Vestal Conference: 2019
Table of Contents
Encouragement and Warning to the Young
Open—Ted Porter
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I'd like to read a few scriptures.
Starting in the book of Psalms.
Psalm 131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters.
Were things too high for me?
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother.
My soul is even as a wean child.
The Romans, chapter 12.
I think for the proper understanding of this verse we should pay attention to the checks that has been inserted because I'm going to read diverse without it.
Romans chapter 12 and verse 3. For I say through the grace.
Given to me to every man that is among you, not to think more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. First Corinthians, chapter eight. First Corinthians chapter 8, verse two. Any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing.
Yet, as he ought to know, over to the book of Proverbs, chapter 18.
Verse 16, a man's gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men in chapter 25. Verse 14 whoso boasted himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. Just want to read all these scriptures and then we'll go back to Galatians chapter 6.
Galatians chapter 6, verse 3. For if any man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
And I guess we'll go ahead to the Book of Job, Book of Job, chapter 32, beginning with verse six. I trust most of us understand the context here. And Eli who? The son of Barrichel.
The buzz I lose, I answered and said I am young and year aged.
Wherefore I was timid and feared to show you what I know.
I said let days speak and multitude of years teach wisdom.
But there is a spirit.
Which is in man, and the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
It is not the great that are wise, neither do the agent understand judgment.
Therefore I say, hearken to me. I also will show thee will show what I know.
Low, I waited for your words. I gave ear to your reasonings until you searched out what to say.
Yeah, I gave you mine attention, and behold, there was none of you. The confused Job that answered his words and Ecclesiastes chapter 4, Ecclesiastes chapter 4 and verse 13. Better is a poor but wise youth.
Then an old and foolish king who knoweth no more.
How to be admonished?
For out of the prison house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his Kingdom. As some of us are getting older, we're beginning to see, if I can say it this way, in our younger brethren, the fruit of what we have sown, and it's very encouraging to see.
Many of our young brethren rising up and taking their places in the assembly.
And filling the rooms of those of us who are getting older, distracted with the cares of this life were taken down with physical disability and even passing on. So it's encouraging. It's very encouraging. I want to say that to our younger brothers that are rising up and wouldn't want to pour any water on you, so to speak at all. But this word is.
To be an exhortation.
But also a warning when a young child finds his father's shoes and he puts them on and he starts to scoot across the floor, We we smile and we wink and we think that's cute. There's no harm done. And so we just kind of smile and take it lightly. But as they get older and.
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And perhaps he gets older and he finds the car keys on his parents dresser.
And decides to take his siblings for a ride that's a little more serious and we read these scriptures and I would point out that in Psalm 131. The fact that after he says I don't exercise myself in great matters or things too high for me. He says I behave myself as a child. It's weaned of his mother. That means I've matured and that indicates that when we do exercise ourselves in things that are.
Too high for us. That's immaturity. I think it's a good.
Exhortation for all of us, regardless of our age. When that scripture in First Corinthians 8 says, if any man thinks he knows anything, think about that. Do you think you know something? If any man thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know as he ought to know. And knowledge of the truth is not the truth itself.
It's good.
And necessary to study the scriptures and to study the truth. And I would say a word about that scripture that says, study to show myself approved unto God. You know, often times with the scripture we can take the modern connotation of a word and we can put it back on the scripture and then the Scripture is saying something that is not saying.
And I think with the word study, many have done that. We think of study as you know, you go off by yourself and take a book, you know that verse study to be quiet. Go study so that you're not making noise. That's all what that means. And when it says study to show yourself approved unto God, it doesn't mean to go study like we think of study so that you can get a lot of knowledge and show that you're approved. That's not what that means.
It's good if you're studying the Scriptures, and I encourage you make sure that you have Mr. Darby's translation. Now I could be accused of being.
A Darby I have been, but I I think few men have ever walked the earth that had a grasp of language like that man did. And even if you don't agree with all of his teachings and you still have to respect the fact that when he translated the scriptures.
Probably did better than any of us here could do.
And so it's good to check even before you teach on a scripture. I encourage you to check with his translation before you go and expound something on a totally wrong thought because of the way the King James put it. But.
To study to show yourself approved unto God means that showing yourself approved unto God is what you are to study. How to do that? How can I be pleasing to Him?
And yet part of that would be studying the word it is.
Studying the Word as part of it, and it's encouraging that many are doing some. I believe there's a brother in our assembly who's probably studied the Scriptures more than I have.
And and read and and study doctrine and that's, that is a good thing. But that's not the truth itself. You only own as much truth as you walk in. And walking in the truth takes time and it takes growth sometimes in assemblies.
In my short time that I've been gathered, I've observed that young ones will begin to see the failures and the shortcomings of the older brethren and the mistakes they make. Unfortunately, sometimes this emboldens the younger ones to think they know better, and that's where the analogy of finding the car keys on the dresser comes in, and younger brethren can cause a great deal of damage.
By forcing their opinions, particularly in the matter of discipline, when they think they know better than their older brother.
And so if we go back, you don't need to turn turn to it. We read it in job where a lie who said I waited?
I waited, and he did wait, and that was the proper order. He waited. He gave time to the years that should teach wisdom. He gave time to the old brethren and waited patiently. Until what? Until they were done? Until they were exhausted and found that they could not address the matter. And then he spoke up, and he points out.
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That there's a spirit in man.
And that's that is spirit in man is the means by which God inspires him. And there there is a difference between that dispensation and this one in the matter of prophecy, because we're told in I can't remember if it's first or second Peter that the Old Testament Saints, you know, they spoke, they were born by the Spirit, they were carried. And so they would say things.
And they they may not even understand what they're saying.
They may not even know what they're talking about. They spoke by the Spirit of God, but in this dispensation he that is joined unto the Lord is 1 spirit and God doesn't bypass our understanding. He doesn't bypass our soul. When a prophet speaks in this dispensation, he understands what he's saying. There was AI believe a very wise old brother who said once if you're trying to figure out.
Whether what you have to say comes from the Lord and you're absolutely certain that it's the Lord and not you. Probably you, because in this dispensation you really can't tell, because he that is joined unto the Lord is 1 Spirit and He doesn't bypass our understanding. And so when we have something to say.
We can't tell if it's us or him, and that's why it says let the prophet speak.
And let the others judge. And we submit ourselves in love to the judgment of our brethren as to whether what we have to say came from the Lord. And if it didn't, brethren are not going to disown us. If you speak and you're out of place, your brother, and you're not going to hate you or disown you.
Take the lesson in humility. I think the point has been made. You know, some years ago I noticed some younger brothers starting to come into their rooms, so to speak, and I had three exhortations for them. And I was hard pressed this morning to remember what they were. But I do remember one of them.
Always distrust yourself a little bit and that just doesn't go for the younger ones. That goes for all of us.
Regardless of what your stature may be in the eyes of the brethren, always distrust yourself a little bit and always be ready to be corrected. Don't be an old fool. May the Lord cover me. But I do believe I've seen some old fools, and some of them went to their death that way, sad to say. Let's look at a verse in that regard. Ecclesiastes, chapter 4.
Oh, we already read it. OK, so Ecclesiastes chapter 4.
And this is an exhortation for the older ones especially better as a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who knoweth no more how to be admonished. For out of the prison house he came forth to reign, although he was born poor in his Kingdom. In other words, you could reach a stature among the brethren where you're you're honored, you're older, and you've got the hoary head and.
And all.
But you forget where you came from. You forget where you came from. Poor lost Sinner. You have to go back to that state of soul where you would just wish to have some lone place within his door and be glad that you're even saved and among the Saints. And it is enough. You don't have to be anything else if you forget that.
You could be in danger of being an old foolish king. So again.
To the younger brethren, you're rising up. It's encouraging. Be careful.
When you begin to see the failures, the mistakes and the shortcomings of your older brother, not to get so bold, to think you know better about how to conduct, how the assembly is to work, how the Saints are to be, what's to go on. Be careful. You could cause a lot of damage to the older ones. Never allow yourself to get to the point where you just think.
Know so much. You're beyond admonition and correction.
Afflictions
Open—David So
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I suppose I have a.
Slightly different burden than our brother has presented.
This morning we spent a lot of time praying for many who needed help.
And rightly so. When we have this many people gather here, we know that we all are going through.
Different circumstances. You know the phrase that the world phrase has this thing called smooth sailing. I don't believe we find that in scriptures. Why do we have problems sometimes? Health.
Sometimes jobs, sometimes we don't like to talk about this money.
But there are various trials that the Lord put before us. Sometimes we find persecuted by those that are without.
If you notice when you present the name of Christ, the world doesn't want to hear about that.
When do you stand up for the principle from the Word of God, the.
The world doesn't want any part of that. In fact, they will use the phrase that you're intolerant. So do we stop presenting the word of God? Do we stop?
Standing up for the principled because it's much easier not to say anything that you won't be persecuted.
That's from worthoud and then.
Perhaps the problem even go deeper and say is from within.
That it seems that maybe there are times that our brethren don't seem to understand us.
I don't know if you feel that. And why does the Lord allow that? I'd like to turn to a portion first to begin with. I believe it's in Second Corinthians chapter one.
Let's begin it with the Word of God on that won't expand much upon it. I like to take more on the application side than the going through it in detail.
Two Corinthians chapter one beginning of verse two. Let us read couple verses and we'll comment it very briefly. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the and the God of.
All comfort who comforteth us?
In all tribulation, that we may abide in comfort, I'm sorry that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God for as the sufferings of Christ.
Abound in us, so our consolation also.
Are bound by Christ, and whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
Whereby reading this thing that.
We will be comforted in our tribulation. I think it goes without saying that there are tribulations in our lives.
And we all deal with that differently. Sometimes some of us are very thick skinned. So when someone tell us things we either don't understand or we let it go over our head. So perhaps those.
Scourging in a sense doesn't appear to us as much. And then there are some that perhaps one of the word they feel the sensitivity of it and they feel badly and say, Yep, I know they're talking about me. Well, whether it be so or not, we have difficulties.
The Lord allowed that, doesn't He? He tells us that it is for our consolation. Do we think of that when there are circumstances before us?
That perhaps later on.
When the trial was over and perhaps it may even be years down the road, we can use that. You know, it's, it's kind of interesting for our family being very small. My father was the only child. In fact, it was like that for four generations. So we have no relatives per SE. So I understand who aunts and uncles and cousins, I understand what that means.
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I really didn't know what it's like to have them.
And the first time as a family we taste that death was when my mother went home with the Lord. So for me, prior to that, when I say to someone who have lost their loved ones and say I can feel for you, I'm not sure how true that is. I do, but it's not the same feeling, is it? Then afterwards when we've gone through that trial of losing my own mother.
I have a little bit different appreciation.
When I tell someone I feel for you losing your loved one.
The Lord allowed that for us too, but we forget something here too that we tend to think.
About me As a brother already mentioned, we have this problem called the knee syndrome. Everything happened. We think it's about me.
I'm the center of this universe, God, and we even think about our prayer. How do we pray?
We may say, well, we prayed about it. Did you look to the Lord to ask for help? Or let me say mildly, what we demanding from the Lord that certain solution should come?
Did the Lord want to allow the trial to continue on in our lives or perhaps in our brethren's life? We don't know.
You think about the Lord when he taught his disciples to prayer, a lot of people call that the Lord's prayer really is the disciples prayer, isn't it? What did he teach them? I know the school system have taken that away, but that shouldn't be gone from our hearts. First thing is to address God as our Father.
Our Father, thou art in heaven. Do we acknowledge that? First of all, we have a God as our Father, who is up in the heavenly places on high, the one who is mighty and majesty. A Father thou art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Do we acknowledge that we have a holy one? It's not about you, it's not about me.
And then that could go on and say thy will be done.
Do we remember that thy will be done? What would his will be? Could that will be for that trial to go on a little bit longer?
And I believe everything that happened, whether it's right or wrong, the Lord has his hand in it. Perhaps you see, I was accused wrongly.
And perhaps it's true.
Did you think the Lords Hand is in there that you accused wrongly? I believe so. Can we still say thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
We forget that, don't we? So we find the apostle here. Open the chapter by saying he didn't say, let me pray for you about your trial. That's not how he begins. He started off by saying in verse 2, grace be to you.
Grace, as the apostle can say, My grace is sufficient for thee.
Go into the book of Peters, you'll find Peter begins with grace and then he commanded them in the end with that by saying grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'll let you look that up yourself. And I believe that's also studying, isn't it? When we hear something, we need to confirm that from the word of God.
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed.
Be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we in trials and difficulties, do we remember to bless that the one who is the blessed One, the one whom we acknowledge as our God and our Father?
If we didn't see that first, it's difficult to find comfort because then it's back to me. Why me, Lord? Why me?
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From what I learned, even from the human standpoint, we learned that whenever we asked the question, beginning with why we're in trouble already, it's not for us to ask the Lord why He allowed it.
Like to just turn to for a brief example, I was thinking as we were speaking, I was thinking of Joseph. Let's turn to somewhere around the 4440 fifth chapter of Genesis.
Joseph.
Was an interesting character, isn't it that?
He from what we understand that Joseph.
Word of God didn't say anything bad. Any fault is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is a savior. We know the story is not my thought to go into the story of Joseph.
And if you don't know the story of Joseph, or if you haven't gone through the story of Joseph in a while, I would encourage you to study that. It's a wonderful story. Just go through that. But I just wanted to take some applications of that. Let's go to the 41St chapter first.
Here's something that Joseph did that many of us.
Have done.
I see young people we were mentioning here. I see some who are expecting little ones and they see some already have little one and some of us used to have little one who are now big ones.
We had the privilege of naming them.
In scriptures, when you name a child, often there's a meaning to that name.
We know that we can look it up various meaning I enjoy my name. David beloved. Isn't it wonderful to think instead of just David?
Next time you see someone named David, can you look at him and say?
We're reminded, beloved of God.
See, the Lord knows we forget, so He we needed to be reminded.
In the gospel we may say, well, everything around us reminded us of the salvation of God. You come through into this room, you walk through a door. What do we think from the sands of Scripture? The door that the Lord can say I am the door by me if any man enter in.
We forget that you pick up that bread, He's the bread of life, you pick up that water and so on. But in our everyday life too. So let's just read that to get my point there. Genesis chapter 41, just two verses I want to read here, verse 51 and Joseph.
Called the name of the first born Manasseh.
For God said he hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father's house.
We know the name Manassas. Let's go on and read the 2nd 52nd verse and the name of the 2nd.
Called he Ephraim, for God hath caused me to be fruitful.
In the land of my affliction.
Now can you picture this?
Every time you look at his two boys.
It's not just Manassas.
Is not just Ephraim. He named them for reason I know for us. If you hear your mother or your father calling you by name, it means you're in a bit of a trouble.
If they call you by your full name, then you know you're in real trouble and it's time to come quickly. But here, Manasseh, can you picture that he's reminded? He said he named a Manassas for God said he hath made me forget all my toil.
Now let's go back to Joseph's life for a minute. Do you think he had an easy life?
He didn't, did he accused? Do you think you know what it meant to be accused, to be betrayed, to be forsaken? But yet he said, you look at Manassas, he's all those toils. I'm going to forget them because I know that God has something better.
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Ahead for me do we dwell with the problems we have in this world?
This is a father's land.
Is that what we occupied with? I'll leave their thoughts to you. And he said he wanted that. He reminded him to forget all the toy of all the difficulties in his father's house. That means he's not even holding grudges in a sense, concerning his brethren who sold him to Egypt. Do we hold grudges?
Do we feel bad about certain things?
And then when God blessed him with a second son, he named him Ephraim.
Oh, look at his thoughts, he said. He hath made me forget. I'm sorry, he said, For God had caused me to be fruitful.
Is that it?
No fruitful in the land of affliction.
Or he realized and recognized there were afflictions in his life, but God put him there for reason that he is to be a fruitful. We find that later on when he met up with his brethren, he explained to them why. Let's turn to 45th chapter. We know these verses, these stories, 45th chapter, verse 5.
He said when he met up with his brethren.
Actually I'll read the end of verse four. He said, I'll read the whole verse. Verse four on. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold to Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved.
Nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me? Hit her.
For God did send me before you.
To preserve life.
He didn't forget.
But he forgave, didn't he? He didn't help righteous against his brethren. And how precious that he can say, come near. Come dear. You know, as I read through those passages the other day, I couldn't help but the tears come down my eyes. And many of you know that I wish raised that grown man Don't cry.
So it was difficult to see that and when he embraces.
Can we be like Joseph of old? Do we look at something and say we need to forget things of this world? We talk about this world is not our home, but are we reminded that this world truly is not my home? He knew the blessings of his affliction is for the blessings of his own.
For his family, just I want to leave room for others. Just one more thought. And there are so much more concerning.
Joseph, let's go to the.
Last chapter of Genesis here. So Joseph to his old age, right to the end, as if it were. And Joseph didn't see the fruits as if it were of the land that was promised to them, but he had faith in God. So let's just read.
First Verse 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die.
And God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land, unto the land which he swear to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of his children, of his, of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones.
From Hands and Joseph.
Died. But wait a minute, for faithful men of such he died.
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That's part of God's will, isn't it? It's part of his scheme, part of his plan. Is that what we want to see? Someone we love, someone we like, someone we enjoyed? Is it? How can the law take him home? We can't say that we don't know.
We leave that in the Lord's hand.
We can pray. Isn't it a privilege for us to pray one for another, pray for those who are not well? What a privilege. And trusting that our Lord is able, those who need to be comforted, we can pray that the Lord can comfort them, comfort their hearts. And you know what we don't pray for often?
Many of us were able to come out regularly now, Brother reminded us earlier on. It's so easy to get puffed up and get exalted and perhaps distracted.
Just because you see someone who seems to walk so closely with the Lord.
We need to pray for one another too, don't we? We can fail so easily.
You look at the prophets of old one morning they were so powerful, so mighty, so faithful before God, and that same afternoon we see failures. That's us. We need depending. We need to be dependent. We need to pray one for another that we can walk in a way pleasing to the Lord every step of our pathway. But Joseph had a vision. He knew that this is not the end of the story.
Brethren.
What is the end of your story?
Is it to grow up well, to see your children and your grandchildren?
And the Lord has blessed many of us to be able to see that. But it's the end of the Is that the end of your story?
What about your heavenly portion? Oh yes, I know I'll go to I'll go to be with the Lord when I died. And I believe that statement is true. But do you believe that we have one who said surely I come quickly.
We have a better place. This world is temporary.
Is to be where the Lord is.
Do we have that hope before us? We're reminded that that any moment we could hear that shout. And we remind us. I hear that all the time. Oh, I'm glad you do. Is that in your heart? In fact, this is what I've learned. Now, when Ted addressed older people, I'm not sure he was looking at me. I did notice he looked down that way. So I don't know if I'm older or younger. I feel I'm in between. I'm not old. I'm not young.
But.
I do know something that regardless of our age, we need to be reminded often.
Same old story. And then there is one more thing. Till we forget there's yet another generation.
Are you grounded in the Word of God? Young people, this is the best time to learn the Word of God when there are no difficulties.
To always storm cloud when things seem so good and easy. The Lord would stir and.
Want to wake us up? We need to be grounded. What are the principles from the word of God? Now, I'm not going to speak on this. I'll tell you one that's on my heart right now.
There are among us.
Since I was a young people, there's always something we say.
There's not, there's. This is not the Lord's place. He can be anywhere as long as they're Christians.
Be very careful, search it out from scripture. It's not my thought to go into this today.
Learn why you are here.
Learn and understand the ground that we stand for. Joseph knew. He knew that Egypt, though he has all the glory and palm that was in his final destination even before he died. He commanded his bones to be carried out with them because in spirit he wanted to be where the Lord want them to be.
I'll submit this to you, brother.
The Lord's Name
Open—Enos McCavour
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Like a look at a few verses in the Gospel of John.
Chapter 7.
Chapter 7. John's Gospel. One verse there.
17.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.
Whether it be of God or whether I speak.
Of myself.
We know that doctrine is truth.
Thy word is truth.
The only way it says here that we're going to know what the truth is for us, for the pathway.
Is to do God's will. That's quite plain in this verse.
It's the doing of his will.
In the pathway.
How do we know as well?
His word is truth. Read His word.
And so we have the truth of what God would want us to do.
In his word that he has given to us.
That'll explain to us what the will of God is for us.
That's the only way you and I are going to be fruitful Christians. It's the only way that you and I are going to be happy Christians.
Contented Christians.
Christians that are not fearful.
And so on.
Many attributes that go along with.
Being obedient to the truth that God has given to us.
Couple verses in the 8th chapter.
Verse 28.
Jesus said unto them, Disciples, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself.
But as the Father had taught me, I speak these things.
Oh, we know that.
The Lord Jesus.
As deity as as God manifested didn't need to be taught anything, but he took on himself.
Manhood. He became a man. As a man he humbled himself.
In that capacity and God taught them things.
As a man, he learned things that he would never otherwise learn except becoming a man.
But he didn't do anything.
Through his own will.
Through his own reasoning or thoughts.
He only did those things.
That God gave him commandment to do.
I do always those things pleasing to the Father. He was led through this scene down here by the Spirit of God that was in him.
He lived that way.
Is not that the pattern for us?
The Lord Jesus is not here now.
But he has left you and I here.
He has not left you and I here to exercise our own wills and things that we think is okay to do, and we leave out the truth, the guidance from the Word of God, the Lord Jesus. When He was here, He had the Spirit of God with him, the Father was with him, and today.
You and I, he left this here. And what has he given to us?
He's given to us the Holy Spirit that was sent down the day of Pentecost to guide us. We're not left to guide ourselves, but God has given to us His Spirit to guide us and to lead us into all truth.
Not to be determined by our own.
Minds, their own wells, our own thoughts.
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Truth of God guide us.
Scissor and John 8.
He that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, but I do always own that those things that please Him. As He, as he spake these words, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believe on him. If you continue in My word, then you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth.
And the truth shall make you free.
When I was first saved, I had many.
Questions many things that I had doubts about and.
They were burdens to me.
You know, a lot of times they have peace about things and.
It really took a lot of.
As a brother mentioned.
Studying.
Really took a lot of digging in to the Word of God. It took a lot of prayer.
And oftentimes.
I didn't listen and I reasoned things out and did things my own way, and the Lord was very gentle, but He wouldn't let me pursue that course. He brought in things that correct me and keep me on the straight and narrow way, the way that He had designed for me. But it's very easy for us to get.
Distracted and start to reason for ourselves.
And come up with their own ideas, even in spiritual things.
And so it's very important if you don't know the answer.
To something in the word of God, to a brother, mentioned Jan Darby. There's plenty of writers that can give good insight into spiritual truth so that we get the right interpretation of it, so it's very important.
Goes on to say here that.
The Son, therefore, in verse 36, shall make you free. He shall be free indeed.
And so it's a wonderful thing to.
He said at liberty by God and his Saints.
To have peace about those things.
Not.
Go around with their heads down in despair and questioning and not knowing. We have the ability and God is very gracious to open up His Word to us so that we are set free from any kind of difficulty that we might have a burden or an obstacle that might be in the way.
I'm not talking about prayer today.
Necessarily, and this this little talk, but prayer enters into everything that we do and so valuable.
Yesterday on the way up here with my brother **** Amstead, we come to a toll booth and I don't have E pass. I'm from Canada so I don't have that on my vehicle.
And it's all was coming into Albany, NY there and I got over on the easy pass lane. I couldn't get out of it again. I I was stuck there because heavy traffic and so I just went through.
And I knew from being down here before that when I got around Albany on the other side and went on to 88, there was another toll booth where you got to pay.
So I prayed about that and asked the Lord he'd help me with it.
And we drove around Albany and I come to the booth and she said you got your ticket.
I said no, I don't have my ticket. I said I got stuck in the wrong lane, an easy pass and I couldn't get over on the other one. I had to just keep going.
Or she gave me a slip, she said Walt.
She said. This one's on us. It's a free toll.
She handed me a slip of paper and she said if you get something in the mail.
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They're saying that you were through the toll. Just put it in an envelope, this slip of paper, and send it back and there'd be no problem.
Is this an indication how the Lord works if you want to trust them?
Little things as well as the bigger things. The Lord is very capable of looking after our little problems as well as a big problems.
I just like to look at a couple more verses.
In John 17.
I've enjoyed so much the Lord's Prayer and all everyone here probably has too. It's.
It's a wonderful prayer that the Lord Jesus prayed to God for us.
He had gone back to glory. He's there now, interceding for us, being our advocate, doing so much there at the throne of grace. But he, he left his spirit here with us.
And.
God is working in each one of us.
That we might be more conformed to the image of his beloved son.
Says here in.
Verse nine. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou has given me. For they are thine, and all are mine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
Verse 12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.
Isn't that wonderful?
Kept them in thy name.
The Lord Jesus has gone back to glory.
There was no name more that the Lord Jesus spoke of than his Father, God his Father when he was here.
And you know, He's there in glory now. He's our savior.
The head of a new race of men which includes everyone here that have their trust in him.
And he's there and he's making intercession for us. But.
Isn't it wonderful that we can cherish that name?
You know the Lord Jesus here he spoke of his Father's name, his name, wonderful name, God, Jehovah, but.
God opened the heavens, didn't He?
He says, This is my beloved son, in whom I mean well, please hear ye him.
There's no other name that God is more.
Proud of.
Contented with, Satisfied with.
Than the precious name of his beloved son.
Brother spoke of, you know.
Some Christians a day they they just feel that it's OK to go anywhere at all. There's other believers there.
I know whether believers from different denominations I can enjoy their company. I I speak to them of the Lord to a certain point.
But you know when?
When I come together.
For worship on Lords Day.
I'm so happy that the Lord has given me to see that it's a name, His worthy name, that I'm invited to be around. The Lord Jesus himself promised to be there, in in the midst.
Where his name is honored and I'm so happy to be there in that place and I feel his presence there.
If I was to go to someplace else.
There's a name that indicates that.
It's a it's another group meeting.
Independently of the name of Christ.
They're taking another name as independent of his name.
And the Lord Jesus isn't isn't the center of that group.
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They have a name and they have a perhaps principles that they're gathering around, and it's those principles maybe that hold that group together.
But what holds a gathered face together is a name of Christ. He's there in the midst, if the Lord Jesus wasn't in her midst.
There wouldn't be a lot to attract us, perhaps, you know, but when we come together.
And we see him by faith there in our midst. Is it not what keeps us there?
I know it is with me.
And so.
It's a wonderful name.
I come to thee, Holy Father. Keep through thy own name those whom thou has given me, that I may be one as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.
Those that thou has give us, me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.
When the Lord Jesus was in the world, he kept his disciples in the name of God the Father.
But now that he's gone back.
He keeps us centered around His beloved son.
That's a place that he has marked out for us to be. It's not a physical place.
But it's a person that we're attracted to.
I would go on and verse 13 and now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world that they might have.
My joy fulfilled in themselves. Verse 15. I pray not that thou should have take them out of the world, but thou should have keep them from the evil.
Verse 17. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
As Allah sent me into the world, Even so I also send them into the world.
The Lord Jesus was here. He was doing his Father's will. He was here drawing souls to the Father to bring them to God from the darkness that they were in.
So they could have faith when the Lord Jesus went back to glory.
He left us here.
But we have something even that the Lord Jesus didn't have when he was here as a man.
He had the gospel really of the Kingdom to repent.
Enter into the Kingdom to recognize who he was, the Messiah, the Son of God.
But we have the gospel of God's grace through the work of the Son at Calvary's cross. We have been left here to spread that good news out to the world.
To attract souls to God.
That's each individual that's here, my responsibility and each one that's here to do this. And so the world is looking at at us individually, where we work or in school, whatever we do.
Eyes are upon us, and so we are able, with the help of the Lord Jesus, the help of God, to attract.
Souls in this day of grace to himself.
There's a verse there that yes, verse 21 There that are read that they all may be one as our Father art in me and I and thee They also may be one in US. The world may believe that thou has sent me, you know.
The Lord Jesus could say when he was here, I am, my Father are one, it says here.
That they may be one as our Father art in me and I indeed.
That they may be one, just as the Father and the Son were one.
That they may be one.
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That you and I together.
We are one in Christ. We're all in the body of Christ as believers.
Think what a world this would be.
If we were all really, truly.
Exhibiting this oneness to the world, just like the Lord Jesus did when he was here.
Displaying to the world the oneness that he had with God. I am my Father. I want.
Lord Jesus manifested that out through the world.
And this is what He wants from us to manifest. Manifest that Oneness out into the world.
And so it speaks to my own soul how sure that I come in doing this. We have so many.
Differences, differences in personalities and everything. And oftentimes we get distracted on those things instead of.
Improving.
Encouraging one another and to go on for the Lord as 11 purpose.
And so that first stands out to me. They may be one as our Father art in me, and I and thee, that they also may be one in US, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And so, Speaking of the testimony there of that oneness to the world.
And just in closing verse 25, will, righteous Father, the world have not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou has sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherein thou has loved me maybe in them, and I in them.
So that same love that the Lord Jesus had for his Father.
That led him to the Cross of Calvary, that love.
Should be in.
Us not just individually, but collectively as well.
I hope these few thoughts may encourage souls here that has done for me. I'll leave it there.
Personal.
Perhaps a long time.
1 Thessalonians 1
Reading
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I'll speak to the soul.
Thessalonians, Chapter one.
Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace unto you in peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power.
And in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men, we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia, in Aki. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, in Aki, but also in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything.
For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in He had unto you, we had unto you. And how He turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Perhaps most of us are familiar with but Paul.
This was the first epistle that he wrote.
And it was written to young converts that perhaps had been saved only about 3 weeks.
All and Silas, as we know, were shamefully entreated. Excuse me, I have to walk around and speak. Paul and Silas were.
Shamefully and treated in Philippi and they came from Philippi to Thessalonica they were.
Bearing the scars of Christ. And that didn't hinder Paul from announcing the glad tidings to these heathen Gentiles. There were Jews among them, but most of them were Gentiles steeped in idolatry, worshipping other gods.
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And Paul pressed in spirit, just after being imprisoned in Philippi and beaten and driven up to the city, you might say he changed the festival of nightmare.
With fresh power to present the gospel to these people. It's marvelous the energy of the Apostle Paul. Nothing damages zeal to preach the gospel to these people who are speech and idolatry and false religion.
And so we have in this epistle a marvelous unfolding, if I might say, of how a young convert should be treated, because these were three years, 3 weeks old and has never been visited by any other apostle that we know of. And so Paul.
Presents the gospel of Christ in all its power.
And preciousness to these hearts. And there was a tremendous response. However, Paul was driven out of Thessalonica by persecution. So we know from the context that these young believers were suffering.
Tangible persecution. In a real way, they were suffering for Christ and the apostle Paul.
That brings out.
Truth of the Lords coming in every chapter beautifully instructs them and nourishes them, not so much as an apostle, but as a shepherd, as a teacher, as a pastor. He really loved those Thessalonians. He was willing. You know, when Paul went to Thessalonians, Thessalonica.
Didn't take any money from the Thessalonians.
He didn't take $1.00. He worked with his old hands day and night and preached the gospel to those precious souls, didn't take any money from them. That's brought out in the second chapter affectionately desired desires of you. So I think that brethren, there's much profit for us in this epistle. It's it's a marvelous unfolding of the heart of God and the Lord's coming. It's very.
Largely addressed in these officials, very largely more so than in any other part of the world, I would say We have the Lords coming and the Lord Superior.
Have a lot in connection with prophecy in the second official because they were eating attacked by Satan was attacking them on every hand and that that's what happens in West Bengal, India where they preach the gospel.
Powerfully Satan Satans Kingdom is being assailed and he doesn't leave them alone. And you won't leave us alone either if we follow the example of Paul here. May the Lord bless those few.
Today, if you went over to that region of.
Would be about two hours drive from Philippi, about another hour or 45 minutes drive to Marine. Also mentioned in the 16th and 17th chapter.
Of the book of Acts, another city mentioned there is the city of Minneapolis and I believe it was the 1St place that the Apostle Paul put on European continent. I had the privilege several years ago and standing on a hillside overlooking that city of Neapolis and then going on to Philippi, seeing many of the ruins there that still.
Remain from that time.
And the supposed prison where the apostle Paul was held, and also the stream where Lydia and the other women were found, also had a chance to go on to Thessalonica, where there are no ruins today. We had no contact with any believers there, but it was still thrilling to get into that city. And then we went on to Berea again.
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No believers that we ran into, but it was so thrilling to read of the energy.
Of those in that city who searched the scriptures daily and.
It well becomes us to follow their example.
This epistle was written from torrent about.
8053 or so fairly close to that.
We know from the book of Acts that there were some believers from among the Jews who were there at Thessalonica and believed Lydia and household the Philippian. I'm sorry, I'm getting the wrong one. That's all I can just after that they went there, but they they went to the synagogue and and they were rejected is what I was getting at. And yet there were a few who believed before they went on to Berea. Wasn't it brother? So these were from the Jews and.
Yet not all there were many Gentiles who then believed later on and that's what we have at the end of this chapter. The the Gentiles were they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God in the way for her Son from heaven. So a few Jews composed this assembly and mostly Gentiles. And what it says here in the beginning is beautiful. It says Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy, Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God.
The Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. So they were those who had followed many idols out of the world, and they were.
Into gross idolatry when they heard the gospel and they believed and we're saved. And now Paul starts out the epistle this way to encourage him with these words, doesn't he? He says, no, you're not in any of that anymore.
It's the assembly of the Thessalonians in God.
The Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, they were in something entirely different, and as far as I understand that expression is only found here in Colossians 3.
You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. That is our place. Whatever may have been before and now this is where we all are. It doesn't matter where we came from, 2:00 or Gentile, we're brought into this incredible place. Outside of all that, we were safe in God.
What? What a thing to be encouraged about and to be comforted and to know that God has put us apart from all around in Himself.
I saw a brother already remarked in regard to this book. The Lord's coming is mentioned repeatedly, and rightly so. That is a blessed hope that we all should have within our hearts.
Each chapter has a little bit different character in a sense in regard to the Lord's coming. So we find perhaps just look at it quickly before we get into detail of the first chapter. At the end of the first chapter we see a talk about the Lord's coming.
So let's just read that there verse 9 and 10 for they themselves show us what manner of entering in us we had unto you how you turned from God. I'm sorry how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Notice there is a semi colon there. So the thought continue and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead. Even Jesus, which deliver us from the wrath to come. So it tells us that the moment they turn.
To God from idol, that's the first thing they have learned in a sense, the blessed hope they have the Lord coming should be very dear to them. So for many of us who perhaps have heard or learned this since we were a child, sometimes we don't value it, but it's something we should shouldn't it? That the coming of the Lord should be very dear to us for the moment that we are saved. In the second chapter we find through at the end there.
Let's read the last two verses. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul once and again. But Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ as his coming. So as we perhaps have a little sense earlier on talking about we have difficulties in our lives. So here we find even the apostle that Satan hindered him and we have understand that those hindering.
Is ordered by God, but it shouldn't stop the enjoyment for it. So he raised that question for those who has been redeemed. What is your joy I'm sorry. What is your hope or joy or crown of rejoicing. So it's something that we should we should have that before our hearts too and then be reminded of all those things are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.
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Now in the third chapter.
We find that it tells us that again. Let's read the last two verses again, chapter 3 And the Lord made you to increase and abound in loved one, toward another, and toward all man, even as we do toward you to the end, He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Saints. So he tells us a little bit more.
How there is a coming, but he distinguished it a bit, the coming with the Saints. And we are to be established. Our hearts are to be established because we know there will be the coming that we have with the Lord. But wait a minute, how do we come with the Lord that is coming unless we are taken out of this scene first. So in the 4th chapter that we often look at to encourage one another. Some were concerned about what about those that who have gone before.
Those who died before the Lord's coming, what happened to them? So he was able to tell them that when that child come, the voice of the Archangel there, he said there, the Lord's coming is different in that sense. He doesn't come as if he's going to come and touch his feet on this earth. He's going to come in the clouds. So he said that the dead in Christ shall rise first. Those who have been gone, they will rise first from the grave, from wherever the body could not be in. Well, what if they were eaten and torn by lions as a martyr? No, they will become first. What if they were burned and there's no physical?
Body left they will rise, they will rise 1St and then as if we which are alive and remain We're not going to lose out neither we are going to be caught up and they said together in the in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. That's how we have to be taken away, ****** away from this world so that we what we can come back with him as he come back to reign. So the Lord's coming if you want to think of it are in 2 installments.
One is the Saints to be when they come the first time, take us out of this world, and then he comes when he come to execute judgment, then we will come back with him. Then the 5th chapter, we won't go to the the other one in the 5th chapter. Then he talked about you know this case is the 1St 2 verses, not the last, but of the times and seasons. Brethren, you have no need that I write unto you for yourself. No, perfectly that.
The day of the Lord's soul cometh as a thief in the night.
The Lord's coming as a thief in the night and never referred to the rapture. This is referred to when He come to execute judgment. Times and seasons again is another phrase that does not refer to Christians. So this here speaks of His coming to execute judgment. So in these five chapters, as we go through them, we'll see the different character in a sense of the Lord's coming.
There was a real transformation, as we have here in verse 9, the verse that was read.
They turn to God from idol.
But there's a positive aspect too, isn't there? To serve the living and true God in the book of Acts there at least two other examples.
In connection with those turning to the board, there's one incident that's given in the 9th chapter in the case of the healing of Aeneas and in verse 34.
Peter says on to that man had kept to his bed for eight years.
Arise.
Jesus Christ maketh the whole arise, and makes thy bed in the Rose immediately. And all that dwelt at Vida, and Sarah Sarin saw him and turned to the Lord. So there's a pronounced turning to the Lord, isn't there? And again in the 11Th chapter in connection with the church at Antioch. Antioch, and in verse.
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20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believe and turned onto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go.
As.
Are as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was fled, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. So there was an immediate response when that message was received in Jerusalem, that they had turned to the ward. And so Barnabas is sent forth as far as Antioch.
When we go back to the chapter, we find the apostle Paul introduced himself very differently. We find in the book of Ephesians he'll say Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ. That's interesting how he has to state his apostleship or his authority and will find in the Philippians that he would say point to most years.
Servants of Jesus Christ and then we find in other chapters it will say they'll call himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ. But here in our chapter, they just simply say Paul, Sylvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians. He's not exerting any authority here. He's he's encouraging them, isn't he? He's speaking to them as if it was in a similar level to encourage them there. He can he can commend them. What a way to open up his book or his letter.
He noticed, he said, we give thanks to God always for you, making mention of you in your prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father. What commendation? I'm thinking if someone were to write a letter about us or perhaps our assembly, but we find them mention that. Well, we know they'll say they give thanks to God for us.
But there he can say to them that the work of faith, you can't have someone change. It's not a political letter where you write something flattery. Here he's actually commending them of the faithfulness, the labor of love and so on. What a nice way for him to commend his brother.
There's a very special place that young converts have.
In the sight of of God the Father and brother Tim touched on it and a verse that comes to mind to think of the Thessalonians is the blessing of the youngest son of Jacob by Moses and Deuteronomy 33.
That would be Benjamin Deuteronomy 3312 And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him. And so we have the church, which is in God the Father. It's a very tender place, while safety safely by him. And the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
I think some of us, maybe many of us, have the memory of what it was for our father to pick us up.
And to put us up on his shoulders, you know, was a kind of AI still remember it. I love that when he would put me up on his shoulders and you just felt like you're invincible up there. You're dwelling between his shoulders, that place of strength. And you let you know Dad would get tired after a while, put you down, but you could just stay there. It was a wonderful place to be. And this young assembly, these young converts had a very special place.
In the heart of God the Father in their youth in that way, and they did in the apostle apostles heart as well. He says in chapter 2 and I think that's why you know, perhaps that Apostolic.
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Introduction. As you were mentioning, Brother Dave is perhaps dropped off. He says we were like a nursemaid with her own children among you. He just had such a tender care. You know, there's one that stands out in such contrast with that.
And that's Gahesai, the servant of Elijah, Elijah who when Damon came and embraced the God of Israel and was sent away in peace by Elijah Gahes, I said, I'm going to take something from him and went after him and the leprosy of name and clung to get his eye for the rest of his life. That was an offense to God. He had a very special care for that young convert. And so he does. And we need to, too. There's so much to learn, you know, when you're like that. It's so wonderful to have, as we had read there of Benjamin, to take a young convert under the wing.
So much instruction. You know, Paul had been there a short time and it says if we look back at Acts that the the rabble rousers stirred up by Satan to oppose the truth of God says these men preach another king other than Caesar. So from the very beginning Paul had introduced to them that the Lord Jesus Christ was the coming king.
To introduce them to the thought that he was going to come and establish his Kingdom. He didn't have a lot of time to convey many things and all their details.
But he made sure they got that. And now he's writing this epistle because there's a lot of detail to fill in, but he made sure they got that point right up front, and that's a important part of.
With a new convert to the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring before them the hope of the believer, the Lord's coming not just for them, but that he's going to come and establish his Kingdom and have his rightful place.
To be close to someone who has.
All power, all wisdom, And who is?
Love itself would inspire confidence in that one. And it's striking how many times the apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, and he mentions it here to the Thessalonians in the second chapter, writes about how he had confidence in you, in the Lord.
At the end, very end of the book of Acts, when Paul had been through all of that, and I assume he had already written the epistle to the second Epistle to Timothy, and there he is under restraint and he teaches, receives all that come in unto him.
Teaching them. Let me turn to it, I think it says with all boldness.
Teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding them.
And so you know.
It sounds almost silly to say it, but we need to have confidence that the Lord knows what He's doing when he starts a work. This was a work in the Spirit of God. And yes, it was only three weeks, but Paul didn't leave. And then and then get in touch with brethren in another place and say, well, why don't you guys go over there and you can maybe be received over there. You go back to Philippi or you go down to Berea, which he hadn't been to yet, or you go back across the water into Ephesus or somewhere.
You know, you go on for a few years and maybe the Lord will spread his table there. No, it was a work of the Spirit of God and he raised them up and Paul could see it and he had confidence in the Lord in spite, as Steven was saying, the difficulty that swept in so quickly, and yet he could stay here. There was a work of faith already, a labor of love, and though it was being challenged and would be taken up later in both of these epistles.
There was patience of hope and the enemy was seeking to attack their hope and and undermine their patience. But it's a good thing for all of us when we see the Spirit of God working somewhere, you know, not to get all weak in the knee and and pessimistic.
Thinking that we have to resort to other means and methods and men.
That the Lord can do His work and raise up that which is needed to sustain the testimony that He raises up.
Other thing that is noticeable in the epistle.
References to the Lordship of Christ. I think these epistles you have more references to the Lordship of Christ than any other book in the New Testament.
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That is a personal relationship.
We may know the Lord is our Savior and deliverance from a lost eternity through the work of Calvary, but have we acknowledged Him as our Lord, as the one in control of our lives? That we are no longer our own or have the right to to choose for ourselves, but we belong to the Lord and He is to direct our steps I think if I remember correctly.
In this first epistle, the Lordship of Christ is mentioned 25 times.
And in the second official something like 20 times. So it it was a burden upon the heart of the apostle. Remember that these converts were babes. They had little knowledge of the truth. And that was one of Paul's exercises. There might be two things established and 2nd comforted or encouraged.
That's why he sent Timothy chapter 3 to establish them. They come out of hedonism. Immoral practices were rampant there.
Paul speaks of those things in chapter one. We have the vital signs of true conversion, but later on we have the teaching of the sanctification, which is very important.
Sometimes we may look at this and say, well, we're not really preaching for those who are idle worshippers, so we don't really see the fact that many will turn from idols to God. But I believe we can take that application even among ourselves here this afternoon. We have people perhaps, or I should say we have some, maybe have not a very good grasp of the word of God. Maybe we have younger ones that we assume they should know.
But they don't know it is our responsibility, isn't it, to treat or to go back to the very fundamentals at times. Because often even when we talk, we assume, you know, certain stories. So as we go on to expand scriptures, we assuming that the stories and verses that we quote that you should understand. So it's important to go back to the basic of things. But then too, we will look at and say, well, perhaps this brother didn't expound it properly and and you are so right and often.
Perhaps we didn't expand it properly, but here he's reminding them, let's let's just look at verse 4, verse three. They were commended of the hope and so on. Verse four, he said, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. Well, we have to go back to the book of Romans, don't we? Predestinated and election. God has chosen us before the foundation of the world.
So you may say, well, the brother didn't present the word properly, it's OK, it's the Word of God. We need to leave that in his hand. Let's go to verse 5. For our gospel came not until you in Word only. Yes, so right, we preach the Word and rightly so, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost do we recognize that what we say should always be the Word of God and let the Word of God do the work rather than our enticing words.
Is the Spirit that works in the heart, isn't it God's the one that Abel to grow a tooth, to open those hearts and to lead them on? So it goes on and say, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what, man of man, we were among you for your sake.
To go back to verse 2.
Since we give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers. It's very similar language to Romans chapter one, the apostle Paul thank the Lord for the Saints, which I think is is a word to me because sometimes I forget to do that. It's a good thing to do to to give thanks to the Lord for our brethren helps have a right attitude, I think towards one another too. But on the other side of it, we find part of why that even was in verse 3.
It was already mentioned they were going on well at the beginning. My brother mentioned already that the things that were so well at the beginning had slept. And the apostle we find in chapter three was despairing for a time as to whether they continued that way. And indeed when he got the report back, he found out they were continuing to do well, at least in the faith and the hope. How we get that in in chapter 3 and verse six, he says Timotheus came from you.
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Unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity or love that you have good remembrance of us always doesn't mention the hope there, but they were still going on well and so that's really another part of this. Do we give reason for our brethren to thank the Lord for us. I think it's good both ways to to be involved in.
Thinking about what our brother Bruce shared about having confidence in God's work rather than putting confidence in our work and what we can do.
And with that in mind, I'm going to ask a question and if someone has had a thought about it I'd like to hear that. But if not, I don't want to take us aside or take up time on this. But it's always been a curious thing to me that.
The contrast between the way that Paul's ministry, that his preaching was received and were not received really in Thessalonica but was received in Berea. And it says they were more noble. They received the word with readiness of mind. They would search the scriptures daily to confirm what he said and yet you never hear of an assembly in Berea.
And that's always been a curious thing to me.
You think they would would have been a really nice, strong and firm and well established assembly in Berea, considering that that they received the word, but you never hear about that. I maybe there was and and we just don't bet it's I just wonder if anyone ever had a thought about here in the midst of this where you would think and and this goes back to what Bruce shared, you would think that you would think the opposite would happen. How would how would there be an assembly established in Thessalonica?
And not in Berea.
You look back at the account and Acts chapter 17.
Two things. Sometimes when.
This subject's taken up, and those in Berea are spoken of as more noble. It's presented as if the Christians in Berea were more noble. That's not what he's saying. The Jews in Berea were more noble. The Jews in Thessalonica were not. They stirred up the people against Paul, but the Jews in Berea were more noble.
They did not. That's strictly the contrast, not between Christians and Christians. It's the synagogue, the Jews and Thessalonica and that bria. Secondly, the consequence is mentioned.
Therefore, verse 12. Therefore, many of them believed.
So even though specifically if assembly isn't mentioned, I would think we would draw from that that there certainly was one there.
Perhaps they were going on well enough that they didn't get a letter.
It was mentioned.
By her brother when he suggested the chapter. A lot in this for for young believers.
To get established in the pathway. And I think this book, if I'm mistaken perhaps is the first book that the apostle Paul wrote. It seems like the Lord, when he went back to glory, could hardly wait to.
Give a message out about the rapture that would be in more detail.
He spoke of of himself coming back for his own in John 14, but it seems like he wanted his people here to have the comfort of knowing his return. And so we haven't this epistle, a lot of detail about the Lord coming for the Saints.
There's other things in here, though, that be an encouragement to young people. I'll just mention a few of them in chapter one. There we have verse 4 election.
And then in verse five, we have the Trinity, his word, power, Holy Ghost, we have assurance mentioned there all these things so important to us as whether we're young or old. But if you want to learn these things, a lot of the doctrines of the apostle Paul are given in this epistle, most of them. And then in in verse nine, we have turned to God from idols as conversion.
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Which is simply turning away from whatever you're going on with.
If you're not the Lord's and to turn to him for forgiveness as conversion. So they turned to God from idols. And then #10 or the next one is number tenth verse to wait for his Son from heaven. The hope of the Lord's return to wait for his Son from heaven. Then as we go over a little farther in the book.
Chapter 2.
And that chapter brings out our walk should be consistent with our position before Christ. And so verse 12 That you should walk worthy of God who have called you onto his Kingdom and glory and added verse four. We have sanctification mentioned in verse three that we're set apart for God. Every believer has been set apart not only positionally, but then we have responsibility for practical.
Sanctification to keep ourselves holy and so that we might be used for God. So there's a positional sanctification which has already been done on the cross by Christ, but then there's a practical sense sanctification that we're responsible for. And then we have in verse five or verse chapter 5 and verse two, we have the day of the Lord mentioned.
And.
The last one I was had here was that in verse 23 of chapter five he brings out that.
We're man is a try being his body, his soul and his spirit. So there's a lot of information in this one chapter for all of us, but especially young believers can learn a lot about the Apostle Paul's doctrine.
Any advice from the Lord that we have from him in this chapter? I think brother John when he mentioned this chapter he was thinking of the young brothers and sisters here that that want to go on for the Lord. This is a real good chapter.
I wonder if his statement in verse 4, Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God is a bit of a balance to the praise that He gives to what was going on in their lives in verse 3.
He sees the work of faith, the labor of love, the patience of hope.
In verse six he commenced them again. He became followers of us and of the Lord. You had much joy of the Holy Ghost, but.
In verse four, he says, knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God, this was God's work and it wasn't a work as we would say of one day or two. And it wasn't as if he just in passing said, you know what, Thessalonica, that's a pretty big city. I think I'll save some people there as someone already quoted every believer as an individual.
Should realize, because it's true, that you were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
And this is a truth that is good for the babes in Christ.
When I was first converted and brought to the meetings.
There in rural Maine, I remember the older brothers teaching me there in the meeting and at the kitchen table because they used to like to tell a story about a converted man. And he came into one of the brothers kitchens and he kept saying when I found the Lord, when I found the Lord, when I found the Lord. And he was really kind of pounding his chest a little bit in happiness about what he had done.
Finally, the older brother got a little exasperated and just said, brother, you didn't find the Lord. He found you. And a matter of fact, you weren't even looking for him. And that was a story that they passed on to each other down through the years. And so it's good to learn. And perhaps everyone in this room that's old enough to to listen knows the analogy used that you come up to a building, you come up to the meeting room in Palmyra, there brown building. And it's as if on the outside it said, whosoever will may come.
And maybe you in your own soul, you can remember when the gospel message appealed to you, and maybe you were nervous and sitting in your seat and trembling.
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I can remember that moment in my youth when when I my heart was pounding like I thought it would break.
With this decision before me.
And we all thought that when we believed, it's something we did, and we did do something we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. But as the brothers would teach us, we go inside this building and you look up over the same door, and you see chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
The truth of election is a truth that needs to be taught to babes. It's a foundation truth.
It's not something to be debated, and only one who ignores it is woven through the entire New Testament. John teaches it and Paul teaches it and Peter teaches it and you and I need to teach it and to understand it. And what does it do? It leads you to a place in your soul when you say.
Why me?
Like to look at something in verse 50? Sorry, go ahead.
And that why me?
Sorry, I didn't mean to be discourteous. Now why me? Is is is the gap between your inability to answer that question yourself and the fact that you have the question honestly is That gap is filled up by worship.
As the Lord told the woman at the Well of Psycho.
He has the heavens filled with servants.
If, like Elijah could say to us today, Lord, open their eyes, we'd see them all around us.
He has servants, He wants worshippers, He wants those that enter into the things that are the most precious to him.
And that's what worship is, the enjoyment with the Father of His beloved Son, and to stand, so to speak, behind His Son and to rejoice at the love of a Father. He chose us, He chose you. He didn't choose us as a group, He chose you individually.
The time came, he called you and.
That's how you came inside this wonderful place, and that's why me, the Lord had a why me too. And it was on Calvary's cross.
He said why that's thou forsaken me.
The only sinless one was Forsaken.
And we have the answer to that because he loved you and he loved me.
And he loved his father. And so when you get down and discourage and trials come into your life, that's another time you might say, why me? Why is this happening to me? I woke up in the middle, wake up in the middle of night. And I mean.
Ridiculous pain. Why me? Well.
Answer to all these things. He's chosen us, He loves us, He orders our lives and it's a basic thing to lay hold of is that our blessing and our privileges are all because of Him and nothing that you did.
That's why He can fit us and does fit us to be worshippers. I'm sorry. No, it's enjoying what you said. Now I was just noticing something in verse five connection with that speaking about the election of God. He goes on in verse five and says our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance.
What was that? That was the gospel coming as a work of the Holy Spirit of God. And what was he doing? He was assuring them.
Of their election.
He wasn't leaving them in doubt. He wasn't letting them wonder. Which is exactly what any true work of the Holy Spirit is, isn't it? To bring us into that knowledge that it didn't depend on us, it was a work of God. He did this before the foundation of the world. He made the choice. And if he made the choice, then what do I have to worry about or to fear? And doesn't that give assurance? Today there is so much that claims to be of the Spirit of God among charismatics and others. They they claim that they're characterized by that. And this is the one thing they all universally deny.
This very point.
That God has chosen us and so they don't have this assurance at all.
These ones dead because it was a true work of a Spirit of God. So any true work of the Spirit of God will give us to know our election of God and it will come with that assurance so that we can be the worshippers you're Speaking of.
It's not a truth that's intuitive, so to speak.
To us as as new converts, we need the revelation of the Scriptures to bring this home to us. That beautiful illustration of that is found in the Gospel of John chapter one. Gospel of John, chapter one.
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And verse 43.
The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
Now Philip was of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith unto him, We have found him.
Oh, wait a minute, that's not what we read. We just read that the Lord found Philip.
But in the experience of his soul, he's not lying, he's just saying it how he experienced it. And that's why we need the revelation of Scripture as to the truth of election and God's sovereign choice, because it's not our experience. And when we're newly saved, that experience really figures very largely in our lives.
I think if you turn back again to Acts 17 in regard to what you've said about experience in the Scriptures.
Think it's there where it says the.
Reasoned. See if I can find this here.
Perhaps my eye doesn't see it, but they reasoned I'm sorry. Verse two of the same chapters, Acts 17 and two.
This was in.
Thessalonica Paul as his manner was, went in unto them in three Sabbath days, reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. That is, you build understanding out of what the word of God says, and you go from there. You bring your experience to the word of God and judge the word of God by your experience. You're going to find shipwreck. But the other way around is what I learned the practical reality as a believer, young or old.
I need to evaluate the circumstances of my life based upon what Scripture says about them. That's the way I meant to process the circumstances of life. That's the way I meant to understand things. Do I understand exactly how or why?
That the Son of God in the past eternity in concert with Father would pick me.
I do not, and you don't either.
But it's so, and I read it, I believe it.
I can say that I understand it in my limited way and I move forward in liberty and assurance, as Tim was saying, based upon it.
I thought to emphasize the Spirit of God here because they were under the influence. They were under the. I don't like to use the word influence. The Spirit of God is not an influence, but he's a person.
They were under the control of the sphere of thought here, and that's what gave them, though they were very young in the truth. It gave them apostrophe for intelligence.
The apostle goes on here to unfold through them Very.
Special truths, revelations that were not given to any other group of believers in chapter 4 and the two parts of the Lords coming which generally is confused and christened them today. But I was just thinking that the Holy Ghost was not breathed in. These young conflicts were never exhorted to be sealed with the Holy Spirit.
But we are exhorted to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The sealing of the Holy Spirit comes when we believe in the finished work of Christ. Weakening and sealing are not the same thing. I think we understand that.
But in Ephesians 5, there's definitely an exhortation to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If I'm going to be filled, I have to get certain things out of my life. I'm going to fill a room with chairs. I better get other things out that are taking up space there. For another illustration, I've been invited to Brother Steve's Steve Stewart all different times and that I'm giving my room there in the hall.
I appreciate this hospitality, but if he comes along and says, John here at Confidence in You and here's the keys to every room in the house, well then I fill the house.
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I'm no longer confined to my room.
But I'm filling the house, I have access to every part of it and that's what the Lord would have in our lives that we are yielded to the Spirit of God that he that we get those extraneous or.
Evil things out of our lives so that the Spirit of God is not hindered in His operation, operating in our soul because we're told. I think maybe it was mentioned, breathe not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Hope you already had your redemption. That's the redemption of the body.
Sealed unto the day of redemption. Sealed. Even if you fail, even if you sin, you are still sealed with the Holy Spirit.
But he can no longer comfort you. Instead of comforting you, he grieves you. He recruits you about something in your life or my life which is contrary to the holiness of God or whatever it is. This these Thessalonians in the freshness of first love, I think it's so encouraging to read it. They were yielded to the Spirit of God and his work in their soul.
I just like to mention.
One other thing on election.
Election brings a thought forward that.
We have been elected for something.
You know, have people running down the states here, same as home, they, they put their names in as a candidate and they.
Want to be elected?
Perhaps to a?
Government job somewhere and so they put their name in us or elected in they have a certain function that they're required to do that goes along with the office that they that they run to fill.
I saw what thought the way it works with God, we don't put our names in and after to elect us.
God elects whom He wants. I don't have to know why God elected me. I don't need to know that, nor could I know it anyway, but God elected me. What I do like to know though, why? What has God liked him before? You know, there's a purpose why God has elected me. I think we have it in the chapter we go down to.
Verse 9.
It says there that.
How you turn middle of that verse, how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God. In the broad sense, that's what we're elected for, to do, to serve God here in this scene.
Now there may be I would have another question. Well, OK Lord, and in serving and serving you, what is it that exactly you want me to do in serving you. And the Lord may reveal something to you that He wants you to do. You may have, He may give you some gift of ministry or whatever it might be, and you can serve the Lord in that way. But.
The Lord has elected each one here.
For a purpose.
To serve him. That's a broad sense, but then there's other categories within that also in ways that we can serve the Lord. It's important to understand that we think of election and we think in the world sense somebody runs for election, they get elected in, they have a certain function to fill and that's that's election. But in God's word, it's God does the election.
The elections, whoever he will and but he has a purpose. That's the thing to remember.
Everyone of us here, God has elected. He is given a purpose to fulfill. There's a general sense also that we know that God's.
If we could say ultimate purpose here on the earth is to manifest himself, and he did that in the sun and then after.
The Lord's death and resurrection and ascension, he manifests his life and nature through the corporate Christ, you might say through the assembly. And so that's his purpose. And so part of our election is one brother once put it, he said God does not so much want us to do for him as he wants us to be for him and to be something for him. And corporately we are to be a testimony to his life in nature. So.
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We find ourselves part of that great plan to manifest Christ in this scene. We can hang our heads in humility and thankfulness that we're included in that great plan.
The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Address—Tim Ruga
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Could we start the meeting?
By singing just the first verse of 228.
Join all the glorious names of wisdom, love, and power that mortals ever knew, that angels ever bore. All are too mean to speak His word, too mean to set the Savior forth #228 just the first verse.
Join all the glory.
Oh.
Let's pray.
Could we start by turning to Matthew chapter 23?
Matthew 23.
And verse 18.
Lord Jesus speaking, he says, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing, but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Now these are not the Lord's words. He's repeating what the scribes and the Pharisees said.
He says then in verse 19, you fools and blind weather, is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? So what is the Lord talking about here?
Well, for the scribes and Pharisees, they had gotten quite taken up with apparently the gift that they were offering up of its various forms and forgetting all about the altar and its importance. And there's much to that subject that I don't intend to go into, but I want to use this just as an application of what is on my heart. Because when I consider this verse, I thought, well.
I think about the gift. I think of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that is indeed.
What those sacrifices offered in the altar all spoke of, and I thought, well, what could be greater than that gift? And the Lord says here.
Which is greater? The gift of the altar that sets it apart?
I puzzled over that for a little and I thought, well, the altar clearly speaks of Christ as well.
It's the basis, the foundation for the gift. It's that on which God ordained that the gift should be offered up on, not any altar, but it had to be in a proper foundation. And in my application, it has to do with the person and the work of Christ. The work of Christ is so precious and so valuable to us.
But not when it's separated from his person.
He is the altar and without the foundation of himself, his blessed person, the gift doesn't have the value. It requires that foundation. And this isn't the only place, of course, where you can find this thought. We are considering not long ago in First Corinthians chapter 2, where the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians.
That when he came among them, he determined to know nothing.
Save Jesus Christ and him crucified. There it is again, those two things. Jesus Christ, his person and him crucified, His work, both of them vital foundational doctrines. But what is on my heart today has to do more with the 1St. In fact, it has to do everything with the 1St. I want to talk a little bit this afternoon about the.
Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I want to talk about this person in connection with three things, because if you take a subject up like this, obviously it's vast. Another thing about taking it up, our brother mentioned earlier in the open meeting that the apostle Paul said, I only know in part, and I'm painfully conscious of that when speaking on a subject like this, you're going to speak about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. How much do we actually apprehend of His blessed person?
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And I have to tell you for myself.
It's probably a lot less than it ought to be, but by God's grace I've enjoyed a few things and I want to share them here today. Three things in particular. First of all, I wanted to speak about His divinity. Second of all, I want to speak shortly about the Trinity, and particularly as it relates to God the Son. And the third thing is about his holy nature.
These three things, a couple of these have already been mentioned here earlier today.
So if we were to go on and see if you say, well how important is that? I think no true believer will question it. But the Lord made it very clear when it comes to His work. You go on in John chapter 6 and you find that the Lord said, except you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you've got no life in you. And whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood have eternal life and I will raise him up.
At the last day.
And so he's speaking about believing in him, believing in his work, and actually making it part of yourself. And he's saying without that, there's no salvation. The same is true, though, when it comes to this person. And for that, we can go to John 8. Let's turn there. John chapter 8, and these are many of the verses I'll be reading here this afternoon, are well known.
To many here, but there may be some that haven't considered them yet. And.
It's to you. I'm mainly speaking.
And for all of us, we can enjoy the truth of these words. Verse 24 John 824 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins. These are the ones who had rejected what the Lord had said, improving all that he was.
Middle verse 24 for if you believe not that I am.
He shall die in your sins. Father told us earlier we should check the J&D translation. Even in our King James. You can see it's in italics. He does not belong there.
The Lord Jesus is speaking about the fact that He is the great I am. And what does that mean? Well, we could go back to Exodus chapter 3 and look at that forsake of time. I'll just refer to it. The Lord had come to Moses and sent him to the children of Israel to give a message unto them. And they said, well, and Moses said, well, who should I say has sent me? And the Lord said.
I am that I am.
And he said to Moses, shall you say to the children of Israel?
I am has sent me unto you.
That was his name.
The eternal self existent one, the I am a short God and here in this verse there is simply no question the Lord Jesus is saying unless you believe I am.
You could say I am God, you will die in your sins. There is no other way around that. We must believe in who He is, in His person that He is indeed.
The not only the Son of God, but God the Son, the true.
Son of God come from God himself, God in himself. Just go a little further on this chapter. We see this proved.
At the end of the chapter, verse 58.
Verse 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet 50 years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
And Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was.
I am.
Now I could stand here and I could say before.
My child was. I was.
And that would be true because I was. I existed before any of my children.
I could not say before Stephen Stewart was I was that would not be true because he is older than me.
But in no case and with anyone could I say before so and so was I am.
Because this language applies to one and one only, and that is the eternal self existent one, the one who is speaking, saying these words, our Lord Jesus Christ. And so he we have here very plainly presented in the Scripture the Lord Jesus claiming to be all that He ever was, God.
00:10:20
Truly God, God the Son, come in the flesh.
And I just want to stop for a moment and tell a story, something that happened many years ago and partly why this is so much in my heart. When I was just in my maybe the very end of my teens, I was going to school and I was in Newark, NJ. And every day I used to walk along there and I used to pass a whole group of people that would stand in the train station.
And they would hold up magazines that said Awake on them. Have you ever seen them?
And I would pass a group of maybe 10 of them. I think there was quite a number like that every single day there. And it bothered me a lot. I thought, well, you know, I, I know the truth regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation. And I'm a believer. And I walked past them. They're out there claiming to offer something to people. I ought to perhaps talk to them.
One day I got off the nerve, the nerve and I, I did. I went and spoke to them.
And about half the group immediately converged on me and we had quite a fight. I have to say I don't know that it was profitable.
And in all of that, it's just struggling to make my points and doing what I was thinking to defend the Lord Jesus. But something happened and.
Scared me a lot when I left that place, I was shaken.
They had said something that really scared me.
They spoke about the Lord Jesus and they said well He is not God because he's only a creature and in fact the Word of God says that he's the first born of every creature. He was the first one created and everyone followed him.
I knew there was ever something like that.
And it scared me a lot. But what scared me more was than that was this. That here I was a believer, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I was actually doubting this question, But how could this be?
Am I not even saved at all? Have I missed something? Well I did what any believer would do. I went back to God in His Word and I got some helps too and I went up and and looked up every verse I could find on this subject.
Until I was entirely satisfied from the Word of God that those people were wrong, that the Word of God is crystal clear about the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he is indeed God. I came to the same point that Thomas did, where I could say my Lord and my God, and I'm so glad that Thomas doubted.
It was, I wasn't the first one, a true believer, but it's good to get a hold of these things. It's very important that we go.
And we learn what the word of God has to say about the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and understand something about that. And it's not just good to have had knowledge or maybe to be assured that we weren't wrong. No, there's something wonderful about this. And when you go and you take up the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and you drink him in, and you eat him as that true bread that came down from heaven.
Indeed, you and I will find rest for our souls.
This is not meant as an intellectual exercise. Let's go and look at the verse that those ones were quoting that days in Colossians 1.
Colossians 1.
And the end of verse 13 says his dear son talking about God the Father, and now it goes on to speak some things about his dear Son, or the Son of his love.
Verse 14 In whom we have redemption, who is blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature. Now again, that's not the best translation should no doubt be as Mr. Darby translates with the first born of all creation, the Lord Jesus.
Is called here the first born of all creation.
00:15:01
It isn't that he was a creature at all.
He was the first born in this. That is creation. And what does that mean?
Well, like any other subject in the Word of God, you typically don't have to go far to find out.
But especially when it comes to this subject that we're talking about today, because there is nothing that the Spirit of God guards more jealously in the Scriptures than the person of Christ. And so you will find the teaching regarding Him and His person.
Laid out in the plainest terms over and over again the scripture from new to old. So we just go on down here.
Verse 16 For by him were all things created.
That are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible.
Whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. Doesn't that answer the question quite directly and show that actually our King James Bibles don't have the right word when it comes to creature, at least not created creature?
No, our Lord Jesus Christ was not created. If He was created then how could everything be created by Him as it says in John chapter one and verse 3, without Him was not anything made that was made?
Impossible.
It was all created by him.
So they were wrong when they said that he was the first created being. Clearly the scriptures show that he is not a created being. Everything created was done by him. And who could do that?
God alone He had to be before all the other things that were created, and that is what was true of our Lord Jesus Christ in verse 17. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. Notice what it says here doesn't say He was before all things.
We're back to that word. I am again, aren't we?
Is before all things. Only God could speak this way. It's God of whom it says in Isaiah chapter 57 that he is the high and lofty one who dwells in eternity for me and you. We dwell in space and we can walk this way, then we can walk that way, go back again, but when it comes to eternity, we don't.
Blown it that way. We live in it, yes, but we're bound by it entirely. God is not.
I can't go backwards in time, I can't even go forward in time. I just go along with time as God has ordained it. But God is not so bound. And this is our Lord Jesus Christ. And so He could say I am. He is before all things. He lives in the ever existing present. He is that one that we can only dimly apprehend.
Well.
If we could go back and look about what it says here, the first born of every creature, what does that mean? We could go back to Psalm 89, I believe it is. And there God says that He would make David his first born harder than the kings of the earth.
How could that be? David was last born of Jesse's eighth sons.
Clearly, who wasn't first born in terms of the first one born? And so we see definitely from Scripture that first born is used to mean something else. When you go to Jeremiah 31 and find the same expression about Ephraim. And who was Ephraim? God speaking about bringing the children of Israel back. He wasn't even one of Israel's children. He was a grandson and not even the 1St.
In his family, the 2nd.
That is not anything to do.
In these examples, with the first one born does it speaking about something else entirely. So what is it speaking about? Well, let's continue on in Colossians one, and he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead. Oh no, there's another first born.
He wasn't the first one raised, but even that isn't the point.
The point is what we have in the last clause of this 18th verse, that in all things he might have the preeminence. That is what the Spirit of God is speaking about when He's speaking about first born of all creation. In everything the Lord Jesus has the preeminence. He has that place above the others, just like God would give to David.
00:20:17
Like he will in that coming day to Ephraim.
That's the idea. Not that the first one, this one, was the first one born for the Lord Jesus was the first one created, but that He is the one to have that place above all others before God.
He himself, God the Son. Now one more that I just want to refer to and First Timothy chapter three, First Timothy 3.
And there's so many of these.
That I would just recommend if somebody wants to go and look, there's more than 100 reasons.
I forget the rest of the title by BTP. It's all online. It's free now, There's Brown's book on Jesus, Jehovah. These are wonderful little pamphlets that lay this subject out beautifully, and they lay out enough that you can take many, many, many hours to go through it and enjoy every single minute of them too. But we're going to just have to limit it here.
Sake of time and so it says First Timothy 3 verse 16 and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. This is our Lord Jesus Christ. God manifests in the flesh. Don't let anyone try to take that away from you like those ones did that day this subject.
Is established.
Clearly in the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, though it says in Second Corinthians he was crucified in weakness.
Yet he lives by the power of God, and he ever was. This what we have here.
God manifest in the flesh. I would encourage you something else too.
Her brother was reading about Philip and Daniel. Get a little further down, you see.
Nathanael finally meets the Lord and.
He said, well, when did you see me, Rabbi? Lord said I saw you when you were under the tree.
Nathaniel realized that here was one who was all knowing.
And speaking about his omniscience, it's a divine attribute of God. It belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not belong to creatures who are created.
He has that attribute.
Nathaniel says thou art the king of Israel, Thou art the Son of God. He acknowledges he's God the Son. Who else could do that? You go on to John chapter 2, the beginning of the chapter. You find that there's a wedding in King of Galilee, and the Lord Jesus then takes water and he makes it into wine. What is that? Who can do that?
Only God a being all powerful.
The Creator, that's his omnipotence, another divine attribute of God. You go a little further in John you find the Lord Jesus speaking and he says no man came down from heaven, but he who came down.
Out of heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.
What is that? The Lord Jesus was there talking to them at the same moment he was in heaven.
How could that be?
Because he's omnipresent, a divine attribute of God. These things belong to God and to God alone, and you will find these things and many other divine attributes.
Tied to Him and His person as presented in the Holy Scriptures and to no created being. And He would leave that through each one here to go.
If you haven't made that study, go ahead and do it. It's a wonderful study.
Going on just if we could to look at the second part of what I wanted to speak about is the Trinity. And here we have.
A whole other subject involving more than the Lord Jesus. But if I could introduce it this way, was at a conference like this where a brother came up to me and he said, what would you say God is? Is he one God who shows himself?
00:25:01
In different ways.
Or would you say that he is?
A3 Distinct persons.
I said, well, undoubtedly the 2nd. And it's important, isn't it? This is the doctrine of the Trinity.
And God has revealed in the scriptures is one. Yes, that is true.
But he has revealed himself in three eternally distinct divine persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And we need to understand that this is what the Scripture teaches. There are many who call themselves Christians today who deny this doctrine. And so if we could, I just want to look at that. I'll refer to some of it.
You find this alluded to right in the beginning of.
The Bible, Genesis one verse 26, God, Elohim plural, said let us make man in our own, in our image and after our likeness. There's a plurality there, God saying this, so he's speaking.
To more than one.
Who would that be? Angels, No.
The angels Angels never created anything.
It's a Trinity, and we don't find out the doctrine of the Trinity in that verse. In fact, we've got to go all the way to the New Testament to really get it clearly laid out for us. But it's God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit conferring in themselves as to what they are going to do. And so we have this truth animated at least from the very beginning, from the first chapter.
Of the Bible and we could go and we can look and see how each one of these divine persons is eternal. We took the time we could trace it out and with God the Father but certainly in terms of God himself from eternity to eternity thou art God. That unquestionably speaks of the father, although you couldn't deny he speaks of the Son and the Holy Spirit as well. We turn to to.
Hebrews Chapter 9 we would see there.
That the Lord Jesus by the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God. Spirit of God is spoken of as a person who is eternal. But my object is to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I just want to look at a few verses regarding him and the first one would be in Isaiah chapter 91 That I think we all know very, very well.
Isaiah 9, verse 6.
For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, not born. Of course the son was never born. He existed from eternity.
How do we know that? Read on. The government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called. Wonderful counselor, the mighty God. Any question about this child that was to be born one day, this son that was to be given? No, it's the mighty God. What is the next thing?
Says in our Bible is the everlasting Father really should be the father of eternity, the Lord Jesus.
Was the Father of eternity.
I don't know if there was anything to be created about eternity, but if there was, he created it. He was the father of it.
He is that eternal being of whom we are speaking about, God the Son, a person that existed for all eternity in this Trinity, this triune being that is revealed in the Scriptures as God, the One God. Another beautiful verse returned to this Micah Micah chapter.
5.
And verse two says, But thou Bethlehem Africa, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he.
Come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, who's going forth have been from old, from everlasting, or from the days of eternity.
And this is the Lord Jesus Christ, no question about it in the Scriptures. And all the Jews know it too. You go to Matthew chapter 3, you find out that they were able to tell the wise men there exactly from this very verse where Christ would be born the Messiah. You go to John Chapter 7, you see the same things the the Jews in Jerusalem many years later still knew it, no question that this is Messiah. And what does it say of Him?
00:30:11
His goings forth have been from eternity, the days of eternity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is this divine being who has existed for all eternity. He's the eternal Son of God. Now, I just want to take up one aspect of this, because when you look at this subject, you'll find that those who deny the Trinity, a great many of them are called Unitarians.
And according to my understanding of Unitarians, the vast majority of them.
A claim that God is just one God, God the Father. They deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. They deny the even the personality of the Holy Spirit and claim he's just a force so.
I'm not going to take up that further. We've already seen plenty on that. But there are those who deny any distinction between the persons in the Godhead, and that's really what I want to talk about here.
The next few minutes.
This is how I came to find that out. One day in Malawi, my neighbor came and he said I'm aware that the rapture is coming and the Lord Jesus is coming to take true believers home. And he says I'm terrified to be left behind at the rapture. He said I would like if you could come to my house and tell me.
What I can do so that I won't be left behind at the rapture? Well, I'm happy enough to do that.
So I went over there, I took a brother in the assembly with me and we went to his house and when I got there I found out he had something else in mind altogether.
Andy, once we sat down, he looked at me and he said look at me, He said here in my house, he said I am a husband and I am a father, He said when I'm at the school I'm a teacher, when I'm at the church I'm a pastor. But I'm still one person, he said. And so is God. That's the way God is, he said.
He just shows himself in different ways.
As Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But it's just one God.
Was that true?
No, that's error. It's a terrible error, and a lot of Christians believe that they're not true Christians at all. They profess to be Christians, and I just say now because they don't want to forget to do it.
Be aware of this. They don't come as those who.
Are, you know, I'm not too sure about my Christianity. These particular ones call themselves Bible believers, and they tend to come across as being very sure about all of this. And here in the United States, I think they're called Branhamites. But you'll find a great many. They're called Oneness Pentecostals and others beside that as well. And one of the things that they do is they like to teach Jesus only.
And it sounds really honoring to the Lord Jesus.
But it's not because in it they're saying that he is God and everything is God in him. And they deny anything else. They deny the Trinity and they take the baptism and they won't even baptize in any name but his only They won't baptize in the name of the Father of the Son. And the Holy Spirit is in Matthew chapter 28. So I just say that be aware of it. Well, we took this man to to.
Matthew chapter four we just turned there verse Matthew 3. I'm sorry.
Verse 16.
Says in Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
And lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
This is one of many verses in the Scriptures that answers the question entirely as to this error. Here is God the Son he's baptized, and what does he see? The Spirit of God descending from heaven, a divine person distinct from himself. And then there's a voice from heaven that says, This is my beloved Son. Who could that be but the Father?
Speaking from an entirely different place from heaven.
00:35:02
Is it not clear?
Well, the man my neighbor was following, William Branham said, well, God was just acting like in a play, that's blasphemy. These ones who take up the truth of the Trinity that way and deny it a blasphemy. And in fact, whenever you get into denial, the truth regarding the person of the Lord Jesus Christ or God.
By definition, it's blasphemy. We need to be very careful of that. Let's go to Luke chapter 22. See another example.
Very solemn one, Luke 22. The Lord Jesus in the Garden, verse 41.
And when he was withdrawn from them, about a stones cast.
And he kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done. Oh, now we see something else about these divine persons, God the Father, God the Son, and what do we have?
Individual wills that defines a person. It's right. In the center of a person is the will.
You can't get away from that.
This is the only case, as far as I'm aware in Scripture, where the will of the Father and the will of the Son are not the same because the Lord Jesus could not contemplate being made sin. And yet even in that He and his will, he's perfectly submitted to the will of the Father. No division there. This is not some Divine Comedy, some play of one person trying to make things out for us.
These are two eternally distinct persons.
That we have presented to us here, the Holy Spirit being the third. Let's look at another verse of Hood over in John chapter 14 and told my neighbor. I said, if you said to me, I am going to get the pastor and tell the pastor to tell the teacher to come over and tell you more about this. And later on I found out that you were just talking about yourself the whole time.
I would think you had deceived me. If you speak that way. I think you're talking about three people.
And in fact, you're speaking about only yourself.
Well, that's what we have here, John 14.
Verse 16 I will pray the Father, he will give you another comforter. Verse 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, and the Father, will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
That's the truth. This is not some deception by God. It tells us in Titus chapter one that God cannot lie. He doesn't deceive. But who does deceive? Oh, we know well who the deceiver is, don't we? It's Satan himself in John chapter 8 told that he is a liar and the father of it.
And so we know that he is the deceiver. Well, one more on this and I want to get on to the last point.
Go over to 1St John Chapter 4 for a very precious example of the Trinity.
First John 4.
And 14 we have seen and do testify that the father.
Sent this son to be the Savior of the world. Oh, isn't that wonderful? Yes, there is a triune God. And that triune God is for us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And here we see that the Father.
Sent this son to be the savior of the world. And when the son came here, he could turn around and say to the believers, oh, the Father himself loveth you.
God is for us. This is a precious truth. It's wonderful. We need to take it in and enjoy it in all of its parts as God has revealed it to us in his Word. And of course, not go beyond. It's easy to do that too. Well, I want to get on to the last part. And that is the holy humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Scripture presents that as well. But many believers.
Questioned that or flat out deny it, They say that the Lord Jesus.
Certainly did not sin. They agree with that first. Peter 222 Says he did no sin. I haven't met yet a believer who questions that, but they say he could have sinned.
00:40:12
And because he could have sinned, but he didn't sin, then he has become the great overcomer, our great example, so that we can live lives through the glory of God and overcome as well. And by saying this, they think to do him honor, but of course they don't, because it's a question of his holy nature, isn't it?
And so I just want to look at a few things having to do.
With our Lord and this question as to whether or not he could have sinned. Now, first of all, if we look at this, we've already seen that the Lord Jesus is God, and the thought of separating his deity from his humanity is not something any one of us should want to do.
Somehow in his humanity he could send, but his theater he could not. That is a terrible thought. And so it's first of all, we could take it up strictly on that basis to say, well, if he is God, as it says in James chapter one, God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. It's clear enough.
And so we know that the Lord Jesus could not have sinned as God.
But they say still.
Where does that leave him as to his humanity? Personally, I wouldn't even want to go there, but I think it's helpful to see that the scripture carefully guards that as well, because no doubt.
The Spirit of God well understood where the minds of men would go, possibly even believers. I I don't know, I think it's a serious error, but I just want to look at this and maybe take it up first in Luke chapter is it one? I think it's Luke 1. Yes, Luke chapter one.
The angels speaking to Mary, Verse 35. The Angel answered, and said unto her.
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
I believe this really answers the question.
Another brother has said, and I've really enjoyed it, that there are different forms of humanity mentioned in the scriptures. In the garden, originally there was innocent humanity.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve were there as human beings. They were innocent. After the fall, of course, there was fall in humanity. We all partook of that when we were born. And now, having believed in Jesus Christ, there is such a thing as redeemed humanity. Thank God we've come into the good of that. But the Lord Jesus had something unique, and that was holy humanity, that holy.
Thing.
Born of thee, the Lord Jesus was born absolutely holy. And not just that. He was a sinless baby That wouldn't set it apart from anything. He would be saying nothing there.
It wasn't innocent either that holy thing. This is Speaking of his nature. Some question that they they could say, well, what about what it says in first Peter, one holy man of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Weren't they holy?
Yeah, as to their actions, but that's not what it's talking about with the Lord Jesus here, and I hope we'll see that. Well, they could say, as in Matthew 25, in other places, the Lord refers to the holy angels. Weren't they holy? Didn't some of them fall? So couldn't the Lord Jesus be holy and couldn't he fall? These are the kind of reasonings and thoughts that can go on in this subject. I mentioned them.
Because he want to see the word of God.
It's clear about this that the Lord Jesus was not in the case of any of those other ones mentioned, He was different from all the rest. We could look at First Corinthians chapter, Second Corinthians 5 verse 21. It's a wonderful statement there, isn't it? He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin that we might.
00:45:00
Be made or become the righteousness of God in Him.
The Lord Jesus knew no sin. You really couldn't say that if he had a sinful nature.
He did not. He had a holy nature. But it's even stronger in first John chapter 3. And I just want to go over and and look at that verse for a moment.
John, Chapter 3.
And.
Verse five ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin. There was no sin in him. His nature was spotless. Holy sin could never enter there. The Lord Jesus would say in John chapter 14, the Prince of this world cometh and have nothing in me. The Prince of this world comes to me. He's got something in me.
There's plenty there that he can tempt. He could tempt the Lord Jesus all he wanted to and it didn't matter. And that really brings us to the next point I want to make. What about that? What about the Lord Jesus in temptation? Let's go to Hebrews chapter 4.
Verse 15 For we have not in high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Or I think the other translation is much stronger on that yet sin of heart, or heart from sin. Why? Because he couldn't be tempted as to sin. Our Lord Jesus was absolutely holy.
Nothing in him would respond to sin. And so the temptation could come as we have in Matthew chapter 4. Satan could bring all that temptation to the Lord Jesus. And what did it show?
What was it for? People say, well, how is it a real temptation if he couldn't have sinned?
Well, the fact of the matter is, the Lord Jesus couldn't sin, and the temptation had one purpose and one purpose only on God's side, and that was to prove that He was this Holy One that was to be born of the Virgin Mary right at the beginning of this ministry. No question about it. And Satan tries them. The examples often given about gold, isn't it? And I like that example, it's helpful.
You don't pass gold with a test.
To see if the gold will fail, you test it to show that the gold is gold. It can never fail to become gold by the test. And the same with the Lord Jesus. He could never fail as to His holy nature by this test that Satan brought. So much so that later on some of Satan's demons had to come and acknowledge before him. I know who thou art.
The Holy One of God.
No question about it. He was the Holy One. Was He the Holy One just then? No. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's the one before whom the Seraphim cried wholly holy, holy, holy. It's the Lord of hosts.
In Isaiah chapter 6 and He is the one who will be holy for all eternity. He was holy at the cross when our sins were put on Him.
Never more holy than there, so it says in the sin offering. It is a thing most holy.
This is the Lord Jesus Christ as to his nature, the Holy One of God. Now one more I want to look in at because this brings in us and this is first John chapter 3 again.
I've really enjoyed this first, John Three says.
Whosoever is born of God, I'm sorry. First John 3 verse 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for a seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin.
Because he is born of God.
Isn't that something say, well, who is that? I never met that person yet. Oh yes, you did.
The first believer you come across is this person say, but don't we sin? Well yes, sadly we do. We still have the flesh and if we don't keep it in the place of death, then we stand and we're all too prevalent to that sin, sadly. But what we have when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, we got an entirely new life. And what was that life?
Well here it says born of God, could that life stand? Says he that is born of God can not sin. And what is that life?
00:50:08
Colossians 3 Christ, who is our life? Galatians 220 the same thought He is our life. When you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you got a life from God. You were born from God. I know I'm simplifying that a little bit, but you got His life.
And that life is his own life. And what does it say about that life here?
Can not sin. The Lord Jesus was as to his nature, absolutely holy. He could not sin. Didn't matter what the temptation was. These are foundational truths, these three that I have spoken about today. If in any way they're not real clear with you, I encourage you to go back.
Take them up before the Lord come to understand them.
It's vital that we be established in the doctrine concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our time is almost gone, but I just want to look at two more passages.
The first one is in Hebrews.
Chapter One.
Hebrews chapter one.
Leave This passage really takes up all three of these points.
Verse 8 Unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Isn't that beautiful? Who's speaking? God the Father. And who is he speaking to? God the Son, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Interestingly enough, that day in the train station, those Jehovah's Witnesses had no answer for this verse. Perhaps others twisted by Satan would have some thought, I don't know.
But it's hard to get around the clarity of this verse.
The Son of God is God the Son, no question about it. Was he go on to say here, first of all, we can see that it's the Father speaking to the Son. Is this not the Trinity, two persons, divine persons of the Trinity? Yes, indeed it is. And he says thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is a scepter of thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God.
Even thy God hath anointed thee.
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Now what is this speaking about? Who are his fellows? We don't find now, but just turn over the next chapter. You see that he took on him flesh and blood, so that he could be first born among many. Oh, there's that word again. Isn't it first born among many brethren? Those are his fellows.
The Lord Jesus has that place of preeminence, and God has given it to him.
And what does it say in connection with?
That was loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Is this not the absolute holiness of His person? And try to tell me that this is only His deity, and not His humanity. God the Father is speaking about the place given to Him, anointing him with the oil of gladness above his fellows, speaking about that which is in humanity.
Beautiful. This is our Lord Jesus Christ.
This one divine being holiest to his nature. God the Son, perfectly one with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. One last verse and Song of Solomon.
Chapter 5.
And verse 16.
His mouth is mostly.
Yeah, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend. O daughters of Jerusalem, my friend, my beloved. That's who we're talking about.
This is spoken about others of a coming day and earthly relationship with the Lord Jesus. How much more is this true for us who've been put into the closest possible relationship with our beloved? Let's close in prayer.
Spanish Hymn Sing
Miracle of Money in Fish's Mouth
Children—Wally Dear
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 boys and girls, so nice to see each and everyone here this morning.
Looks like we start a little bit early. I wasn't sure exactly what I was early or late, but I just we're a minute early, but that's OK because we want to sing some songs. We're going to leave it up to you to make the choices and I This is a nice hymn sheet. I don't know if I ever sang off a sheet like this. This looks.
Brand new, it says, let's sing about Jesus.
I like that.
But you know, we're here not to only sing about Jesus, but we are here to sing unto Jesus, to sing unto the Lord. And so as we sing these songs, let's think about that.
We're here singing about Jesus.
And we are here. We can sing.
To our parents, for our friends.
But most importantly, we're here to sing unto the Lord. So let's think about that while we sing these songs. Now, did I see a hand? Yes.
#16.
Salvation is a big word.
Salvation is a big word, but I am not too small.
The Savior comes in.
So.
I.
God is creating Lord Jesus.
Now let's remember we're singing unto the Lord, and he's listening, and you know children's praises. He liked his ear. He loves to hear the children singing unto him.
So we're on #16 the last verse. So salvation.
Or they shall never forget.
When they followed this amount, selfish or selfish?
Greetings or peace of life or standards?
I think we're off to a good start. Anybody else have a number? Now that was a boy. How about a girl? Do I have a girl that has a choice? Yes.
5 #5.
Around the throne of me.
00:05:12
Now.
Very nice. Who else has the number?
OK, now that was a girl, wasn't it? Yes, Simon.
Which one? Three. OK #3?
The message came from.
The union taste, my God no that way.
I am so.
Because.
So I don't know, she said. His son to die.
I am so glad being for others.
Boy, do we have another girl who has a choice? Yes #1.
Number one, this is a story song, a true story. Does anybody know where in the Bible we read this story, a true story that we're going to sing about? Anybody know? Yes, it's in the Gospels. That's good. Now can you be a little more specific? Do we know what book it's in?
Yes.
It's in Luke.
When you add 1 to 18, what you got?
18 + 119 That's right, Luke 19.
Little man by name of Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.
And he really wanted to see him. And so he was willing to climb up into a tree. And I hope that's why we're here today, because we want to see Jesus. There were some men, they were called Greeks, and they came up to a feast and they said we would see Jesus. They want to see Jesus, too.
Jesus was on their mind. Now what's on your mind?
Today.
Is it Jesus?
Jesus was on the mind of Zacchaeus, and so let's sing about Zacchaeus and what he did.
In order to see Jesus #1.
A certain man.
00:10:46
I'm going to suggest something.
And I'm not trying to.
Change the song, but where we live we add a line to the course.
Does anybody know the line that we add to the course?
OK, that's right. We add that line and.
That you're on your way to heaven. So maybe when we sing the rest of the song, when we come to the chorus, let's sing to know your sins are all forgiven and that you're on your way to heaven.
Is something more than gold. So #1 And I believe we're on verse 3.
He climbed.
In my neighborhood that blessed him. One minute I'll be in jail.
Let's say something or something, go to the lower decision.
And have to run your hands, you have something.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, something or something.
Like that anymore that will be.
One more song, let's do one more, and okay yes, which 119 all right #19.
What can wash away my sea?
00:15:06
Makes me cry.
That's a very nice human sheet. I like those songs and I trust you like them too.
Does anybody know an action song that we could sing? Might be nice to do an action song.
Let's just set this sheets aside for the moment. Action song, yes?
What's that one?
OK, how many know this one? I may never mark infantry. Now that's one that I do not know. So.
Would a two or three be willing to come up here and do the actions and help lead this song? Is there anybody that knows it well enough to come and help us out front?
OK, good. All right, we got one here. Anybody else we could use probably a couple more. In fact, anybody that wants to come up to the front and do the actions and help us sing this song, just come right on up, okay? If you really know the actions.
OK, now this feisty audience here.
Oh, this is.
I think this is a song that I should be knowing.
OK.
Now, boys and girls, I'm going to stand back here and I want you to do the actions. And who's going to start the song?
You started good. Here we go.
Into Calgary.
Yes, Sir.
I.
Thank you very much.
I really enjoyed that. That was good. Well, perhaps.
We're going to take time to pray and we're going to ask the Lord's help today. I believe He's helped us to sing the songs. Very nice. And now we'll ask him to help us with the rest of this.
Sunday School. So let's pray.
OK.
Who's going to say a verse today?
Do you have anybody that's say verse for us?
Well, I see a lot of hands caught, so let's see. I just will start here.
Jesus Christ by the will of God, smoking soul brothers.
From For the Saints and Faithful Brothers. Literate, Classy.
Grace the unto you and peace in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
OK, your pants, right?
Following the apostle of Jesus Christ by the way of God into Morpheus or whether peace be on the grace plan to you and peace from God or Father and Lord Jesus Christ cautions.
1:00 to. 1:00 to.
Have to say.
There's no difference for something come short of the glory of God.
Romans.
3:22, 20/20/2023.
I need to inform you.
There is no difference with.
00:20:03
But all I asked him to come through as the glory of God. One minute 323. Thank you very much. You know, this little black box is amazing. He's talking to this little fox and everybody from here. I mean, this is a little box.
How much? 2322 and 22?
There is no different solace in the control of glass.
3/22/26.
There's there's, there's no difference.
Proverbs 15 and one before.
A soft dancer turns the way to rest. The greatest words stir up anger.
The terminates the wise uses knowledge right, but the mouse is the foolish. There are poised out foolishness. Guys with the Lord are in every place becoming the evil and also the good. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. But perversioners, Darren is a breach in the spirit of 15-1 The 4th. Thank you very much, very good.
5362.
There is no difference for all soon to come short of the glory of God.
I also you want to OK.
There's no difference.
So I'll say come short.
Shot.
I know. I don't even know.
OK, so I will.
'S thank you very good.
22 and 23. There is no difference for all of control of the glory of God. Romans 322 and 23.
Common state Chinese children Chinese say there is no difference for all of human control of the gold 22 and 23.
Romans 322 and 23. There is no difference for all of sin and come short of the glory of God. Only 322 and 23. Romans 322 and 23 For there is no difference for all of sin to come short of the glory of God. Romans 322 and 23. Thank you very much.
Robbie 323 and 22 and 23. There is no difference for all of saved and come short of the glory of God. Romans 322 and 23. Thank you very much. That was lovely. Now anybody else that we're missing here?
OK, I guess I put this back on because you're supposed to be listening, but they're so nice to get the boys and girls like that.
Well, you know that there is no difference. Kind of depressing.
But you know, later on in Romans.
Those words are repeated, but this time it says there is no difference, for the same Lord over all is rich.
Unto all that call upon Him. And that's so wonderful to realize that no matter who you are, God wants to make you rich. He wants to bless you. He wants to save your soul. He wants to make you happy.
00:25:03
And he can, because he is a wonderful God. Now our time is running out, but I'm going to take time for this. It's not really the subject of the story I was going to tell you, but I'd like to do this. Who here thinks they can jump really well? Do we have anybody that can jump?
Anybody that's a high jumper?
OK.
Well, at least you're honest. It's a good thing.
One time I saw.
Three children and they said they could jump. They were high jumpers and so they got up in front.
And the man that was talking, he said, all right, I would like you to jump and touch the ceiling.
So the first one jump.
Quite high.
Never touch the ceiling, the second one jump never touch the ceiling and the third one jump never touch the ceiling. And there was one that jumped higher than all the rest but never touched the ceiling. And that made quite an impression on me to realize that there are people that are trying to get to heaven.
By their own efforts, by doing good.
Means are good deeds.
We can be thankful for good deeds, but they will never save your soul. We really need to look outside of ourselves and put our faith in the Lord Jesus. And he is the one that can say because the Bible says neither is there salvation in any other, yourself included. There's no other name under heaven given among men.
Whereby we must be saved. And that name is Jesus and he's given among the boys and girls and he is the one that we want to speak about here today. You're already saying about him now. We want to speak about him now last night.
Mr. House, he spoke about miracles.
And it was very good. He spoke about miracles that Jesus did in the book of Luke. And some of those miracles had to do with the healing of the body. And you know, loof was a what? You recall what he said last night. What was it?
Yes, he was a doctor, He was a medical doctor and so he recorded things that.
Often had to do with healing.
Now I'm thinking today.
About another miracle, and it's not recorded in any other gospel than the Gospel of Matthew because Matthew is one who collected taxes.
And this has to do with collecting taxes.
Is anybody have any idea what miracle I'm thinking about?
Well, I think we're going to turn to it in five, this is found.
In the book of Matthew.
Chapter 17.
Matthew, Chapter 17.
And verse 24.
It's a miracle.
And when I read this story, this is a true story, I say to myself.
I want to be.
Associated with the Lord Jesus, who could do something like this?
I want to be his friend because he's so wonderful that he can do something that nobody else can do. It's an impossibility for anybody else.
He can do it because of who he is.
00:30:00
He is Jesus, and you know the Lord Jesus, He performed many miracles, but He never did any miracles to make life easier for himself.
And that's something to think about. He could have had an easy life here in this world by doing miracles.
In order to make life easy, but rather than that.
We find that he was tired, he was hungry, he didn't even have a house to call his own, he said. The foxes that got the bins, the birds of the air, they got their nest. But the son of man, he has nowhere to lay his head.
And you know the word Jesus, it tells us that the death of Lazarus, he was weak, He wept, He chose to trouble himself in order to show to Mary and Martha and the others that were gathered there. They were in mourning and he wanted to sympathize with them. So I will say this.
Why is it that the Lord Jesus performed miracles?
Not to make life easy for himself.
What do you think?
Yeah, that's good to make life easier for others.
He had others on his mind.
First of all, he had his father on his mind. He could say I do always those things that please the father, but he also wanted to help others.
That was a good answer. And you know the word Jesus also, He did miracles so that people could see who he is, so that he could show his power and glory. And even though he did these impossible things as far as human.
Heart is concerned.
He's.
Love and he wanted those people for two years, not only man, but God.
You can go and get these states people rejected you. So I hope there's nobody in that category here today. So we're going to read this little story here and it says in verse 24, when they were some to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said.
That's not your master. Pay tribute. And he said yes.
Peter.
You wanted this master to appear as though he was like everybody else and he paid his taxes, his tribute.
But you know what? The Lord Jesus, He is different.
Than everybody else and I understand this tribute or this tax was a little bit of money that was collected in order to maintain the temple, which was the House of God in Jerusalem. And back in Exodus we read about how they were to give a half a shepherd. Now that's not a lot of money, but a half a shepherd.
And so this tribute was collected.
To help take care of the expenses of the temple.
Now it tells us here.
That Peter.
Went into the house so he answered the question without asking Jesus.
And he just sometimes need to talk off the top of his head and he said things that weren't really appropriate.
And I think we all fall into that category at times, you know, and say things that really we wish past we hadn't said.
But you know when he went into the house, it tells us here that the Lord Jesus.
Prevented or anticipated the movie is coming and he said what? Thank you S sign and the kings of the kings of the earthquake custom recidivism of their own children for a stranger.
The fact is.
The Lord Jesus.
Who owned the temple? You know in Matthew's Gospel we read about the Lord Jesus as.
00:35:02
Being in the King's son and for that reason, he didn't really have to pay anything. He didn't have to pay taxes, he didn't have to pay tribute.
But I think Peter wanted to appears, you know, it's good too, but.
Let's see what happens next.
Peter, he gave the correct answer.
And Jesus said, Whom did the kings of the earth take custom attribute of their own children?
Or strangers.
Peter said unto him of strangers.
Jesus said unto him, Then are the children 3.
What's the girl?
The word pizza.
Never had to pay tax. You never had to pay like everybody else because of who he was. But you know what? He paid it anyway.
Why did he pay it?
I think he paid it so that the other people, they wouldn't take offense if somebody that wasn't paying their taxes, somebody that was perhaps trying to take advantage of the people. You know, I understand the Queen of England and the Prince of Wales, there's taxes they they don't have to pay because of who they are.
But they pay tax anyway.
It's a voluntary thing, so.
That's the people.
Do not leave.
Queen, the Prince of Wales are taking advantage of that and I think it's very grateful how the Lord.
Here he says in verse 27, Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou.
Through the sea and casting hook and take up the fish that first.
Hummus up, and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money that take and give unto them for me, and he's done.
This is the most unusual way to find money in order to pay tax.
But you know Peter.
He was a good fisherman and he knew a lot about fish.
And so.
The Lord told him to go and I we're going to do a little fishing here today.
So how many here you like to fish?
All right, 1230, here's a girl. Oh, he's thrilled. Like the kids, too. Oh, good, that girls. Oh, they like the kids. All right. Very good.
So I got to have somebody up here to go fishing.
Man.
Anybody want to try it?
OK, you're like, alright.
Look, this is coming along.
This is going all over the place, right?
It's a nice little thing, Yeah. Hopefully this.
00:40:06
There we go.
Almost got him almost done.
I don't know how long. I'll tell you one thing.
It was the first, yeah, OK.
Yeah, all the way up. Yeah, she caught it. I helped you back anyway.
Good job. Thank you very much. Oh, well, now here. You want to see if there's any money in this thing. Let's see.
Oh, there it is.
Right. Thank you very much. You did good job.
Now the Lord Jesus called Peter the.
Fish that comes is the fish for you, and it's exactly how he said it. And the Lord Jesus said there's going to be just enough money in that vicious mouth.
For me and for you to pay the tax and I believe it was a stator.
This happens to be a different. I'm not sure what side of the state it would be, but a stator is 2 shekels, shekels shekels.
Or I should say a stater is a shekel and a half shekel is a detractor. Please believe that's how that is so.
You know Peter.
Got the money, and of course I know he got the money. And there was money for Lord Jesus and for Peter and this Swami. Read this one more time.
Let me see how kind of stuff.
The Lord Jesus said to Peter in verse 27, Thou shalt find a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and Dee.
So the Lord Jesus associated Peter with himself and Peter.
He relied on the board. Now you know if there's been $1,000,000.
In the fishes mouth, what do you think Peter might have done?
Peter might have said, well, I think I'm going to go have a good time. I live my life away, please. I got $1,000,000. I do whatever I like, but it wasn't that way.
It was just enough for that particular need. And you know, that's how the Lord Jesus works. Sometimes we wish that we just had a huge accumulation of wealth so we don't have to worry about it tomorrow. So we're not supposed to worry about tomorrow because the fact is.
Lord Jesus supplies our need one day at a time, OK? So remember that. And He wants us to stay in dependence on Him.
And he will provide, so may the Lord bless His word.
That's what I had in my heart today and I see our time is up now, boys and girls. I cross something in this style and what this is something you can put into the water and these are.
A lot of them are fish.
You might find something that don't look like fish. That's a starfish, so fish.
You know what you say, right? You put them in water and they expand, says they'll go up to 600% of the original size. And when you take them out of the water, they print that the original size. So they're pretty neat. But everyone of these have to do with the sea. And I tell you, I was blown away as I begin to consider what's happening under the water.
You don't see that I live close to the ocean like you know, the psalmist said. They that go down.
00:45:00
To the sea and they do business in equalities. I guess the exact word is that these are the ones that see the works of the world.
Danny's wonders in the deep knowing quote their quote right. I believe the Psalm 107. But I tell you what you start reading about some of these creatures. I guess they absolutely amazing what's going on under the water. You know where we live we're not far from the Bay of funding and they get these what they call weird and it's like a big trap and the hearing come swimming by schools into.
Weird.
Kidnapped, then it both comes with a suction hose and this sucks. And right out there you've taken the market. Well, I understand there could be up to 3 billion.
Hearing in a school, you might say, how can they count like that? Well, they don't count them all like that. They just figure how many are in the area and they know the density and so on and so forth. They calculate this.
Over in a Caspian Sea.
There I understand.
We've seen schools one after another, not hearing but mullet 60 miles long, this huge schools. Well, you know, God is over all these ones that pass through the sea. Yes, it controls the fish and he was able to control that little fish right over to where Peter was and.
I crossed poison girls that this is the one.
So you have come to know that you're safe, because on the cross he gave his life. He shed his precious blood.
In order to change your sins and loves you, He wants you.
Decide to begin with, he wants you to trust him and we speak of his power and glory and creation and look at the cross. We see his lob pulled out. It's so wonderful. Why would anybody inject the Lord Jesus? I do. I feel so sad to think that there are many in the world tonight. I could say this morning.
That are without Christ and they're just groping their way in the darkness.
Not happy.
Pleasures of sin only for a small time, but Jesus is the one that can satisfy the time and eternity saved and satisfied. So let's just pray.
Precious Stones
Address—Bruce Conrad
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.
Let's start our next meeting by singing together hymn #141.
141 in deep eternal counsel.
Before the world was made.
Before its deep foundations on nothingness were laid, God purposed us for blessing.
And chose us in his son.
To him to be conformant when here our course was run 141. If someone could start the tomb that's local to here please.
It's great.
Let's turn, first of all, to a verse in First Corinthians chapter 3.
00:05:05
And verse 11 for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones.
Wood, Haystable. Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare.
It's not my thought to take up building.
But I have been thinking of late of these first three aspects as kind of broad categories.
In one way of looking at it as of the truth of God.
There's gold, there's silver.
There's precious stones.
As I was pondering this on the way here.
I thought of how in Genesis chapter 24. I can turn to it really quickly here.
When the servant arrives at his destination.
And is taken to the family of Rebecca.
In Genesis 24 verse 53, the servant brought forth jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment.
And gave them to Rebecca. He gave also to her brother and to her mother. Precious things.
The gold.
To me in scripture.
Speaks of the wonderful divine glories of God and God's Son.
Our brother yesterday in the address, clearly his exercise was to take up the gold.
The study of that line of things will absorb the rest of our days if the Lord tarries.
The glories of God in Christ.
I remember once my wife and I were reflecting.
Upon a gospel meeting we heard at a conference.
And the brother that stood up on that Saturday night?
Spoke about Christ, the eternal Son of God.
I don't remember all that was taken up.
Because all he spoke about in the gospel.
The good news, The gospel.
Of the glory of Christ.
After all, it is the gospel of God. It's his good news.
And the next morning at the Lord's Supper at the Lords Table, it was stunning.
I don't know one of the word to use. It was striking the tone that the Spirit of God had in our hearts, having taken up the glories of Christ.
And I applaud our brother for taking it up. And I told him when he sat down we should have a lot more of those kind of meetings.
And us brothers and sisters.
Would do well to steep ourselves more.
In the wonders of God's beloved Son, He is the center.
Of everything.
He's the nail fastened in a shore place and every glory.
Is hung and depends upon that nail.
It's the center of God's counsel.
His purpose?
And Christ as all, as the apostle could say it in all.
And that's what you and I are going to experience for all eternity.
But then it says silver and silver is.
A common figure or symbol in the Scriptures of Redemption.
And these things kind of blend together because it was the person that did the work.
The person as we had before us this morning that added all the value to the work.
And the work glorifies the person.
The silver has to do with the truths of the Gospel.
Redemption.
Justification.
Sanctification.
00:10:01
The purchase.
Reconciliation, propitiation, we heard in prayer this morning.
These are lifetime delightful, precious subjects to be occupied with young and old.
If I could say this, if you'll bear with me not being too out of place and saying this.
But I sometimes feel that we denigrate the gospel.
Of the grace of God, or that is its preaching.
By.
The way we assign it.
How we take it up in the local assembly?
I don't mean to be to be toss a hand grenade into everyone's situation.
But you know, the Gospel is an exalted, exalted subject.
We would know nothing of it except God has given us a revelation of it, brought it down to us at the cost of the life of the everything of His own Son.
We don't assign the gospel meaning we ought not to.
To every male that's over 16 years old or something like that.
It's not the truth of Scripture as we have it in the assembly. Going off topic here, I admit.
To just have every male get up here and practice.
Telling the Gospel.
Before the Saints on Lord's Day night.
Scripture assumes that ministry is the exercise of a gift given from the risen Christ.
And the assembly is one of those spheres in which those gifts are exercised.
And that the local assembly is exercised to have the gospel preached.
Then the scriptures would say it needs to be someone who has the gift for that.
Now there are I'm sure brothers that are 16 or 18 or 20 or 22 or whatever age that have that gift and gives take development.
But brethren, let's not just look upon the gospel as like the bottom rung of ministry. It's not.
And let's not weary the Saints being very plain.
By putting up those that do not have the gift for that.
Yes, that has become customary amongst the gathered Saints.
But there's a guy, and that's what you and I have.
Does that mean only two or three brothers out of 100 or maybe gifted to teach or to preach the gospel? Maybe so in the assembly? Does that mean the other 99 or the other 97 or the other 150 sisters or no?
Because there is an aspect where all God's people are priests.
And it's part of our priestly privilege and our priestly function.
To tell the gospel. To share the gospel.
To be pondering the gospel.
If we're in communion with Christ.
The love of God is expressed in the Gospel of the grace of God will ooze out of our pores.
And that's everywhere and every day.
My younger sister got saved in her early 20s.
And we were reflecting.
How we had been taken to Sunday school religiously from when we were.
Potty training.
And I said, you know, I never remember hearing the gospel.
What I heard was just Jesus came and everything's good, so just go on and live a nice life.
And she said, you know, I did hear the gospel.
When I was six years old, it's in the playground and Scott Mcclay was on the swing next to me, and while we were swinging, he told me about being saved and he told me that Jesus was coming.
00:15:01
And she said, you know, I had forgotten about that, but I remembered it those 1516 years before.
I'm not opposed, certainly, who would be to the gospel of the grace of God.
But this precious silver and the truth of it?
Should be taken deeply seriously by us.
And not a bolt on.
Brother spoke at the end of the breaking of bread.
Yeah, I know he was overtime. Yeah, I know.
Western We in the Western world, we're all.
Get sideways about that someone's due.
But.
You know he was sharing the precious silver.
The gospel, the truth of the gospel, the grace of God. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure you did too. I'd like to have heard that right through lunch.
I could have skipped lunch and I said keep going.
Wonderful.
Young brothers and sisters.
Dig in and educate yourself.
It'll take you the rest of your life.
On the truth.
Of the work of Christ.
What he has done, the effect of it.
It stirs the soul.
It's the foundation of our joy and worship Lord's Day morning. It's the foundation of what we say in the gospel.
That's the silver you'll see. You saw in Genesis 24, the silver came first and then the gold.
Than the garment, and that's the way it is in the order in our lives.
Generally we hear the gospel and we lay hold of it for ourselves.
And then we start to learn who it was.
The glory of the one that did that work.
We maybe just touched the hem of his garment and we're made whole.
And then we go on to learn about the gold.
But my exercise, and I guess you wouldn't know it because I've used up a lot of time already.
Is the precious stones.
The precious stones is that aspect where the Lord Jesus is occupied.
With you and me as individuals.
Preparing us for our eternal destiny.
And as we know, He could have saved us. We were fit for heaven the moment we put our trust in Christ.
One of these little boys and girls this morning.
Decided today was the day when they would put their trust in Christ. They're all as ready as the oldest St. in here.
But God has a purpose and I hope to take that up a little bit.
In the precious stones.
You, if you put your trust in Christ, are a precious stone.
Now, the word precious in English language has a connotation. It's kind of a a feminine word.
You know you don't hear. You don't hear men ever use the word precious, do you?
I don't know how it is in Spanish, maybe it's a similar. I don't know if the connotation is the same.
But, you know, I've heard my boys use it, you know, in facetiousness, you know, to to the younger brother say, oh, that's precious.
And they're, they're adopting the feminine.
Side of things. You hear women and the grandmothers and look at the little baby and say, oh, aren't you precious?
It has that connotation.
It's not the way it is in the original language, precious. I think it's stimulus.
It means highly valuable.
Highly honored. Deeply esteemed because of its cost.
It's not some sort of sentimental.
Sappy.
Sweetness.
It's better than that.
Precious stones. They're precious because of the cost.
00:20:04
And I don't intend to go on a word study.
I'm not sure Paul uses the word again in his epistles.
And we all probably know that Peter does a number of times in his offices.
He speaks of the precious blood of Christ shed for you and me.
And then he goes on to speak about.
He is referring to Christ, the preciousness.
And he quotes passages from the book of Isaiah and elsewhere in the Psalms, referring back to the prophetic Scriptures that spoke of Christ's coming as the chosen One and as the shore foundation.
He is precious, and to us who believe he is the preciousness.
He also speaks about.
Exceeding great and precious promises.
And he speaks of our faith as precious.
Why is your faith precious?
The faith that you have, that you've been given.
Is like a. It's like a.
Hopper or hoot?
And it it effectually brings all the value of the work of Christ, and all that he has won is a victorious man.
The breadth of all that, all the valuables work.
It's flooded into your life.
To your account.
You and I now have his liberty, his life.
We are to have His joy and so on. What a thing faith is just opens up that floodgate of blessing for you and me.
In the beginning of Paul's of Peter's epistle.
I think it's in the first chapter, he says.
Pick it up first, Peter One.
Say, I don't mean to dwell on this too long.
Verse seven of the first chapter, The trial of your faith.
Being much more precious than of gold that perisheth there would be tried with fire.
Might be found to praise and honor and glory at the.
The appearing of Jesus Christ.
It's it's ponderous, isn't it?
How when Abraham offered was about to offer Isaac?
And the Lord restrained him and provided a substitute.
And he says, now I know.
Thou fearest God.
Didn't he know before? Yes, he knew before.
But it was proven.
The trial of our faith is like that. It proves out.
What God has put there and what he seeks to perfect.
The Lord Jesus, when He ascended on high, gave gifts unto men. Why? For the perfecting of the.
Saints for those precious stones.
Now let's turn to Romans chapter 8.
It may not be something you're used to hearing or that I'm used to hearing.
That our blessings in Christ as individual.
Take the highest place.
Clearly.
The Scriptures of the New Testament and the types in the old weave together both our collective privileges and status, if you will, with our individual.
So that in Matthew 13 for example.
He sees treasure in a field.
In the next parable he sees a Pearl. Great price.
I suppose we tend to speak more about the Pearl or think more about our collective aspect.
00:25:03
And perhaps it's in the spiritual effort.
To learn the truth of God as it pertains to assembly life.
The truth of the one body and how we express that.
And so I suspect almost all of us are schooled in that line of truth in the scriptures.
That there is one body.
But I suggest perhaps we under emphasize somewhat.
The truth that as individuals we have a special relationship with the Son of God Himself.
And if this is not a thought you're used to hearing, just put it in that place where you put things that you ponder and say, well, I'll put that I used in my in basket. I used to have like a pending layer, you know, like just something I'm going to ponder a little bit. And you read through the scriptures the next time you do and you see if that is installed.
The Spirit of God in the in the address of the churches in Revelation 2 and three.
Especially towards the end, to Laosia, to Philadelphia, to Sardis.
The appeals not to the collective, though there is that, but to the personal, if any man hear me.
If any man opened the door.
And so on.
We know that there will be a time after the Lord takes us up, perhaps today.
When everyone of us will give account of ourselves, no.
Everyone of us will give account of himself before God.
So there is individual responsibility.
There's individual conscience.
There's individual.
Charges to us according to how the Lord has fitted us.
Naturally, and with a gift that is coordinated with that and so on, and that is woven through Scripture.
And so looking at Romans 8 for a minute.
And picking up in verse.
28.
And we know that all things work together for good.
To them that love God.
To them who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son.
That he might be the first born.
Among many brothers.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate them he also called.
And whom he called them he also justified, And whom he justified, then he also glorified. What shall we say then?
What shall we then say to these things?
That's a summary.
Of your career, of your life.
As one of the sons of God.
He's kept the best wine until now.
And this is the place, this is the process.
This is what's happening.
And because of the very last step, the last shoe to drop, so to speak.
In our personal history is to be glorified with Christ. In this book, which takes up the purpose of God in the gospel and in everything else, it's looked upon as something already accomplished. It's as good as done.
To for know.
It says of Christ he was foreknown. That's what the prophet said.
He foreknew you, you say? Well, yeah, he foreknows he knows everything. Yes, he does. He knows everything, and he knows the end from the beginning.
No, it's, it's, it's different than that. It's better than that.
E4 New youth in June.
And somebody was quoting yesterday after the reading meeting from Amos.
You only have I known of all the peoples on the earth.
00:30:02
That's foreknowledge.
For knowledge is not God knowing the end from the beginning and knowing that you would have enough sense to believe the gospel and get saved, and so therefore you would be one of his elect. That's ridiculous. That's.
Not his brother John's. That's not the truth.
I like the way he said that.
Election has to do with persons.
Not groups. Israel was an elect nation, yes.
And He will bring that nation into blessing.
In the future.
And that nation will be populated of those that enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant on the basis of the blood of Christ, sins forgiven, knowledge of the Lord, and so on.
But God elects persons.
And if you're a believer, as we had before us yesterday.
It's because he foreknew you.
And he chose you, and I don't know why he did that.
Really.
But he did. He chose you. And having chosen you, he had in mind a destiny that he would.
Put you to.
Having chosen you, there is a destination he would put you in ultimately.
And he explains what that is.
It's to be conformed to the image of his son.
That he might be the head of the body? No, that he might be the first born among many brethren.
And for years I puzzled. Stephen knows this.
Over Over John chapter 20.
He's probably got clear on it years ago. I'm slower.
Why does the Lord, when he's risen, breathe upon the disciples and say, Receive ye, Holy Ghost?
I had a very well taught.
Labour, whose name I won't mentions with the Lord.
I told him what I thought. He got so mad I think he might have left the table.
No, he got over it.
Impatient with my ignorance.
But we're familiar with the fact that when the Lord went up on high, he ascended on high. He sent the Holy Spirit down on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and united the different believer, individual believers together into one body. We're all good with that. We understand that, most 95% of us, right?
And we enjoy that.
But there's another, and that's corporate, and there's another sign in John 20 as the risen Christ. He takes the place, though it's not given out yet, of the last Adam who is a life giving spirit.
And he communicates, he breathes on them. The Spirit of God is trying to get us to connect the dots back to Genesis. I believe breathing on that.
And we, you and I as individuals, have a new life in a new creation with a new head. And it seems to me the Spirit of God goes out of His way to separate those two things so that we would be able to enjoy and appreciate each.
We are already new creatures, a new creation in Christ. I believe it's going to go on forever.
The truth of the one body is predominantly, I would suppose, for now.
And so that individual line of things is important.
With the.
Enabling us to have a proper sense of relationship and responsibility and comfort and guidance and all the rest.
And it certainly doesn't take away from our enjoyment of being members one of another.
And of being members of one body.
That they are two different aspects. Colossians in chapter one and Tim may have referred to it yesterday, takes up both.
And so we're chosen.
The destiny is picked out in advance to be conformed to the image of his son.
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And then he calls us.
And he calls us effectually because there's different kinds of callings in the word of God.
There's your natural calling.
Your vocation, you may be a construction guy, or you may be an accountant, or you may be this or maybe that you're calling. And then as believers, we now have a calling.
As Saints of God we have a high calling, a heavenly calling, a holy calling, and you'll notice some of the epistles they start out in the Spirit of God refers to that write off called Saints, Saints by calling of all them that are called. You can look it up.
It's important.
There is a sense in Matthew's Gospel I think twice, where it says many are called but few are chosen.
That's a different aspect, a different truth, in that the love of God is such.
That it goes out to all in a bona fide offer to whosoever will to come.
And Lord Jesus prophetically could say, I stretch forth my hands all the day.
No man regarded.
Look down from heaven to see if there was a just man now.
On.
And it's helpful to understand that we cannot fully grasp.
Because it's part of the divine mind, the concept of election. Unless we take a step or two back and we first see that it's the love of God. God who is love, who made provision for all. Someone texted me the other day because one of my boys said did God?
Did God make hell for men? No.
For the devil and his angels.
But he's going to assign those.
Who have rejected?
Islam.
Who have chosen and will choose to believe a lie?
Where else they go?
Nowhere else to go.
But God in love reached out to all.
He gave himself a ransom.
For all, he died for all.
And as the brother, I think one of the brothers quoted this morning, he is the propitiation for our sins, not for ours only, but for the whole world.
That doesn't mean that the sins of the whole world.
Have their have the individuals guilt transferred away from them?
Doesn't mean that it's God's side.
Propitiation is God's side.
It's the righteous basis.
Accomplished by the work of Christ on Calvary's cross, whereby God can justly come out and justify the vilest Sinner and still be just in doing it.
It's why God in the coming day can bring that nation that has ignored, defied.
And everything else that Christendom is done as a matter of fact, and bring them into blessing as the head of all the nations, you say, is that fair? We're not talking about fair here. We're so beyond fair.
But he's righteous to be able to do it.
Because of his son's death on Calvary's cross, he died for that nation, one of their own sin, prophetically.
God came out in love to all.
And no man regarded. And So what does he do? He says, you know what, he could have closed up shop and he would have been righteous and gone back and gone back alone.
Left you and me here.
To eternal doom.
Instead.
On he went.
So you know what?
Some of them are going to come.
And so he compels him to come in.
And everyone that's in, who will be in?
Will be in because they were compelled.
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So you're inside, you said. How did you get here?
I was just compelled.
Go from person to person with that spiritual understanding. How did you get in?
I was compelled.
You're not going to find anybody, you know. I weighed all the options. I figured it all out. I put a.
You know the pluses and minuses. I thought this was the way to go. It won't be one.
Not one.
That is in because of that.
And so that's the context of election.
It's God having come out in full and perfect and undescribable love and man rising up.
In profane hatred.
And despicable.
Rejection of God's beloved Son.
That's the backdrop.
For choosing can God choose?
Is it OK for God to be God?
Because eventually that's what it comes to.
Who art thou that replies against God? Shall the thing form say to him who made it? Why hast thou made me thus?
No sooner or later.
That's where we come to you.
And so conformed and cold.
There is a calling in the gospel of the grace of God.
God is glorified in that message going out, whether it's accepted or whether it's rejected.
He's glorified in it going out. It's a savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.
But the effectual call to you and me.
It doesn't miss its mark.
When guard fishes, he gets the fish.
And he gets us because he chose us. He had a destiny picked out.
And at the right time and in the right way, he called us.
Now there is a whole line of things which we.
Won't get into.
I'm lost on the What does that mean? 12? Is that 12 minutes to go?
It's about 1/4.
2:45 OK.
The Spirit of God, just like in Genesis chapter one, moved upon the waters when there was nothing but darkness and void in your soul and said, let there be light.
And when you start to see in Scripture that there is a life giving, communicating power exercised by the Spirit of God in the lives of those who have been chosen.
And you see the result of that.
Is life.
Faith, Faith.
And so in John Three, he told Nicodemus.
Hold on a minute.
Hold on right there, Nicodemus was just trying to walk right in.
Hola, you must be born again. You can't even see the Kingdom of God.
You can't enter it. You can't receive anything.
You can't.
Come nothing.
But at the end of the chapter, John chapter 3, what do we have? Do we have?
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
And you have that which faith can lay hold of.
A finished work that faith lays hold of and gets the blessing. And we don't perish, but we have everlasting life.
So that is the beginning, you might say, of the actual effectual inward work that God does, because it's God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
And God has accomplished a work on Calvary's cross before you and I were ever around.
But then God did a work in your soul and in mine.
So that faith, the Word of God mixed with faith, lays hold. All that blessing comes down upon us and envelops us and will for all eternity.
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God has a purpose.
Enjoyed a comment one of the brothers made yesterday. Might have been between the meetings.
Election is just not an end in itself, as if God is capricious or arbitrary.
Not at all. God has purpose.
He has a purpose which he calls an eternal purpose.
And for myself, I take great comfort and encouragement by the types and the pictures and shadows in the Old Testament.
Before the work of Christ and before all these precious things were revealed that you and I are able to enjoy because it shows me that it's not a response or an afterthought.
Like man would do.
Man would say, well, I, I really wanted this nation to be a special nation And I called them out and I gave them special privileges and I hedged them about like, like the vineyard and I and I did everything possible and I wanted them to be the light of the world and to be a testimony that men everywhere and every nation could see what God was like in that nation.
They would be that light and that testimony, and men would come.
To it.
And Israel would display that.
But they failed, so God is not saying speaking reverently. Now what am I going to do?
He shows that all along in his counsel.
He knew.
How that would play out, and the prophets speak of how it will play out and how it would play out, and speak not only of how it would play out in this resulting in the sufferings and rejection of Christ, but in His coming glory.
And that in between the sufferings and the glory, there would be something that was not ever revealed before in the prophets.
Which is called technically in the New Testament, the mystery.
Of Christ in the church together.
And of Jew and Gentile being joined together in one body.
And of having a place that the prophets never prophesied about, that we should be sons of God, that we should be arrayed with Christ and new creation, He the first born among many brethren. And so it's not an afterthought. And God just Peppers the word of God with pictures and shadows and types of this which wasn't revealed until after.
Israel is temporarily set aside.
Showing that it was in his mind all along.
That's one of our teachers used to tell us a type is a type of nothing until the substance of it is revealed.
Men and women of faith in Old Testament days didn't walk around Jerusalem or anywhere else saying, isn't that beautiful, you know, with Adam and Eve and.
How took took out of his side and made a woman and they were one. And isn't that beautiful in Genesis 24? How the Spirit goes and brings up no.
The substance hadn't been revealed.
Type, his brother Roy used to say, is a type of nothing.
But now in the end of the age, in this fullness that God has been pleased to reveal to you and me, he shows types and shadows and with with explicit words in the Word of God that it was an eternal purpose and that you weren't chosen as a fill in, as a replacement for someone or something that didn't work out.
But now all alone.
Before the foundation of the world, He chose you to have this place of blessing.
We certainly don't have time to take up.
The way.
Thank you, we certainly I left my phone there because I thought that life to deal there with guide me, but we certainly don't have time to take up the aspect of how he works with the stones.
When we hire Masons, we don't want to messing with stones. We want them to lay in rock laying stone. Probably some people here in this room do that too. Put it near them. Here's here's the mortar lay block laystone. We don't want to mess and live.
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God is occupied himself with you and me as individuals.
Winnowing our path as as the psalmist would say, organizing our circumstances with divine wisdom, with divine love, with divine patience. Because he's like a Potter with the clay.
He's working in your life and mind because he has a purpose.
But that is not really taken up here in the in Romans 8, and certainly in Romans 9 through 11.
We have the purpose of God, that he has a purpose in what he has done, He has a purpose in what he has allowed, and he has an end or a purpose in view. And his purpose was to take the children of Israel out of Egypt. And it's not a long drive. If there wasn't all the Today, there's political challenges, but it wouldn't be a long drive from Egypt.
Into the southern part of Israel. Even on foot, they say it would be a short journey.
But in his counsel he allowed the 40 years of the wilderness, and in his counsel he allows you and I.
These experiences.
And he chastens us. To chase him means to teach by discipline.
And it's a privilege that you have as a child of God to be chastened because if you're not chastened, you're just, you're just running wild on the streets. You're a ******* and not a not a son, not a child. But when you're in the family, when you're in, he's got an interest in you.
And you can you and I can say like Jacob, like he said to Jacob, I will not leave thee.
Until I have done that.
Which I had spoken to the elf.
What it goes next from from.
Calling.
Them he also justified.
In the truth of justification is one of those things.
One of those aspects of the silver that you can take up, brothers, if you preach the gospel.
Take it up.
We're justified by grace, justified by faith. We're justified in his blood.
Justified by works and James and so on.
And the perhaps the one we rejoice in equally or even more is we have justification of life. And I like the way one writer put it said one aspect of justification is looking back.
And all that I was and all that I had done has been righteously addressed by God, and it's wiped away from me and I am justified from it.
But the other aspect, justification of life, is kind of a forward look.
Now I'm in a new place. I have a life as it was Tim was reading yesterday. I have a life that cannot sin. I am before God in the character of life.
That has been assigned to me because of not only the death of Christ, but the place He has taken has arisen man.
And the scripture in Romans 5 speaks of it as justification of life.
A lot to ponder there.
Then he also justified in whom he justified them He also glorified.
Now a brother that we all know wrote somewhere.
That we use the misuse the word glory.
He said glory is not a place, it's a condition.
I said to myself, wow, I never thought of that.
And so, you know, we all, most of us have strongs on our phones, but I got out my old fashioned big Strong's Concordance and I methodically went down through and I said, man, he's right.
Because we say in hymns and we say casually, you know, where's your dad? My dad's in glory.
Or, you know, all the hymns and poems that speak about it as a place. Heaven is a place, I think scripture says.
But glory is a condition.
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And so there is only one man who is glorified.
He's the first fruits or the 1St installment of the first resurrection and his body, soul and spirit. He's a glorified man.
And those of us that have buried our loved ones.
Who are asleep in Jesus?
They're absent from the body, present with the Lord. They're not glorified.
That awaits.
That awaits the first resurrection. That awaits the Shout.
We shall be changed, we shall bear his image as we've borne the image of the Earthy 1.
We shall bear the image of the heavenly one. We will be glorified.
With body, soul, spirit.
Suited perfectly.
To being with Christ. To having communion with Christ.
To serving Christ not only throughout the ages of the Kingdom.
But throughout all eternity.
Glorified together.
Just to finish Second Thessalonians chapter 2's.
A verse that ties some of these things together if I remember right.
2nd Thessalonians 2.
Verse 13.
We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord.
Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.
Through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. That's the work in you.
Where until He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a verse.
In the previous chapter it says when he comes he's going to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe.
And the work that he has done in your soul.
And the crowning proof of the value of his work on Calvary's cross.
Is going to be seen in you and me.
As precious stones that day.
In all, in the whole universe can look upon you.
And say Christ.
Is glorified Christ is beautiful.
He will put His comeliness upon us, and He will be admired in all them that believe what a thing.
I'm finished.
Clark says so.
Brother called me recently and.
Sitting in my driveway, finishing the call. It's dark.
It's his brother.
Who?
Who was around to watch?
The first creation.
I said, Well, in the book of Job it says that the stars of the morning, the sons of God, shouted for joy.
Angelic enjoyment.
He says, well, there's going to be a new heavens and a new earth at the end of the thousand years. There's going to be a transformation, and Peter speaks of it.
The heavens and earth, which now are going to be dissolved, and he's going to create a new heavens and a new earth.
Let's go and see that.
Where are you going to be?
He said. You know, brother, I think we're going to see that.
I said man, I'm just to see him.
Looking forward to the judgment seat of Christ when all these hard questions and you get his answer, you get the resolution of all these things, failures, our weaknesses, our sins, our questions, all going to be it'll be wonderful to experience personally the judgment seat of Christ and then the marriage of the Lamb, the marriage supper of the lamb.
Reigning with him, seeing his rights indicated here, all wonderful.
It's hard to take in.
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I don't think we're going to be parked somewhere.
Because you, you guys go over here, I'm going to, I'm going to remake it. I think we're going to.
I think we're going to observe that. It's amazing.
To be glorified, to live together with him, What a thing.
It's no time for him, let's just give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 4
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218 brother, start that please.
1 Thessalonians 5
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Search the Scriptures to Know God's Will