. Do you do so too? Do you keep it? You read it and do you believe it?
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You seek to walk according to what God has given us in His Word. May the Lord bless the Word to each one of our hearts. This morning we're gonna sing the little hymn.
We probably all know it without even looking it up.
Maybe, I don't know.
We bow our head.
Principles of Government
Kept by the Power of God
1 John 2:18-29
Reading
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Where's John 2 verse 18?
First, John 218 Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us, or if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out.
That they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you, because you know not the truth, but because you know it. And that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
This whoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning.
Is that what you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you? You also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in Him.
And their little children abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.
See the thought here.
It's verse 18 really is children or little children here. I believe it's the babes. It is the last hour, last hour.
We have in First Timothy last days, Second Timothy last times, but here's the last hour.
Especially warning them about evil doctrine about the person of Christ. We see a great deal of that today, even under the name of true Christianity. We find those who thought that Christ could sin. They may say he didn't sin, but they say He could have. And to say that shows that they don't recognize who He is.
Could one who is God himself sin and all his promises fail? If I know that you could possibly tell me a lie, then I can't rest upon your word. But it says God cannot lie, and the Lord Jesus is God.
Since the last hour.
And this hour has already lasted 1900 years. We must be down to the very last minutes of that hour, because here we find the Antichrist and, uh, these antichrists and those persons who abandoned Christ and set up themselves. And recently in this country we've had a man and David Koresh who set himself up to be Christ himself. Others, you know, and it was true in the days of the apostle John, how much force of the day which we were.
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I suppose the very term Antichrist suggests that the form that the attacks of plates are mainly directed against Christ.
And so here we find that which is in director position to the personalized, and we find that period all around us in the most distinct form press among those that bring evil doctrines concerning the personalities of crime. But it's solely realized too, that in the world around us, we find more and more a rejection of Christ and the principles of Christianity that may not have been correctly connected with, uh, with Antichrist here, but we find that.
That Satan is working in all possible ways in these last and closing days, in this last hour, in order to oppose the blessed person of the large years of Christ and to oppose that pressure through that is connected with His person and with His name.
The whole trend of what is called humanism is really exaltation of man until it finally comes to its climax in the man of sin who is the Antichrist. And he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And this idea that is growing on every hand that a man is to exalt himself. He's master of the universe.
And, uh, this, uh, spirit of things is already beginning now more pronounced in this time in which we live. We remember that in the Garden of Eden when Adam, Satan came to Eve with the temptation, it was he shall be as God. And I don't believe Satan is ever going to weary until he has brought man to think that he is God himself. And that's the climax of sin. That's what brings down the final judgment of God.
Upon this world that.
When the Lord Jesus comes out of heaven, it will be because this man of sin is sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And the profession of Christianity has been given up in the West. The profession of Judaism has been given up among Israel, and they're all ready for this man. Uh, they exalted him. He's sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. And it's them that the Lord Jesus comes.
God shows who He is. His name is called the Word of God.
And He comes in righteous judgment. We have to be careful. I believe in this day that we don't get caught in this idea that exalts man and does not give the Lord Jesus the glory and honor that's due to Him.
Very solemn, uh, verse there. Gordon is just mentioning the 2nd Thessalonians. Uh, interesting there and solemn too, to think that this man of sin, which uh, John refers to as the Antichrist, it says umm here, umm.
Oh, see the verse. Umm.
Yes, verse uh, chapter 2. Second Thessalonians, chapter 2.
And verse beginning of verse three, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away. 1St And that and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition spoken of here. But notice verse four, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.
Or that is worshipped so that he as God or he sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. You know, we have the the system among today that the the one who has spoken of as the vicar of Christ, the representative of Christ. But this man will go to that extreme that he will say I am God as it says in that verse. I think that as God is out of context so that he.
Sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Is man going to believe it? Yes, they are, because.
When that time takes place, the church will be in glory already. Uh, as it says later down in that Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
Umm, and the verse verse say even verse 8, umm, even him who's coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. Notice verse 11 now. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion.
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That they shall believe a lie.
God isn't doing that today, but He's going to do it, sending these those who remain a chosen earth as their portion. God is going to send them stronger and they're going to believe it. Not only are is their own hearts exercised in unbelief, but God is going to give them a strong delusion that they're going to believe the lie that this man is God. It's a solemn thing, isn't it? To think that about this as John refers to him here as the Antichrist and spoken of as the man of sin and the king in many places, various terms used.
We might have expected that this warning would be addressed to, say, the fathers or the young men. But isn't it interesting in this 18th verse that little children are babies? Why is that? Well, because I believe that there's a simple way that we can detect such a thing. And that is, let's turn to John chapter 16.
John chapter 16 and verse 13.
Albeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.
We 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. Here we see the simple test of what is not the Spirit of truth. Any line of teaching that exalts man, instead of exalting Christ, is not of God.
And I believe that we can make a very simple test of any doctrine that is presented to us by just asking that simple question. Does this line of teaching exalt man the 1St man, or does it exalt Christ?
And we find that, take for instance, such a simple thing as, say, the loss doctrine. What is behind that? Well, it's something in which man can take credit. Because if I can say, well, the Lord saved me, but since he saved me, I've done my part. I've kept myself saved. And there's a certain amount of honor and glory to myself that I did something. It wasn't sufficient what Christ has done. It wasn't sufficient that he's holding me securely in his hand. I had to do something.
Isn't it blessed, brethren, that God has given to the simplest child of God?
This simple test when someone comes and presents some teaching to you, ask this question. Does this line of teaching exalt man the 1St man, or does exalt the Lord Jesus Christ?
And you'll find that you could make a simple test even though you don't know you're viable. Very well. You can say this can't be of God because it's honoring the 1St man. It's not honoring the one whom God delays to honor his beloved son.
It's one of them that we have the Holy Spirit to give unto us, that capability of discerning between what is of God and what is of the devil. Just to refer you to the end of the chapter, uh, briefly we have that verse 27. But the anointing which you have received of him abided in you and had threatened to the little children, isn't it to the babes?
And you need not that any man teach you that has the same anointing, teaches you all things. And it's true, and it's no lie. And even as it has passed you, you shall abide in him. You know the little baby even has the capability of deserving the Shepherd's voice.
Because his sheep know him fightingly while I am and they don't follow a stranger because they don't know his life. And so that's a simple test. When otherwise is that the shepherd's boy, does that savor after, uh, what the Spirit of God will bring before us? Or is it something strange, something also different from it? So we have been given the capability even the, the youngest child of God even has been making, has been given the capability of listening to the shepherd by and not distinguishing all those other vices promised that I'm not the shepherd's life.
Is it beautiful to know that God is interested in most of the of the part of the chapter of this chapter is taken up with the babes. Isn't it the babes? How beautiful it is to know that God is interested in his children, especially the little ones, the fresh, the the new ones, those babes, He wants them to be established. He wants them to be brought into this place of recognition and blessing that they might be blessed.
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I think it's so beautiful as reading these verses that we read it's it has much to do in fact most to do with the babes and how beautiful that is to think that the Lord is interested in in every one of the younger ones. You know, young in the truth, not not just some of us perhaps could be older in years and yet young in the truth, but God's desire is that they we might be in the enjoyment of this. I think another point to to remember here is as in chapter 4.
We speak there and speaking about the, the spirit, uh, and notice verse, uh, chapter 4, verse one beloved, believe not every spirit.
At all. There's a lot of spirits in this world, a lot of them. But try the spirits. How do I try the spirit? How do how do we test the spirits that are in this world? I think it's already been said that we we test them by the word of God. Is it is it compatible with the word of God? Does it bear the truth of God?
But I, I think year two it's a very, very solid thing because it says there are many false prophets or gone into the world. And as somebody has already said, there's many of them today even saying they're God or pretending to this. But just notice what it says in verse two of that 4th chapter. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in flesh is of God now.
This, this is a deeper thought, isn't it? The, you know, the, the, the, the truth that, uh, was first lost concerning in, in, in Christianity or Christendom lost the truth that Jesus Christ came in flesh. They lost that within the first 100 years of the church's history. And John's ministry takes us to that, that time keeps us in that time, doesn't it, The 1St 100 years.
But it's just so, so sound to think that within that short time of 100 years, they lost the truth that Jesus Christ came in flesh, that he was a true man in this world that was lost. And I believe that's the thought here. What it is, uh, people's may they make many professions, but where is the reality? Hmm, yes, it is because, uh, we don't come in flesh. We were born in flesh, but the Lord Jesus had a previous existence in eternal existence before he entered his world.
So it's a group of deity divinity.
Yes, I think that's important. That is the point, just what you were saying. We all began our existence with a body, that is, we were born into this world. But when the Lord Jesus came, he was forever with the Father, but he came in flesh and says a body hast thou prepared me? And so it was the recognition that this one who came into this world was from eternity, but came into this world as a man.
In a body of flesh and bones and walked through this world, but He himself was forever in the bosom of the Father. Well, I believe that's very important because, uh, that was the confession that showed that they really acknowledged who He was. With everything in Christianity, He depends upon who he is.
Improving.
00:20:06
And for the contrast is a separate voice.
In a certain sense, the Antichrist is an imitation of Christ's, isn't it? Counterfeits, let us say, and if men don't receive the truth, the true Christ, they'll accept the counterfeit. There's only two possibilities. Eventually we'll they'll land or end up by accepting the one with the 4th price.
What the Lord Jesus said, didn't he, I am coming my Father's name, and ye receive me, not another shall come in his own name. Him he will receive. And those are the ones. And of course we know that will fully be taking place after the church is gone. But the warning was the spirit of Antichrist was already in the world. So in the 19 verse, he's not talking about real believers, he's talking about those who made a profession of Christianity.
And gave it up, abandoned it. And so they went out from us, but they were not of us. Let's not leave a person leaving one company of Christians and going to another. This is talking about those who gave up the true Christ of the Bible.
And so there's no home for them at all. They turned their back upon Christ. Same kind that are spoken of in Hebrews chapter 6 and in Hebrews chapter 10. And that is, it's impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing a crucifier themselves, the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. You see, I once believed these things that I have given that all up. What a solemn thing you usually find that these apostate groups.
That they are people who once had some knowledge of the truth that turned their back upon it.
I'm even in a long stays taking different forms. In the epistle of Jude, we find certain men hatched in Malawi. So they come in touchily. They come in secretly bringing in, uh, denimable harrises and also moral evil into the assembly. But here we have apostasy, don't we? In the 1St of this long John, they were amongst the Christians, but they gave it all up. They abandoned it. They turned their back to it. Interesting the way that's written here. That's, uh, verse 19 they.
Went out from us, but they were not of us, as Gordon has said, not the Lords at all, but they were in among the believers. But they went out. Had they? Would they? For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But I was thinking of the contrast. And in verse 20. But ye, but ye, are you speaking to those that are real, and want to know the truth? But ye have an unction or an anointing from the Holy One.
And you know all things I thought of this verse. It doesn't mean that I sit here and know everything. That's not the point. The point is that the Spirit of God, I'm a child of God indwelt by the Spirit of God will have be given him the knowledge of the truth of God about the person of Christ as he goes on with the Lord. And so he says you have an unction or an anointing as you find it later down in the chapter, but the anointing in the SE 27th verse. But he says you have an unction or an anointing from the Holy one and you know all things.
That is, we God will reveal to the true child of God what He wants Him to know.
To me it's beautiful to think of that, that the Spirit of God is indwelling a believer now to assure him, and to declare unto him the person of the glory of the Christ in his great heart.
Connect itself with John 16 also. That's John 16 and Brainstead and Harvey. When he's a spirit of Joseph's town, he will guide you into all truth with others. A whole range of truth is open up onto our by the gracious, uh, teaching of the Holy Spirit and by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to it all. It's no longer concealed for us in any way.
But the Spirit is there to guide us into all truth.
It's like to have been revealed the, the energy of the, of the communion with the Spirit of God in connection with our pathway. Isn't it, umm, all the, the truth that God has revealed to us, the Spirit of God is not going to tell us, uh, something that's contrary to the word of God. If, if two of us have a different view, uh, that uh, uh, somebody is wrong.
00:25:15
So we know that I, I think over here in connection, it says the Speaking of it is the, is the, uh, energy of communion among, uh, of his revealed mind in the word of God.
The Spirit of God will reveal this to us if it's our desire.
We look at First Corinthians chapter two. I think we have something that connects with this First Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teach us, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
Neither can he know them.
Because they are spiritual ages earned. So I believe that's what we have here. Even the baby has received the Spirit of God. He has received now the capacity to discern spiritual things. He never had that.
Until he had received the Lord Jesus, and now the Spirit of God who indwells him, gives him intelligence in these things, and then he has in the Scriptures the very words of God, not just the words of man. And that's what they. That's why it's so important, brother, that we have a good translation because it says here, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches. Sometimes in translations there's a liberty taken to.
Have what they call dynamically equivalent to have something the same, but we want the very words that God spoke. We want to have as much as it's possible and accurate translation.
Of what God has actually said. So that's the only God that we have. And having this, then we have the Spirit of God to give us the understanding and the very words of God in the Scriptures. And I think that's important and I believe that's what it means. You have an option from the Holy One and you know all things.
It's so interesting to notice too, that whereas in the Old Testament certain things remain concealed, they are now open up on to us. I'm thinking of Daniel chapter 12, especially, of course, the prophetic truth. Jen Daniels 12 and very supportive first class. Now Daniel for Daniel, shut up the word and feel the book even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and for our knowledge shall be increased. But Daniel says those things will remain sealed as they turn to Revelation 22.
And very soon they said that he said that to be sealed, not the sayings of the capacity of this book for the time and at times. So we are living in these last days where God has been pleased to open a whole range of relation, truth, process. Nothing remains sealed. All is made known unto us as needed for our blessing to give unto our spiritual intelligence, and we are LED into the whole truth by the gracious guidance of the Spirit of God.
I'm thinking of that verse in Romans 16 and verse.
19.
Your obedience has come abroad unto all men. I'm glad therefore on your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil, uh.
A simple, uh, soul that may not have a large intelligence or understanding of Scripture. All the ramifications of evil can be kept if there is, uh, that, uh, teachable spirit and, uh, submission, uh, to the, uh, the work of the Spirit of God and to the truth of Scripture that is brought before him, He can be cast.
And preserved from the evil doctrines which are abroad and even in ecclesiastical matters. You may not understand all the, the background of the, uh, the separations amongst the, uh, gathered Saints, but if there is simplicity and a desire to uh, follow the Lord with a teachable spirit, that person will be, will be kept.
00:30:18
And preserved in in the past, marked out by God and His Word.
We have expression then we're almost 16 and very safety find good words and false speech is to see the hearts of the simple. Now we are told to be simple after evil, but we are not to be simple as the fruits of God because God wants us to have intelligence as they thought. And if we have simple answer those things, then we are activating trees easily because they haven't entered into those things that God has brought us in precious words. We have remained ignorant as to those things and they adjust as to the truth so they're devoting against that such can be deceived by by good words and bad speeches.
Then his 21St verse I have not written unto you, because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and no lies of the truth. So we have the unction, the Holy Spirit of God, and the 21St verse, 20th verse, and then we have the written word of God in the 21St verse. And this is what preserves us. And I've noticed rather, when I have read questionable translations, there's always some insidious attack on the person of Christ in those translations.
We have to be very careful because the enemy is very clever and knows how to introduce those things.
And if we're not simple of connection with the truth of God, he can easily bring in that which robs us of the person of Christ. And I believe that's important, that we have a translation that carefully guards the person of Christ. And I don't find that with questionable translations.
Verse 22 we get the complete denial, don't we? I believe the early part of that first first 22 who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ. This has more to do with the Jewish unbelief they did they denied that he was Jesus the Christ the sent one of God and then.
He is Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. That's the denial or a rejection of Christianity itself. So we see how what the lie really is. It's against the person of Christ and the truth of God that he was truly a man in this world.
That's a very solemn word, isn't it? In that 23rd verse, whosoever denies the Son the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also.
So anything that denies the deity of Christ robs us of the true God of the Bible, because the true God of the Bible is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I think all of us know that there are different words than the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, and that the word Lom used in connection with creation is a plural word, and that it's speaking out the whole 3 persons of the tragedy.
This is very clear because it says let us make man in our image. And so the God of the Bible is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and the order in which he is brought before us in the Scripture is the Father in council, the Son who carries out the counsels of the Father and the Spirit, the power. And I believe it's important for us in this day to be very careful about those teachings that go around that make.
Any attack whatever on the God of the Bible, and especially upon the person of the Lord Jesus.
00:35:11
Right, 24 days of the remedy against the town, doesn't it?
King James when they are added not be long that 23rd verse, although half of that verse is italicized, yet that does belong there, doesn't.
It has to do with confessing the sun, doesn't it? Acknowledging or confessing the sun?
Mm-hmm.
There was no change in the truth of God. It says on the 24th verse left that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. God's truth doesn't have to be brought up to date. It's true that in the Old Testament God dwelled in the thick darkness, but now all the glory of God shines out in the face of Jesus Christ. The Word of God as we have it is complete. No further revelation to be given.
And so we are to abide in it. And the truth that God has given to us through the apostles is a very complete truth of God. And we're not reward, not to add to what God has given to us in his Word, nor to take away from it.
Also to change it in any way, I was looking at a verse back in Proverbs chapter 24 in this thought. Umm that would you have heard from the beginning?
Uh, just noticed the verse 21 of chapter Proverbs chapter 24.
My son, fear thou the Lord, the fear of the Lord.
Is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge. Fear thou the Lord and the King, and metal knots with them that are given to change. You know, man likes to change things. We've had very many examples of that within the last few years. Changing things, metal not with them that are given to change. Go back to the beginning, that which God gave us from the beginning. And as our brother Gordon has said, God hasn't changed one iota.
It's just the same now as He was then. So he says, let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. There's the again, that precious truth that God the Father sent the Son into this world, and the Spirit of God adhere is here in this world to make it good to our souls.
So we don't need to think about change or altering anything. God hasn't changed and never will change. Very interesting verse there in in Proverbs 24.
First Corinthians chapter 2 Says the ordinance heard us to.
Where? Where 10 shows us that umm.
That spiritual truth is revealed by Spirit.
Searched out by him and communicated to us by the spirit and we received it by the spirit. So it's really kind of sobering that when someone, uh.
Goes off the path doctrinally and takes up with uh.
Some of these, uh, errors, it's, there's moral route to it because the Holy Spirit is indwelling us. And if we go along in our life in a, in a way where we're not grieving the Spirit, the Spirit of God is going to be free to minister to us. Nothing but true. So we see some really, uh, just incredible, uh, attorneys aside by some who are very experienced in the past were taken up with, with, uh, lies that deny the eternal sonship of Christ.
Men who, uh, at one time sat in rooms like this administered the truth to us very, very encouragingly. And others, uh, we've seen in, in, uh, in our experience where, uh, there would be a little bit of a moral slip and then a recovery, and then, uh, more serious moral slip and then a recovery and pretty soon a very serious doctrinal, uh.
00:40:23
Uh, problem will come in and do you say, well, what would cause that? They just got turned. They just didn't understand a certain passage in a certain page, right? And it was a moral rule. That's why they went aside. And so it's, uh, it's kind of sobering and it's, umm, when we realized that it's, uh, it's not us going up into having to search things out, but being in a proper state of soul that the Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God may be free to minister to us.
And, uh, we'll always Minister Truth to us.
The roots and some of these things.
Is described in a way in the 22nd chapter of the Proverbs.
Verse 20.
That's not I written on this.
The address is on what is written on the more significant questions in the scriptures is free, but it says what set the scriptures.
1000 questions can be answered with that as a response, but 1St 20.
20 have not. I've written to the excellent things in councils and knowledge that.
I might make you know the certainty of the words of truth. Now there is a framework, there is a, uh, structure that, uh.
Provides for a proper reception of.
Then replied thine heart. That's in reference to the affections.
That's a a suggestion that everything in my circuit right in the head.
I wouldn't want to say anything contrary to study, that's that's fine.
But if it doesn't affect the heart, if it doesn't freeze my affections and it turns out.
Bow down.
Here reply thine heart to my knowledge.
Then there's a a keeping verse 18. Keep them.
And then there's a fitting.
And the source of our information.
That I have made on the.
And 1St Corinthians 2 is the thread says the words that the Holy Ghost teaches.
If our instruction comes.
Oh God, that arrives in this kind of an environment.
Bowel down here.
Hearing willingness to be taught with a part of engaged.
In our chapter verse 24.
We have 3 words that describe something.
The first line of five down towards the end of the first remain and then the last line continues.
One place, uh second Samuel maybe about chapter 6, it says of David, he went on and he grew great. He doesn't say he grew great by the prowess of his soul, but because of the bigger which he conducted the numerous campaigns.
00:45:30
We change the setting pace.
Don't find too many fox races in the world and you find lots of horse races, but to just go on steady, persistent.
Applying remain continuous.
And we not only have the Spirit of God, but in the 25th verse. And this is the promise that He had promised you, even eternal life.
The Lord Jesus has spoken of as that eternal life who is with the Father and has been made known unto us. And so that isn't it lovely that the believer has a life that delights in obedience of often sad God will never ask us as Christians to do anything that the new life within doesn't respond and delight in doing. That's the kind of life that He has given to us. We won't have a different new life even when we get to heaven.
We possess the same new life now, the very life of Christ, when Christ, who is our life shall appear. So we possess this. So we have the power, we have the intelligence by the Spirit, and we have the life that responds to all of truth and the claims of God. I think this is very beautiful. He's given this to us, the instruction in His Word, but the life that responds and delights in that path that He's marked out for us.
No mentioning again about the off being kind of a slow animal.
In RJ Umm.
It's kind of a buy now pay later type of day where you know the.
The thought of diligent, methodical labor to achieve a desired end is, uh, is thought to be foolish, you know, unnecessary, you know, why not have it now and leverage and whether it's financial or other ways, that's, uh, that's the way of the world currently. And, uh, fall in the second Timothy two, I think I understand this first.
Second Timothy 2 and UH-6, the husband and the laborers. I think that should read. Correct me if I'm wrong. Laboring first becomes a partaker of the fruits.
Bye bye.
Leave the two. In the book of Proverbs, the person, uh, whether uh, in the context of natural things, but you can apply it spiritually. The person that hates to be rich gets a snare to his soul.
Uh, someone that wants to be rich quickly, he, uh, tends to strive unlawfully and he gets a snare. So, but the methodical diligence that the scriptures encourage, whether natural things are spiritual, uh, the diligent soul shall be made back prosperous. And so in the context of our chapter, uh, verse 26, he's a person's, uh, trying to seduce the Saints out of the past. And so if we are content to just diligently.
Methodically here a little there, a little line upon line, precept upon precept to be able to grow, uh, we won't be, uh, vulnerable and exposed, uh, so much to, uh, with itching ears to some new thing or something that promises quick or rapid growth or to bring us into a whole new realm or something like that, which, uh, you might otherwise be susceptible to. So, you know, as, as we continue on over the years, uh.
Not every reading medium say at the local assembly, uh, do you leave and say, uh, I, I can't believe how much I learned tonight. Uh, maybe when we're first, uh, saved and gathered either. I can remember leaving that way. I couldn't take it all in. But as time goes on, much of what we hear is confirmation and reminder of what we've learned before, which is good. And then, uh, even reading means like this and maybe one thing or two things we never quite saw that way. So it's here a little and they're a little. And, uh, as we go on and find where ways, uh.
00:50:03
Imperceptible to ourselves, uh, we're, uh, hopefully becoming more fruitful by this increased knowledge as the things we've gone. I believe this, uh, one of the hymn writers is the expression that I enjoyed still leaning on my people with, with gentle. I think it says gentle having me grow.
I'm thankful we can be that God has in his grace and mercy and kindness as as he said earlier, he said in verse 20, I just call attention back to verse 21. I have not written unto you, uh, written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it. And as you were saying, it's rehearsed truth, isn't it? It's truth that's gone over. And then in a verse 20, uh, verse 26, these things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
How thankful we can be that God has given us these truths, all that we've just been reading, He's given us that we might not be seduced, that we might not be tripped up. And I think it's beautiful to think of that. And he says it's not, not anything. You know it already. Everyone here has heard these things before. But how do we, are we embracing them? Are we abiding in that truth? Are we going on in it? And so he says these things. Have I written unto you concerning them that seduce, seduce you.
We have the written word of God in our hands and then the very next verse says the anointing which you have received of him abided in you. Could God do more for us? I say no, he couldn't. We have the word of God in our hands. We have the Lord Jesus on high and we have the Spirit of God indwelling us. God has made every provision that we might not be seduced or turned aside in any way. I think it's so beautiful as as I thought about it.
All has been done. He's made every provision for us.
Not only has he died for us, but I think of Romans is a Romans 5 says he's living for us too.
In Philippians 3 and verse 16, we have wholesome imagination that goes along the same line. Chapter 3 and verse 16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same same God's place doesn't change it, such as where it doesn't change and what we have learned of it. Let's just continue with it and cherish what He has revealed untoward from His precious words and holy sense.
August 27th, 1St doesn't mean that God may not use teachers. We find in Ephesians chapter 4 that the ascendant Christ has given gifts, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. And I would say most of us here have profited by that which has been written as well as that which has been spoken by those who have taught us in the things of God. But in actuality, we don't learn anything until we learn it from God.
And so it says in John, the Lord Jesus said, and they shall be all thought of God. And we might hear things in these meetings, we might mechanically hear them, have them in our knowledge, so to speak, but they're not really our own until they're taught to us by God himself through his Spirit. And so we go away. And if we have really said, I've got that from the Lord, if you say, Oh well, I think I can trust that brother. And that was his thought on it. Well.
It won't really give your soul until you have received it directly from the Lord, and then you can say.
The Lord has shown me this. He might use a teacher and I believe that's what we have an Ephesians 4. But on the other hand, if there's no occasion, the person might be sick and unable to get there. Does this mean that God cannot teach them at home? Yes, he can, but to neglect the provision that he has made, He tells us, think of a brother who said I don't need to go to the meetings. He had written ministry and he could stay at home and read his Bible. And so he said I can just stay at home and get all that I need.
Brother said to him, oh what good do you get out of Hebrews 10/25 when you read the Bible at home?
What does that first say? Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is that exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching. So God can and does often teach as many things as we read His precious words. But we need the assembling together too, brethren. It's part of the Word of God.
So when we were first brought to assembly meetings at the.
Sensation that, uh, someone has been following us around all week and reading our boss and telling the brethren they were ministering the word because it could seem like, uh, it was all just for us. And, uh, I'm thinking about the book of Ruth yesterday and what we had. It's, it's quite, uh, touching to think of, uh, Ruth chapter 2. That's a little picture of the local assembly where Boaz specifically inquires about group.
00:55:27
And he, he, he takes information about her.
Studies her, so to speak. Where is she from? What has she found? And then he uses that information to take care of her and make provision for her. And he does that through the young men and the maidens. And so in the local assembly. I think that's why when the Spirit of God has liberty, that there is that sense sometimes that we feel that, uh, just what we were burdened about was brought out or just a certain him was given out that, uh, touched a certain spot that encouraged us or a particular truth that we've been or particular issue we've been troubled with.
And has been brought out by someone who could have no idea what we were going through. I believe that's one of the things about Boaz's field that he knows. And, uh, he's made himself informed, so to speak through his servants, uh, about what the needs are. And he has a provision. And that's why he says still not to glean in another field. He has the young men there and the maidens and he gives specific commandments. So not to her group, but to take care of her. So she goes back as I enjoy her brother said the other day.
He doesn't talk about the maidens or the young men. He says I was a bowling.
That's interesting you mentioned that because in our early days of being introduced to the gathering and going in and listening to the ministry, there were times when I thought that somebody must have told them how I, what I thought before I went to meet because the Spirit of God worked and brought out just what I needed. And I used to, I used to wonder about where some of us were a little puzzled about that, why they seem to know more about me than I, uh, somebody did somebody tell them these things?
And it's interesting, isn't it, to see the Spirit of God working in a soul, especially in the fresh.
Umm entertain or in inter introduction into the truth of God, where the Spirit of God teaches.
And most type of thing is I get in taking in the truth, is it? There is a gift in the ministry of the truth. But the question is that diligence and obedience. We have a vast legacy of written ministry at our disposal and we should certainly avail ourselves of it. And those of us who are younger, especially, we may not all have the ability to.
To draw from those deep wells like the young men in the Route 2.
But, uh, some have done this for us. So we can all drink out of the vessels that are, that are, uh, taken. It says, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. And so we've had that we have in our hands that a precious treasury of truth, and we need to be diligent and roast that which we take in hunting and beat out that which we gleaned in the field.
So diligence God will reward.
And, uh, we're not gonna grow in the truth that we despise the ministry that has been left to us, but really we're despising a gift that God has given to his church. So I perhaps overemphasize this line, but, uh, I feel that we should take every opportunity to, uh, to avail ourselves from the precious written legacy of ministry that is, that is at our disposal.
But you say this. So the young ones here, you pick up the the ministry of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not speaking about all the pamphlets on the news stands. I'm speaking about the ministry of those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you read that ministry. You read that. You know the whole thing if you read it carefully.
And prayerfully.
And you will find that they direct your thoughts to the person of Christ. That's that's true ministry, not exalting man and as one certain evangelist that I I read part of his book and I never read the word I as much in all my life as it was in that book. It was I I I all through did that was that was no profit to me at all. But when I read ministry where they direct my thoughts to the person of Christ and the glory of God. There is where the spirit of God can teach you.
01:00:15
And he will give you something for yourself, for your own soul in that. I think it's important to see that. Mm-hmm.
Just an expression too abide in Him mentioned in the end of the 27th verse and then mentioned again in the beginning of the 28th verse. Abiding in him. The Lord Jesus spoke of that and he in John chapter 15. Dividing in him we bear much fruit. I believe that abiding in Him is keeping close to Him and communion in the path that He has marked out. So it isn't just getting hold of the knowledge, but it's being attracted to the person that is.
Especially brought before us. And then when it says when he shall appear, we may have confidence. Notice that not he may have confidence, but we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him and his coming. I believe this is the side of things that is very important. That is, uh, she speaks in the 13th chapter of Hebrews. They watch for your souls that they must give account. I believe in giving out the truth.
It's not just giving out knowledge like the professor talking in the college, but it's having an interest in souls. And the one who gives it out is interested in the progress of the ones who hear. And it's a very responsible thing to give out the truth of God. And as I say, I quote again what it says in Hebrews. They watch for your souls. And rather, if we give out the truth, it's not just displaying how much we know. But do we love the Saints? Are we, uh, seeking to see price produced in them? We find the Apostle Paul Speaking of these things too, and 1St Thessalonians.
You said that you said that, that I'd like to turn this because I don't think I can pull it. Just, uh, First Thessalonians chapter 2.
Verse 19 But for what is our hope, Our joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming, For ye are our glory and joy.
Seems to be this brings before us the desire the apostle had for the Saints there a Thessalonica and he said in that day of manifestation when all comes out why it'll be his joy to see them rewarded. And so that was the attitude that the apostle John had to to be just illustrated is something like a teacher in a classroom. She has a whole class at the end of the year half the class fails. Isn't that some reflection on her that they didn't get along a little better.
But suppose you have the end of the at the end of the season or the teaching year, every one of them passes and half of them passes with honors. Oh, isn't that her joy to see that, that those children, that our young people have really progressed in what she was trying to teach them? Well, brethren, I believe it's a very serious thing to seek to be a help among the people of God. The truth is never to be administered in the attitude of take it or leave it. It's a love for souls that seeks to give out that which is for their good and for the glory of Christ.
And is interested in their growth and progress in the things of God. I think that's very beautiful so important for us if we seek to be a health among the people of God and.
Zero.
9/4 00450 Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.
Three.
Oh oh.
Gospel 2
Gospel—Jack Ryan
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Perhaps we could start the singing together.
MMM hymn #13.
And the little hymn sheet #13.
And sometimes I think, as we often enough, at least if I maybe look at myself, we tend to, we drop into a habit now and then of singing a song or a hymn and giving practically no thought to the words. We just get caught up in the rhythm of the music and we don't really pay too much attention to what we're actually what we're saying. We're just mouthing.
Words. So I'd like to read this one and perhaps we could pay some attention to what it says.
Man of Sorrows.
What a name for the Son of God.
Who came ruined sinners to reclaim?
Hallelujah, that means praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, what a savior.
Bearing shame and scoffing rude in my place condemned, he stood.
Sealed my partner with his blood. Hallelujah.
Or, praise the Lord, what a savior.
Guilty.
Vile and helpless.
We spotless Lamb of God was he.
Full atonement? Can it be?
Hallelujah, what a savior.
Someone strike the tune for us #13.
What's your name?
In my place.
Condominiums.
Fill my heart and with His love.
How I love you.
Guilty by an hour last week.
Oh, I don't have it.
How can we pray before we proceed? I'd like to turn again that him we just sang #13.
Like to be underline some of those words, a little little lymphatic about some of them. Notice in the first verse.
A word ruined the third line ruined sinners.
Ruined. Have you ever been perhaps in this town, on the street in the some warehouse neighborhood, perhaps you come across an old building, The windows have been knocked out of it. It's been abandoned. Merida, uh, one end of it has fallen out. And you walk by that or drive by and you say, well, there's a ruin. We're out in the country roads. You see an old barn, an old farm barn.
That's been neglected and, uh, hasn't been painted maybe in 40 years. And some of the boards are missing and part of the roof is collapsed and one of the walls is gone and you wonder how it's gonna survive another snowstorm. It's just a ruin.
00:05:16
Can you imagine that you, without Christ tonight, are no better, no, no better than such a barn, a ruin beyond repair? The farmer who has a barn like I've just described might call a building contractor and ask for an estimate on repairs. What would he hear? What the hell? The cost of fixing this whole thing up?
Will be far in excess of the cost of putting up a proper one a new one.
Ruined Sinners.
To reclaim Christ, came into the world to save sinners, ruined sinners.
Not centers on their high horses, not centers who pretend to be something worthwhile, not sinners who come from the higher fields of education, who have some pretensions to thought processes, but to ruin sinners.
Is there anyone here without this Savior? Can you appreciate your real state? Can you admit that you are just a ruin, good for nothing? The next verse?
In my place, condemned, he stood.
The third verse, 3 words in this one, the first line that describes sinners and every soul in this room is a Sinner. Some of us are saved sinners, some of us are unsaved sinners. Anyone here without the Lord Jesus as your own personal possession, your own Savior for you yourself, if you don't have him.
Verse three, the first line describes you.
Healthy.
Vinyl.
Dirty. Corrupt, unclean.
Guilty, dirty, corrupt, unclean, and worse, helpless. Absolutely no capacity to do anything for yourself.
Helpless.
And we turn in our books, we read it some things in the Bible, we wanna find out from some a authoritative source if the hymn writer.
Was just, uh, speculating or did this, this him writer, uh, have some substance to his references? Were his comments reasonably accurate? Am I really guilty? Am I really vile? Am I really helpless? Am I really a ruin? What does this book have to say? And if this book says so, you'd better believe it.
If God said it.
That settles it. That eliminates all disputes. This book is the one touchstone. If it's here, that's the end of it. Can we turn 1St to the 14th Psalm?
Psalm 14.
Not too long ago, a Sunday school teacher was talking to the little ones and the Sunday school class, or maybe a dozen or 15, maybe more little ones present. And the teacher says, is there anybody here who has never, never committed a sin?
Is there anybody here who's never sinned?
I won't ask for a show of hands on that.
But he did in the Sunday school class. A little less formality perhaps, and the youngsters were close by where he was standing.
And this little boy admitted, yes, I've, I've done some things that were wrong. And the next one did and the next. And they all did until near the end there was a little girl of about 10 perhaps, and she insisted that she had never, never done anything wrong.
00:10:12
As she stood there with her face hanging out, looked honest, she probably thought it was a true statement that she had never done anything wrong. She was not a thinner no, if I'm not a Sinner, I don't need a savior. If I if I have done nothing wrong, I'm not guilty.
I'm not vile, unclean, I don't need a savior, but if I have sinned, then how many sins does it take to put you in hell to keep you out of heaven? How many? Just one, only one.
One nasty thought, one bad deed. Just one.
Psalm 14 tells us another description of what God in heaven has to say about you.
Verse 2.
This is written about 1000 BC, around about 3000 years ago. This is written Psalm 14, verse 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men. This is not my neighbor looking at me. It's not your mother looking at you. This is God, a holy, righteous God, the God that made the world.
You know the heavens. And he says.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. And what did He find? What did he find?
Virtually they are all gone. Aside, they are all together. Become filthy. There is none. Let's do it Good.
No, not one.
None that do it's good, no.
Not one. That's pretty emphatic. And that's just that wraps it all up. That includes us, everyone. Is there anybody so bold as to say that God is a liar?
There's one thing we read in this book that God who cannot lie, He just is not within his capacity to lie. You might say why? God is almighty, He can do whatever he likes through, but there's one thing He cannot do. He cannot lie.
And he says.
There is none that doeth good. No, not one. Now turn over a few pages to the 53rd song.
Psalm 53.
And strangely enough.
We'll find these words almost verbatim from Psalm 14, repeated again.
Psalm 53, verse 2.
God looked down from heaven.
Upon the children of men God has eyes to see.
The little comments made to the children earlier today, this morning.
It was a little reference to the text now gone. See it me right where we are right now. God sees inside your heart. He knows what's going on there.
We cannot hide it from him.
Psalm 53 verse two, God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. What did he find? Everyone of them has gone back. They're all together become guilty.
Unclean, corrupt, vile.
There is none that doeth good comma.
No comma, not one.
Now let's turn over in our Bibles.
This is the one text that has authority to Romans chapter 3.
00:15:07
Oh, if God had something to say to us, that He was really in earnest, that we have an attentive ear, do we not miss the point? If God had something to tell us that He wanted to be sure there was not a single soul that would miss it, He might repeat himself. He might say it twice, and we've read it twice. What do you think about it if he says it three times? Romans chapter 3.
Verse 10.
As it is written.
Reference back to the Psalms that we just read.
There is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understand that. There is none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of the way. They are together, become unprofitable. There is none. Now do it good comma. No comma. Not one little girl that answered the Sunday School teacher's questions.
Who said never done anything wrong? Was she correct?
No, she was wrong. Wasn't she? Very wrong. It would have been smarter for her to admit it, that she indeed had done something wrong and that therefore she is barred from heaven.
What do we mean? Bard excluded? No entry, no way in?
Looking at over to the begin beginning of our Bibles, the third chapter of Genesis.
See what happened to the first man and the first woman that lived in this world who did something wrong. They made a mistake. They did something that God had told them not to do. So they were what?
Centers and what happened to them?
The end of chapter 3, Genesis 3 because of their fault, only one, only one little breach, 1 little mistake is enough to put them in all their children and their children's children after them. So this very day in hell.
Genesis 3, Verse 23 Therefore the Lord God set him forward from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. Verse 24 So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life entrance to that garden.
Was prohibited. They were thrown out of that lovely garden of the Lord where everything was perfect. It was thrown out of that place because of sin.
Sinners.
The man and his wife, the two of them.
Barn prohibited from entrance.
Can you get into heaven?
With your mistakes still on you, with your sins, with your faults, can you get into heaven?
So we drove out the van, were barred from that garden of delights, and no capacity in man to enter that place.
Suppose a man owns.
The city lot with a nice house on it and he puts a fence around it and he, uh, puts a gate in the front, in the middle of the front. There's a gate one way in and out.
And he invites some folks over to visit and to have a little entertainment, have a dinner together.
And the evening goes on and somebody misbehaves.
And that somebody has escorted out the front door up to the front gate, and he said go.
You can't share my house. Go out.
And then the householder puts a bar in the gate and he puts a lock on it, and he locks the lock.
Go and never come back.
Barred forever.
00:20:01
Guilty. Guilty.
That's what happened to Adam and Eve, and that's what we've inherited from our fathers, Adam and Eve, the genes. The medical people are getting acquainted with genes now they're understanding a little more, more about inheritance of what did you inherit from your father and mother to you young folks here.
Can I ask you that? What did you inherit from your father and your mother? Oh, I hear a little child of 10 or 12 tell me. Well, I inherited my blonde hair from my mother. Or another might say, umm, I inherited my broad soldiers from my father.
But what else did you inherit from your father or your mother?
With apologies to your father and mother if they're here, did you inherit something else in your jeans?
Sin Sian, and so we're all.
Hard with the same price. Every one of us, young and old. I'm no better than you.
Sinners guilty.
Vile. Helpless. Ruined.
Let's turn now to the 34th chapter of Exodus.
We have to admit that we're guilty. We have committed at least one crime that would bar us from heaven, and no access to that lovely place.
Exodus 34.
Verse six And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord. The Lord gone.
Merciful. Oh, that's a sweet word, isn't it? Sounds like there's some hope for me in my sins, Merciful.
And gracious.
Begins to sound more promising. Many of those hope. After all I said that BA the gates of the bar and there's a lock on it. No way in.
Lord God, merciful and gracious long-suffering.
And abundance in goodness. Surely he won't put me in hell just for one little fault, one little mistake. long-suffering in goodness.
And truth, The truth of the matter has to be known. That begins to sound a little bit maybe dangerous. I don't want all the truth to come out. Perhaps that might make my guilt all the more evident.
Verse 7, This is the the Lord God keeping mercy for thousands. Well, maybe I can squeeze in with one of those mercy for thousands. Maybe I can get into that crowd. Maybe I can get through that gate somehow because God is merciful.
Keep going. Forgiving iniquity, forgiving sin. Is it possible that God can sweep my sin under the rug? Is it possible that you can forget it and just wipe it off the books like it never happened? Forgiving iniquity, How can that be? Well, and transgression and sin begins to look pretty good. Now we come.
To the real difficulty.
And that will by no means clear the guilty.
Will by no means.
Clear the guilty Is it possible that there's no remedy for sin? God, who will be by no means.
Clear or guilty? Guilty.
Vile, helpless we and God who cannot an earlier commented that he cannot lie and now we find that something else he can't do. He cannot clear the guilty.
Are you guilty? You made one mistake in your life. You have to admit it. You're guilty. And it says right here in plain English the word of the living God. He can by no means clear the guilty. I say that's not good news, is it?
We sometimes say the gospel is good news, but that doesn't sound like good news to me. I'm guilty and God cannot clear the guilty.
00:25:05
Well.
We also read in Ezekiel 18 twice in one chapter it says the soul that sinneth and say how many you have to do. One's enough. The soul that's in it, it shall die.
Die. We go into the grave, and then we go to meet the judge at the Great White Throne, and we spend eternity.
Everlasting eternity time without measure.
In hell for one mistake. That sounds cruel, doesn't it? Sounds inflexible, and it is. God said it, and that settles it. And he can. By no means he's not. He's not within his capacity to clear the guilty, no matter what.
God, who can by no means clear the guilty. No, go on to Second Samuel 14.
But so far, we come up to a pretty much of A dead end.
Pretty much of A dead end sounds hopeless.
To God, who can by no means clear, but guilty.
Second Samuel 14, verse 14.
40 months needs die. That's a fact that's been common lot of the human family from Adam's day to this. We must meet God.
Die in our sins and go into the pit, the lake of fire forever and ever. We must need God and are as water spilled on the ground to him. Writer talked about being helpless. How can what can a bucket of water do to lift itself up after it's still on the ground? Nothing.
We we are as water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again.
Neither does God respect any person. You have committed one crime, one sin. You said one nasty thing, you've done one bad thing. You've thought one thing disorderly.
One's enough. God doesn't respect you if you happen to be from a well born family.
It doesn't if you happen to be.
A son or daughter of the King or the Queen.
God does not respect any person. If your father has $1,000,000 in the bank, that won't help you.
God does not respect persons.
Rich or poor, highborn, lowborne, black or white, red and yellow, all the same.
Still in that same verse, Second Samuel 14, verse 14.
Yes, all those, those three letter, three letter words in Scripture are they're precious, they're meaningful, they're very significant.
They must need die as water spill on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Neither does God respect any person yet yes.
Does he devise means that his vanished be not expelled from him from Genesis three. We found they were. We are barred. We've been expelled. We've been tossed out of that garden of delight. There's no way for us to go to heaven. We can't reach that delightful, delightful place. I think I heard the other day of a brother who was standing up on a on a ladder with extension 28 foot long ladder. I think I think there are such things.
I work with pencils. I don't know too much about ladders. 28 feet? It sounds like you're getting pretty close to heaven. It won't work.
A 56 foot ladder wouldn't work either.
Build as many ladders as you like. There's no way to get to heaven.
We borrowed from that place, yet that the devised means that is vanished be not expelled. Now would it be of some interest to you to find out what those means are? Would it be of some interest understanding that we're barred, We can't get into heaven, there's no way to get there.
But God has made an arrangement. He's devised the scheme. He's arranged a program.
00:30:03
He has devised means that we not need not be expelled.
What are those means? In Genesis three we read that were barred from that garden.
The whole human family was tossed out of that garden, sent away and the way it was barred with an Angel with a standing there with a sword and a flaming sword.
Let's look at one verse in.
Is it umm?
Matthew maybe?
Luke Luke 23.
The 23rd chapter of Luke.
We've been barred, every one of us. We have no access to glory. We have no way of reaching that heavenly garden of delights. And God, who cannot clear the guilty, insists on.
His own purpose will.
Move 23.
We're, uh, at the cross of Calvary here. The Lord Jesus is hanging there.
And.
He was hung up on that center cross and it was a thief on one side who's also crucified the same day, the same hour, and another on his right side, one on the left and one on the right.
And these two N had a little discussion conversation.
They were within a few feet of the Lord Jesus as he was hung up.
There's, uh, 39 in one of the manufacturers.
That's the one who has, uh, done something amiss.
In the French, and Mao means something about Mao de mares means seasickness. Uh, these men have done something wrong. And so they were convicted criminals and one of them which were hanged railed on him, saying, if thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other the other thing answering rebuked him, saying, dost not thou fear God, saying thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly what we receive the due reward of our deeds. What is the due reward of our deeds? The sole defendant, but you're dying.
That's the new reward. There's no way to get into heaven.
Within Bard and God, who cannot lie, has said he cannot clear the guilty.
We spoke of the Lord Jesus favorably in verse 41. He said, This man has done nothing amiss. Then he said unto Jesus, Lord, Remember Me when thou cometh into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
We spoke a little earlier about about a householder who had a house on the city lot and a fence all the way around it and one door in and out at the front, and someone was expelled from that.
That, uh, that property and the door was closed and a bar was put up to prohibit further access and a lock was put in place. Now if, if I should come along to that householder's place, walk up the sidewalk and look at the door and say, well, I think I could break that lock and the bars aren't that strong and bring us all along. Maybe I could, I could maybe make my way in. Would I have any right to do that? No, it's not my house. It's not my property.
Do you have any rights to force your way in? No.
Who has the right to alter the terms of entrance?
Who has the right to open that gate? Well, the man that owns the place, right? And the man that owns the place said in Genesis 3.
He drove out the man and that very same person who drove out the man comes to us in Luke 23 and says today.
00:35:04
Today.
Shalt thou be with me in paradise? Jesus has the right. He has the dominion and the control over that gate to heaven. But how can he do it if it's going to be?
Umm, consistent with his commitments, The God who cannot lie? How can he take this thief in? How did he take you in? How was it that he took me in?
Or any of his presence. How did he do it without?
Compromising his integrity. He told us in Exodus 34 he will by no means clear the guilty and he can't do it. And yet it says here in Luke 23 that he's going to do it. How can that be? Well, there's one thing that happened between Genesis 3 and Luke 23. There's one event of interest. There's one thing that happened between Genesis 3 and Luke 23.
That alters the circumstances.
That changed things. What was that?
What was that one event of significance between Genesis 3 and Luke 23?
Christ came into the world to save sinners.
The Lord Jesus.
Took upon himself.
The guilt that belonged.
To you and me, those of us who have received Him as our Savior.
Can, can, uh, can stand up and boldly approach the gates of heaven with No Fear of being repulsed or driven off. Cheerfully approach.
That was just called the King of Terror. The deathbed can cheerfully approach that extremity, as we may sometimes call it, because we know and our debts are all paid. Our guilt has been carried away. It hasn't been put under the rug. No, Christ bore our sins. Hymn #257 in our little black hymn book tells us something about that.
Now, if you want, if you have any interest at all in getting into heaven. Oh, and what are the alternatives? Or is there an alternative? There's only one. There's no in in between ground. It's either heaven or.
Hell.
One or the other, and surely we have some interest in being in heaven. How do we get there? We don't get there with the just pretending like it never happened.
Face realities. We are verily guilty. God said it, and that settles it. And hymn #257 tells us what has the Lord Jesus has done for for you and for me? And if you'll have him, it's all yours. If you won't have him, you don't have any part in it at all.
Himself, that is Jesus, He He could not save himself. He on the cross must die or.
Mercy cannot come to ruin.
Sinners, knowing that Him we started with said something about ruin sinners. Christ, the Son of God, must believe that sinners might from sin be freed.
This is a great remedy, that arrangement that God has made. It was referred to in Second Samuel 1414. God has devised means by which his vanish need not be expelled. Yes, there's guilt, but he's gonna put it. He's gonna put that guilt on the shoulders, on the head of his own Son, God. The Son, God himself come down in the person of Jesus. The Son of God is gonna take our guilt and put it all on his own head.
And he's gonna suffer and take the penalty. What was that?
To solve the Senate. It shall die. So Christ died for our sins, those of us who know Him as our Savior.
How can we hear such words? How can we have such things brought to our attention without having some little jump in our hearts?
00:40:05
What a marvelous thing. What are we doing to deserve such favor? How is it that he loves us? You can understand how someone might love the lovely. How someone might love something is particularly attractive, particularly lovely. Go to a wedding and you look at the bride and the groom and then maybe sometimes say to yourself, well, I can sure see why that young man found an interest in that young lady. What a beautiful bride. You go to another wedding and the bride isn't quite all that beautiful.
And you might say, well, I wonder what he saw on her.
What did God see in you?
Healthy, vile, corrupt, unclean.
Help with the boot.
So the love of God.
As dimensions that we can't hardly grasp.
Jesus.
Said I love you. And he tells us, tells us that his word He also said to his disciples, the Father himself loveth you. That's two persons of the Godhead.
That loved us. And a third, I think it's Romans, maybe chapter 14, the references made to the love of the Holy Spirit, the whole of the Godhead, love for sinners, love for the unlovely. That's remarkable, That's beautiful.
That's to be admired.
Message to him #257.
The second verse says justice must be done.
God can't overlook my sin. You can't pass by yours. Justice must be done. He can by no means clear the guilty. Our sins full weight must fall upon somebody, either on your own hand or on the head of Jesus, the hymn writer puts it. Our sins will await, must fall upon the sinless one, for nothing less can God accept.
In payment that fearful death.
Nothing less.
You know it's the Lord. Jesus was merely a man.
And subject to death.
He would be no savior.
You know Savior, but he was not merely man, He was God manifest in flesh, and he was himself spotless, sinless. In the Old Testament would read of the one of the requirements of the sacrifice that the Israelite would bring. A pious Israelite would come to the priest with a a lamb or a an ox or a Bullock.
And it was required that that creature that sacrifice be without damage. Perfect.
Spotless, no taint, no sin, no blemish, perfect in every detail, not just on the outside. You might bring that lamb to the priest and inspect it carefully and maybe get a, uh, some scissors and shear it and remove most of the, uh, outer covering and get it down to the, the skin, real close to the skin. Looking for maybe a tear on some barbed wire from the fence, looking for some defect in that piece.
It passes all the inspections and it looks like it's a perfect animal. Then you get inside after it's slain and you find some imperfection in that beast. Not satisfactory.
B without blemish.
The Lord of glory, God's only Son.
Without blemish and nothing else would do, for nothing less can God accept in payments of that fearful debt.
And now he's hung on that cross. You came into this world for that purpose.
And he stands there.
As our substitute, your substitute if you haven't, if you won't have him, there are no alternatives. Is heaven or hell, and the only way in is through Jesus and his precious blood.
He bore the penalty of guilt.
When on the cross, his land was built.
In love himself he gave to pay the debt that we owed.
As we said earlier.
00:45:02
Oh, what a savior.
Man of Sorrows.
What a name for the Son of God, God the Son, God himself provided the Lamb, the substitute, the full settlement, the full payment for our debt. A debt so monstrous and so deep and high that could possibly begin to pay it.
That's good, it works.
Those of us who have received the Lord Jesus, who have understood our helpless condition, who understood that we were guilty and vile and helpless, and have come to rely on Jesus and Jesus only, nobody else, is not a tandem affair. It's not a matter of a committee or a combination of forces, but Jesus alone, Jesus only, and none other name under heaven.
Whereby we must be saved. It's just as simple as ABC.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now. I shall be saying now, you can't believe on someone you've never seen. Really can't do that, can you? It sounds hard, but you surely can if you're desperate enough, if you really understand that you are guilty.
Violent and helpless.
There are no other means. There's no one else that.
Might possibly fit the bill.
Relief on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Can we, uh, maybe sing together and cozy?
Uh #12 in the book the little hymn sheet.
Just as I am.
Without one plea, I'm not gonna stand here and argue with God. I'm gonna admit that I'm a Sinner and that I'm guilty and I'm vile and I'm without the means. I'm helpless, just as I am without one plea. But there's another three letter word, beautiful words. Thy blood was shed for me. And.
That's how bits become to thee.
And I just hope.
That every single soul under the sound of this voice.
And honestly seeing the next line.
O Lamb of God, I come, I come. And those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, some of us may be for 10 years or 10 days, or for 20 or 4050, sixty years, 70 years, maybe more.
Can we say, Oh Lamb of God, I come nearer, closer?
I appreciate what has been done a little more than I did a week ago, a little more than I did yesterday.
Just as I am.
Admittedly guilty.
Vile, helpless, ruined just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, there's nothing I can do to rid my soul of the least blunt just as I am to thee, that is, to Jesus, whose blood can cleanse each spot. O Lamb of God, I come just as I am, poor, wretched, blind.
Now the contrast site, riches instead of poverty, healing of the mind, they all I need.
In thee and in nowhere else, not in anybody else, but in Christ alone. Indeed, to find old Lamb of God I come.
John says I am.
Guilty, vile, helpless. Just as I am now what? Receive welcome, pardon, cleansed, relieved of all obligations.
Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love has broken every barrier down those days that were closed that barred me from heaven. No way of access prohibited from entry.
The God will by no means clear the guilty.
00:50:02
My gifts, your guilt if you'll have Jesus was laid on Jesus.
And now we are free. We can enter.
Now, NOW, the last verse. Now don't put it off till tomorrow. What is now?
You got a minute from now? Or is it? Now write this instant right where we sit.
I believe Jesus.
As my savior, can we sing together #12?
They did not.
Read my soul.
One star lot.
To me on blood.
00:55:02
And so we pray.
John 11, Until He Comes, Ruth as a Bride
Open—L. Hayhew, G. Hayhoe, J. Ryan
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
If I just stood up here three years ago, if I'd have been at this conference.
And I just said what I'm going to say this afternoon. People might not have thought of it the same way as I pray that we listen to what I'm going to say because it in this last three years, things have happened in the meeting around that we have all been affected one way or another.
We have seen a terrible shake up in the meeting. Those whom we love dearly have gone.
I know there's parents here with heartaches.
Where are their children today?
Where are their grandchildren?
It's a serious thing. It's a solemn thing to think of.
Because the devil has taken away a whole generation.
Of our young people, not only themselves, but in their selfish way of wanting to do their own thing, they've not only taken that.
They've taken ones that are very dear to us.
I know.
Such as many.
Are affected this way not only is families but our friends. You may be lost your best friend best friend.
It's not something to be concerned about. Haven't you got a problem? Yes, we all have problems. Your problems maybe aren't the same as mine.
But we all have problems and I was just thinking that we would take up a little while on the 11Th of, uh, John, the 11Th chapter of John. It's a well known scripture. It's a well known, we all know it.
We all know it.
The 11Th chapter of John.
We know that Lazarus was sick.
And these two dear sisters sent to Jesus for help. We can thank the Lord that that's where they went for they went to him for the help.
And wouldn't you think, as we read in the third verse, Therefore his sister sent unto him, saying, Lord.
Not Lazarus is sick.
Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. Think of it. Wouldn't that make you think that the Lord would come right away to his, to their problem, and solve their problem? They had a real problem, a real problem. This one whom they loved was sick.
But what do we get for an answer? Does it say that the Lord came right away? No, He stayed there two days more. Why did he stay there two days more? Brother? Why?
Because when Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Doesn't that speak to you and me? Doesn't that give us comfort? We got a problem, a real problem. We come to the Lord.
The Lord doesn't help us.
It just doesn't seem to care. People say, well, you, I went to him and I brought it all before him, but he never cared. He never did nothing for me. Why didn't he do? Why didn't he solve that problem right then? Why? Because it's for the glory of God.
Isn't that something to think of, brethren?
We've all had real troubles. Sometimes we say, why can't the Lord help us? Why doesn't he help us? He knows I got this trouble. He knows I got a bill to pay tomorrow and I can't pay it. Why can't he help us? Because it's for the glory of God. That's why he didn't help us. Does it make him love any louder than he left? Because he didn't come for two days. He didn't say he didn't love him. He said he loved him.
00:05:05
He whom thou loveth to sit and think of it, you and I who are passing through these terrible trials and troubles.
We get help from the Lord and we can understand why He can't come and help us right when we expect it.
Is he not concerned? Yes, it's for the glory of the Lord. And when we get into these problems, brother, maybe we should say.
If the Lord will, he'll help us. Now I can give you an example of meetings all across the country.
What's happened? We've had brothers that are all real. Dear Christians to the Lord.
One is praying for one thing and one is praying for the other.
Can you answer both there? There is much in prayer as we are afraid to have what we what we want according to the word of God, but they're just as much in prayer too. Can the answer is both at the same time? No, it has to be for the will of God, but for the glory of God. Excuse me, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified.
And he stays there these two days, brethren.
Chapter uh, verse 4.
It's not under death.
This this thing is not on the deck.
It was a problem.
That man had to give up their hands. They can't help now. They can't help this problem. It's going to get so bad. That man can't help. Nobody can help but Jesus, and he's going to do it in his time. In his time, he's going to do it.
And in verse 19.
And many other Jews came to Mary and Martha to comfort them concerning their brother. I thought, This is lovely, my friend. As I said, each one of us have been affected by the problems in the meeting one way or another.
But you know something, I was just thinking of it the other day. I have problems that nobody of you, maybe none of you people have. You have problems that I don't have.
But isn't it nice to see that these ones came and comforted Mary and Martha? Isn't it nice to see that, brethren, are we comforting each other? Oh, you know, that's, that's always got a problem. And I told him what to do and he didn't do what I told him to do.
So I don't want him no more. You ever heard that? I've heard it, I've heard it. I don't say if it's a meeting, but there's problems that each one of us has. Because if you haven't had a problem yet, don't worry, you're going to get one. You you'll have one. As I said, I think I'm sometimes just about perfect. But then I married a wife that wasn't quite perfect.
But that wasn't too bad. But then I had children and if I thought that was OK.
There's problems there too.
So we all have little problems, one or the other. Are we trying to help each other? Are we trying to comfort them in their problems? I know Amanda has a problem, a very big problem.
And I've heard it said just what I said.
Well, I tried to help him and he didn't wanna do what I said. So that's it, That's it. I don't care no more.
Didn't marry. Didn't these dear friends come and comfort them even though they didn't understand what the whole thing was? They didn't know that Jesus was involved in it. Wouldn't it be nice?
If each one of us were a little more compassionate with each other.
I can't stand the way that person comes into meeting. I just can't stand it. Is that really comforting them? I know we all say these things, so if we're gonna say them now, I'll say it right now.
What a thing it is, brethren, to have those that comfort you.
I'm going to say.
00:10:00
That I have passed through.
One of the biggest problems we say that we have.
And I sure can't say that our friends weren't there. I sure can't say that our friends weren't there.
We had to wake one night.
There was only 350 there.
The funeral was the next day. We only had 350 at the funeral.
So I can't say that our friends weren't there and you you won't know it until you pass through it. The the the Lord, how he sustains you through it. And I know that day. I know that time there were so many people were praying for us, but have we forgot about all the ones that have lost loved ones? How many we can just think around every assembly nearly a husband has gone, a wife is gone.
A child.
Do we forget about them the day after the funeral?
The Lord sustained us.
When there was real prayer. But do we pray for those that have lost loved ones? And this is Talkington. There's so many that I could talk about it just unmeasurable. The number I can say. Do we really pray for them now?
Through a funeral, my friend. It's like going to a dentist to get a tooth out.
You have the freezing in but when you go home.
The freezing goes out.
And then it hurts.
I know I have some kind people at the funeral.
They told us, well, now that it's over, you just forget about it and go on just as if it never happened.
I really haven't got to that point yet. 2019 months ago. Maybe I can look forward to that time when I'll forget all about it.
But, brethren.
It's wonderful that we can comfort each other in our different problems. Now we come over to.
33 to 36.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, which came with her, he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled and said.
Where have you laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, behold how he loved him.
Did we ever realize?
That Lazarus has not been raised yet. He's been dead 4 days. They say he's stinking.
As I say, this problem is out of man's hands now. Maybe when he was sick they could have done something.
But now he's dead.
Your problem fails that nobody can help. Nobody can help you now, but who can Jesus, Jesus can he promised he would. Moses had to go through a a a big problem and what did Jesus or what did the Lord say to him? Not I will be with thee. That's nice, that's lovely, but he says certainly I will be with thee.
Certainly.
Isn't that something to take when we have to go through problems? Certainly I'll be right there to help you.
But brethren, as I was pondering this.
Jesus wept. As I just said, Lazarus wasn't raised yet.
Jesus had to weep.
Before Lazarus could be raised.
Did you ever think of that?
Jesus had to give up everything on the cross so that you and I could have what's to come after. Did you ever realize that it doesn't say anything?
00:15:02
In the gospels about Jesus weeping when he went to the cross.
The target for you and I and there's two versions I'd just like to look back at and the Lamentations of Jeremiah. They're two well known verses, but they hit me one morning in in northern day morning and I'd like to bring it before you because it very solemn, very, very solemn Lamentations 1.
Verse 12. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by, and see if there be any sorrow, like under my sorrow, which was done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me?
In the day of his fierce anger and three.
Lamentations 3, verse one.
I am the man that has seen affliction.
By the rod of his wrath. Think of it.
Our blessed Savior saw the wrath of God.
He saw it. He saw his fierce anger.
Why did he see it? Why did he see it, brethren?
For you and me.
If we hadn't.
Had a savior like this we would have seen and those who don't accept the Lord as their savior will see what the wrath of God is. What the uh.
Has afflicted me in the day of the fierce anger. It will see the fierce anger and the wrath of God. How solemn to think of it that if we don't take Jesus Christ as our Savior, we're going to stand before a God who punished his Son this bad for you and me, for you and me.
Jesus wept, brethren.
What a wonderful thing that Jesus wept now.
After we get them weeping.
What happened? He says. Lazarus, come forth.
Come forth out of the grave. Now he's doing something that nobody else could do. And he calls them by name because he just said come forth. Everybody would have come. But he called Lazarus. Think of it, how wonderful, how lovely. And he presents them back to his sis, to Lazarus, sisters, how wonderful that is too. But these problems that we thought there was no absolute way that there was an answer to.
What does the Lord do? He can give them back to us. Fixed.
Now that's some problems, but there are other problems that he can't fix this side of the glory. And that's why Lazarus was risen again. And if you go to chapter 12 and the 1St 3 verses, I love that.
Then, then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
There they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with them. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Isn't this lovely, this supper? There's no fighting at it. Martha and Mary are not fighting at this time.
This is just a real lovely supper. And think of it my friend.
That even if the problem can't be solved until we get home to glory, where are we gonna be?
With our loved ones and with the Lord. This supper had to quit, but that one will never quit. Never, never quit. We're gonna be with them and like him to praise him for all eternity. How lovely. And then this last verse I just read. Mary took a pound of fighting her very costly.
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When we come to large day morning.
Have we spent any time in the Lord's presence from one Sunday to the other?
You say, well, I leave that to brother so and so, and I leave that to that, and I leave all these things to other people. But what about you? Here is a sister who had got a pound of spikenard, very costly, very costly. Have we spent time? You say, well, that's not expensive, Yes, it is, because you gotta take time. Gordon has said many times, you gotta take time to be holy. The devil won't give it to you.
You gotta take time. You gotta take time away from the things you would like to do.
And sit in his presence. Is it worth it? Look at Mary with her poundless spikenard, very costly. And she anoints his feet with this very precious ointment. And what happened?
The house was full of the odor of the ointment. Isn't that lovely, brethren? Isn't that lovely to see that in eternity our praises are going to be?
About Jesus, what He has done for us for all eternity, and think of it when we get home to be with those we love and with Him.
There won't be any more tears, there won't be any more sorrow. It'll just be as as calm as this supper was here tonight in this in this chapter. Think of it, brethren, that the supper is going to be provided. This one was provided by Mary and Martha, but that supper is going to be provided by the Lord himself.
It's not something to look forward to. You know, I just in closing, I was very, very, very happy.
To be able to come down here this time, I have been at a conference for two years and I really, really appreciated it to come here.
But, brethren, if we really realize.
What heaven was going to be like for us, wouldn't we want to go there? And if we want to go there, wouldn't we like to spend some more time and get ready, Like one little boy said to his grandpa. He said, grandpa, why do you read the Bible all the time for? Well, he says, son, he says, I'm just getting ready for the final exams.
How lovely. How lovely. Are we getting ready for the final exams? Or are we just gonna say, well, when I get to heaven, I'll be, I'll be All right then. Isn't it nice if we started now?
Just thought of what our brother said getting ready for the final exam and I was thinking of things the Lord has asked us to do. Brethren, until He comes. I wonder if we could just look at Revelation chapter 22 first of all.
In verse 17.
And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, come, let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.
And the 20th verse, he which testifies these things, saith, Surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Isn't this a beautiful passage here? The last book in the Bible, the last chapter, and the spirit of the bride say come. We think of how Spirit of God is looking forward to that blessed time. He's been sent down here to gather the bride for Christ. And that bride is soon going to be completed and the Lord Jesus is going to come. And the Spirit longs for that time. We long for that time too.
When the bride will be complete, we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And so it says, let him not hear us say come. That's an individual thing. When we think of the bride, we think of the collective. When we think of the Spirit, we think of the Him that heareth. Why it's individual. Are each of us sitting here in these meetings individually longing for the Lord Jesus to come? Is that our real desire that He should come even this very day and call us to be with Himself?
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Then it says and let him that is athirst come is not blessed to thee glorious invitation of the gospel is going to be continued until the Lord comes. He's waiting. That's why the Lord hasn't come because the last one hasn't yet responded to that call. And so let him not hear us say come. Maybe the Lord is waiting for someone in this very meeting to say, I accept the Lord Jesus as my Savior. The message to you from his heart is come, come except the water of life freely come accept him as your Savior. Come, accept the pardon.
That He has so freely to offer. And then in the 20th verse he would have testify at these things, saith, Surely I come quickly. That's the Lord's response to our heart's desire.
You notice here there's no mention of quickly in the 17th verse, but there is a mention in this 20th verse. You say. Why is that? It says.
This is the Lord himself speaking. Surely I come quickly because God would have us to be patiently waiting. There's not one of us here that wouldn't like to be taken out of all difficulties and trials of the way and be called home. But we don't find the bride asking the Lord to come quickly. It says in Thessalonians, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, into the patient waiting for Christ.
Or the Mr. Darby's translation is the patience of the Christ, that if he's waiting patiently, I'm glad he waited for me. Perhaps you say, I'm glad he waited for me too. And God would have us to be patient amid all the difficulties and trials, because the reason he hasn't come isn't because he doesn't want to have us with himself. He's going to come as soon as that working grace has been completed. And so when he replies, he says surely.
I come quickly because when the last one has been brought to know him will come in a moment and the 20 thing of a die, no more delay is working. Grace has been completed. So he says surely I come quickly and John replies Even so come Lord Jesus couldn't come too quickly for John couldn't come too quickly for those of us who know him as Lord and Savior. But as I said, he's asked us and I just like to look at.
Look chapter 19.
Excuse me, Verse 12.
He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return, and he called his 10 servants and delivered them 10 lbs.
And said unto them, Occupy till I come. Well, here we find something the Lord has asked us to do. Until he comes again. There's always going to be a little service for every one of his own to carry on. And how long to carry on till the obstacles become too great, till the situation becomes so difficult? We say, I have to give up. No, he says, Occupy.
Till I come rather than this is a day when enemy is succeeding and getting many of the dearest Saints of God discouraged. And too often we feel, oh, it's no use, we just feel like throwing up our hands. Oh, let us not do that, brethren. He says occupy till I come. He is given every one of us a service. It says here he had 10 servants. 10 brings before us responsibility, just as there were 10 commandments. So.
Given to man and to every one of us as believers, responsibilities. And uh, we know that each one of us not exactly the same. Your service is different from mine. We think of the Levites and how they, each one of them went to Moses or to Aaron rather. And it says he appointed to everyone his service and to everyone his burden, everyone his service. Some carried the ark, some carried the pin, some carried the heavy things, the board, they didn't all have the same thing.
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And as I believe what Paul refers to in the 6th chapter of Galatians when it says.
Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. Let's not wish our lives away wishing we were doing something that somebody else is perhaps doing. The Lord has given to each one of us a special thing. Nobody else can do it as well as you. There may be somebody else fill in, but nobody can do it as well as you, because if He calls you to it, He also fits you to do it. That's what it means, I believe, when it says.
No man goes to warfare at his own charges. Sometimes we measure ourselves and say, I think I can handle that. And too often we break down. The important thing. Brazen is not can I do it, but does the Lord want me to do it? And if the Lord wants you to do it, he's going to supply the grace. He's going to keep us all dependent. He's going to keep us all humble as we realize how insufficient we are in ourselves, Paul said. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.
Peter thought he could do something on his own. He failed. Haven't we all found that we thought we could do something? We got a little bit of Reebok and we gave up. The Lord says Occupy till I come. And you see, when that Tabernacle was moved from place to place, each one picked up the particular little service that was given to him. And as I said, some of the boards, some of the pins, some with carrying the ark, it didn't change places.
Each one was given His work, and He was to do it all through the wilderness journey. And so the Lord has given to each one of us. As I say, Tam speaks of responsibility. We say some of them would get more reward than another. Well, it tells us here He delivered them 10 lbs. It's true that the one who got 1 LB got 10 lbs. He got more reward, but they all started out with the 1 LB.
And so the point is devotedness. Why are you and I doing with what ability or work God has given us to do? Are we seeking to fill that little place in the Church of God and in this world that he has given us? Oh, how beautifully everything is planned by the one who is the head of the body, the church, the one who is the, as it well says, the Lord of the harvest.
Well, May God grant that we might occupy. And brethren, let's not give up. It is a time of testing. It is a time of discouragement in many areas and in many homes. But the Lord says, occupy till I come. What a privilege. May the Lord give us grace to continue on.
Little assembly where we are will be brighter. The homes where we live will be brighter. Even our jobs will be happier if we do them.
As unto the Lord, and continue on in them until he comes. Occupy till I come.
Well, we have another word given to us also in First Corinthians Chapter 11.
Verse 23.
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks.
He break it and said take heed, this is my body which is broken for you, that's due in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had stopped saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood.
This do ye as OFT as she drinketh in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup.
He to show the Lord's death till he come.
Isn't this precious that the Lord would have us to respond to this privilege that we have? It's His desire was on the very night of His betrayal as our brother brought before us with that awful cross before him.
And what he was going to endure there suffering that we could never, never measure, never will be able to because.
He took that cup of judgment and drank it to the last dark drop, leaving only the love for us. He has borne it all that He's given us, brethren, this simple privilege. I know there are many that are discouraged about this too, and they say everything's going to pieces. How can I continue on? Well, I say what? Our dear brother Brown, the brother who serves the Lord in the past said the Lord wouldn't have asked us to remember him until he comes if he wasn't going to provide a way that we could do it.
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According to his mind and according to his word, everything that has been committed to man in responsibility, he has always failed. Everything I say, we look at our own lives, we know that we fail. And what if the Lord has given us to do? And we know that the church collectively has failed and we're part of it. But he's faithful. And Israel faced its First Division in the reign of Reelon. The Lord said he would preserve a light in Jerusalem.
For his servant David's sake, for his servant David's sake. Brethren, let's not be discouraged. The Lord is going to have a testimony that's according to his mind, in great weakness. No doubt it tells us thou us a little strength and has kept my word and not denied my name. Brethren, may the Lord keep us. We can't keep ourselves individually or collectively, but let's let our confidence be in the Lord.
He's going to and he had given us this privilege and he's asked us to respond.
Surely when we think of all he has done for us and how near is coming is remember when I was just a young person of brother, an older brother spoke about his young days and he spoke about how there was a desire in his heart to remember the Lord, but he was putting it off and he thought, supposing I don't remember the Lord and he comes, he said, but I like the Lord to say to me.
Did you never Remember Me when I asked you to until I come? Did you never respond to that desire? What a loss that will be to think that He gave us a special thing that he asked us to do, and we're going to be with him. Whether you remember the Lord or not, if you're his, you're going to be there. But this brother said that was what caused him to desire to be there, where the Lord would have his own. He wouldn't ask us to do it if he wasn't going to preserve us the privilege.
And He wouldn't ask us to do it in disobedience to His word. So this assures us that there will be a testimony preserved by His grace, remembering Him until He comes.
Then there's another one in James chapter 5.
Verse 7.
Be patient, therefore, my brethren, under the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he received the early and latter rain.
Be also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned. Behold, a judge standeth before the door.
Here's another exhortation. Be patient. Are we going to have things that we're going to have to bear until the Lord comes? Yes. We wouldn't need patience if there weren't things all their brother has brought before us. We say, why aren't they set right? Does the Lord not have power to set them right? Well, perhaps He's showing us that we just have to be patient. And I often mention that a little incident I heard about a care meeting that the brethren were having in a certain place.
And it was a very difficult care meeting when there was a lot of things that were disturbing the same. And as they walked out of the care meeting, one brother turned to the other and said, oh, brother, when's this all going to end? And the brother said, at the coming of the Lord, at the coming of the Lord, there's always going to be that which are which we're going to have to bear with. And as our brother Brown also said.
He said, if my brethren can bear with me, surely I can bear with them. We have to remember that Harper Adam had to put up with things in us. We may think we're the ones that are putting up with things, but it says be patient there for my brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. The husband waited for the precious through the earth, and have long patience for it. Is the Lord going to pick out of our lives that which we endured?
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There's a verse in Colossians I believe it is. It says strengthen with all might unto all, patience and forbearance and long-suffering.
Someone had mentioned about that verse. It doesn't say strengthen to do some great service for the Lord. We certainly do need strength as we seek to occupy till the Lord comes, but don't we need a lot of strength to be patient? Doesn't it take everything that we can receive from the Lord to be patient in some matters that come up, yes, but he gives that patience. He's the one as we often saying all patients spotless one our hearts in meekness train.
To bear thy yoke, and learn of thee, that we may rest obtain. So he doesn't say that things are going to be set right, he says.
And he says in the sixth verse, he's condemned and killed a just and he does not resist you in a situation that wasn't that right. And many things will not be set right here. But his little poem says with endless love and thy home above all will be righted there. And it tells us then.
In the.
Ninth verse Grudge knot one against another. Sometimes we just, uh, go on. We don't say anything, but we hold a grudge. Terrible thing, isn't it? Hold a grudge. May the Lord keep us from that. Brethren, the Lord is forgiven us far more than we'll ever have to forgive anyone else. He's forgiven us so much. Let us be careful that we don't allow that horrible weed to grow in our hearts.
Of not having a forgiving spirit. The one who didn't forgive another was delivered to the tormentors.
And brethren, with there's nothing more miserable than to hold a bad feeling toward somebody. An unforgiving spirit may help us in that. Be patient, therefore, my brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. He's going to come soon.
And when he comes, everything's going to be righted, and the Lord is going to actually reward patience and long-suffering. He was and is that patient, spotless one? Well, there's just one more I'd like to notice, and that's Revelation chapter 3.
Pardon me, Chapter 2.
Verse 25.
But that would she have already hold fast till I come?
These are days when there's a great giving up. There's a tendency not to stand firm for the precious truth of God, to let some things that might be called non essentials to say, well, they're non essential. We can let those things go. All the truth of God is important. Every word of God is pure. There isn't any part that we can say that wasn't necessary. It's the present truth too. It's what we need for now.
For today. And it's interesting to me that this verse was spoken to Thyatira. Perhaps the reason it's given there is because I believe it's to show that there might be those living at that in that system who perhaps didn't realize, as it says, the depths of Satan. And maybe you say, well, I haven't learned as much as some others, but brethren, what we have learned, are we holding fast?
Are we holding fast? We're all learners. I hope we always will be learners. All our lives. None of us can say we've learned it all. Bible says a man thinketh that he knoweth anything. He knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it. If learning the truth of God doesn't keep us humble, we haven't learned it in the right way. How could I learn about such a wonderful Savior, wonderful friend, wonderful home he's provided? How could I learn that without being humbled by it?
If it makes me proud, I haven't learned it in the right way. And so there may be young people say, well, I haven't learned very much. I don't know as much as some of my older brethren. Well, that may be true, that we do learn more, I hope as we get older. But I ask this, are we holding fast what we do know? If it had been in perhaps in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, we might have said, well, they knew a great deal more, but God has given us there to show.
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That no matter what it is, if you've learned some truth from God, don't give it up. Don't give it up. The word of God is so important. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee again? By the word of thy lips have I kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Well, brethren, I just thought of this in connection with what our brother was bringing before us, and how needful that we remember the Lord's coming is getting near.
We're all looking for him. I believe we're waiting for him at any moment, but there's something that He's left us and He would have us to remember these things. There's a little service that He has for you, a little service that He has for me. And if you and I think by His grace to fill in and do that little service, what a privilege till He comes. He's asked us to remember Him until He comes. He's asked us to be patient until He comes.
And he's asked us to hold fast the precious truth that's been committed to us. He says, Behold, I come quickly. May our hearts respond. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, you remember what the Lord said about the servant who is ready to open the door when his master comes.
If my, if things aren't just in order, we don't fly, the door opens quite as quickly. But if we're seeking to do what's pleasing to that friend that's coming, you don't mind throwing the door open and being glad to see them? Well, may the Lord keep us, brethren, so that we'll be ready to open to him immediately. He's coming quickly.
We had a a reference to one, I think it was a grandfather who was reading his Bible.
To get ready for the examinations, the final examinations.
We do need to read our Bibles.
There's a day when more and more people.
Finding something else to do with their eyes. We need to read our bibles.
We just heard now something about what we ought to be doing while we wait.
The him we opened up this meeting with was #183.
Just like to read the 1St 2 lines of it again. Savior come, thy Saints are waiting. Waiting for what?
Waiting for the marriage, waiting for the nuptial day.
The church collectively.
All the redeemed.
The bride described as a bride, the bride of Christ, and we're members of that body. We're part of that collection individually. Well, particularly collectively, we are the bride.
Now our brother has just told us, given us some little notes as to what we ought to be doing while we wait. What should we be doing?
Umm, things that he would like to have us do.
Until that wedding day, one of them is Occupy till I come, pay attention to our business, care for our households.
Diligence, connection with the raising of our children. Occupy whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord. Occupy till he come. That's something we ought to do and.
Remember.
Me there's a really a few brief words in the the 43rd chapter of Isaiah where the Lord says it's kind of a plaintive, a plea.
He says put me.
In remembrance, He wants to be remembered. He doesn't want us to forget Him, to get so busy with our occupations or with our entertainments that we forget Him.
So we have a large supper till he come. Then we have something about patience, as we brought to us in in James. Be patient unto the coming of the Lord, and then to hold fast. Whatever it is, how little it is, don't let it go.
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If it's much, hold on. If it's little, hold on, hold fast. That doesn't suggest a slack hand, but it suggests a diligent, earnest, energetic.
Laying hold, hold fast.
No, I'd like to a few thoughts from the book of Ruth.
And we have in the book of Ruth a model of the bride. We are the bride of Christ. We'll be his companion for eternity. And in the book of Ruth we have a model, a description, not so much of what we ought to do, but a description of how we ought to do it. What should be our style? What should be our mode?
How?
Should we do if we are going to be the bride?
How do we function? How do we behave to make ourselves?
Acceptable to the bridegroom.
Ruth is the perfect bride. In chapter one, chapter 2 and chapter three of the book of Ruth, we read a lot as to what she said and what she did.
But look at the 4th chapter. In the 4th chapter she came to the marriage verse.
Verse 9 The last The last chapter of Ruth and Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimolex, and all that was Chileans and melons of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth no more of it S the wife of Malon have I purchased to be my wife.
That was that mighty man of wealth, Boaz. Our Boaz is waiting for the day when he can stand at the gates of glory and introduce us to his father, when he'll say here she is. The Moabitess, the unwanted, the undesired, the one with no rights, no claims, the Moabitess not fit to enter to the 10th generation, but here she is.
And she's mine. I have purchased her. That's such a tremendous price, great cost. As her brother was describing it to us, the agonies that he went through to make that purchase, to consummate it.
And he says I have purchased to be my wife. And on that day she became his wife. And we hear nothing in chapter 4, not a word from that woman.
A lot in chapter one, two and three. Preparatory to the wedding on the wedding day. Not a sound from that woman. We have no record of her saying a word.
She had lost herself.
She had given up on Ruth. She was now Mrs. Bowen's. She had no interest in Ruth. And to what extent had she given up on herself? This is part of the behavior. This is part of the style of the woman that made her a fit bride for that mighty man of wealth.
Notice verse 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she was his wife, and when he went in onto her, the Lord gave her conception and she bare a son.
Still no words, no communications from her mouth that we have a record of. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel, And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age. For thy daughter-in-law which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him. And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. I noticed the next.
And the women? Her neighbors gave it a name as quite a few present who are mothers. A goodly number of mothers, some older and some younger, some here with little tikes just a few months old. How many of you mothers?
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Were willing to let the neighbors name your child. How many of you would have been willing to let the neighbors decide what that lovely little child was to be called?
Ah, not many. I I can remember how interested we were in the names for our children.
But Ruth had lost all self-interest.
She was no longer interested in Ruth, she was interested in her Boaz.
So this part of the style that suits the bride a lack the complete absence of self-interest. Oh, that kind of cuts to the heart of things, doesn't it? Think about it, how much are we governed by self-interest? I'll go back to chapter one.
And we'll find 3 steps that brought that woman to that state that.
Acted on her spirit that produced in her that willingness to be nothing in the presence of her bridegroom.
I'll just pick out three things in her history that are really finally identified that produced that happy result. Chapter one.
Verse 16 And Ruth said, And treat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee.
Or whether thou goest, I will go, and where thou largest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.
Verse 18. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left, speaking unto her. Her mother-in-law was trying to talk her out of it. Her mother-in-law tried to send her back to her family home.
But Ruth had her mind made-up. She was steadfastly minded. She had her vision set on the God of Israel.
She had a purpose in her life. Her heart was set.
Was it, uh, Barnabas that said something to some?
Uh, that, uh, their hearts should be, uh, single, a single high, steadfastly minded. Now the the mind is connected with the heart.
On the other hand, if things in the mind don't filter down and reach the heart, it's a complete waste.
How many of us may have met over the years in the world? Perhaps some men that were highly intelligent, brilliant minds, Well, they didn't know how to say hello to a soul. They just had no social sense that the mind was well structured and well arranged. But it has to get down to the heart.
It started out with Ruth. A persuasion. Oh, a real persuasion.
Steadfastly minded talk about persuasion. Can we turn briefly to Romans chapter 14?
In these days of difficulty we may speak with one or another.
And somebody doesn't agree with me, they can't understand my line of reasoning.
Maybe it's my fault for trying to reason.
Romans 14. The end of verse 5.
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. We have an individual responsibility to examine things in the light of the Lord, with the Bible in our hands and our knees bent in prayer, seeking guidance and leadership from God. But we need to be persuaded.
And that fully.
That's the apostles desire expressed in Romans 14 verse five. But notice verse 14 now.
Where do you get your persuasion? Where have you obtained that which has produced conviction in your heart? Where do I get my persuasion? Is it from the exercises of the mind that'll fail? That'll surely fail? Is it from the exercises of somebody else's mind that will surely fail?
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Romans 14, verse 14.
I know.
That's positive. IKNOWI know, and I'm persuaded by whom.
If we're persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that's persuasion.
That's persuasion.
Back to the Book of Ruth, chapter 2.
The the the woman had made-up her mind and she was steadfastly minded.
Now verse 19, just pick out one verse that describes something of her style and her behavior, her manner. Her mother-in-law said unto her, She came home after gleaning the day.
Where hast thou gleaned today, and where wrought thou notice the word where twice expressed in two lines? Her mother-in-law was most anxious to find out where she had spent her day. Where? Where did she get an answer to that question? No.
Read the rest of the verse.
And she showed her mother-in-law, with whom?
She had wrought and said. The man's name with whom I brought today is Boaz.
May maybe all of us, most of us, have perhaps heard some criticism.
We make too much of the place.
I don't know that we can make too much of the place.
If our emphasis is on the person, who, as it's put here, whom?
Are we really persuaded that our Savior is present in our midst, in the middle, in the midst? He's the center of every circle of which He is apart, and we give Him that place.
Ruth gave the man that place. She was asked all about the where and she responded.
In effect, she said, Mother, I can't tell you much about the place, but oh, I met the man today. Let me tell you what who I met, I met the man, the man, the mighty man of wealth.
So that that has some imp impact on the woman that did things to her.
Chapter 3.
It's a nice chapter to read, but I'll just read one word or maybe two or three in the chapter.
And the word is down.
In verse three, notice the word in the middle of the verse, get thee down. And in verse four, in the first line down and toward the end of verse four, down again. And verse six, she went down. Oh, we don't like to go down, do we? We love to go up. We just delight when somebody invites us to go higher. We enjoy promotions in the world, in our business. We certainly don't like it when we have to take a lesser post.
We don't like to come down, but here it is. And this woman did it. Verse six, she went down. I think that may be the 4th time, maybe three or four. We'll find seven of them in all in this chapter. In verse 7, down twice in the verse, the little word DOWN.
Hmm.
And verse the end of verse 13, lie down.
Until the morning, we don't like to get down, not even for 1/2 hour. We don't like to come down for a split second. We wanna go up. But this woman was willing to go down. And for how long? Until the morning. Are we willing to be nothing until he comes? Until the morning, a great day of that marriage will be consummated. Are we willing to be nothing until that happens? Ruth was.
Booth was oh, how many problems would be solved before they ever come to fruit or or large enough to to to be defined if we were all contending for that place, the bottom of the ladder.
Brother was once asked.
A question about such a world of competition that we live in, how many intelligent people there are out there, how hard it is to get along in business. Competition is tremendous. The response was, what would you like to know where there is no competition? Because I can, I can tell you a place where there's no competition.
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You hardly have any there, practically nothing in the way of competition. Oh really? Where's that?
The bottom of the ladder.
Ruth came down and she stayed there until the morning. That's a style, a manner of behavior that suited this model. Bride down twice in the chapter. I think it is the references made to at his feet.
At least once in verse 14.
So.
There are some things we can do that would please the Lord.
Psalm 69 There is that which pleases the Lord better, that he should be praised.
Better than an Oxford that hoofs or horns.
And as has been suggested, there's these four things that occupy until I come, be patient and hold that fast till I come. That's three. I made a little note of the four as our brother was talking. Occupy and remember, remember, don't forget. Oh, prone to forget.
Aren't we all prone to forgetfulness?
What's the matter? The style in which we wait?
The manner in which we occupy #1 Ruth, chapter one, steadfastly minded #2 The person that's, uh, the whom? With whom she wrought that day. The person of our Lord Jesus, so preeminent in our minds that all other persons are nothing, including myself.
Then the third chapter, Nothing.
Lie down, come down, go down until the morning.
Savior, come, Thy Saints are waiting, waiting for the nuptial day.
There'll be no room on that day for arrogance.
There'll be no room for pride. There'll be no room for the lifting up of the hand today. There's room for the lifting up of our eyes.
There's really no room for lifting up our heads. We should be hung in shame.
May the Lord help us.
To be steadfastly minded, occupied with that man, that mighty man of wealth.
And willing to be nothing.
Telica.
Principles of Government, Kept by the Power of God
Open—B. Conrad, C. Little
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Return to the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs, chapter 16.
Have it on my heart this afternoon.
To share some burdens or exercises along the lines of government.
Principles of government.
And that may seem, uh, possibly the younger ones like, uh, we're setting out for very dry subject, umm.
I think, uh, if we.
Consider various realms in our present situation here on earth, on our way home to glory, where we need government.
Am I not loud enough back there? I don't know how much to put into the mic or.
Doing fine, thank you, he says. I'm doing fine.
But if you can't hear, uh, please wave your hand or something.
So I'd like to share some exercises that have been, uh, going through my mind for many, many months.
And so just to start, I'd just like to read a few verses of the first in Proverbs 16, verse 32.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty.
And he that ruleth his spirit, and he that taketh a city.
Uh, Proverbs 25.
Similar passage, last verse in the chapter Proverbs 25.
Verse 28.
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
So obviously these first verses applied to the first thing necessary in any responsibility that we have, whether brothers or sisters, mothers, fathers. And as I've been walking around through the meetings, there just seems to be dozens and dozens of younger people, uh.
The Lord tarries, just ready to strike off into responsibilities, uh, in the workplace, making a living, uh.
Looking to the Lord for a wife or a husband and then having responsibilities in your home where government is required. Uh, we're not going to speak. I don't believe this afternoon about literal government because the scriptures, uh, teach us that's not really a place that a Christian is intended to be.
So let me turn to Ephesians 5 next.
Well known verses just to.
Have them before us.
Sorry, Ephesians 6.
Verse four. He fathers provoke not your children to wrath.
But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and singleness of heart, as under Christ, not with iservice, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill, doing services to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
And you masters do the same things unto them, for bearing, threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven.
Neither is their respective persons with him.
Then over in uh, first Timothy.
We have the sphere of the Assembly as well, where there is the need for government administration.
I Timothy 3.
I really don't intend to return to these passages in detail, but just to walk through them. First Timothy 3 and verse one. This is a true saying. If a man desire the office of a Bishop or overseer, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless. The husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, with good behavior, given to hospitality, apartment to teach, not given to wine. No striker not greedy of filthy lucre.
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But patient not a brawler, not covetous one that ruleth well or conducts well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God, and so on.
And then in, uh, second Samuel.
I think it's around the 23rd chapter.
Second Samuel 23.
The last words of David.
So I take it a reflection on David's part.
Verse 2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
God of Israel, said the rock of Israel, spake to me. He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God, and He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, covenant ordered in all things ensure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire.
Although he maketh not to grow.
And then in Ezekiel chapter one.
Ezekiel, Chapter one.
For the sake of time, I'm just going to read verse 10.
This is a description of these four living creatures in the vision that Ezekiel had. Verse 10 of Ezekiel one. As for the likeness of their faces, they forehead the face of a man and the face of a lion.
On the right side and they forehead the face of an ox. On the left side theyfore also had the face of an eagle.
And then finally, Revelation chapter five, I think it is.
Chapter 4. Revelation.
And here again we have.
For beasts or four living creatures in verse 7.
Revelation 4 and seven, and the first beast was like a lion.
And the second beast, like a calf or an ox.
The third beast had a face as a man and the 4th beast was like.
A flying eagle.
Before I I, I'd like to speak about these four, but I think we can consider attributes, divine attributes of government, as God would like to see it and as God will carry it out.
To his own pleasure and satisfaction.
The characteristic of a lion of a calf or ox.
Man and a flying eagle.
I wish I could, uh, give exposition, adequate exposition on these passages in, in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation four. I think you'll have to look for someone else for that. I, I really can't even say as I've meditated on it, why the order is different in Ezekiel one from, from Revelation 4, although I have thoughts on that. But I would just like to go back and, and visit a little bit in these different aspects of government.
And see what we can learn and what we can get encouragement and help from as we seek to apply these different attributes that we see in God's natural sphere to the realms in which we are responsible to either carry out government or be in subjection to government. Now I held my finger in Second Samuel 23 because.
As I think of this passage, it just seems to me David is sitting here reflecting.
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A beautiful time in his life, reflecting a man of myriad ups and downs in his life. Like Jacob had a time at the end of his life when he was able to reflect and to look back as a blessed and happy man.
Over a life that had also had many ups and downs, many failures. Men of like passions as ourselves, to put it that way. And here we see David meditating upon what governments and he was a king. He had been chosen to be a king. What government? What carrying out kingship should really be like.
And so he says, he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God. He knew that was the case.
And yet, as he says in verse five, although my house be not so with God, he has to admit that it hasn't been that way with him. As you think of David's history, you know that there were failures in his own ability to govern himself.
Grievous failures in his ability to govern himself. And that's why I read those verses in Proverbs first. Then we see that in his home there were failures to govern his children. And the atmosphere and tone in order of his home, uh, the one flowed from the other. And we see in his public dealings, sitting in the gate and his dealings with other nations and with the men who were leaders in his Kingdom, there were failures there too that cost sometimes.
A grievous price some even paid with their lives. As I go through these things, I just want to take this little digression to say that there's not a thing probably I'll mention this afternoon.
That I don't think about because it failed in it.
And the, I think of these different things almost weekly, daily, uh, in the spheres of the assembly and in the, in our work life or business life and in the family and in my responsibility to govern my own spirit.
And yet David in this passage in Psalm 23, he seems, his thoughts seem to go from himself reflexively up to one, just as he reflects on his own inability. Although it be not my house, be not so with God, that his reflections go to one as he refers to here He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, as a tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
And so, as we go through these four attributes, trying not to take too much time, perhaps the Spirit of God will lead us into reflections upon one who governed himself perfectly, and one who in the domestic sphere conducted himself perfectly. One who, going in and out amongst his people, conducted himself perfectly, and one who, when he comes with.
10,000 of the Saints will be displayed a man of perfect perfect strength, perfect stability.
Perfect and complete, utter divine wisdom.
And all of that exercised in wise and perfect judgment.
So that even at the end of the Book of Revelation, when.
If you've ever listened to the whole Book of Revelation, say on a tape or had it read to you or read the whole book cover to cover and you get to the end and it's so solemn.
And then when the pronouncement of the Lord's coming is mentioned those several times, in light of all that you've read and the knowledge that you have perhaps still loved ones that are abiding with the wrath of God upon them, children or brothers and sisters or parents.
Yet at the sense of the wisdom and grace and the glory of God's ways in government, the Saint has led to say Even so.
Even so come Lord Jesus. Even if it means all that, Even so come Lord Jesus.
And so in meditating upon these four attributes, the first one that I would like to speak about here is the character of a lion.
I suppose it was, uh, our late brother Adrian Roche who find myself, uh, remembering many things that he said to me. And he used to say that, uh, a good way to understand scriptures with Scripture. And I know there are many in this room who have heard him far more than I. And if you're seeking to meditate on the word of God and you're not sure what a figure or symbol means, because God speaks and figures and symbols and look into the scriptures themselves to explain the symbol or figure.
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So if we went back to Proverbs and I don't want to take time to do that, we read what a lion is a figure of. He's the strongest amongst beasts and turns not aside for any and boys and girls and and young people and all of us. So I speak to my own heart. This is a day.
Maybe I'm just more aware of it than I used to be when there was a real just an amazing lack of courage in the natural sphere, in the personal sphere.
And in any sphere that I myself walk in and out of a lack of courage and strength.
As we apply that to ourselves, we say how we need courage and strength to not be turned aside in the convictions our brother brought before us in the book of Ruth when he went back to chapter one, the first thing, the steadfastness that she purposed in her heart and how we need this courage even in the little things to stand for the Lord sometimes when we're eating in a public place. I don't mean to embarrass any of my children.
But sometimes we're in a public place because we're traveling and we're going to give thanks for the food. And I look around to see if I've got their attention, and I see their furtive looks with their eyes this way and that, because the tendency is to see who's looking or who's watching.
Well, that's not just something children do. Maybe they do it a little plainly than the rest of us, but how we need courage to identify ourselves with Christ in this day, even in the little things. Even in the little things. And how much more those of us who are older need them in the affairs of our life.
We think of the lore coming forth.
And we see in revelation that he has given that title, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. But even when he was down here in his humiliation, a man of naturally speaking lowly birth, the dignity and the moral strength that characterized him all through his pathway, the Spirit of God eclipses most of his youth until you see him at 12 years old, and you see him there in the temple in perfect comeliness.
Uh, sitting and listening and asking questions. I think it's those three things in that order. Sitting and listening and asking questions. And then it says they were astonished at his answers.
And we see in the beginning of as we read the beginning of his earthly of his ministry in Nazareth, when he stands up and calls for the book and reads, they immediately want to throw him over the brow of the hill. And that man in that lion like strength, that moral perfect moral fiber and character that he displayed in himself, He just walks right through the midst of them at times when you or I would be in danger of being compromised by.
The social setting that we're in, such as at a wedding, the Lord was faithful when He spoke to Mary.
At times when he might be in danger, you and I might be in danger of being turned aside by for this reason or for that, we see that the Lord never lost his bearings, always a man of strength and dignity.
Some 1516 years ago I was in an address, umm, only six or seven of us in a small meeting and I and I always remember it was on the Book of Revelation.
But the only thing I remember is that the brother stopped midway through the address and he, by way of digression, he made this comment. He said that he said that a child of God should always conduct himself with dignity and humility.
And that stuck with me, at least the knowledge of it. And I would hope that there would be some display of it, but he said dignity and humility. And when you think of those two things, they're really an unlikely pair or couplet in a natural sense, because in the world, dignity is connected with pride, with people of, of high place or, or as you know, we have various slang words to describe people that, uh, sometimes are, are dignified.
In a in an unwholesome way.
But in spiritual things, dignity coupled with humility. And the brother went on to say, why dignity? Because of the place to which we've been brought. You know, our late brother Albert Hale sometimes used to tell the story of, of, uh, I think it was a Prince, I'm not well versed in royalty, but a Prince that was on a, a, a voyage on a ship. And there was some holiday or some occasion when they went across the time zone or something. And Albert used to tell the story how.
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Unbecoming it was for this person of a royal position.
To become involved in some of the foolishness and play that they got involved in. I can't tell the story like he could. And but Brother Albert was was making the same point. Oftentimes the dignity that should become us because why? We've been lifted up from a horrible pit, from the dust and from the dunghill, but we've been given the place of Suns. Each one of us who are Christians has an extremely dignified place. Think of the name that's called upon us. Think of the destiny.
That as ours perhaps before this day is out, think of that worthy name by which we are called. It becomes us to conduct ourselves, whether young or old. And it doesn't mean that that that nature is ignored when the children between the meetings or anything like that. I think you understand what I'm getting at and humility. Why? Because how did we ever get into that place? Pure grace, pure, pure sovereign grace that would reach out to you and I when we were determined to head the other direction.
And arrest us, almighty love arresting us, and bringing us in sovereign grace to such a place like that. So dignity and humility becomes us. And with the Lord we see that dignity even at the times of the greatest humiliation. Was reading on on vacation the other day.
Starting to read for the third or fourth time a book that I I'm not ashamed to heartily commend. Brother Mark Steiker sent it to me once by Mr. WJ Hawking called the son of his love in a book.
Obviously about the the Son of God.
And he, he writes in that book, he makes a comment that, uh, that, that I, I found so edifying. And that is along these lines that we often read or, or think as we read John's gospel about the Lord Jesus, the son being the scent, one of the father. But he points out in some of the places in that book that there's another side of things that is just most elevating to see. And that is that it was proper to the Son of God.
And the dignity and majesty of his person to arise up in the Godhead, and to proceed forth and come from God, and without taking the time. But in John's Gospel, chapters 8 and chapters 17, we see these two things.
We see the sun rising up and proceeding forth from God. And then secondly, in those passages he says He was. He refers to the fact neither came I alone or of my own, but I was sent of the Father. And it's a wonderful thing to enjoy. The Son of God is the sentiment of the Father, but very elevating in our souls too, to see Him. It was not a robbery for Him. It was not a thing outside of His proper sphere.
To be able to arise in the majesty of his being and to come forth. But the point that he was making is that when you read John's Gospel chapter 19, as elevating as it is to think of the Son of God proceeding forth from God and coming into this world.
As an act with which he was incomplete.
Union with complete, the Father and the Son together, deciding in eternal counsels. This is what we're going to do. And then the sun rises up and goes, and the Father sends him. But then you read in John 19, you read about how they took him and passed him back and forth between Herod and Pilate.
And we thought a little bit perhaps this morning about his visit, so marred more than any man's. The thorns, the beating and the scourgings kept up all night. But then when you read in John 19.
Let me just refer to that to do it proper justice. The same word.
John 19 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him.
And the soldiers planted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, And they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail King of the Jews, And they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto him, Behold, I bring him forth to you.
That you may know that I find no fault in him. You say, OK, Pilate's going to bring him forth. It says in verse four. But notice the language of verse five in John's Gospel. He's not brought forth by anyone. It says then came Jesus for.
Same words, same person, same dignity, majesty of one who receiving such treatment still is that in that lion like character, perfect self-control, even such a one as the Apostle Paul when he was smitten there by thee, those that accused him, he quickly shot back with with a response which I cannot remember in the book of Acts. Uh.
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He called the man a whited wall.
And uh, and then he quickly, uh, to, to his credit, he recovered himself and said, I wish not, brethren, that he was the high priest. And he quoted a verse of Scripture to show that he was wrong and he shouldn't have responded that way with his tongue, but with the Lord.
We don't see any need for recovering himself, he sometimes answered, and he sometimes stood there in the dignity of his silence.
Verse five again. Then came Jesus.
Wearing the crown of thorns in the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man. I think of this passage, and I think of the absolute dignity.
And majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ coming forth even at this time.
As characteristic of his whole pathway down here.
Well, going back again to Revelation 5.
What a need I see in my own soul for this strength. And the apostle Paul in writing to Timothy, and we can apply it to ourselves.
Would encourage Timothy not to be fearful. We read in Revelation that one of the things that uh, those who are thrown into the light of fire will be thrown therefore as they were fearful and unbelieving.
And so Paul writes to Timothy.
To say God is not.
Have to read that Second Timothy one. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, and so on. So why do we need strength to not necessarily to do some great thing?
Not necessarily to do 1 great act of devotedness, but to be able to go on consistently in the face of the danger of shrinking from identifying with Christ because of being ashamed. I find that is a is a a temptation to myself. And it's been mentioned that the crown of life in the New Testament is mentioned in two occasions, one in respect to those who are martyrs who stood.
And how we've been encouraged at times to read through Miller's church history or other books. And we've read about different ones who, who love not their life unto death and who stood majestically in, in dependence on the Lord with this lion like character, a young maidens with, with, uh, their family members, uh, imploring them to, to, uh, recant and holding the little children there. And these young sisters going instead in faithfulness to Christ to their death. We read of whole villages of, of.
Of believers going off the mountains in persecution, in, in tears and on and on. That the clergyman in England, uh, who recanted, uh, from his, uh, profession of faith in Christ. And then as he sat alone in a prison cell after having been double crossed, he went back again and he said, no. He said, you burned me at the stake because I can't remember the exact. I think his name was Cromwell. You read about it in Miller's church history. And I remember again Brother Albert Paho mentioning it several times.
And as they did take him out and they burned him in a public place, I think the place is still marked in England today, I'm told. And as the flames came up around him when he was tired to the stake.
They said that his last, they could see him thrusting his right hand down to the flames 1St and saying that unworthy hand, that unworthy hand. And so there are examples of people who have, uh, access to the same grace that you and I have. We may not be called upon to such a dramatic display of faithfulness to Christ, but not only is the crown of Mar of life mentioned in connection with, with such things, but also I believe it's in the book of James.
Chapter one and verse 12. I'll just read it. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.
Or when he has tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them.
That love him well, there's nothing in there about being a martyr giving one's life. But for the young brothers and young sisters who go through grade school or junior high school or high school or in the workplace, or perhaps ridiculed or ill treated or passed over for favorable treatment. You perhaps we will go through our life being reproached and suffering for the name of Christ in ways that we don't even know about.
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But it is to encourage such ones who go on in the day by day path of seeking to be faithful to the Lord, that this crown of life, those who endure temptation, and it may be just a simple temptation not to give in, to yield to the foolishness of the jokes and of all of the things that press upon us almost every day.
And again, I think, look where I see so many here from Dorothy, I think of our brother Roach. And uh, I've often thought of his comments. Uh, I don't know if he really said this to people, but, but I remember him mentioning in reading meetings, he used to say, he said, uh, he says they tell, would tell me jokes at work. And he said, stop right there. He says, if I laugh at your joke, I'm a fool because fools make a mock of sin. Well, I've never been so bold myself, uh, to quote that verse like probably brother Adrian Roche did.
But I've often thought of it and sometimes I've had the grace just to turn on my heels and go away. I don't want to listen to this. And, uh, well, that brings us to the next attribute here, in addition to a lion, in addition to our need for strength and courage.
The calf for the ox.
It's not like a lion.
But a calf and an ox, I think in scripture speaks of patient endurance, Endurance and labor, especially for others.
You know, you say, well, I've known some men who used to work with oxen. Why wouldn't they use a horse? Well, a horse is is kind of skittish, but an ox is characterized by getting down into the furrow and putting on the yolk and just going. And they could say some of the menus to tell me, so you can, you can shoot off a gun right next to them. They just go. They just go. And in First Corinthians, I think it's in Chapter 9, it speaks of not muzzling.
Uh, the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn and it says, doth God take care of her oxen or only take care of her oxen? So I think the figure of an ox is to continue with this thought of the need for courage to stand fast. The thought of an ox is to persevere in it, to continue on in it. And how, what a need we have in our personal lives as Christians not to give up exercises that once we had.
Brother was telling me yesterday at lunch, he said it's a day of going down, going down. He says, I see it in myself too. And so we have need. And the apostle Paul again, writing to Timothy uses that word continue, continue, thou. And whether it's in our exercise to keep on in, in the governing of our own spirit.
To like we read there in Proverbs, uh, to be slow to anger, to possess the fruit of self-control or whether it is with our families or in the workplace or in the assembly. You know, you sometimes think of your brethren in the assembly, especially if it's larger. And there are a lot of different brothers and sisters. You can al almost sometimes classify them a little bit in these attributes. And some that I can think of, they're, they're just like the ox. They're the ones that are always there, always laboring, never with a lot of show.
When something needs to be done, it ends up being done, and if you inquire about it, it was often done by them. The ox or calf, impatient, steady, going on and on and on. We don't know how long the Lord is going to carry, how soon he will come. But if the Lord tarries longer, we will need, as things outwardly get weaker and weaker, we will need more and more grace from the Lord.
To continue on in the testimony that he has established to his own name. Brethren have been speaking lately about how people almost shrink even amongst their own brethren from speaking about the privilege of being gathered together. We sometimes lose. Leave that word out. Gather together to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know. The truth of God is obviously has not changed. It has not changed.
And we could perhaps quote the verse in Galatians that if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Either I was wrong to leave what I left, or I'm wrong now to leave. What's the truth? One or the other?
Well, I don't know that anybody has ever raised.
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Uh, to any honest conscience satisfaction, any principles or reasons that the truth of the ground of gathering is not true. But we can see in our own hearts a tendency, as the day grows weaker, to be like in second, the days of Second Timothy, to be ashamed of the testimony, to be ashamed of its character and weakness, to be ashamed perhaps of its littleness, or what it we since it appears like to others.
But how we need to continue?
In this, as Paul again wrote to Timothy, continue in those things that thou hast learned, and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And someone pointed out to me that that of whom is plural. I used to think that that of whom meant from the Lord that I learned these things from the Lord. And ultimately any spiritual truth we learn, we learn from the Lord. But I believe that it's plural there, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And if it's plural, it has to refer to the many, many teachers that you and I have been privileged to be around, to be exposed to, to listen to. And so I think in that passage we learned that God is not only jealous of his word and of his truth, but he takes particular care in how it is communicated to us. And he has raised up vessels that have displayed the truth in some measure or other in their lives to be the ones who would communicate it to us.
And also points out to us that we, it, it is proper for us to look for the display of truth in the lives of those who communicated to us. And so we ask ourselves about these ones who have gone on before us. How have they gone on? Has the, has the fruit of the Spirit been displayed in their lives? No, to me, I, who was not raised in a Christian home would have been around long enough to have known, uh, many, I could say use the word many.
Many of whom are with the Lord now.
That there has been adequate testimony to me that the truth has laid hold of many before me. That it's been displayed in lives, and that the truth is indeed the truth and it works to speak just practically. It works in a life.
To produce fruit for God's glory and to produce blessing in a soul, in a family, in the assembly, and wherever we might be. And so the second aspect of a calf of continuing on devotedly, consistently, not just being on again and off again in the workplace as many of us day by day work to earn our living, to work with people who are more like horses.
Then oxen is a very distressing thing and the more responsibility someone has given in their in their home or in their business life or in the assembly, if they display a constant changeable character, why it it? The more responsibility is given, the more disruptive it is to the lives and the families of those who are in subjection to that particular authority. So how needful it is to have the strength and and the the moral bearing.
To govern ourselves to be, uh.
To go on rightly and to continue in going on rightly. And so this brings us to the third, the face. The face is a man. Uh, again in Galatians it says it's good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. It's not good perseverance in, in a bad thing is, is, is called by the name of stubbornness. But to press on in a good thing, we say, oh, that is a virtue, a spiritual virtue. That's perseverance.
That's continuing on and the direction that we take is a function of the Lord's grace working in US and in these days in the New Testament to our intelligence. And so for my own my own meditations upon this next thing the face of a man is the thought of intelligence and I think I don't wanna keep taking too much time here, but in Colossians chapter one.
Colossians 1.
And I'm just going to read from the middle of verse 9.
I remember seeing just this portion of the verse.
On a text in someone's house.
Someone had made this text written in honor.
A text and given it to them for a wedding present and seeing it there above the fireplace with the first part of the verse deleted, You know, just kind of isolating it that way. It it enabled me to remember it a little better. So I just want to read from that word. Desire, desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you might walk worthy of the Lord.
00:40:22
Unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in or I think it should be increasing by the knowledge of God, strengthened with almight, according to his glorious power. Unto all patience, and long-suffering with joyfulness. While many of those attributes I think, are referred to in those few verses, but what I particularly turn to the passage for was this expression Desire that you might be filled.
With the knowledge of his will.
How easy it is as parents to fall into the snare of being so concerned about our children's advancement in reading and writing and spelling and how they hold a pencil and those kind of things, or how they throw or kick a ball and to be just a little bit careless.
And whether they are as believers, whether they are growing.
In their appetite and then they're laying hold of divine things. And this passage we read in Colossians one was really a part of a prayer.
The expression of what the apostle prayed.
And it certainly would perhaps be something to consider for us at our prayer meetings to have more things like this in our hearts.
These aspirations for one another, on our hearts, we think of that one was an Epiphras who prayed for the Saints. How how does that go? That they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God?
When's the last time we prayed for someone or some person in the local assembly or some person we knew with that kind of an aspiration for them, that they might stand perfectly complete and all the will of God? And to pray, as we think of the younger people at the point where decisions in life are made, which we heard about yesterday, praying for them that they might desire to be filled with the knowledge of His will. What beautiful thoughts we have just brought right down to us in the Word of God.
The aspirations implanted in the Newman and the affections given to for one another and for the Lord, that these things may be part of our desire for one another.
And so the third thing there, intelligence, as we think of a man, you know, I, I, sometimes when we, we go to conferences, they're held sometimes in schools and I walk up and down the halls with everybody else back and forth to the meals. And you see what the children are exposed to nowadays. And, uh, one would think from the, the drawings and the posters that the earth is ready to just shrivel up any day if the children don't save the earth.
And this kind of thing and from the kind of business and the way things are in the work world, at least in this country and I assume it's the same in Europe and in Canada.
Uh, without being funny or facetious, you would come to think that is would be far more damaging to someone's, uh, from the government to, to damage a protected fish than a person. And there are, uh, sad to say, a constant corruption and murders going on in every city in the United States almost.
As an assumption, but men and women today.
Uh, Satan seems to have focused, uh, away from annihilation by nuclear power over onto another distraction for the people of the world, which is, uh, uh, so-called impending, uh, ecological environmental crises. And I can remember as a little boy going down into the grade school and, and the, the air raid drills and putting my head down between my knees and.
And all of that kind of thing. And we felt that, and this is what we had to do. And today that fear seems to be gone. They have another one. And if that one is is passed, they'll be another one if the Lord tarries. But I say all this not to be funny or cute, but to encourage all of us, the children as well as the rest of us, that God is on the throne. We think of how it says in the Psalms, uh, early in the Psalms.
Uh.
00:45:02
Let me just pick that up real quickly.
Psalm 11 verse one. And the Lord put on my trust. I'll say you to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain.
But all around us today, boys and girls and younger people too, there are people tugging at your coat sleeve as looking for you to flee to their mountain, to flee from some supposed or real danger. And I'm not making light of, of taking care of things on the earth. We're stewards, whether it's of a, of a house or a house locked or of a farm or of a city. And I, I'm not trying to make light of responsibly dealing with materials and things like that. That's.
Not encouraging that kind of carelessness.
But I think you see my point more and more these things are pressed in and so that, uh, children and younger people and the rest of us too, perhaps can be swept up in, uh, in fighting these, uh, paper Dragons and, uh, being, uh, solicited to, to flee as a bird to some mountain. But as the, as the psalmist goes on to say, verse four, the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold his eyelids. Try the children of men.
There is a battle going on. There is a battle, it's a spiritual battle. And though the flavor and character of the world, it, it, it, it manifests itself in different ways. The world has still been the world and it's been the world as the brothers brought before us yesterday for a long time. Its character was stamped in the, in the, uh, earliest times. And when John wrote about it in his epistle, the world was the world characterized by the principles we read about in the reading meeting. And it is still today.
And so we need intelligence to put before our own hearts that which really should be the direction, really should be the purpose of our lives down here rather than just to get ahead in this world or other things or to spend our energies like Samson going round and round, uh, for the Philistines, but to have a sense of purpose. Why did God put me here? What is the purpose of my life? How should my energies and my responsibilities be prioritized?
From the word of God and the Apostles prayer was for us to desire to be filled with the knowledge of His will. Man is a unique creature and God created man and even in his fallen state I believe scripture teaches.
Such as in James, that men ought not to curse men because man was made in the similaritude of God.
Man is a special creature, and man is not like other animals. 1St Corinthians 15 teaches us by the way, children, that there is one flesh of beasts and another of fowls. I think it says another officious and another of men. So rather than having to study all kinds of books to refute evolutionists, I think this is.
Let me pull that out quickly from First Corinthians 15.
All flesh, verse 39 is not the same flesh. There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts.
And other officials, another of birds. That's simple, isn't it? That's the word of God. There's different kinds of flesh. And man was made and given a special responsibility. Man has a special place. And how we need to realize and realize we have a stewardship going through this world as human beings or as men in the general sense, to be here for God's glory, to conduct ourselves uprightly, uh, before the God who created us and how much more now.
As those who have been redeemed by one who came Himself took manhood and died in our stead, to redeem us and bring us into a new creation. And soon He's going to catch us up, and we're going to be arranged around Him. He Himself, the first born of many brethren, as one of the hymn writers has put it. He wears our nature on the throne. The very Son of God came down and took manhood into His person, and has risen and ascended into the glory of God itself.
As a man, it's just a real an astonishing thought to think of. And so the characteristics of intelligence in governing ourselves, our families.
The assembly and so on. And finally the 4th beast flying is an eagle. An eagle is, I don't know much about any animals really, and I don't know much about Eagles. But from Scripture we read that their home was in the high places. I think it's in job you read that the eagle makes his home and the crag of the rock and the high place. But the eagle in Scripture is characterized by swift judgment. Not just by judgment, I don't believe, but swift judgment.
00:50:02
And you can see.
I I think you can see how these things flow from one another, the the lion and the ox, and then the intelligence of the man, the face of the man, and finally the swiftness of judgment.
And we need his, uh, brother was mentioning to us lately in, in a reading meeting at home in Holden. Even as children, when something comes before us or something is said to us or we're exposed to something, we need to have that swift eagle judgment.
To use our spiritual intelligence.
To decide what something is, to make a judgment or determination, what is that thing? One brother said that when he was raising his family, he always used to call things as much as he could by scriptural names. Because the world, as you notice it, calls certain sins and certain abominations by names that over a period of time make it sound not that bad. But try it at work or at school sometime. Call one of these particular sins that is all around in the world by its scriptural reference.
Call it an abomination, call it wickedness, call it what it is, and you'll find that you get raised eyebrows around you at work and so.
The brother was saying at the reading meeting, even for the children to make a judgment in their mind immediately and to act upon that judgment. And we see today in the world all around us a lack of all these things. I see them in my own life. I see them in my responsibilities at work where we have responsibilities to decide about people.
And what a helpless feeling it is to try and assess someone's character, to decide should they be put in that position or should they be entrusted with that responsibility or not.
And sometimes when failure comes in, how difficult it is at times to judge the character of something. You know what it says of God. God is the God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. What was the moral, uh, thrust behind why someone did what they did? God can see that you and I can, and how we need to look to him for wisdom. But in this world, there's an absence of judgment. It's gotten so far that light is passing for darkness and darkness for light.
And.
Judgment, even in things that a generation ago seemed simple, the whole, uh, fabric of, of civilization was basically unanimous in its assessment of various habits or of various lifestyles or practices. Today, Satan has succeeded in throwing everything up. Everything is off, off balance. Everything, nothing has gravity to it anymore. Everything is relative. Pick and choose, just like a a big moral buffet.
And so more and more as the younger people, I see them heading off into this, uh, corrupt world. God has given us as believers all things that pertain unto life and godliness. As someone once said, we have a full toolbox given to us as believers. We have everything we need for this journey as we depend upon the Lord. We don't need anything new or different that hasn't been furnished to us through the man on high in the glory, the Spirit of God indwelling. And we have God's heavenly and divine wisdom brought right down to us in this book, the word of God to guide our feet through this world otherwise.
We would just be.
We would never make it through, would we? We would never make it through. And so judgment like a flying eagle, to be swift to judge. We see it even in our own children who are not even.
Even grown how things we see sometimes that we've let slip that if we had been swifter to nip things in the bud, certain attitudes or practices or or just just a certain look on the face be lying a certain attitude that that as parents, it's our responsibility to deal with. But if we pass over it, if the flying eagle isn't there in in our in our governing of our homes and of our families, it develops into something else and pretty soon into something else.
And pretty soon we have a real problem and we wonder why. And perhaps in your work experience you've seen the same thing in an office or in a company. I've seen the same thing. I've seen moral breakdown even amongst God's principles of men in this world where there was a slowness to judge when a when a moment of truth came and it robbed those that man or those men of their ability to carry out proper government of their even of their business affairs. And so.
I as I said, I've been meditating upon these attributes, feeling my own need for strength, my own need for grace to continue on until the Lord comes. If he doesn't keep me, I won't be kept.
00:55:08
That's been pressed home to my own soul. If he doesn't keep me, I won't be kept.
Maybe when I, when we were younger and, uh, we tend to think that we're gonna just go zooming right on through with, with first love and spiritual momentum. But, uh, brother Malcolm Hollowell, when I used to see him after a long absence, he say, how are you? And his word used to say was kept. And uh, I don't think that's, that's funny anymore. It's a wonderful thing to be kept, to be kept by the power of God through faith under salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. And so may the Lord give us courage, boys and girls, you're, you're in a world that is all mixed up.
The roles that Satan just wants to bring everything into a mishmash where where true moral strength is called weakness, where weakness is called wisdom, where ******* is called liberty and where true spiritual liberty is called legality. Where males are encouraged to be like females and females are encouraged to be like males. And these distinctions that God created, you know, he created man, male and female created he them.
He could have created it some other way, but he chose to create male and female. He has created various polarities and, and various things in their order in this world and woe to us if we ignore these things. You're, you're heading through a world. We are all heading through a world that Satan is successfully shaking and mixing all up. May the Lord give us all to keep our bearings and to keep keep our bearings. By what saith the Scripture? What is light? What is dark?
And when the Scripture says it is a in, in, in principle, in the Old Testament, an abomination for a man to, to put on woman's clothing, or, uh, for the females, an abomination to put on males clothing other than matters of dress, which are important. There is something speaking to our characters here. And May God give us all the grace, whether we're young ladies to carry that stewardship of being a young, of a human being, a female, a lady through this world.
Where, where the whole fabric of society would seek to, to, uh, push you from that. And the same with the young men and their responsibilities and those of us in middle age. I guess I'm arriving at that. And all of us, whether old or young, in our various positions we're in, in life under authority and with responsibilities for authority. May we look to the Lord that as we had before us yesterday, we may walk as he walked in his steps and display something of these beautiful characteristics that soon are going to be displayed.
From one end of the earth to the other, the earth is going to be filled with the knowledge and with the glory of the Lord and we're going to have the privilege and opportunity to see a man rule in righteousness. His coming is going to be like the bright shining after the rain. We're going to see true wisdom and strength and C1 who whose name is the same and C1 with that perfect wisdom to be able to distinguish things like Solomon will. Washington was only a a small picture to be able to discriminate things in judgment.
And to see one who judges things righteously and with the intelligence of a divine man.
Can we please turn to Peter's first epistle?
The first Epistle of Peter.
Chapter One.
Some of the thoughts that Brother Bruce has brought out has come before me in connection with what he said concerning being kept by the power of God.
So I just want to read a few verses here and look to show you or look onward to a day when God is going to make his acclaims on this. So just let's read beginning with verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
Reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice. Though now for a season, if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold temptations or trials.
01:00:11
That the trial of your faith being much more precious.
Than a goal that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise.
Call attention to these little points, call attention to the fact that He's looking on to another day that may be found unto praise and honor and glory, glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Now, beloved Saints, Peter doesn't tell us of the Lord's coming for us, but he brings before us the fact of the Lord's appearing, and that will be the time of manifestation.
But I was thinking as our brother Bruce was speaking, we have this inheritance. It's undefiled and fade fadeth not away. And it's reserved in heaven for you. Each one of us, each child of God here has a reservation in glory and no one can take that place. It's yours for time, for all eternity. It's reserved. You know, we have reservations here sometimes that we make reservations with a doctor or a dentist or.
Perhaps even a something to be done with our car and we have to cancel those reservations. But here is a reservation that will never be canceled because God has made that reservation. And I want to call your attention to this part of it. It says here we are. It's it's an inheritance that's incorruptible and undefiled. And a lot could be said, but that's not my thought to go into the inheritance in detail. But it says it's, it's, it's undefiled.
It fades not away and reserved in heaven for you. But in Peter we find that he tells us this because it tells us that he said, Blessed be the God and Father, according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us. Of course, here he's speaking to the Hebrew to these children of the dispersion begotten us again. They were once begotten by they were God's people. But here he says begotten again by the.
Resurrection, uh, of Jesus Christ and the dead Now it's something that God has done, established.
And they've been brought and given this marvelous relationship to God and brought into a, and having a reservation that will never be taken from them. But beloved Saints, as our brother has been speaking, I thought that in between that time of glory, uh, when we're gonna enter into that inheritance, we, we're in a world that's opposed to God. And there are many trials and difficulties in this world. Sometimes we get into difficulties because of our own.
I'll weighs, but here I believe God is telling us. The Lord is telling us through Peter.
That it says here we're kept by the power of God. But notice what it says through faith. How did you get saved? How did I get saved? How do I have eternal life? Because I saw the Lord. No faith. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The medium of our contact with God is through faith. As it tells us a little later in this chapter. We have not seen the Lord. No one in this room has.
But he believes on the Lord Jesus because God has given him the faith to believe it. So the the thought of salvation is entirely upon faith, entirely believing God, believing what the Lord Jesus did, believing that I'm a Sinner, I need salvation. And so I have it's faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And it's faith toward God. And also I think of it here. So we're kept by the power of God, but knowing we have an inheritance, are we going to just walk carelessly through the world and, and just go on and say, well, I know I'm gonna, I've got a reservation up there. I've got heaven is ahead of me. So I can just walk along in this world in a casual way. Let's not be casual with God. Let's be real with God is real with us. And he wants us to walk in paths pleasing to him knowing that.
We have a an inheritance that's undefiled and fades not away. But notice what he says. It's through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Peter speaks of that last time through faith because faith is the medium. That's how we have it. That's how you receive your salvation and it's the only way you're gonna be kept is to and enjoy it. God is gonna keep you, that's true, but he wants you to enjoy it.
01:05:06
And so it's through the medium of faith, it says, faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. But now he comes to the fact that the the point of this world, it says, wherein ye greatly rejoice. That is, we greatly rejoice in this inheritance through faith we have it.
He said, But now there's a season right now and that season is now, he says for a season if need be, if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold trials, trials. I'm sure each one of us here at this very moment are thinking of some difficulty. They have some trial that you have something you may, you may face tomorrow, something that is, uh, that is troubling you even now.
Because we have trials, they are difficulties.
And as soon as needs be, as our dear brother or Gordon's father used to tell us, needs be on our part, but it's a purpose of love on His part. His desire is, and I wanna show you that in these verses, His desire is to bless. His desire is to give us even joy. Even now in the past where there are many difficulties, I'm sure again, there are some, some in this crowd today, this audience today that have something that is pressing upon you. There's some difficulty, some trial.
That you're not looking forward to. Or you can just go to the Lord about, you can pray about it. You can ask God to give you the grace to bear up under that trial because he loves you and he's made it all possible for you. He's kept he's, he's keeping you and he wants you to enjoy that fact of his truth. Well, I don't wanna take a lot of time, but I just want to show you here, he says in heaviness through manifold temptations or trials.
Then verse seven, that the trial of your faith, notice that it is a trial of faith. Why is it a trial of faith? If you don't bring faith into the trial, if you don't bring God into the trial, take God into the trial knowing that he loves you and he's reserved a place for you. You're not going to be able to pair it very well, gonna be discouraged perhaps, and all discouragement comes from the enemy. But God wants us to be encouraged. And so he says that the trial of your faith.
Being much more precious than a goal that perishes. I believe what he's bringing out here is that some, some trials can be very, very, very serious trials, very trying, very test severe tests of trials. Why is God allowing this that He might bless us at our latter end? This is God's whole purpose is to bring you and me into that fullness of blessing in glory and joy, in joy and in glory.
So I just want to point out three little points here that I believe are very, very helpful and have been an encouragement to me.
That the trial of your faith being much more precious than a goal that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, real test, real tests of fame. Some of us have illnesses. We have, uh, there are others that have trials of, of uh, discouragements, uh, family difficulties, uh, perhaps, uh, difficulties with children, difficulty in the assembly trials, real trials and their test, they're tested as it says the fire might be, but be found.
But that that that test, it says that it might be found unto praise. Unto praise, not praise. Yes, let's turn over to umm.
Praise umm.
My eyesight a little bit. Let's turn over to 1St Corinthians for a verse.
Mm-hmm.
First Corinthians every chapter 4, yes.
First Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 5.
01:10:01
Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord shall come. Paul brings before us the Lord's coming back. Who has who? Both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart. Then shall every man have praise of God. When is this going to be? God's desire is to.
Uh, he's going to be have his praise from God in the coming day through all the trials and difficulties. Yes, as it tells us in our chapter here to the, uh, that might be found unto praise at that time at a coming day when the manifestation takes place. If you notice the, the, the language there that, uh, it says that every man that, that then, then shall every man have praise of God.
God's desire, beloved Saints, is to praise.
For all the difficulties that you have been through, the greater the trials, the greater the praise will be in that day of glory. How beautiful that is to think. And so the trials here Peter says that they might be found unto praise, and then honor, honor also.
Uh, John, Chapter 12.
N.
And verse 26.
If any man serve me, let him follow me.
And where I am.
Shall also my servant be?
If any man serve me, him will my father honor.
Isn't that precious to think that here we are centers saved by grace, eternal life, going through a world that's opposed to God and difficulties and trials and God's desire is that the coming day He wants to praise each one of his own. He wants to honor his own, and he will. God is going to do that to me. It's so precious to see that as Peter brings that out here at the end, he says at the appearing, praise, praise.
And honor how lovely they are the Lord Jesus could say if any man serve me, let him follow me. Let's not follow men. You got you. Our salvation was is based upon the fact that we've we followed we saw that we were sinners, we followed Christ and this is what the pathway is for us. Even though it may be difficult, even though there are many trials, there are many and severe trials to yet it says he that verily I say to you.
If any man serve me, let him follow me. Follow me. The Lord Jesus wants us to follow him. Are there difficulties in the past? Yes. As we follow on him, follow the Lord Jesus, we find there are many difficulties. But he says follow me and where I am, there shall also my servant be. Where is the Lord Jesus at this very moment? He's at God's right hand and this is his desire for us and he wants to, not only is he honored there by God the Father.
But he wants to honor us also, He wants to honor you. He wants to honor each one of us. But he can do it and we'll do it in connection with what we have borne here and how we have walked here and how we have conducted our ways and desire to follow him in the pathway. And the path is not an easy path that no one, uh, try to tell that tell you that because it's not an easy path. I used to think when I got saved, although all, the, all the foreign path of roses, I found out there were many thorns in those roses. There were many difficulties in the past.
But in that coming day, think that God is going to honor each one in this audience, Every child of God who has any trials had any difficulties at all. He's going to praise you, and that will be a praise that will be unhindered. There will be no hindrance there, and He's going to honor you. Isn't that beautiful? I think of it so often that a poor Sinner like me, saved by grace and going through all these difficult, is God. His desire is that He might.
Not only praise.
Are you going to honor any man, serve him, serve me, him will my father honor? How beautiful that is to think in the coming day, God is going to honor every child of God as he honors honored his son. How precious. And then just, uh, one more little thought here in our chapter, uh.
01:15:11
And glory.
Praise, honor and Glory, Second Corinthians, chapter 4.
Verse 17.
Very beautiful verse.
For our light affliction.
Which is but for a moment.
Worth it worketh for us.
A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Affliction and glory, affliction here, glory there. God's desire, dear Saints of God, is to bless. But we can't. It can't be so now, because we're in a world as opposed and the trials are here. But in that coming day it will all be over, because then the trial of the faith, it says much more precious than a goal that perisheth, though it be tried with fire. It's going to be found unto praise, going to be found unto honor.
And glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Just think each one of us in this room today that know the Lord is our Savior. We're gonna be in go. I'm gonna see you in glory. And there's gonna be praise on uttered praise there. We have praise to God. We praise God, but there's he's gonna praise us too. That's his desires to bless praise and he's gonna honor us. And glory will be our portion for those countless ages of eternity. So let's not be discouraged by the TR in the trials of the way.
Let's take courage and seek by God's grace to follow Him in the path regardless of the trials.
Blessing is ahead, and glorious blessing too.
Lead on Almighty Lord, lead on the victory, encouraged by thy blessed word, with joy we follow thee 312.
Is there any delivery order number for delivery delivery boy?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't know why I do whatever now. I know it's not young. I'm looking for whatever I know.