Walla Walla Conference: 1998
Table of Contents
John 6:22-65
Reading
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Perfect peace with God.
In her eyes.
Prayer, Faith and Faith. God.
I saw them very nice.
I can, honey.
Hey bar in the first son of his son.
I am.
Near.
He.
My dear I.
Cannot.
Hear all the way.
I.
Ever careful.
I.
Watches on.
Army night and day.
And tells me.
The.
One may be crying. I am new.
Grace.
We thank the.
The 6th chapter of John might not be profitable for us to consider today.
It's a long chapter and the latter part of it.
Is really?
What I have on my heart.
I hate the Bread of Life, but then perhaps we could either go through the first part quickly and.
Or perhaps another brother has another portion.
The whole chapter, brother.
That's a long chapter. I'm wondering if we could start with verse 22.
And.
Perhaps.
Now in verse 65.
Perhaps Chuck will have some thoughts of.
As to how to.
We'll have a portion to read.
It's good to me.
Good, what you suggested verse 22 started verse 22. Yes.
Then we're 22.
The day following when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there save that one, where into his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone.
Albeit there came another there came other boats from Tiberius nigh unto the place where they did eat bread. After that the Lord had given thanks.
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus.
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hit her?
Jesus answered them, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you. For him hath God the Father sealed.
Then said they unto him.
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What shall we do that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, What sign show us thou then, that we may see and believe thee?
What dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not.
That bread from heaven. But my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord Evermore, give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out, for I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him.
May have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven.
And they said, is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
How is it then that he saith I came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets.
And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God. He hath seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
I am that Bread of Life.
Your father's did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.
And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father.
So he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven, not as your Father's did, eat manna and are dead.
He that eateth of this bread shall live forever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this said, this is an hard saying. Who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What? And if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before?
It is the Spirit that quicken us. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life.
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But there are some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him.
His power and his love and his wisdom and feeding the 5000.
The bread of his own providing miraculously.
Now crossing the sea.
He He begins this ministry which?
Displays himself.
As the bread of life.
Lessons that we can learn from the feeding of the multitude.
We find that here in John's Gospel, the Lord Jesus.
Tests or proves his disciples by asking what they thought could be done to feed the multitude. In Mark's Gospel it is presented somewhat different.
There the disciples want the Lord to send the multitude away. The same incident in Mark's Gospel. But the Lord Jesus said dear to them, give ye them to eat.
And that's a challenge, beloved brethren, for all of us.
Do we have an exercise to contribute to the feeding of the Saints or the people and?
We find quite a bit of instruction in the fact that.
This lad had five lobes and two fishes.
They were not loaves, as we understand them to be. Slices of loaf, you might say. There are sandwiches, and they were prepared for him without any thought that the Lord might use these sandwiches and the two fishes to feed the multitude. I believe that's very instructive for us.
The Lord might use you or me or any of us to help meet needs, but the most desirable way is that we have been exercised about having food for our own souls.
And that we might have prepared, you might say, for ourselves not so much with the thought of having something to give to others, but when we have come into the good of it ourselves. Then the Lord might use that at any given time to contribute towards feeding the needs of God's people. And that's the most desirable way that we search the scriptures for ourselves, make provision for our own spiritual needs.
And then the Spirit of God can use that and don't be sometimes feel.
Very insufficient. And that which we have what is it when you consider the needs? But what makes the difference is that these 25 loaves and two fishes go through the hands of the Lord Jesus.
And in that way that which in itself, naturally speaking is insufficient, becomes sufficient, and really it multiplies.
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You know, they have more to gather up than what they started out with.
And we too are like the disciples sometimes, that what we have to offer and give is not something that started with us.
Somebody else had been exercised, and it goes through the Lord to us, and the Lord uses us to distribute it, you might say. What we have to offer in our day is not something that we necessarily individually have dug up. Others have dug these things up for us, and but the Lord might still in His grace use us.
To help distribute it. You know, there is very little originality with us in our day. We have benefited from that which others have searched out and we have benefited from it. And it can be used of the Lord even to meet needs today.
Experiment in our local assemblies when we feel our weakness, and it's good brethren that we do feel our weakness and our own insufficiency.
Because that's where the Lord can come in. If we feel that we are sufficient, we don't leave room for the Lord to display His sufficiency. Here was the 12 apostles, and they seemed to be completely at a loss to know what to do. They make calculations. 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient, but that's about all the farther they can go.
Until Andrew brings the little boy and.
Think of that, that little boy, that lad, probably his mother like you say, brother, had fixed the lunch for that little boy to come and to listen to the Lord Jesus. But our meager little bits and pieces, if put into the hands of the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus blessing them all will be filled, and there will be enough to take home to others.
That haven't been able to come to that meeting, so we should be encouraged rather than a really am struck when I visited Latin America at times and you see what seems to be an appearance of a total lack of outward evident gift. And yet when there's liberty given to the spirit of God and the word of God is open in simplicity.
The way God feeds his people in spite of us, in spite of our weakness in our insufficiency, we have a God who is sufficient, brethren. And I think there's another lesson too here that this story at the beginning of the chapter about the loaves and fishes being multiplied.
It seems to be the same thing theme that runs through the chapter of eating.
Of the bread that came down from heaven, and that is that OFT times these material lessons.
Give us to understand spiritual ones that are deeper and brethren we need that. Our dear young people need it too. And I think it is easier for them to understand if we begin with lessons that they understand. In normal everyday life. What more normal, What more common than eating bread and fishes? That was very common, but upon that the Lord basis it seems.
The Teaching, the Profound Teaching we have later on in this chapter.
Just a word I would like to read from the 31St.
The 31St chapter of Proverbs about where the little boy got the bread. It comes right back to the mother.
And that was mentioned by our brother that the mother had prepared for this little boy. But look what it says. Who can find a virtuous woman? Verse 10, And then we come down what she's doing. She rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household. And the lunch for her little boy. I just put that in there. But how appropriate the place of the mother in the house providing those needs, as you say in the natural, but how much more the spiritual along with it.
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The man of God and.
Evidently learned much of what he learned from his mother, from his grandmother, and what a lesson that is. We know he all we know about his father was that he was a Greek. That's all we know about him. We don't even know if he was a believer. But what a lesson, The faith of a godly mother and grandmother in teaching the children.
Because someone read from the new translation the.
11TH verse of our chapter. Here it is that he distributed to the disciples.
And the disciples to them that were set down, I think it's very instructive point.
I don't have it, but I'll just read it from memory. When Jesus took the loaves and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. So in the Gospel of John, the Lord is the bread of life and he blesses it and he distributes to them that were set down. How important in this gospel to see that particular aspect of the Blessed Lord, isn't it?
We visualize this moment when the Lord takes his lunch into his hands. He was anticipating this moment, and I believe that he especially delighted in it because he was the same one that fed his people for 40 years in the wilderness. And so he takes this lunch and Can you imagine trying to hush 5000 people down in order to lift up his praise to his father?
And so we have a beautiful parenthesis in verse 23.
However, albeit there came other boats from Tiberius nigh on to the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks. It might have been emphasized that this is where we ate and were filled, but there was something more precious than that, and that was the Lord giving thanks. And what must He have said in their hearing as he held that little lunch?
And knowing of all the souls that were going to be fed from it is lovely to think of that. And my dear wife and I stood in that approximate place there in that land. And it's a natural amphitheater, so that in that place no matter should say there's 5000, no doubt easily heard what he said when he thanked the Lord God the Father for that month.
And I was thinking of that verse. Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. And it reminds me, brethren, of a remark that perhaps we've heard many times, read the word of God to find Christ in it.
And it'll flow to others. If I read it merely to communicate it to others, I'll become dry as a millstone. But if I enjoy it for his own sake, it'll flow to others.
I recently received a little article. The name of it was the Diary of a Bible, and it was very, very searching to my own heart in connection with the need of our daily reading the word of God more than our necessary food, as scripture tells us. But in this little article, to be very brief, it started out with the first of the year, and for a few days the Bible was read faithfully. Then it was put on the shelf.
Later it was picked up because there was a.
A verse that someone was looking for, and it was found and so on until the year went by and little time had been spent in the reading of the word of God. One was struck with this that if in normal reading it would take about 15 minutes a day to read the whole Bible through. In one year, brethren, we're speaking about being fed. The word of God is our food and all. May we find ourselves consistently reading His precious word together.
Will find Christ in it. It will bring joy to our hearts. It will bring instruction into our lives.
It'll bring protection to us. It'll bless our souls.
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And adjust the word to what Larry said. Certainly Amen. But in First Timothy 4:15 I and I say this in a loving way, I objected to Larry's comment that you can read the Bible through in 15 minutes a day unless you're a speed reader, but.
Because it takes more than merely reading the Scriptures. Notice what it says in First Timothy 415. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them.
That they profiting may appear in all things, take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine continue in them. For in doing this I shall both save thyself and them that hear thee how important. And some have used this. And and like Brother Heinz said, what have you that you did not receive? Reading, prayer, and meditation. RPM how important is it? And let's say that we can read a portion. We can get it from the choice gleanings.
Where is it now? It's in. We're in the book of Joshua.
In Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke, for instance, in those daily readings, well, you can read And if you ask me two hours later what I'd read, unless I really meditate upon it, I'm going to be embarrassed because I won't remember. And so how important that the reading of the Word be associated with prayer and meditation. Meditate upon these things, give myself holy to them. And if we were to just take the choice cleaning's calendar and follow through with the reading of the word.
Just reading and even just meditation.
It still isn't enough. We need to compare scriptures, don't we? And to get what is beautifully unique for that particular book. And if we're in the New Testament, where is it? A quotation from the old? Because it's a it's a divine book, isn't it? And and we need that divinity, that divineness implanted in our hearts because we have a new nature. How important it is. Vital.
For our continuous is to read and to pray and to meditate and to compare scriptures for the understanding for our own hearts. And once, like the Apostle Paul, in a little chapter in, well, the next few chapters in Second Timothy one, he says, have an outline of sound words. Well, Paul didn't give an outline. He gave words. And we need to take the words that we've heard and we need to form an outline so if we hear somebody say something.
That's contrary to the person of Christ. We immediately know it does not fit the outline of scripture. How important have an outline of sound words, especially in the days in which we live.
Brother Stan, what you were saying? Let's turn just for a moment to the first chapter of the book of James and.
Verse 21.
Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word, and not hearers, only deceiving your own selves.
And so on the next verse, 2 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and he goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. Just this thought brethren, we need to not only read the word of God daily, but we need to meditate upon it. We do need to make it our own, and it's one thing to be able to speak and say lovely things.
About the word of God. And I'm thankful that we hear them and that we say them, but may we be doers of the Word.
It needs to be more than just precious things that we enjoy in our minds. It needs to be in our feet.
A young man asked he recently How do we grow as Christians?
And I said, well, how do you grow just naturally? Well, you have to. You have to eat, you have to sleep, and you have to exercise. Those are the three things that are essential to a healthy life. And we need to read the word and.
We need to to meditate upon it. Often times the sweetest meditations you have is on your bed at night.
As you're lying there and no one else around and you're talking with the Lord can meditate or on your knees. It's a wonderful place for meditation. When you're praying, the scriptures come before you, and the Lord talks to you through His word. You talk to Him in prayer. It's a lovely exchange. And then exercise if you don't have, exercise, if you don't get the word out, if you don't witness to souls, if you don't tell them. I remember when I was first saved, I just wanted everyone to hear.
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And it didn't take me very long in that exercise to find out that most people didn't want to hear.
But still, to get the word out, how important how I think we have fallen into a a kind of Christianity where there's not that much exercise in in witnessing to souls. We have the highest truth of any company of Christians, I believe. When did we last share those truths with other Christians? Or when have you last witnessed to a lost soul? And that can apply to the youngest here as well as the oldest.
Are we witnessing while these are things I was thinking of the clean animal in in the Leviticus, 2 Things he had to chew the cod. And that's meditation, isn't it? And pondering these things consider Paul says to Timothy. Consider what I say and the Lord will give the understanding in all things when we don't understand the passage, the tendency.
I know it was mine when I was a young man. Is to go to the books. You pull your you pull Darby Kelly off the shelf and you read what they have to say. But there's another way of finding out what the word means, and that's to just spread it out before you on the bed and kneel down and say, Lord, I don't understand this passage. I don't understand this. Teach me. Now He may not answer that immediately, but if there's a real sincere heart, he that seeketh shall find he that knocketh to him and shall be opened.
And the diligent soul shall be made fat in spiritual things. It's good to be fat. And we can fill our souls with the precious word of God. Well, these are things. And the other thing that records required for the clean animal is a separated path that clothes the cloven hoof, a separated path to walk in separation from the world you will not grow, you will not digest.
The food that you eat and feed on, you don't. You won't digest it properly. It won't give you the proper benefit for your body if you don't exercise. And so if you don't tell others and walk in a divided in a separated path from the world. This is one of the things that is all these movements that are out there today of getting Christendom together, Christians together, they leave out separation.
They leave it out entirely and if you press that then.
The movement to gather Christians together in a unity which is man made. It's not the unity of the Spirit, it's not of God. It is to just forget separation, go on together as though all our differences don't make any difference and we can, under the umbrella of Christian love, have fellowship with everyone. Well, that's that's not God's way, is it?
The gentleman really a Christian, when I lived back in Pittsburgh and in talking about some of the things just like Chuck has said, he got very upset. He said stand don't talk doctrine doctrine separates Christians.
And I, to myself just said one word. Amen. Amen.
And Maputo and visited in the home of Jeremiah, and somebody came there and we were talking about the divided state amongst the Christians and the denominationalistic approach to things and he said.
I don't believe in denominationalism either. Well, I said, you're not the only one that has told me that. But people that have expressed that many times continue to go on in an interdenominational or in a denominational way. You know, they have built fences around themselves, man made fences. And in the interdenominational way, they try to reach their hands across the fences instead of tearing down the fences.
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And removing a that's God's way. But would we not also in the clean and unclean animals see this Not only that there is to be a separated walk, there are outward things and inward things. In the scriptures we are to show outwardly what there is inwardly in our day People undermine.
Scriptures that speak very definitely about outward things, they're not important. Then why does scripture mention outward things? That's all part of our walk outward things.
We don't have to be specific, but we can mention modest apparel. That's outward things, isn't it? And other things. The scripture is very specific about these things. And young people, don't be deceived by people who say they're not important, they are important. That's why the Word of God mentions these things. But we don't want to be like the Pharisees that may clean the outside of the cup.
You know, they're like the pigs. You know you can't fault them outwardly. They have what you might say split hooves, but it doesn't flow from inward reality. That is what the Lord is looking for, that we come into the good of scriptural truth, and that it affects our outward work and even our appearance. And we don't need to look like the people in the world.
We want to look different if outward appearance makes us different.
From others? Never mind. Of course, we don't recommend that we run around like the Amish. You know, they call attention to themselves by their outward appearance. But there is this line of truth in Scripture that there is There are outward things that should flow from inward reality. Having come into the good of scriptural understanding, our consciences being exercised, we want to practice not only the truth of gathering and separation from the systems of men.
But about my individual walk as a Christian?
Very solemn issues that we're Speaking of here. I'm reminded of a remark we used to often hear, my dear brother, now with the Lord be occupied with Christ. It'll make you humble because you're so little like him, and it'll make you happy because he loves you so much. And one was thinking, we see the importance of separation. But old brother, may we couple with that ever that falling on our faces because if it's not so.
The very separation itself can become.
Sectarian. And so we want to be separated not from, but unto unto him.
Size 2. When we come together that there be food for God's people. I was thinking of the verse in Matthew 24 where the Lord Jesus is speaking about the faithful and wise servant in verse 2045. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season. So when we come together, what God's people need is food.
And when they're fed in a proper way, they're strengthened that it's meat induced.
Efficiency in every way to meet the need of God's people, but it is something that should be an exercise to every one of us, because as we've been mentioning, brethren, it's not a matter merely of gift. God gives gift to teach the word. Thank God for it. But in the days of ruin and weakness that we live in, the important thing is to in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Is to give the Spirit of God his liberty to open the things of Christ.
And sometimes he uses, as he did in this case here, a little lad. Sometimes he uses a question. And I like to encourage younger people. If you have questions about what is being said in the local Bible reading, maybe There's quite a few others that have the same question and it might be very profitable to ask a question in that way. I think there needs to be exercise about that. Sometimes we don't like to ask questions for fear of.
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Looking a little bit stupid, but we need to forget ourselves. We need to think of God's people and the need of being fed. The bread needs to be broken down. These loaves were broken and given to the people, and sometimes to give it whole their younger ones who don't get very much. It needs to be broken down and so we need to be exercised, Peter says to the elders.
In First Peter 5 Feed the flock of God, which is among you.
The Lord help us when we come together to have an exercise. We feel our insufficiency. We need to feel it, brethren, especially in these days of ruin and failure. But oh, we don't have a God who has changed, brethren. He's just the same. He cares for His people, He loves them. Even when they are unfaithful. He still loves them, and He's a giving God. Oh, how?
Greater God we have, He hasn't changed one iota.
In connection with the reading meeting, I have a suggestion for those that are older. Sometimes I've observed that those that are younger make a comment in Scripture, make a comment concerning the scripture, and no one says anything. And I think they feel like shooting an arrow into the ocean and it goes down and it sticks in the bottom of the ocean without having too much effect. But those that are older, how nice. Suppose it's even. Let's just suppose that it's not exactly the right expression that should be used, or the OR the right inclination.
How beautiful for someone to say brother, thank you for that thought and have you seen this? But in general my my comment is directed towards.
Sharing with one another, especially if there's a younger brother that speaks up that acknowledged that he spoke up and say in some way let it be known. I enjoyed that and had you thought of that. Just a comment to encourage those that may not be younger but may not frequently speak up.
So that there is that togetherness in the assembly and oftentimes obviously none of us come from an assembly as large as we are here today and we're very small and and it adds to a cohesiveness amongst us, doesn't it, to do that.
As very clearly cease to do evil, learn to do well. So we need both. We need to separate from evil and cleave to that which is good. So to make our separation exclusively just to him, without the negative from the evil is not a complete picture. We need both. Mr. Darby wrote two very very very helpful papers.
They were separated by a number of years. The first one was titled Separation from Evil.
God's principle of unity.
Separation from evil, God's principle of unity.
Then he wrote to complete the whole thing. He reread what he had written. He said I agree with it later on, but he said it's it doesn't have the whole picture. And then he wrote Grace, the power of unity and of gathering. Grace the power of unity and of gathering. The two supplement each other. So you got the negative you're separate from, and you've got the positive.
Which is the enjoyment of the Lord himself. I think one of the big problems why we don't understand the word is because we are feeding on the trash of the world.
And if you have a child that fills his stomach with candy and then you sit down at the table, he's not hungry. Why isn't he hungry? Because he's.
Said on the other stuff that he had too much of. And sometimes the reason we can't understand the scriptures is because what what we've been feeding on, you can't feed on the things of the world all week long and then expect one day of the week to be able to enjoy the word of God. It doesn't work that way. And if we're not going on with the Lord daily.
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We're going to have problems Understanding his word requires A suitable state of soul, doesn't it? And it's not that that we fail. Maybe we do. I'm sure we do fail to get down to the youngest and so on. But you'd be surprised how much the younger ones take in and understand.
It's it's a state of soul which is involved, not so much how old you are.
You can be 60506070 and you're not going on with the Lord and you're you're not getting it because a state of soul is necessary.
Individual exercise. And If there is no individual exercise, you can talk till you're blue in your face and you don't accomplish anything. Even if what is presented is the truth of God, if there is not individual exercise in the hearers, it won't accomplish anything. And what about our individual life? Do we read the Bible for ourselves or do we strictly depend on the assembly meetings?
What about sisters?
Sisters, have the habit of reading the Bible for yourself.
You better get into the habit. If you don't have that habit, you'll be a better mother and a better wife. If you do, you will be able to bring the scriptures before your children and children. How old do you have to be before you read the Bible? Do you have to be 20 years old? If you wait till you're 20 years old, you might have missed the boat. You might have gotten into all kinds of habits and customs which are difficult to break.
Start early in life to read the scriptures.
And many times, young people don't have any questions because they're not reading the scriptures for themselves. If they would, they would have questions. And the brethren and the parents will be just delighted to have you come to them with questions. And if we would feed our body only once a week, how long would we survive physically? We cannot just depend on the assembly meetings.
We have to have the habit of reading the scriptures for ourselves and start early in life. Early will I seek thee. That does not just mean early in the morning, that means early in life. And a brother said to me when I was in this country very long. I've mentioned that before. It's worth repeating, he said.
Search the scriptures and see if it isn't true that those whom God used for blessing amongst God's people started early in life.
So early. Get into the habit of reading the Bible for yourself and meditate on it and try to get help from those that are able to help you. And that's the normal Christian life. It's not normal Christianity to repent only on the meetings twice a week. We wouldn't survive physically if we would only eat food twice a week, and we certainly won't survive spiritually if we do not feed our souls daily.
What has been described, has been mentioned, describes this multitude in general, that after they're fed they come and seek the Lord. But he had to say to them in verse 26. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled, that is, that they were treating the Lord like he was a welfare agency. And so.
No doubt they were poor, and they needed physical food, and so on that basis they sought him. And but he could say to them, labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you. Well, in our chapter the Lord could say, I am the bread of life, and so as the bread of life, He's the object of faith now.
And we have the privilege of drawing near unto him and to have our souls fed spiritually instead of treating him as a welfare agency. And I believe even as Christians we can get into that in neglecting the word of God. But we'll come to meeting, and we'll get what we can there, and be in a major thankful. But it will not give us the nourishment that we need on that basis. But we must seek him as the one who is the bread of life.
00:55:24
The brother told me he used to come to meeting with this attitude. Well, here I am. Feed me.
And he didn't come with an exercise to give anything out himself. Just feed me.
And he realized after a while that that wasn't enough, that he should come prepared to help. It was very small meeting and and there's been a nice growth with that soul, but.
We we have a a self-centered kind of Christianity. Oftentimes consider that we talk about meeting our needs. That's not Christianity at all.
It's being occupied with the Blessed Lord and seeking to help others. That's the flow of love to others.
Meeting others needs not our own, not being occupied with ourselves. Feed me well. We will be fed. If we come with the right state of soul and have been diligent in the scriptures ourselves, then we'll be able to relate to it.
Isn't one of those shall be watered? Also himself is not a scripture.
When you are faithful in speaking to your friends, to your workmates, to your school chums, whatever it is when you're faithful.
You will find out how little you know, or how much you know the word of God, because you'll you'll you'll want to quote them a scripture or refer them to something. And that will make you want to know this book better, so that you'll be able to help others, not just to feed yourself, but to help others too.
The character that comes to us when we have been in and over the word of God as we relate to others in the world without us. I've enjoyed this verse in Jeremiah 15 and verse 16, which really, for myself at least.
Has had a tremendous impact in my own enjoyment of the word. It's that which we take from himself.
God's words and we eat them. That is, as has already been illustrated this morning, we've we take them and we meditate upon them and we digest them. And what what's the effect of it? Well, as in natural food, and we have to do just that with natural food to get the benefit of the food. So here it speaks of our eating these words.
These words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me, the joy.
And rejoicing of mine heart. And you know, so often those outside of the circle of faith will recognize something about you that distinguishes you from the rest of the world. The world is so burdened with cares and trials and troubles, and they have their own Ways and Means of alleviating of this, or at least forgetting it for a season of their troubles. Here we have the ability.
By feeding and digesting.
The word of God to display a joy and a rejoicing that the world really doesn't understand what they desire it and they want it and they covet it and so.
I just bring that thought out as to this verse. I think that would this is applicable because it really does have that effect in our lives when we're enjoying something that God has given us from His word and we've meditated upon it, we've digested it, having eaten it, so to speak.
Then the result and the effect of that diet, if you will say.
Is evident to those about us, not only to ourselves, but those around us, and certainly for those in the world.
Finish that verse, please.
Thy word was under me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Thy name. O Lord of hosts. That is one of the main reasons that we rejoice. We're called by His name and.
01:00:09
He speaks of himself. Jeremiah speaks of him as the Lord of Hosts.
And he says in the next verse, 2, which is helpful, I sat not in the assembly of them offers, or nor rejoice. I sat alone because of thy hand, for thou hast filled me with indignation, indignation against that which is contrary to himself. He sat alone. And sometimes the Lord's people are called to sit alone. Ask brother priestly.
I remember reading the biography of JG Ballot. I think it was his daughter that wrote it. And I in reading Mr. Ballet's ministry, it's so full of Christ, his Son of God, nothing like it, and the moral glory of the Lord Jesus, beautiful one on his deity and his eternal sonship and the other his humanity. And as you read his other writings, they're just filled with Christ. And when I read the biography.
I learned that he had much sorrow in his life, many, many things that lead lost some children and through sickness. And there was a lot of sorrow, but you'd never know it when you read his ministry. It was just filled with Christ. It was an occupied with himself, with his troubles and so on. But it was Christ that came out.
It's the way it is with Paul. You read Philippians and he doesn't tell you the awful conditions that he was living in. Rejoice in the Lord always and again. I say rejoice. He was in a prison that was not not not like our present ones. It was terrible. And yet he could speak of rejoicing. Remember Chaka? Particular incident.
In that book that the daughter that's writing the book was walking with him to meet him and he was meditating out loud about some subject. And she said to herself, all this is a prelude of what we're going to get at meeting. But when they got the meeting as an address, he had something entirely different. His heart was so full that it could be one thing on the way talking to his daughter and it could be another when he got there. That to me is rich.
A brother was talking, just to follow up what you said. A brother was talking to a neighbor. I was another was standing there and.
This neighbor was a Christian and she thought very highly of this brother that lived in the neighborhood. He lovely Christian witness. And he introduced his friend to her and said come to meeting this afternoon and he's going to have an address for you, for us. And she looked to him and she said what are you going to talk about? What's your sermon going to be?
And he said to her, I don't know yet. I'm looking to the Lord for that.
She couldn't relate to that. Usually they have them all written out way ahead of time, but not so in this case. That's what you're talking about, isn't it?
We need to be familiar with the word has been said. I thought of this so often. We see someone and we we kind of marvel. They seem to know so much about the word of God. How much did they know when they were born? Nothing.
But there was that consistent reading of the Word of God and rejoicing in it. And there are those things which, as we've never had brought before us that hinder our involvement in the word of God. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. And as Brother Chuck was saying earlier, there needs to be that definite step of separation from that which is not of God. And so may there be that with us and may there.
Be that necessity. Like Daniel of old, who prayed three times a day, even though there were threats of his life. He read three. He prayed three times a day. May it characterize our lives. May we be feeding. And this is the subject that's before us on the precious word of God, that we might grow, that we might have strength. We become very weak. And we can say this too. Is there a day that goes by in our lives, brethren, that we do not need our thoughts?
To be adjusted by the word of God. We're prone to wander, we're prone to think, and to listen to the council of the ungodly. Perhaps that would turn our thoughts away from that which is right, that which is the truth of the Word of God.
01:05:04
Just want to encourage the young, younger ones to form that habit in their lives, to read the word of God daily. I think it's so important. Can't insist on it enough really. But I recognize in my own life that pressures of daily living are often so great that this book gets pushed to the side. And if I do not have a definite purposeful.
Decision to read the scriptures, to be quiet, to listen to his voice. I can almost guarantee if you don't have that young brother and sister in the Lord Jesus, it's not you're not going to find time to read the word. So I really want to encourage you to do it. It is surprising, like Larry was saying, that you can read a lot if you just put 15 minutes aside to read it. How much time do you spend reading the newspaper or a magazine?
I could. It could be kind of embarrassing when we think of how much time we give to other things.
15 minutes is quite a small amount of time breathing. Sometimes I try to figure out how much time do I occupy in eating three meals a day. Let's be honest and frank, I think most of us spend around an hour a day at least. Maybe some of us have jobs that don't allow that much time, but at least 1/2 hour. How much time do we spend feeding our souls with? What is going to allow forever?
Oh, brethren, let's be exercise. Let's be stirred in our decision to read the living, the abiding word of God. We were talking about the other night in Reading and somebody said sometimes young people are discouraged, but they because they don't see that they get that much out of it. Read it anyway because it is profitable, Apostle Paul said to Timothy. Till I come give attention to reading.
Read it, it is important, another brother said. My mind is like a sieve. It all runs through. I don't keep any of it, another brother said. Well, the water running through the sieve cleans it out anyhow, and it'll do that, brethren. It has a sanctifying effect, the precious word of God.
Word. It says here about the Father's hating man in the wilderness. The manner is the meaning of the word is what is it? What is it? And our brethren have been speaking about what is it? You know, it's nourishment from heaven for the children of Israel. And so in our chapter here look where it says that our fathers verse #31 did eat men in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Isn't that wonderful? You stop and you think about it. And why was the effect it nourished them through the desert. You know you and I are in a moral desert of this world. We need the nourishment from heaven. And so what's the next verse? The Lord Jesus says to them, Verily, verily or truly, truly, I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. And that's what we've been talking about. And how do you get it? But what is it? It's Christ in the vessel. Now let me turn over to the 20th chapter of Acts, because it's put in very simple words here.
And I've enjoyed these words. The Apostle Paul is warning the people that had the highest truth.
How high is the truth that you and I have, brethren, where we were singing about grace, That's the highest truth the brothers got on the gospel one time, brother, well known to us. He said, Tonight I'm going to talk about the grace of God. And he did. And when the meeting was over here, I went up to him with a kind of a kind of a tongue in cheek. And I said, brother, couldn't you find a higher subject, a better subject than the grace of God?
You know, and boy, you should have heard the answer. He said, there is no better subject than the grace of God. Brother, I said, thank you. That's what I was hoping that you would say. But look what it says here. The Lord, the Apostle Paul in the 20th chapter of Acts, he's speaking about. Take heed there for unto yourselves. What about taking heed to somebody else? No, #1, take heed to number one. That's what we've been hearing from these different brothers this morning. And so he says take heed to yourselves.
And to all the flock, oh, all the flock, over to which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he had purchased with his own blood. You and I are purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Individually as well as today. Collectively we can say that we are sheltered by the precious blood of Christ. But look, it goes on, the apostle warns. He says, I know this, and I have to my departing. Shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not spurring the flock?
01:10:23
Well, that's all around us. We've been getting some warnings this morning about the grievous wolves are all around us in Christendom. But look, let's go on also of your own selves. Shall men arise. Speaking perverse things should draw away disciples after them. Are you going to follow a man? Watch out, there's only one man worth following. That's the man of the glory. The man that is seated on the throne of the right hand of the majesty in the heavens. And what is his desire for your heart and mind? Let's read on.
Therefore, watch and remember. Oh, you're going to watch. And remember. What are we hearing about today? Things to watch and remember about. Let's go on and the I want to get down to verse #32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God. Oh, that's where I can. I can speak to the Lord anytime of the day or night. Whether on my knees, whether I'm flying through the air, whether I'm in the car. I can say, Lord, help me.
But you know, the Lord likes to hear something else. He likes to hear those words. Praise the Savior, we who know Him. Who could tell how much we owe Him. That's the response. It should be a response in your heart and mind. Beloved, as our brother Chuck was telling us, laying on the bed, meditating about what? His love to me. What is the response? That it should be in my heart? Praise, praise the Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul and the.
Psalmist could say those words, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. And then he goes on and gives some of the list. But let's go on in this next verse.
And now, brother, and I commend you to God and to the word of what? What we've been talking about. Grace we were singing about a few minutes ago. Grace taught what our wandering feet to tread. The heavenly Rd. as it taught my feet. Something about treading that road, You know, I was just thinking in the mountains they got the deer, you know, the deer, the little the dough, you know, she goes and the buck.
They tread those pants through the brush, and they do it with such a grace that you and I can watch them sometimes they just slip through the bushes, like like there was just a way opening for them all the time. And you know, that's the cloven hook, because the deer's got the cloven hoof. And you hear about the goat. He goes up in the wild goats, but you never hear about the wild sheep. How come? Because the lion is right up there to grab him or the coyote or whatever. You don't get wild sheep on the mountains. Because they don't. They don't.
They need a shepherd. You and I can't be wild sheep like the wild goats or like some of these other animals that might divide the hoof, But God and the word of his grace. And here's the result which is able to build you up. Build me up. Jimmy and I need building up. I need building up. And we've been talking. Our brother's been telling us how to get built up. Read the Word. That's what it says. Prayer and reading of the Word. It's so simple. That's the way the apostle puts it. But who is telling it to?
The Ephesian elders, oh those brethren there in the heavenlies, you don't have to tell them anything, do you? Absolutely. You know, you and I might have our heart in the eye of God, our position in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. That's the difference chapter of Ephesians. But look what it says. That build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Sanctified. We've been talking about things. Set apart for what? His glory. And we'll wait for the final sanctification, beloved of being forever with the Lord and the Father's house.
And the heavenly choir to sing his praises unhindered, and I should be singing his praises.
What does it say? Rejoice evermore. Is that right now? That's right. Now it says pray without ceasing. When's that? Later, Right now. And the word, you know, like our brother brought it out. He says he did feed on the Word. And what was the result? The joy and rejoicing of his heart. May it be so more with us, brother.
01:15:06
And then get an outline of the chapter. I was thinking that sometimes what we need to give the young people is something to work with and saw this chapter really is putting before us Christ as the object come down from heaven for the people. So somebody has said that from down to the 21St verse is the historicity of it. In other words, the Lord has promised it is under 32nd song.
In the 15th verse he had promised that when the Messiah had come, he said I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread. The Lord shows from the first verse down through the 13th verse that he is Jehovah.
Jehovah.
Has his foot has touched this earth and he proves that he's able to supply all the provisions that he had promised to the 14th verse brings him out as the king or the prophet, I should say the 14th verse. Then those men, when they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, said this is of a truth that prophet.
That should come into the world. Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like unto himself. He shows himself to the world that he's that prophet. And now in the 15th verse he's the king.
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king.
Because of what he was doing, but now he goes up on high and becomes the priest.
He departed again unto a mountain himself. Alone he becomes the priest, a high priest interceding for his people, and then as his people are subjected to different trials and temptations.
He at last comes back to this remnant, and he finds them toiling on the sea the moment that he gets back into the ship.
Says in the 21St verse, and this is 20th verse is what he says to this remnant. But he sayeth unto them, it is I.
Be not afraid.
He's the object here, come down from heaven. Now on the 21St verse, then they willingly received him into the ship and immediately the ship was at land whether they went. And that's that's where it'll all end when the Lord comes back.
To identify himself with that remnant and set up his Kingdom. And then where the brother had the exercise, which we haven't got to yet, is in the 22nd verse and goes down to the through the 53rd verse. And this shows us how that the Lord as the bread of life gives us life, communicates eternal life to us from the 54th verse down through the 59th verse.
It's what we have been talking about, where he becomes the sustenance to those who do have eternal life to sustain that life in happiness and enjoyment. I just thought that we needed a little outline.
And before you know, we jump on the horse and ride off in all directions, but this will give us something, I believe, for young people.
To be able to meditate, be able to see what the Spirit of God really had.
And this is no mean thing that the God of heaven.
Has come down and his foot has touched this earth to become like one of his creatures that he might die for us and that's in this chapter. And then also he is risen in a 62nd verse he goes back, he said, If you cannot understand that, how will you understand?
What? And if ye shall see the Son of Man ascending up where he it was before, and there he is today?
I know our time is about gone, and if you see this not to you might take it up in the next reading, but a very important distinction you made in the division between the 53rd and the 54th verses that I personally think is is not often seen. Could you just in a in a brief way make that distinction again between what is taken up prior, including verse 53, and what is taken up starting with verse 54?
01:20:11
Why don't you do that?
Well, I'd only be saying Amen to what you said. I think it's important that up through the 53rd verse, to put it in a simplistic terms, it's salvation. Starting with verse 54, it's the enjoyment of the believer having come into the good of the work of Christ. In the 53rd verse, it's the enjoyment of that person, of the person of Christ by the believer. So up to and including verse 53, it's salvation. And starting with verse 54, it's the enjoyment.
Of the person of Christ by the believer so.
The eating the flesh and drinking the blood.
Is for the believer starting with the verse 54.
Is that right?
Then we shall be where we all be, and we shall be like we should be.
In the heart and God of the Way.
John 6:22-65
Reading
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John Chapter 6.
1St 27.
Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures the everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give unto you.
Him as God the Father. See you then, said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, What sign show us thou then, that we may see and believe thee? What dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord Evermore, give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.
He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me. I will and no wise cast out, for I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him.
May have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven, and they said, Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he sayeth I came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God. He had seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life, your Father's did eat me in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that man may eat thereof and they'll die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
00:10:02
The Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, and say unto you.
Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, We have no life.
Some of the stuff that it would be nice if a little outline that was given in this chapter be repeated. Some of arrived they hadn't heard, some of us would like to hear it again. Would you mind her to do that?
A large state come down from heaven, from heaven.
The first one through verse 13. The Lord is promised in the 136 song. The 32nd song.
And.
Let's read the 13th verse, for the Lord has chosen. Zion is desired for His habitation. This is my rest forever. Here will I dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. And so in these 13th versions, the Lord showed that He is Jehovah for his people. Jesus is Jehovah. He's come down to feed His people.
Like he said he would.
Then in the 14th verse you get him as a prophet. Moses I believe it is in Deuteronomy 18 said that the Lord will raise up a prophet like unto myself. So the 14th verse says Then those men when they had seen the miracle of Jesus did that Jesus did said this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Then the Lord, of course we know that he came to set up a Kingdom.
He was the king, the 15th verse says, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king.
And so the third thing that the Lord requires is the priest. And you get that in the rest of the bird. He departed again into a mountain himself alone. And so he goes up on high to pray for his disciples, who have gone out on the sea of life and are tossed Hitler and yarn in the storm.
And he looked out. And he sees them.
The 18th verse, when the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rode about 5 and 20 or 30 furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, drawing nigh under the ship, and they were afraid.
That's like the Remnant in the song.
But he said unto them, It is I be not afraid.
Then the moment that Jesus gets into the boat, gets up land, they then willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land whether they went. And that ends, we said the historicity of this chapter. And now the Lord presents himself as the bread of heaven.
That has come down to give life to those who receive him, who appropriate him.
Eat his blood and flesh appropriate him, And that goes down, we said to the 53rd verse. And I think what the brother was referring to when he said, what's the difference, the 53rd verse. And I don't know Greek, but I trust scholarship. And so in the 53rd verse it says, Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, You have no life in you. The ease there is in the heiress.
00:15:01
What's for all Eating a look at the crucified wine is light.
One luck, one eating.
When you get to the 4th, 54th verse now you get that which is appropriated in communion, that which sustains that life that you have and enjoyment.
And so you get that in a 5456 to 57th and the 58th 1St and that is.
A.
Present tense, present tense. So it is. Continue eating and continue eating. All through this light we feed upon Christ. And then he says that 62nd verse He says what? And if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before. I mean, if you can't believe these things, then what would you think if you see the Son of Man ascend up as far as where he was before?
It's very helpful.
Understand that eating like word has been used appropriation.
Is a little bit hard, but you make it. You're very old. We had a good meal at noon time here or in the cafeteria. What happened?
Neil.
Created it is in the process of digestion and it becomes hard of us. That which we ate, it goes down into the stomach and is absorbed into the whole body, and through that means we grow. We have strength.
And that's eating, and I think it's so important to understand it for young people.
It's not mere knowledge. It's good to understand. Knowledge is important in its place, but it's more than knowledge. It's making it our very own. And I think it we have mentioned here in these verses the mana. And it's the Lord Jesus down here in this world, in his humiliation that is pictured in the manna. It was a small round thing.
The eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood, perhaps is more it's the death of Christ, because when you have those two things spoken up separately, it's because death has come in flesh and blood. But the manna is what the Lord Jesus is, that bread that came down from heaven. No, brethren, it's such a blessed thing to eat of that manna.
The Lord is the true bread that came down from heaven, and to go through the Gospels and see the Lord Jesus in his life down here.
Complete perfection on every situation. I love to think of him as he sat on the edge of Cycar as well.
He said, weary with his journey. Who is that? That's sitting there on the side of that well waiting for that poor woman to come out?
It is the Everlasting God who wearies not.
Weary with his journey as a man, come here to right where we were. To meet, to preach to thousands that were together. No. Meet one poor, solitary woman. Oh brother, what manner were our souls to think about it? That's the kind of God we have.
And to participate in, to make it our very own. This is what's going to strengthen us. The manna was the food for the desert, and in the desert, it is the flesh, brethren, that is our enemy. And if we don't want the flesh to have strength, to act, we're going to have to appropriate this man that we're going to have to eat it. And it's our privilege as we read through the Gospels.
To look at this, the true bread that came down from heaven, what a privilege to eat of it, to appropriate it, to make it our very own, that one who walked through this world in complete perfection. That's our life, brethren. That's our life.
00:20:16
Connection with various.
Gone. I'd like to mention a thought in connection with a different gospel. In the Gospel of Matthew, the only time that you have Samaritans mentioned is in the 10th chapter instruction to the disciples not to go in the way of the Samaritans.
And a further thought is brought out which is rather remarkable in the 19th chapter of Matthew. It says and a king to pass, that when Jesus had finished these things he departed from Galilee and came into the coast of Judea beyond Jordan. And I've read that and I have to admit that it was just another verse in Scripture. But when once we see that a righteous over righteous Jew in coming from Galilee to Jerusalem.
Would do anything to avoid going through Samaria. So he crossed to the eastern part of the River Jordan and he came down and had a regular route on the eastern side of the river Jordan to avoid going through Samaria. And the Lord in the Gospel of Matthew is there with his people and he takes that very same route, that of avoiding Samaria. Don't go in the way of the Samaritans in the 10th chapter, but now they open up the 4th chapter of John.
And it's just beautiful. And we open up the 18th chapter of Luke, and there are the leopards that are cleansed. And one of them was a Samaritan. And I remember years ago my father had a harmony of the Gospels. And in one way, maybe it's a mercy, it's lost. But I wish for the sake of my father only necessarily had it. But Can you imagine the disservice to this work, the spirit of God, to think that we could have a harmony of the gospel. Now remember, there's nothing out of harmony between them.
But to think of the beauty that there is in each of the Gospels for understanding what that particular gospel has to tell.
You tell us why.
Calls the Lord a certain Samaritan as he was going up to Jerusalem for the last time. Well, I don't want to bring up your father, but he we used to live in Seattle and he'd ask me a certain question. I'd say, brother, I know I'll get a lot more out of it if I hear your answer.
Well, when the Lord set his face to go to Jerusalem.
The word was sent to the Samaritans that he would come, but they refused to have him come, and the disciples said.
John and James shall we call fire down from heaven, Because if the Lord had gone to sanctify their center on Mount Horizon, that would have been all right, but his face was set to go to Jerusalem.
And I have to ask, this is a question as to why Luke did this. I wonder if he came to that fan that was in the ditch half dead. He was a Jew, but Luke called him a certain Samaritan as he journeyed to show that his heart was still for the Samaritans.
He's the savior of the world, and don't we fit in there as those certain Samaritans to realize his love for us? We are. We didn't come in on Jewish blessing. She goes to the cross as a certain Samaritan bearing their reproach. But he is the savior of the world. He loves the Sinner that be all right.
Thank you.
15 We read of the company that was around the Lord, and it says the Republicans and the sinners drew near to hear him. Then there was an outer circle that was the Pharisees, and they murmured, saying this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. That's also Luke's gospel. Isaiah 53, they say, of the Lord Jesus. He was despised. The Samaritan was despised by the Jew of enough. So what an illustration of himself he gives.
In this certain Samaritan, I think it was to reach the conscience of the Jew who thought himself so much better than the others. The Gentiles and the Samaritans, the Lord always spoke very severely against the Pharisees, those that thought highly of themselves and looked down upon others.
That's so opposite to Christianity, isn't it?
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Jesus is the 2 red from heaven.
Given by the Father. But I also enjoy the statement in verse 33. The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven. Could we perhaps say it is not just that it is from the Father and from God-given to us, but that it is the very bread that God himself feeds on? It's beautiful to see it that way.
That we have been given, that which has always been the delight and joy of God, the Father's heart, and that we can now feast on Him, beautiful to see.
Could you go on and give us a thought in the end of verse 27, which is along this line, which the Son of Man shall give unto you? For him hath God the Father sealed.
What does that mean?
Give us your thought.
Well, I just wondered if the Spirit of God hasn't given this expression to us, to to.
Realize that the Lord was not here to boast of himself.
He was sealed of God. He was the man that God had sent to be, having him here as the Son of Man.
And he bears the seal the authority of God and all that he says and all that he does.
There buys some cattle. They're his by purchase. But then he puts his seal on them. He brands them. He marks them out. These are mine. They belong to me.
This thesis, this. This is what I find my delight in. And this, this the force of him. Have God, Father sealed. Is it not He? He marked him out. This is my beloved Son. Hear him. He is the delight of my heart. I have sealed him. Mark him out. This as the unique one who is the delight of the need of my heart.
Sometimes the thought of ceiling is for preservation. You get that in Revelation, but but here it's marking him out as it's the only passage that I think that reads that he was sealed, marked out as the delighted God.
And.
That he was sealed. And there you get the filler thought of what the height was bringing out. That it was there he was the Son, and he saw the dove, the Holy Spirit, coming down upon him, and the Father's voice of heaven and getting exacerbation. So he's he received the Spirit of God when he first started his earthly ministry as a man, and then again when he ascended online, he received the Spirit of God again.
74 to 12.
In verse 27.
For that means which endures unto everlasting life, that isn't so much as a thought that we can eternal life, but that which has been given to us in the person of the Lord Jesus coming down here will continue forever.
You know it won't lose its value and it's the preciousness for us ever. Is that the thought?
27th First he uses the.
Title The Son of Man.
Which the Son of Man shall give unto you. The Jews knew that they knew that title. Daniel 7 the ancient of days did sit, And one like unto the Son of Man, came to him, and he gave him dominion, and power, and a glory, and a Kingdom which shall never end.
Son of Man. And so he uses that title, and he says him hath God the Father sealed.
But they didn't enter into that at all, they said. Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? This is always the thought of man, isn't he wants to do something. He wants to be religious. He wants to carry out his religious duty. And here he's been setting before them a truth that they didn't enter into at all labor, not for the meat which perishes. You just told them not to work, and and now they want to do something that they might.
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Work the works of God.
So he gives them an answer.
This is the work of God, that she believe on him whom he hath sent.
That's a keyword in the Gospel of John sent. He's the sent one you find it over.
And over and over again.
Might make a comment about what our brother has said about Son of Man. We all know that the Gospel of John is primarily presenting Christ as the Son of God. But what's a beautiful thought that the divine architect has given us the expression Son of Man in the Gospel of John more times than the expression Son of God?
I repeat the expression Son of Man occurs in the Gospel of John Moore.
Then the expression Son of God in the Gospel of John, which to me.
The beauty of to our hearts of the Son of God is that he became.
A man. And so it's the combination in the Gospel of John the Son of Man and Son of God.
Especially in connection with his coming down as the bread of God.
Because that's where we can get a hold of the Brethren if it was only the Son of God.
We would not know him as we do now. He became a man so that we can say our God has come to where we are. Now we know who our God is. He has been here.
The Son of God became the Son of Man. The invisible became visible. The inscrutable came to where we were so that we might know Him. John says in his first epistle, that which was from the beginning. That's the beginning of his presence down here. The epistle of John starts with the 14th verse of the first chapter of John's Gospel. The Word became flesh, that which was from the beginning which we have heard.
Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon or contemplated, which where our hands have handled, of the word of life.
Tremendous.
He came that close to us so that they could lay on his very bosom, handle him and.
A monarch, a king was unapproachable. You think of the Book of Esther.
Mordecai said to Esther she had to go in and plead for her people and she says you fast. For me, I'll go in and if I perish, I'd perish because he hasn't bitten me into his presence for a month.
And if one dared to enter the presence of that king without being invited, if he didn't hold out the golden scepter, it was sure and certain death. And he saw her standing. And he said, come in and he held out the golden scepter. Well, that was necessary for this earthly monarch. And we can approach him. We can enter into his very presence at any time. Whenever we enter his presence, he holds out the golden scepter.
He says, Come, that's our God.
Wonders.
Yeah, when he was the only thing.
Bring him to where we could get our hands on him, so we could hang him on a tree, right? The heart of Mass. Our God should have been embraced and exalted when he became a man, But he came close to us. We took our hands and hung him on a crop.
The heart of ants.
Well, he was when he was here. The publicans, the sinners, they didn't feel threatened by his presence. Rather than that, that speaks to me so often. People are scared of us.
But they weren't scared of the Lord Jesus. Think of that woman that came when he was in the House of that Pharisee.
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Who felt he was pretty good and he had invited the Lord Jesus to that meal. And that woman who was a Sinner in the city came. You can imagine how she must have felt coming into that Pharisee's house, knowing she was going to be despised. But she came to his feet and she never says a word in that portion that we have. She stands.
She weeps. She washes his feet with her tears. She wipes them with the hairs of her head. He forgives her because she had loved much. Oh, brethren, what a what a thing to think about to meditate on to eat of that manner. Accessible. The most accessible. Still, he didn't. Then he didn't. That doesn't justify her sin at all. Does it mean that he was compromising the holiness of God in any way?
Not at all, but the beautiful perfection of his accessibility.
And yet His perfect holiness. How can we understand that, brethren? We stand in awe, and it is our portion, even though we don't understand it very well to eat of that bread from heaven to make it our very own.
It was not just given for the Jewish people.
We have had in the outline that there are things that clearly point towards blessing for God's birthday people in the coming day when the Lord Jesus will join them, so to speak, and bring an end to their suffering. But as the breath of God he comes to give life to the world, to everyone, That includes human beings.
Sinners of the Gentiles. Not that all the world will receive life, but that's the object. That's the purpose for his coming to not just come for one particular nation, but to come for all of us, and to be able by faith to appropriate him for ourselves, to feed on him. Is there anything more precious than him?
He's ours, and we can feed on him in a spiritual way, nourish our souls, and to be fed and be satisfied. And then the thought is overwhelming to me, The very thought that I, a Sinner, can be comfortable in the presence of perfect holiness.
Because the work of the Lord Jesus has so completely wiped away all guilt that I can be present.
Obey in His presence and be perfectly comfortable. You know what? He wants us to be comfortable in His presence even now, by faith when we are near him. Be comfortable in His presence and in that wonderful you know, we can be in His presence now where the twos and three meet in His name you know, and to be comfortable there.
Well, it's wonderful.
Comfortable in the presence of perfect holiness, once a guilty Sinner, fearing God, trembling. But that fear is God. Perfect love casteth out fear.
Sometimes we say when we.
Going to part with someone, we say the Lord be with you.
We say that.
The proper answer to that is, he always is. He has said, I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. Another one is the Lord bless thee.
He hath blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenlies. We know what we mean. We mean When we say the Lord be with you, we mean I trust you'll have a sense of His presence with you.
To the expression in the Psalms, men did eat angels food in reference to the manna.
And when our Lord Jesus was here in this world, the angels, the different places you find angels.
In the picture that we have in the Gospels when he was born.
This is the first time Angels had ever seen their Creator.
Ever seen their God? Where was he laying his lane?
In a Manger there was number room for him in the inn. And how those angels.
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Must have marveled at the lack of appreciation of their God by men who had the word of God in their very hands, who knew the answers. And yet here was their God entered into the creation, and those men had no idea that he was there. Oh brethren, it's our privilege to participate of that food, angel's food, when the Lord Jesus was tempted.
For 40 days, and at the end of the temptations angels came and ministered to him.
So it was angels food as well. It's the food of God, the bread of God. What God enjoys. It was what the angels ate of as well. Now it is ours to enjoy as well. Brethren, this is what really satisfies you dear young people. The world appears attractive.
But here is food that really satisfies.
Eat of it. Make a practice of getting along with the Lord, meditating on it, meditating.
I like to think of as the cow lays down on the grass after he's eaten and brings.
Back to his mouth to chew the cud that which he has already gathered.
And that's what it is for us too, as those things we have read, to stop, to chew it, to enjoy the richness of it, and then to make it our very own. How important that is in our lives. That's what's going to bring real growth in our souls.
An additional we read by word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. And the verse referred to this morning in James Chapter one, it says there received with humility the engrafted or the implanted word. And I've enjoyed so much the remark that a brother used to make in connection with that read the word of God and tell you're so saturated with it that you think in terms of scripture.
That is not an extreme statement. I covet that may it be true of each one of us to so read the word of God. And I was enjoying the remark. A brother was criticized by the world by the with this remark you are just.
Brainwashed by scripture? That's a compliment, brethren. May we be brainwashed. May our brains be filled with the precious word of God. We need it. We cannot do without it more than our necessary food.
One of his garbage enemies said. He vows to the book like a fool. What a commendation.
I'm going to add a comment in connection with the bread which came down from heaven, and there is a beautiful series concerning the person of Christ and the 23rd chapter of Leviticus and the 14th verse. And ye shall eat neither bread. There is absolutely no enjoyment of Christ in any aspect until we know him as our personal Savior, and there may be some here in that really don't know the Lord as their personal Savior.
And the suggestion of meditating upon him falls upon.
Unwanted and blind eyes and deaf ears. But I believe that it's important to see here that it says, Ye shall eat neither bread, which is Christ in incarnation humiliation here on earth, nor parched corn, which is in death, nor green ears in resurrection. And so we find that and indeed resurrection takes into account the Ascension. So here we have.
The full spectrum, if we will, of the manifestation of the Son of God. Don't we? Bread, parched corn, green ears.
The sign, didn't they?
Verse 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou?
That we may see and believe thee. What dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat money in the desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat, and that opens. Now the Lord opens up this wonderful subject. Moses gave you not that bread from heaven. But my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. They wanted that bread. Lord Evermore give us that bread. And then he says, Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.
00:45:26
Tremendous. This is the gospel of the I am statements of the Lord Jesus. He who is the eternal Jehovah of the Old Testament. What is His name? I am that I am. And here He says, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Every one of these statements the Lord makes I am.
Is an indication of who he is, of his essential glory as the eternal Son. God. No man, no mere man, could make such a statement unless he was a lunatic.
I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger.
He that believeth on me shall never thirst. Tremendous statements in the 7th chapter, they were sent, the officers were sent to take him, and they came and they said, why have you not brought him? And they said, never man spake like this man.
What words did he speak? How can anyone read the Gospel of John?
And not believe he is God.
Utter blindness.
I like what one brother said, he said. Read John's gospel through to the end and then read it again, and then read it a third time. And if you do that with sincerity and prayer and looking to God to reveal himself to your soul, you won't be the same man having read it that many times.
Bears its own marks of divine credentials, does it not?
Again, like to speak to those here perhaps, who have made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus, but never.
Have really accepted the Lord Jesus into your heart for your very own.
Eating is making it your very own, and I really.
Fear that there are those who are passing amongst us that know the answers.
Maybe you can answer questions about salvation very clearly.
That's not what we're talking about here. It is a matter.
Getting it right down inside of you, it's not so much a matter of the head.
It's a matter of the heart. It's eating it and that becomes part of you when you eat.
I am the bread of life. The person can starve to death with a piece of bread in his hand, and in fear that there are many people that are in that position in professing christen them today. They know the answers, but they've never really enjoyed it in their own soul. Dear young people, the way I see some the enjoyment that you show of things in this world.
Make me wonder if you've ever got a taste of this bread. If you've ever eaten it, stop. Think about it. You know the answers. I'm not telling you anything new, but my challenge to you this afternoon is have you eaten of this bread, the bread of life? What a beautiful, simple, understandable statement this is, Jesus said unto them.
I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. Those nevers are strengthened in the original, understand. It's something that is very strong, never hunger. And if you haven't eaten of this bread, your heart is hungry.
Your heart is empty. I think we've all, in our measure, experience that emptiness, that hunger in our hearts. And in a certain way, we have to prove the emptiness of what this world offers so that they're willing to turn away from it and turn to the one that really does fully, eternally satisfy.
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Have you eaten of that bread? Or are you sitting there in your seat just longing to get out of the meeting and go back to some of your other enjoyments?
Think about it. The Lord has given you an opportunity this afternoon to eat of this bread from heaven.
Dead man cannot eat.
He has no hunger. What a solemn thing that is, isn't it? And what a word that would be to anyone who is lost in our audience today as you brought before us, brother. These words are so solemn to think of saying goodbye to a loved one here for all eternity because they've never made it their own.
The Spirit of God.
Gives us both sides of the picture.
In such a sustained way, that is, we have the natural man receiving not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, and so every time they.
Speak against the Lord. It just pains you, but if we're outside of Christ, we understand this kind of language. And for an example, they say our fathers did eat man in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven just as much as the sable. A miracle that you performed in feeding the 5000 was really nothing in comparison to what Moses did in that he fed them for 40 years in the wilderness. So we see man's reasoning over and over again through this chapter.
Until finally the line of divide comes and they walk no more with him. So the line of divide is there, and you see it as he comes out with the precious truth and they make a rebuttal. And our natural arts understand this. But how wonderful it is to have that new life that delights defeat on the bread from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.
What we have believed.
If left to ourselves.
Never.
Never.
And we find in verse 37.
The explanation that the Lord himself gives.
All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me. I will in no wise care thou. It's the grace of God that has worked in our hearts that from unbelieving we became believing, or we had faith. And believing here is not Speaking of considering a thing to be true. That is sometimes how believing is youth in the New Testament.
Believeth thou the prophets?
I no doubt believe it. King Agrippa is spoken today about Paul the devil's belief in tremble. But here believing is real faith, and that is a work of God. And if God would not by His Spirit have worked in our hearts, we would not have believed either. He has brought us to the Lord Jesus as we have it in verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father.
Which has sent me draw him. He has drawn us with courts of love, and he has used circumstances in your life and my life. If we have believed that have brought us to the Lord Jesus has opened our blind eyes to receive him. We have another statement later on here.
No man can come unto me except that we're given unto him of my father sovereign grace.
Has made the difference in Europe my life. If we have believed, we don't take credit for it. We don't boast. I believe you don't believe the grace of God that has made the difference. But the grace of God wants to do that for you, you know. And so I trust that by the Spirit he might reach anyone in this audience that has not yet by faith, embrace the Lord Jesus. That's the only hope for you.
And God is willing. He's not willing that any should perish.
That all would come to repentance. So may the Lord by His grace, work in every heart here in the audience.
It's been put it this way. Tis not that I did choose thee. For Lord that could not be this heart would still refuse thee, but thou hast chosen me. Sometimes we see the sign. Try Jesus. You can't. Try Jesus. You can't. Like you'd try a different food or something like that. That that that whole idea is wrong from the beginning, as though we have the power in ourselves to try him.
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No. It's the work of God's grace and the soul by his word that produces faith in US and light all at the same moment. And it's all of God. It's all of God.
Before the foundation of the world, we have these verses.
Verse 29 This is the work of God that you believe on him.
Whom he has sent in verse 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.
And.
And also verse 4040 This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone should see that which seeth the sun, and believeth on him. We have everlasting life. Verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father, which has sent me draw him. So what is the answer for a soul? The answer is in 47 Very, very I say unto you, he that believeth on me.
Has everlasting life. That's the answer. He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
So.
A man just believes Christ died for their sins.
And they have everlasting life.
It says it pleased God by the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believed. And so we preached a word on one side is God's sovereignty, which we don't know about, but the other side is man's responsibility to believe it. And so the message goes out that the lovely 47th, that verse she just quoted, Brother the Lord Jesus is verily and verily I say unto you, he that believes on me has everlasting life. That's how the brother Grenadia in Italy got saved. That's one verse.
At least that's what awakened him. And he said that's what I want everlasting life. And our brother was able to lead him to the Lord and what a blessed result we see.
Put it there also.
Jenny.
Thank God for the clear message of the gospel, of the grace of God. I was thinking of this just a little thought on the 37th verse too. How many we've talked to, perhaps have said, well, how do I know for sure will he accept me? And so on. Here he makes a promise that comes from the lips of the Lord Jesus himself. He that cometh to me. I will, in no wise cast out that ever stands. It's the truth of God.
I'm thankful that by the grace of God, so many of us have come today. We have not been cast out, His arms have been opened to receive, whosoever well may come drink of the water of life freely. These promises, the clear message of the gospel brethren, is something we need to cherish.
Not a common thing in the world today. There are so many mixed messages being given today.
You have to do your part. You have to feel this and that and so on. But the Scripture tells us clearly that we're sinners, lost and we cannot save ourselves. And it tells us clearly that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is the gospel of the grace of God. May we ever praise him for it.
And when the Lord Jesus sent forth his disciples, he said go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. He doesn't say, just to the elect, to every creature. So God is not showing favorites. I enjoyed what a brother brought out in John chapter 3. Sometimes we've heard of that statement. All may come, none will come, some shall come.
Just go back to John three and he pointed out the verses. I enjoyed it. I like to pass it on. John 316. That well known verse all may come. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All may come.
But verse 32 Now none will come, And what he hath seen and heard.
That he testified to the Lord Jesus, and no man receiveth his testimony. If we are left to ourselves, none of us would believe, none of us but then some shall come. Verse 36 He that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abide divine.
01:00:25
Was that same love that spread the feast that sweetly forced me and else I had still refused to taste and perished in my sin.
Realization, brethren, That if we are left to ourselves.
None of us would have come.
Is important.
Because there is no glory for us in the fact that we are saved.
All glory belongs to him thinking what the Lord Jesus said to those Pharisees in the 5th chapter in the 40th verse.
Ye will not come to me that he might have life. It's a matter not so much a man's mind. It's a matter of his will. And if there is a person here who is sitting under the sound of the Word and listening to the gospel being preached.
You are not saved. If you are not saved, you are not saved because you won't be saved. It's a matter of your will. You probably understand the message, but it's a matter of your will.
You can't say. No one will ever be able to say, well, his death was not for me. Two Corinthians 514 says for the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. Proves the state we were all in, and that he died for all that they which live. That's that's those of us who believe should no longer live under themselves but unto him.
Which died for them and rose again. He died for all again in First Timothy 2 verse six, while read verse 5. For there's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. He died for all, gave himself a ransom for all. It's available to all, and so anyone that ends up in hell has only himself to blame.
That he has not come.
And that means, Chuck, that.
Christ suffered for all sins and.
Then they, the unbeliever, will have to suffer a second time for the same sense. That's a different subject.
Says he bare the sins of many those who are identified with him, those who believe the gospel.
For our sins, we can only say that if we believe.
But he died for all, gave himself a ransom for all. The best illustration of that is the newspaper ran an ad and said we are offering a life insurance policy to all of our subscribers. All you have to do is send in your name. We will subscribe you, we pay the premium.
All you had to do to be covered would be to send your name in. We pay the premium. If he died for all it's been paid for, he gave himself a ransom for all. But you don't get the benefit of the policy until you believe yourself sending your name and you're a subscriber. And that's those who do that say I'm covered. He bore my sins in his body on the tree. But you have to do something to get that, and that is, you have to believe the message.
You don't get it automatically. Premiums been paid, all spent, done. That's propitiation is the propitiation for the whole world. But he's only the substitute for those of us who believe. I think that illustration of the newspaper with the insurance policy is an excellent one, and it illustrates the difference between propitiation and substitution. One is not covered till he sends him his name, and you're not covered till you believe the gospel. It's all available.
Premiums been paid. The work is done. God is glorified. You can come now.
01:05:02
Be able to offer that insurance policy, but it didn't cost the people anything. All they had to do is subscribe. It's like create illustration.
Day of Atonement. There were two animals slaying, I should say. One was slain and the blood was sprinkled.
Before God, that speaks of propitiation, and the animal upon whom the sins were confessed and sent into the wilderness to perish, speaks of substitution and propitiation is to satisfy God's claim against sin, and that is all sin.
But substitution has to do with the deeds committed. And if, as some teach even in the so-called fundamental circles, that anybody going to hell is not going to hell because of their sins, the Lord Jesus died for their sins and atoned for their sins, that falls because then God would not be just and righteous to demand payment twice.
God is just. He will not demand payment twice. But we have to understand or get into the truth of election and predestination that helps us to understand. And as we have expressed in the hymn many times, God who knew the sin, Speaking of the sins, laid them on him and believing I am free. The gospel is not so that.
The whole world is going to be saved. The gospel is to bring in the elect of God, Paul says. In Timothy I endure all things for the elect sake that they also may obtain the salvation that in Second Timothy 2 and.
This helps us. I hope to understand that.
When I was born, it was almost 2000 years after the work of Calvary's cross. I hadn't committed any sin, but the Lord Jesus bore my sins and his body on the tree. How could that be? God knew them and put them on him and by me believing I am free.
Effects of the day of opponents and our brother has brought out and it's sort of a memory crutch. It's the 25th verse of the 3rd and the 4th chapters of Romans, and in Romans 325 it clearly says propitiation or mercy seat, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Now the memory crutches that it's the next chapter in the 25th verse which is substituted.
Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.
The two aspects of the Day of Atonement Romans 325 and Romans 425.
Most of those that passed are not the sins that you and I have committed up to the day that we were saved. That refers to the sins of those who died in faith before the cross of Calvary. They come into forgiveness through the work of the Lord Jesus. Their sins are atoned not until the Lord Jesus himself died. God accepted them previous to the work of Calvary's cross in view of the work of Calvary's cross. So the sins that our past refers to those who died in faith prior to the work of Christ.
And but now God is just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus, that for us who live after the cross.
In common.
Say.
Most of the preachers that I've heard.
Make the mistake of saying that on the cross Jesus bore the sins of the whole world. And that's a mistake. I think we should be clear on that.
He bore the sins of all believers.
But he's the propitiation for the whole world.
If he bore the sins of the whole world, the whole world is going to be in heaven. The whole world will be saved.
He can't twice require payment to be made for the debt, so if the Lord has paid for the debt of all.
Then that would be universal restoration that there are some that believe that.
01:10:01
Let's do verse 37. I've enjoyed the comment of another. That said, there's no slip between the Father's gift and the Son's reception. Doesn't that make our salvation wonderful, to be given as a gift to Christ and we come by faith to Him? And what is the reception? All the reception is I will in no wise cast out, and there may be a young soul born again here in this room that may wonder.
Whether they're really saved or not, but to come into the enjoyment of this salvation that the Father has given you as a gift to the Son and the Son is not going to refuse you. It's going to receive you and your year and your kids forever.
Think of these words. Think of these words. Just let's just meditate on them. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Who is this man that is uttering such words? And him that cometh to me, I will never cast him out. And then he says, For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. Who is this?
How can anyone read these words and deny that he is God the Son infinitely more than just a man?
God's sovereignty and man's responsibility brought together too. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.
Positive statement. That's God's sovereign purpose.
And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out our responsibilities. Why? Because Jesus invites he says, Come unto me, all ye that labor in our heavy laden, and and I will give you rest. He invites It is your responsibility, it is mine to come. People talk of free will, and free will is not a good term to use.
Man is a responsible being, and he's responsible because of what the Lord Jesus has said, That invitation he has made. So those two things are brought together beautiful to think about. The things that are in our minds, hard to reconcile. I like the illustration that's perhaps of the railway track as it runs down on a straight stretch. They run side by side, those two things.
Those two rails up in the distance, it looks like they touch, but they really never touch. They run side by side. And so it is through all of scripture, God's sovereign purpose on one side, man's responsibility on the other. They run right together.
Man is a slave. To sin is not free to choose the right. You'll always choose the wrong. He was free once before he sinned in the Garden of Eden. He was created in innocence. He was a free moral agent then.
When you talk about free will, you have to say what man you're talking about. You're talking about man before he fell. Talking about man after he fell. You're talking about the new man in Christ. What man you talking about?
And if you don't define the terms to talk about free will is talking about something that you just can't define until you know what man are you talking about. So there's there's a difference between innocence and the sin that now the Lord Jesus, he had a perfectly free will as man and we're going to be just like him when we don't have the old nature anymore. Everything that we desire will have a perfect liberty to to want anything.
Have perfect liberty for perfect freedom to choose anything, but everything that we choose will be according to God.
Believer. Now it's not proper to say he has free will because now we do what we do in the Lord by the power of the Spirit of God that dwells in our lives. So an unsafe person is under the influence of the Prince of this world. A saved person is under the influence of the Spirit of God. Free will means he has the ability, without any other outside influence, to choose what's right that is not.
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True of anyone living to day.
Everything #190 willing to do if it's good.
I know God, what chords of love are thine, How gentle. Yeah, how strong thy truth and grace their strength combined to draw our souls along. Drawn by such chords will onward move to round the throne we meet and captives in the chains of love embrace our saviors feet.
Oh God, what cords of love are you?
Thy grave I pray the light.
Through God.
'S own.
And when the fly from the earth.
Is required.
All my prayers.
John 6:41-51
Reading
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Jesus Christ.
The Savior we only love.
In my love and favor.
Our soul? Fine. Liberty.
Wednesday.
Yes.
Her father was.
Verse 41.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven.
And they said, is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
How is it then that he saith I came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me. Draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life, I am that bread of life.
Your Father's did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
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The Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except.
He eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. You have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him as the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven, not as your Father's did, eat manna and are dead.
He that eateth of this bread shall live forever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this said, this is an hard saying. Who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What And if he shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?
It is the Spirit that quicken us. The flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
But there are some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except that were given unto him of my Father.
It kept her repeatedly the expression eternal life, or in the King James that says everlasting life. But Mr. Darby always transplants that life eternal it it might be helpful to explain.
This truth because there seems to be confusion.
In the mind of many Christians not understanding the difference between new births and eternal life and.
New birth is not the same as eternal life. New birth was already the portion of Old Testament believers. But eternal life is connected as we see in verse 40 with faith in the Lord Jesus.
And.
In John 17, the Lord Jesus himself says this is life.
Eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sinned.
The possession of eternal life is connected with the revelation that we have in the person of the Lord Jesus coming into this world and revealing the Father that was not known in the Old Testament by any Old Testament saying they did not know God as Father. The Lord Jesus has revealed Him and so life eternal is to be in a relationship.
To God as Father, revealed by the Lord Jesus and made known to us by the Spirit of God. And that does not mean that in new birth we get one kind of a life. And when we receive eternal life, we get a second kind of a life. That life which we receive in new birth takes on a new character when we come to know the Lord Jesus.
And his finished work of Calvary's Cross and it is demonstrated very clearly in Acts chapter 10, where.
There was obviously new life in Cornelius.
But he needed to hear words by which he was to be saved.
He had been made clean.
That was clearly shown to Peter.
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In that vision what I have made clean Do not thou make unclean and common?
So he had new life, but he needed to hear about the person and work of the Lord Jesus.
And when you read the verses that give the message that Peter gives to the House of Cornelius, that is clearly what is presented the person and work of the Lord Jesus. And Mr. Kelly is very helpful on that passage, pointing out that that is what made the difference, that is, the words that he had to hear in order to be saved. To be saved in the New Testament sense, means more than having new birth.
To be in the relationship to God as Father and to be entwled by the Spirit of God, that gives us the conscious enjoyment of that relationship that we now have to God as our Father.
16 says Paul said. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
For it is the power of God under salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew person, also the Greek.
The word gospel has to do with the death, burial, resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That that is something the Old Testament Saints did not appreciate.
The death bell and resurrection of Christ until it was accomplished. And so they were born again. As Brother Heinz said, they had divine life, the life, very life of God itself, and they enjoyed God, but.
They did not.
They could not say my sins, all my sins. So grateful men here in his blood are washed away that we can say now. Then when a person is born again, they have divine life and they have divine desires.
Their heart is.
Toward God. Whereas we read in Romans 3 that by nature there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. So the natural man, natural man doesn't seek.
It's only when.
They are resting in the finished work, the death of Christ.
I got a tip from a brother recently who said when he finds out a person is a Roman Catholic or we can say others as well, he says then you do believe that Christ died for your sins, don't you?
Well, this is.
Taught in a sense, although they do not believe that the finished work of Christ settles the whole issue for eternity. That's got they've got to go through Purgatory and al in order to get to heaven. But we can. You can.
You can deal with a Roman Catholic in a beautiful manner.
In the gospel by insisting that they do know.
They are taught that Christ died for their sins and that finished the work of salvation.
For their souls.
On this subject, I wonder if we could get some help in the preceding verse, verse 40.
We have the expression and I will raise him up at the last day. We have it four times just to point it out in verse 39.
In verse 40, verse 44 and also verse.
54 In connection with the eternal life, if there is a connection in that expression, it must be important coming four times.
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Is it not that God's purpose is to have us in the glory?
Not just that they were, but they would be raised up at the last time and displayed in glory with the Lord Jesus. That's that's why I've taken it.
It is a question when when eternal life is imparted to us upon putting our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus that we have a life that needs to be nourished and.
Fed and developed. But in the Day of Glory, as you mentioned, eternal life will have its full fruition and blessedness.
And to me, that's what makes it important that it comes four times, the Lord bringing us before the heart of him that has an ear to hear.
It has been used to, or the picture has been used to, illustrate, the present possession of eternal life and the future possession of eternal life. The Scripture presents it in both ways. In Paul's writings it is usually a future possession, in John's writing a present possession, and it has been illustrated in the deep sea diver who Goes Down into the Ocean and.
That lifeline from above sustains him.
While he is in this foreign element below, but then when he comes out, he comes into the fullness of it, You know, I think that's a nice picture to illustrate the difference between the present possession of eternal life and the future possession of eternal life. We'll enter into the fullness of it when we will be with the Lord Jesus.
Is this not in that 40th verse? It says, And this is the will of him that sent me, and so we had yesterday. That man does not have a free will, so he doesn't. He doesn't come to salvation.
Through his own will Well. And whose will does he come? He comes on the Father's will, doesn't he? The Father wills that we be there. And so the Father also wills that we be displayed with the Lord Jesus in glory. And that's the fullness of eternal life. Although we have it as a present possession, we shall have it when everything caters to it.
More about what eternal life is, I've enjoyed.
John 10 and verse 10 as to something of what the expression means. We always think it's a life that never ends, and of course it is that, but it is a lot more. The thought I understand is not so much the duration of the life as the.
Quality of the life it is life in the full revelation of all that God is.
Revealed to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ it's life. And here in John 10 and verse 10 it says the thief cometh not, but for us who steal, and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly, or Mr. Darby leaves out, the more they might have it abundantly.
The thought of eternal life is life in abundance. It's another place that helps to understand it, perhaps in First Timothy chapter 6.
And.
Verse 19 speaking to the rich in this world.
And he says in verse 19, laying up in store for themselves.
A good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the eternal life, it says in the King James and Mr. Darby's translation. It says they might lay hold on that which is really light.
And I don't know if we can just get ahold of that, especially our young people. What we're talking about South, often the enemy of our souls, portrays the things of God is something that you have to deny yourself in connection with it. And it is true, there is denial and connection with following the Lord Jesus, but it opens up into something that is life in abundance. It is that which is really light. People think that when they have their own way.
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As to what they do in their lives, that they're tasting life, people that have their own way don't know what living is really, yet.
You really want to know what really living is, what eternal life is. It is from the revelation of God that we have in the Lord Jesus. It leads out into fullness, amplitude, abundance. That's eternal life. And I think it's so important for young people to get it into their hearts. This is really living young people, not to enjoy the paltry things, this world.
Offers us that only robs you of the enjoyment of what is really living really like.
A nice look at Galatians 4 as an illustration of the difference between.
The life that the Old Testament Saints had, and what we have the character of it, Galatians. 4 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all. Think of the Prince of a king.
He's just a child. He can't enter into the thoughts of his father or the administration of the Kingdom. He's just a child. So he doesn't differ. He just differs nothing from a servant, though he'd be Lord of all. One day he's going to mature, but he's under tutors and governors until the time appointed to the father. Now he applies that, He says Even so we Jews when we were children.
In ******* under the elements of the world, that's what characterized the Jew who believed in the Old Testament.
He was under law. He was under *******. He was a child. But.
When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. That's the Jew that we might receive the adoption of sons. And that's what you're talking about. Of the abundant life placed in the position of sonship, where one is mature and grown and able to understand all the things of that God is one for us and provided for us in his beloved Son. We have now the Spirit.
Of his son, and we cry as a father, and he goes on in the next verse the he takes up the Gentiles. The we of verse five is the Jew that's now been promoted from the baby state to the adult state, which is Christianity.
I think of this verse every time I hear a Jew giving his testimony now that he's a Christian and then he says but I'm still a Jew. What would you think of a of a son in the in the family that's grown up?
And the father has taken him into a partnership in his business, father and son. And he says to his father, I'm still a child, that's nonsense. He's not a child anymore. He's a mature adult and able to run the business just like his father does. But then he goes on to verse 6 where the Gentiles are spoken out. They were, they were never in ******* under the law. So he says, because ye are sons. How did they get to that position? By sovereign grace.
God hath set forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying ABBA father, and then he switches back to the Jew again. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son. Now eternal life attaches to full sonship, and the thought of new birth to to the to the servants state. And I think that's a nice passage to illustrate the difference between life and the abundant life.
Someone has put it this way for as young people that want to study the subject and it with the crossing of the Red Sea.
They were. They partook of the Passover and that made them safe, but they were still subject to the enemy. They were still in the enemy's land until they passed through the Red Sea and all our enemies were drowned in the sea. And then they were free. You get it there. Typically you get it parabolically in.
The prodigal son, he came to himself that's new birth, but he still wasn't delivered. He said I'll go home and justice tell him, well, I'll just be a servant or I'll be like a slave. But when he got to the father's house, you know the father he had other plans for him and he brings him in and and he brings puts him in a condition where he he can enjoy him and the prodigal son can enjoy the father And then you get a heights rotted out historically.
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You get it in the Acts 10 where with Cornelius, and then you get a doctrine Lee in the Epistles. That's just a way to learn to remember it. And the father does not allow the son to say make me as one of thy hired servants. He received him as his son.
That would be, again, like the Jews saying, I'm a Christian but I'm still a Jew. Well, in the in the servants position, you know, God will not have that. Put us into the place of sonship, place of privilege, place of blessing and the understanding of it. That's full Christian liberty and full Christian position, isn't it? Isn't it verified in what he said to the older brother? He was dead and now he's alive. That's the new position, isn't it?
In connection with that so-called prodigal son story, I'd just like to read parts of two verses which bring out a remarkable thought.
Not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, And then in the 20th verse he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off. And in the original the words are the same. And it appears to me that any concept in our minds or any picture where the sun is being received by the father adjacent to the house.
Is contrary to this passage. I've envisioned it this way that the son made a turn and before he took one step the father was there because it says he went into a far country, but when he was yet a great way off, same word. The father had his eye on that son the whole time that he was gone, and he met him there when he was yet a great way off.
We remember the story Mr. Willis tells of of asking A.
An artist to draw this picture and when he got the picture back, the prodigal son was on the ground and the father was beating it. And Mr. Willis said that's not the story. He said yes, but that's what he deserved.
The Christian profession.
Many sincere children of God.
Really believe that new birth is the ultimate of Christian blessing. That is not true. It's the beginning.
Christian blessing. We couldn't be Christians without being born again.
But it is only the beginning, and I remember very much for joy remembering Brother Clarence Lundin's statement that new birth gives us capacity for divine things. You have to be born again before you can see or enter what God has for us, whether it is the Kingdom or anything else that he is offering in Christ. So it gives us capacity for divine things.
But to make you and me a Christian, we have to have more than new birth. What makes you and me a Christian is that the Spirit of God has taken His abode in our body. That is what makes us Christians. He could not come and indwell us unless we have first of all new life, and then we are sealed by the Spirit of God being given to us. God puts His stamp upon us.
That one belongs to me.
But in that new relationship, that no St. of God.
Ever enjoyed in the past and that is being in the position of a son.
And what a wonderful truth that is to be a son of God.
Not in the same way as the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, but nevertheless.
We have been brought into the family of God and being not only children.
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But being sons, little Kim presses so beautifully for him. The first of his son. I am here I was thinking, as you were Speaking of those blessings, certainly the new birth. And then I was thinking of Ephesians One verse three we read, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. How many of those blessings does every believer in this room have?
All of them. But we're not all in the good of it. And that's what God would have us to learn, isn't it? To enjoy these blessings that are already ours in Christ.
In the third chapter of John, when the Nicodemus came to the Lord Jesus by night.
The Lord Jesus speaks to him about new birth.
Well Nicodemus, it was a new thought to him and he says, how can these things be?
And.
Then the Lord Jesus says to him not he doesn't explain new birth, but rather he says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so much the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believes on him should not should have eternal life.
So he goes in the gospel.
Of what it means to be to have eternal life more than justice, divine life.
12 men mentioned in Africa.
Is this the case with these in that chapter from verses one through 7?
4 Disciples.
For finding these individuals, asking them, have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Is this what we're talking about in this chapter in this portion?
Being, having new birth, but not being, not having yet received the Spirit of God, and being sealed.
I asked that as a question. I think that's correct.
They didn't. They'd only known the baptism of John. They were Jewish disciples. And then now they have to come into the full blessing of Christianity.
Receiving the Spirit of God.
Thing to realize that God has brought us into relationships with himself as sons rather than he has millions of angels to serve him. He really doesn't need any more servants. What he seeks his sons to sit in his presence, to enjoy him, to share his thoughts, to understand his counsels, his purposes. It's a privilege to serve the Lord.
But brethren, true service flows out of the enjoyment of that position that we've been brought into as sons. And I think it's so important for us to understand that. Traveling around Latin America a lot, it's interesting. I meet up with a lot of sincere brethren in the Lord, believers who have, I'm sure, a heart that is right with the Lord. But so often I find that each one has their own program.
This is what I want to do for the Lord.
And it seems to me that.
Is lacking so often with us is getting into the Lord's presence and understanding in a fuller measure his thoughts, his purposes, his counsels, because that will be fulfilled. As much as man may try to stand in the way of God's purposes, that is what is going to be fulfilled. And so if we can sit in the Lord's presence in the enjoyment of that position of sons that we've been brought into.
To understand his counsels, his purposes. Then when we go out in service, it will be an intelligence of what God is doing. It's not so much what I'm doing rather than I I often have to be. I'm made to feel that I'm a privileged witness of what the Lord is doing. It's not what I'm doing, it's what the Lord is doing in this world. And He may use me, He may not use me. And it's a joy to see God using others in the fulfilling of His purposes.
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But that's so important. If we are going to be intelligent in our service, is to first of all sit in his presence, to enjoy him. Oh what a God we have. And it's not so much a display of what we are in this world, it's a display of what our God is. That's the revelation of this present dispensation. Very important.
Royal priesthood of one Peter Two is preceded by the holy priesthood, and in that ninth verse it says Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, peculiar people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous life.
Verse 42 We see what spiritual blindness is when it says and they said. Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith I came down from heaven?
Find in the first chapter of John that Philip was introduced.
That Jesus was the son of Joseph. And so in John 14 it's Philip that speaks up and says show us the Father and it sufficeth us.
He had had a wrong introduction, and we know that Mary when they had left the feast, and they found the Lord in the temple, He said, She said, Thy father and I sought thee soaring. Well, the Lord didn't abruptly correct his mother, but he could say, wished he not that I must be about my father's business. And so it gives the Lord here another opportunity to bring in the Father. In verse 44. No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me.
Draw him. I don't know. Maybe somebody has an accurate figure, but I believe in John's Gospel that the Lord speaks of his father 75 times.
75 times It's wonderful to have the veil lifted in spiritual blindness, to know who this one is, that he came from heaven, sent by His Father to seek our eternal blessing.
That's what John's Gospel is. It's the revelation of the Father by the Son.
That's the summation of the Gospel of John.
And is that why Philip said? Was that Philip said, show us the Father, and the Lord could say in that 14th chapter of John he that hath seen me has seen the Father?
Or what a home the son who knows he only all his love. I'm not giving this out as a hymn to sing and brings us as his well beloved. To that bright rest above dwells in his bosom knoweth all that in that bosom lies and came to earth to make it known that we might share his joy. That's the gospel of John is missing.
Christmas, too, was correct. He was the greatest deceiver that this world had.
It said that, and it's worth repeating, that God had one son and he loved him so much. And he says I'm going to fill heaven with many just like him in the wonderful. The grace of God brings us into that position, and it was in the heart of God before the world was made to have you and me with him as his sons.
About an extent. To what an extent did he go to make that possible, sending his only son?
To die for us, To make it possible that we could be in that position. What love?
Could we measure it?
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 brethren.
As the first born, he has many brethren. As the eternal Son of God, he has no brethren. He is alone.
00:40:02
Unique, but he became a man that we might be brought into the closest relationship possible for the creature.
Will never enter into Godhead. Impossible. It's blasphemy. But the closest the creature can be We are in the sun. The sun become a man. The sun Incarnate.
OK.
Is the reason in the 42nd verse that they didn't see any more than that he was just a natural man? They said he is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know. How is it then that he saith I have come down from heaven? It was because the Father hadn't given them so they their eyes weren't open and the Lord never never argued with them or tried to explain that Joseph wasn't his real father, did he? Because that would have only been casting his Pearl before swine.
But here?
It's an illustration of the blindness that would be in all of us had not the Father given us as a gift to the Son. We sit here this morning as absolute trophies of the grace of God, no matter what we might think.
Cerence isn't it that depended on me even 1% I'm lost?
All. His brother asked. The Church of Christ, minister.
Are you sure you have eternal life or eternal security? He said. I'm 90% sure.
That means he's not sure.
Who Jesus is, it means they have to be taught of God as we have in verse 45.
It really is that which shows us who Jesus is, and so those who are often.
Wise in their own conceits, or wise in this world?
Missed the thing completely and think what the Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11.
About these things at that time, as Matthew 1125, Jesus answered and said, I thank the old Father, Lord of.
Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise.
And prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. It's receiving it in the simplicity that God gives it to us, that's receiving it as a babe. And they're the ones that understand Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. And then he goes on to say, all things are delivered to me unto me of my father. And no man knoweth the Son the mystery of the person of the sun being God and man at the same time as a mystery.
That we simply bow before him and accept not something you can understand in your minds.
But it is in the simplicity of babes accepting the revelation of God.
That we understand who Jesus is.
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted. That's the new birth.
And become as little children ye shall not enter.
Into the Kingdom of heaven.
We have to begin as a little child, don't we, in the family of God.
The father was going to learn how to play the violin. His child knew how to play it. So he went to the instructor and said, I want to learn how to play the violin. Like my son knows how to play it. And he said, all right, you'll have to start at the beginning. And he said, what? I'm his father. I have to start where he started. That's right. That's where you have to start. And no matter how grown we are, we have to start right there, don't we?
00:45:08
Be converted and become as a little child.
I would like to say just briefly, that these truths regarding new birth.
Magnify the grace of God.
I believe.
More than any truth in Scripture, now I stand to be corrected. But God begins with that which is dead and trespasses and sins, and does not seek God, and gives him his own life, divine life, and if that doesn't magnify the grace of God, taking an enemy of God and making him his son.
Then I'm a little confused, but I believe that this magnifies the grace of God.
More than any other doctrine of scripture.
For the day, new birth is not your and my responsibility as it is presented, sometimes even in hymns. That is a sovereign act of God, of his own will be getting us. It is an act of the will of God. Just like when we were brought into natural birth. You and I had no part in that decision. Our parents wanted another child and so.
The result is you and I, but so it is in the spiritual way. It is not the sinner's responsibility to be born again. It's a sovereign act of God now, the gospel creature. Knowing this and knowing that the Spirit of God uses the word of God to quicken his soul to bring him into life, presents the Scriptures to the Sinner and trust that the Spirit of God will use the Scripture to bring them into life.
It's a sovereign act of God, so we magnify his grace.
Acknowledging this, that it is his will that has brought us into.
Spiritual life.
Reverently, God was obligated to quicken me.
By the Spirit of God, because he chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world.
And that's the only way he could get me, is to give me his life.
Notice where John draws this scripture from Isaiah, and they shall all be taught of God in Isaiah 54. Just to read that in respect to Christian households that are represented here this this morning, verse 11, oh thou afflicted and tossed with Tempest and not comforted. Sometimes there are conditions that rise in our family that.
Really presses his parents to know what we should do and how we should act and what we should, how we should guide.
But it goes on to say, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires, and I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And I believe that we could apply it this way, that.
The Lord delights not only to give us eternal life and to bless us, but to give us.
Glimpses of the heavenly glory. As we turn to revelation, we find these same stones involved in the heavenly Jerusalem. And so when we have these times when we don't know how to guide our children, oh, that there would be a glimpse of the heavenly glory that would be brought before our own souls, that we can direct them in the same way. And the result is it's like a promise to me and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.
And great shall be the feast of thy children.
I believe we only have it twice in scripture about great peace. In Psalm 119 we have great peace. Have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them. That's quite a challenge, isn't it? To our hearts there are things that may offend us, but great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them. And then we have here taught of the Lords, and great shall be the peace of thy children.
00:50:05
Oh, it's wonderful when we see that peace that passeth all understanding.
Begin to form in the arts of our children, and as life goes on and they anticipate marriage and what the Lord is going to bring into their lives, to temper them and to make them like Himself. This is a wonderful promise to the parents here in this room to count upon the Lord to give that peace that gives us to go on to live for Him in view of the heavenly glory.
45th verse, middle of the verse. Every man therefore.
That hath heard.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hath learned of the Father, cometh to me.
And that wonderful to think that we've heard the life giving message.
And we've heard his voice.
And we've come, He's drawn us, and we've come, we've learned of the Father.
We know who Jesus is.
And he has given us to know who God is, our Father.
Eternal life connects with all that.
How wonderful to be among the company. Think of the teeming millions in this world. And here were a few, but we've heard.
And have learned of the Father. They shall be all taught of God. We've learned of the Father.
About the sun, Isn't that precious?
Doing gospel preaching of presenting the Word of God. It is living. It is powerful. It is penetrating.
We can explain things and I find my own self the tendency when speaking to people.
Especially, perhaps, that are more educated to try to explain it, to make it rational. That is not necessary. The Word of God is penetrating just like it is. It is life giving the Word of God, living, abiding Word of God. Oh, to give it more place, dear brethren, it's not our preaching, not our explaining, but it is the Word that will have its effect, insoles.
A present day, quite popular translation was basically started as a result of a Christian testifying to a man that wasn't saved in a hotel room, and it was the 10th chapter of John's Gospel. And as this man that wasn't the Lord started to read it, he started to laugh.
Because he didn't understand it. And so the Christians, this is the embryo of the start of a certain translation, which I don't care to delineate. But he said we as Christians must have a translation that the man of the world that's not saved is not going to laugh at. He's going to be able to understand it. And that's the embryo. That's the start of that translation which is taken over. In fact, it's absolutely contrary.
Not the translation will leave that alone, but the concept is entirely contrary to the work of the Spirit of God through the word of God. Let's take the the the revivals of of 2-3 hundred years ago with the Welsh miners. What translation did they have?
Well, they had. Did they have a translation Was so suited that they could understand it with their understanding. And maybe some of them didn't get going through 6th grade, but they had a translation that has been honored of God and it's the spirit of God that takes the word of God and makes it good to Sinner and faith and I might say period.
They have received not the spirit of the world.
But the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, communicating spiritual things by spiritual words. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are Foolishness unto him makes them laugh, foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This book answers all those questions, doesn't it?
00:55:03
What a reference Brother 1St gradients 2.
Things that we don't apprehend and fully enter into intellectually, but can enjoy them by faith. Already the truth of the person of Christ was presented God and man in one person. Can you really understand that? Intellectually? No. The Trinity? Can you understand that three persons, one God. You don't have to understand it in order to enjoy it.
Faith. We just accept what Scripture presents and enjoy it, and the faith is that which gives us the enjoyment of that which might not be intellectually apprehended.
Understand. Isn't it by faith we understand, not by our intellect.
How profound the words of the Lord Jesus in the 14th chapter of John. He could say those lovely words I am.
The Old Testament title. He takes it and he presents it, and he says, I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me I know of a man that got saved by that verse. And the Spirit of God worked it in his soul. And he was a means of speaking to hundreds, perhaps thousands of others. But the simplicity of it How old you have to be to understand a simple statement like that. Do I need another translation to hear the voice of God?
You know, somebody has said that the Bible is written, that a 6th grader could understand the writing. But I love to think of the little children. You know, a little child of seven or even three or four could enter into heaven through how Christ the open door. But it's a matter of the heart believing, isn't it?
Fairness. I believe some help can be.
Received through some of the translations that have been given. For instance, there are some archaic expressions in our King James Version that are not being used in our language today. But I'm not suggesting that we switch to another translation, but some help can be.
Received by renderings that perhaps use a more contemporary term, but the danger is that these translators.
Take liberties with the word of God which.
Rendering things which are not.
Passing on accurately what the word of God really gives. And that's the danger. And I came from Europe.
45 years ago and didn't know any English. And it didn't take me very long to know the difference between the Bible language and everyday language. And kids that grow up here in this country shouldn't have any trouble getting to understand the correct meaning of some of these archaic terms in the King James Version. And we have help from Mr. Darby's translation that will help us many times.
If we have translation in another language, sometimes if I read the German translation, it makes things a little clearer than the way I have it in the English. But we would give credit, at least for scholars who have at times giving a rendering in a more contemporary term that will help us, especially those not familiar with Scripture generally, to understand the correct meaning.
But those who grow up in the assembly hear the scriptures from little children on to try to justify bringing in different translations so that they understand the scriptures. I don't think that argument holds any water that is not justified.
Word of God, may we ever remember that I was thinking of a little.
Letter to someone with some very important information in it, and I give it to you to carry to this person and you read the letter and you decide that I can make it a little clearer for this person. So you change this and you change that in it and you make it so it would be more acceptable, you think.
01:00:08
To the person you're giving it to, Well, how would I feel about your doing that to my letter?
All may we recognize when we come to the word of God that it is the Word of God. We want to know what God is saying to us. We want every detail to be right as much as we possibly can as we read the precious Word of God. Maybe not think carelessly about the truth of the Word of God.
Secret is believing it, and I think that's where we stumble sometimes. We live in a society that tries to, that trains us not to accept anything until we understand it, until we see it ourselves, and then we accept it. But in the things of God, we may have to use that in connection with our lives down here in this world. I don't say that's entirely wrong, but when it's in connection with the things of God, it's important to realize that it is believing first.
The Lord Jesus said to Martha, If thou shouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God.
The Pharisees, when they were speaking to the Lord Jesus on the cross, said come down that we may see and believe. They inverted the order they wanted to see first to believe. That's not faith. Faith is believing first. And so that's what we have now in these verses that follow simplicity of it. Oh, the beautiful simplicity of it. If this is the word of God, I can believe it. How many of us can say we understand very much of this book, brethren?
I think we all have to admit that we're learners and we're just beginners many times. But brethren, the secret is believing it. When God speaks, it's true, and it's in believing it that we are brought to see the truth of God.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Get your eyes focused on the person of the Lord Jesus. This book is about him from Genesis to Revelation. God had in mind his beloved Son when he wrote it.
And so if we get our eyes focused on him, believing on him, we're going to understand the main theme of this book.
Nice to to think how the young ones sometimes we don't give them credit for what they know. I remember I asked a young boy once what James 121 meant. It says, Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, I said. What does that mean? He said. That's being a very bad boy.
He understood it.
Some of you have heard the testimony of Brother Grenadi. I think it was mentioned yesterday. It was you Brother Bob. Anyhow, Brother Pierpada, Brother Granite was in our meeting when he was here last year and he told it again through the translation of **** Gorgas and.
They said he was in with a bunch of boys. I think he was only 19 or 20 if I remember right, playing pool and smoking and they heard a knock at the door and because he was scared of the police, why they looked out and they see this little man in a black suit and they figured out it wasn't the police. They let him in and Brother Pierpotta came in and he quoted this verse 47 twice. He didn't explain it, he only quoted it twice.
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life went out. That was it.
But he couldn't get it out of his mind. God used that word, verse, that life giving verse, to impart life.
To that brother.
He woke up in the middle of the night. He couldn't sleep and his wife says, what's the matter? What's the matter? Why can't you sleep? You keep tossing, he said. I can't get that verse out of my mind that that little man told me he that believes on me has everlasting life. Truly, truly I sent you. He that believes on me has everlasting life, his wife says I want it. Set it right there in the bed, he says. Me too, she says go find a man, let's find out more about it. And he found the man. And that's how they got saved, brother. Led him to the Lord.
01:05:05
The servant find Rebecca in Genesis 24. It was at the well, and the well speaks of the Spirit of God or the word of God, and that's good for us to remember. Use the word quoted.
That is what God in his wisdom has chosen to bring man into blessing with the word of God. Parents, quote the scriptures to your children, but stand out in my mind about my mother is that she would always try to bring the scriptures in any situation that would arise, and she would quote the scriptures to us boys. And I realized more and more the effect that that had in our lives.
How important it is for young people and children that are here to when you read the word of God, is to open your heart, to let it get in. I sometimes see people sitting in a gospel meeting and it's evident that they're politely being quiet, but you can tell by the way they're listening that the doors of their heart are shut.
And it's important, I sometimes say to people, when you hear me talk, you have reason for perhaps to shut your ears. But when you hear the word of God for your own good, for your own blessing, let it penetrate right down into the depths of your heart. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Let it in. Don't qualify the word of God as it penetrates.
Don't set limits to it. Let it penetrate right to the depths of your heart. It's so important.
Do you want to get the blessing from it?
Just tell children.
God says thus and so when they're wanting to compromise principles that they've been taught from child from early childhood, God says thus. And so let's go and honor him. Let's walk with God, as in of did.
The results of this in verse 49 do we not in the great contrast in verse 50?
Your father's did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. The solemn part of that verse is that they were dead both spiritually and physically.
They heard the word, but it was not mixed with faith and with many. God was not well pleased, and that can carry through today. But the wonderful contrast is this is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. Oh, to have life and to realize spiritually we will never die. Isn't that a comfort? And we're here in this room. And we may not physically meet death either. Isn't that a wonderful thought?
Of the Lord coming and calling us away while we're yet alive. So there's a great contrast, is there not? And how we receive the word of God?
In the 11TH chapter, the Lord says, Do he die yet? Shall he live? You know your mother went home to be with the Lord. Is she dead? No, she's alive in the presence of the Lord. What a comfort.
Paul made it so distinct when he said I have a desire to depart and be with Christ. Far better. Far better than what? Wow. He was a man that went through a lot of trouble in this world, a lot of trials and like you say, the loss of loved ones. Which of us can't speak along that parallel and say, well, there's many things that we can be grieved about, but the loss of the loved ones with Christ. If I was to go to heaven and ask my wife to come back, what would she say?
You know what she'd say far better. And my desire would be to be there too. But the Lord says not yet. So we we wait at that time. So shall the night soon end. In what, brethren, blissful day glory. That's the wonderful thing that the Saint has before the soul. And the Lord would enlarge our hearts, may enlarge it more that we'd have the desire to be there.
01:10:22
Verse 50 doesn't mean not die physically. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. We know many there are many of the Saints that have died and we will too if the Lord doesn't come. But he's not talking about physical death, He's talking about spiritual death, isn't he?
You can say although they go through the physical death, they're still alive.
So the difference between the water and John four and the Lord says you'll never thirst again and the bread that will never hungry again. Can someone repeat that please?
Explain the difference between the water in John Four that the person that drinks shall never thirst, and the bread of life here that speaks of that the one that eats shall never hunger.
Alright, I don't know.
The expression the living water and the 4th of John is a figure of the Spirit of God.
As you get there in that 4th chapter.
And verse 14 The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well.
Of water springing up into eternal life or everlasting life. But in our chapter we have the Living Bread. So you have Living water in the 4th chapter, the figure of the Spirit of God. But in verse 51 we have the Living Bread, which of course is a figure of Christ himself.
These two things are necessary to be received for a person to enter into and know the blessedness of eternal life.
Go together, don't they? Because the Spirit of God is one that really brings us into the enjoyment of all that Christ is.
It's wonderful to think of it, the well of water springing up, that spirit of God. It's not only that we never thirst forever.
But it is a fountain of continual refreshment in the soul springing up.
And I'd just like to say because of what we have in the Old Testament.
Record of the Children of Israel.
That the water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness.
In the book of Numbers you find that the water had quit flowing because of murmuring of the children of Israel and sometimes believers.
Find that they are not satisfied because of things they have allowed in the light the spirit is quenched, and in that case Moses was told not to go strike the rock again, but to take the rod that was not his rod, but Aaron's rod, the high priestly rod.
And speak to the rock and it would give its water. Again, Moses didn't obey, but that was what he was told to do. And when we find ourselves that there's not that flow of refreshment in our lives, it's because of things we've allowed in our lives.
To reflect, to get into the Lord's presence, to judge it, and to speak to the rock. Go tell the Lord Jesus about it. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then the water will flow again.
Is there some kind of continuity as to how these chapters?
One after another, we've spoken of John Three and there is getting life and then of the water and the bread. Or is that something that might be over our head?
01:15:06
OK.
You seem to get light, and then you seem to get the Spirit of God. Life in three you get this, and then eternal life that you you express there Son of man, must be lifted up. Whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Then the next chapter you get, you get the Spirit of God welling up in her as a source of of enjoyment.
That's I know the 7th chapter you get it flowing out to others, so I was just wondering if that would be help to have somebody give us the other continuity. I couldn't do it.
Power of worship in chapter 4 and the power of service in Chapter 7. But how can you really?
Have the Spirit manifest His power in you in service, unless you're really feeding on Christ.
You know what you have in the 6th chapter.
So in chapter 3 we're born of the Spirit. Chapter four in dwelt of the Spirit as a springing well springing fountain producing worship in the soul. And then Chapter 7, the energy of the Spirit in witnessing to the to others flowing out of the belly, the refreshment to others. We don't have it just for ourselves, but for others.
So we sing #127. How blessed a home, the Father's house, their love divine doth rest. What else could satisfy the hearts of those in Jesus? Bless His homemade hours, his Father's love, our hearts full portion given the portion of the first born Son, the full delight of heaven.
I'll blast a hold the father.
Behind the breath.
Why don't you satisfy?
Your honor.
Of the.
Jesus.
Oh.
Be all free, all in love and bring us strength as well.
We are to have a bright grass of a.
01:20:04
The sun came out.
I have tried to fall dream forever created.
By the day.
Do you feel bad?
And he our joy.
In heaven and.
John 6:52-71
Reading
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.
77 in the appendix.
I pray God.
Emmanuel's mind.
With mercy and with God.
And my.
Heaven, my hero.
And I.
Desire.
All their lives.
Where they fall, I am.
I am glad my heart, that's why.
When?
From where it was Reign. Wow.
Emmanuel.
Plan.
I am my beloved.
I love and my.
Dearest.
House.
I stand upon him.
I.
Know no.
In red glowing.
Rather.
00:05:46
Respect to this him and.
What the Lord means to us at this moment as we prepare to leave this world.
John 7 and verse 37.
In that last day.
That great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this is this fake key of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because of Jesus was not yet glorified.
Well, just the setting of this portion. They had just kept the feast of Tabernacles, which went on for seven days.
And the feasts of Jehovah, properly kept, should have caused the people to want to feast on and to enjoy more of what they had been enjoying. And we know that in the Book of Nehemiah that did take place, they had seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, and then they added seven more days to it. And the Spirit of God tells us that there was no feast like that since the days of Joshua.
Which went back approximately 1000 years.
And here now it's called a Jews feast, and it didn't produce in their hearts for this wonderful call. They were complacent, which is easy for us to fall into and just to take things for granted. But how wonderful to have these meetings stimulate our hearts To our blessed Lord, here we stand at the end of this most favored dispensation.
And to think that we have been sitting by The Fountainhead drinking the Waters of Life and to have it, we can't extend the time here at the general meetings. But it's wonderful to have the desire that they would go on. But to be stimulated, should I say, for that call to come home to Emmanuel's land, to be with him forever and to acknowledge that?
He became everything to us when we were here in the wilderness.
Verse 52.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, he have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.
And I will raise him up at the last day, for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven.
Not, as your father's did, eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth of this bread shall live forever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying. Who can hear it?
00:10:02
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What? And if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?
It is the Spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.
But there are some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father.
Rewrite the chapter.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you.
That no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the 12 Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him.
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that thou art, that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you? 12 And one of you as a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the 12.
At the close of that meeting.
With regard to how these chapters fit together and Justice like to suggest some thoughts that might help us in that before we look at the various verses that have been read to us. In the first chapter, the Son of God is brought before us in all His glory and a number of chapters, a number of titles and names are brought forward there giving us the glory of His person. And I think that what we see in these chapters in John's Gospel.
Is the making of a Newman morally? You know, in Genesis chapter one we have God saying let us make man, but in John's Gospel we have God making a new man, and we see the various features that are connected with the building of new men. So in that first chapter we have the Lord brought before us the glory of the person to whom the work has been committed. And then the second chapter we have the depravity of man.
And best that there is a nature is set aside, Mother is set aside, the the joys that there are with the wine run out, and even religiously man after the flesh is put out of the temple. And so we find that everything to do with the first man has set aside, and then we have new birth, and the third chapter, the foundation of that which would belong to the Newman. It must be born again, and the new light is there.
In pardon, but then the 4th chapter we have the, the, the.
Affections the Newman regulated on the object of the Son of God himself. And that's illustrated in The woman at the Well. She finds an object for a heart that is so transcending everything that she has ever experienced before, and it leads her heart out in worship and to let go of everything that may have been drawing upon before the water pot, you know, was left.
And so the affections are regulated upon the object of the Son of God, a very life giver himself. Then the 5th chapter, we have strength. He needs power to walk if he's going to walk for the glory of God. And so in the 5th chapter we have that which pertains to the power for that new life in Christ. We find him raising that man, and he's able to walk, and there is testimony to that given.
00:15:09
But then the 6th chapter, where we've been reading for the last two days, we have the subject of food. And if that new life is going to be sustained, it needs to be nourished, and that has to be with food. And of course the food for that life is none other than the Son of God himself.
And so I think these chapters do go together, showing us the various features.
Of that life that we now have.
And so it's necessary that the life will be sustained by the food which is the Son of God himself.
The 7th chapter goes on and shows that that life flowing out and blessing and testimony to others. That's the chapter that we have had read to us, where we find the out of the bellies, flowing rivers of living water. And the subject I think of that 7th chapter is to do with that Newman that new life not desiring to put itself forward, illustrated in the lifeguard for himself.
And yet being able to be a blessing beyond all what man can have and search for in the best of religions.
And so I think we have in that 7th chapter, life flowing out.
In testimony and blessing to others.
So I think these chapters work together.
In that sense.
Very nice. Thank you.
It was mentioned a couple of readings ago with regard to the change of the tents in those verses from 51 to 53, and then the change coming in from 54 on to 58. You'll notice in Mr. Darby's translation that he attempts to indicate that as best as possible with the English language, and he shows there in that 53rd verse particularly, but it's also in the 51St.
That it's a one time thing, in that it says accept ye shall have eaten as being, as a past tense one time thing.
Whereas in verse 54 on it is.
Whoso eateth or eats, showing that it is an ongoing continuous thing.
And as the brother have already pointed out, those verses 51 to 53 show us that it's eating to receive eternal life.
But then, in verses 54 to 58, it's eating to sustain that life and communion.
And of course, Christ is that food.
We had the question raised at a former conference. I think it was, yeah, it was Allendale whether we should ever, whether the word of God ever speaks of believing on his work or does it always speak of believing just on him? And I think that 53rd verse might help to answer that.
Verily, verily, I send to you, except ye eat shall have eaten. I think it is the flesh of the Son of man.
And drink his blood, He had no life in you.
That's appropriating by faith the death of Christ in order to have eternal life. So that would be belief in his work, wouldn't it?
You also get it in Romans 3 through faith in his blood, and I think Bob, you pointed out another passage where that was.
Nine, right where it says that thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, it's believing in the Word there.
Thou shalt be saved.
Usually it's the faith in the person that is talked about who did the work, but you can't exclude the work. They're both true.
Actually, until you appropriate his work and come into the good of it, you don't have peace.
Believing in his person you have life, but believing in his work you have peace. And that's what gives peace to the soul, rest of the conscience. And that's where it says eternal life here, because that includes all that, doesn't it?
00:20:13
The basis of all blessing is the work of Christ. It comes through the person of Christ.
And there are many souls that don't have much understanding of the work of Christ.
Thousands. Millions perhaps, but there is some measure.
Of faith in his person, just like that poor woman that had the.
Issue of blood. She didn't have a whole lot of knowledge of him, but she knew she'd just touched the hem of his garment. That would be sufficient. Than it was that was all she had and that was all it took. And there are many thousands of souls that are going to be blessed because of faith in the person of Christ. But it's the work that is the basis of all blessing. And when we understand that, that gives peace to the soul.
To the conscious rest.
But this seems like a kind of a strange thing, especially for young people. I remember how.
It almost sounded very strange to me as a young person eating the flesh of the Son of God drinking his blood.
What does this mean? It's been explained already, but I'd like to just say it again so that we get a hold of it, especially our young people. It is appropriating the death of Christ for ourselves. When you eat something, when you drink it, it becomes part of you as we stand and see the Lord Jesus at the cross of Golgotha, shedding His blood, giving His body as a sacrifice for us.
And all way through that means.
Can I be brought into blessing? We absorb that. We receive that, We eat of that, we drink of that. Then comes the blessing through that means.
The doctrine of transubstantiation held by the Roman Catholics and consubstantiation held by the Lutherans, which is a modification of transubstantiation. If that were true, all you'd have to do to get eternal life would be to partake of the Mass, and if you didn't, you're lost forever. So that shows how that system.
Has placed and of course it's a corrupted ordinance. It's a corrupted thing. It's not really a remembrance of the Lord. It's a French sacrifice of Christ. It's blasphemous all the way through. But even if it were correct and they only give them the loaf of the wafer to the people and the priest often say he gets drunk on the wine, but sometimes he does. He drinks it to excess sometimes, but he gets the wine. The whole thing is a corruption, isn't it? Of the truth and.
Just that in itself.
Should be enough to.
Chase any diligent soul that wants to be subject to the word of God out of that corrupt system.
I was thinking of, in connection with our other question, Leviticus 5, just to read a couple of comments. In the trespass offering. It says in verse six, he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin, which he hath sinned a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats for a sin offering.
And verse 7 says if you've been unable to bring a lamb then you should bring first trespass which you have committed.
2 turtle doves or two young pigeons on the light 1% offering the other for burn off.
And then it says.
Verse 11. If he be not able to bring 2 turtle doves or two young pigeons, then he that sells that sin shall bring for his offering the 10th part of an EFA of fine flour for a sin offering. Sounds like a meal offering, doesn't it? And yet here it's a sin offering. He shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense around, for it is a sin offering. Now here's this. Here's an offering for the weakest, for the poorest.
Which spiritually would mean the weakest in appropriating the the value of the work of Christ doesn't have any blood in it, just speaks of his person and even it's just like the one that touched the hem of his garment was healed so.
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It's not intelligence so much as getting to him. We can get to him. He's the same deep on the cross.
But.
Verse 13 It was the remnant was to the priest as a meat offering. So the one that had intelligence it was that to meet on but so great is the power and the person of the Lord Jesus. But at touch of faith in his person will bring life.
I'd like to hear more, said We stated on verses 51 to 53 that eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
Brings life in salvation. We talk about what does it mean to continue to eat His flesh and drink His blood as the power of our life down here. Please someone would comment further on that. I'd like to hear more.
I don't know whether this suck. Go ahead guard to that.
I'm asking this now the question.
There is apparently a a difference between verse 56 and 57 where it speaks of eating the flesh, drinking his blood, dwelling in me, whereas in 57 it speaks of.
He lives by the Father.
The Lord lived on account of the Father, didn't he? He lived. That's the read of the way it reads in the new translation that I read it, verse 57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live on account of the Father by reason of the Father, he also who eats me shall live also on account of me. Christ is our life, and the Lord lived for the Father's glory. Everything that He did was for the Father. He was here to reveal the Father. That's what this.
Gospel is all about, isn't it? Jesus the revelation of the Father. And he says he just as I live by the Father of a reason of the Father, so he that eateth me shall live by reason of me. Christ is everything to us, and this is the one we feed on daily for sustenance, Sustenance as we go through the scene.
It's what is characteristic. That's the force of the present participle is what is characteristic. We are characterized as those who eat the flesh and drink the blood of the of the Blessed Lord. The world does not do that.
Only ones who have faith. You can only do it by faith the.
Symbol or figure of eating is appropriating by faith. Himself is our life.
Is our sustenance.
Me and I and him. That speaks more of communion, wouldn't it?
And the next verse to enter your question is more the nourishment that we get out of feeding on him.
But it's so important there's no substitute. We have heard that over and over again for Communion.
With the 50 with 56 verse, the beating upon his death, and that becomes a nourishment and an abiding in him. It says he believes my flesh and drinketh my blood, that's in separation, dwelleth in me, and so we meditate upon that, and that's has a, a, a keeping power, so that we abide in him. But as the living Father has sent me, and I live by him, or on account of him.
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Is that the Father was the source of life, and the Son that drew all from him. And now we are in the next part of that verse, So he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. That is, we draw everything from the sun. Is it that?
It is potato.
And every day three meals a, day 21 meals a.
Next week, your mom says, well, this is meat week. And so all you eat that week is perhaps chicken one meal and beef the next and pork the next. And you do that through the whole week and that's the only thing you have to eat. You get to the third week of the month. And she says, well, this is vegetable and salad week and the only thing you have all week is, which is good, but you have different kinds of vegetables and salads, but no potatoes, no.
No meat. You get to the 4th week of the month and maybe that's bread week.
And every time you sit down at the table, you have bread. You would think, I think there would probably be some complaining in some of the houses and you'd say, well, that's that's good. Every one of those meals is fine what you serve, but it's not complete. If you look at an example which is well known to all of us in the Old Testament, the eight different things, one of the things that they had to eat and they had it in the just in the wilderness and we're in the wilderness with manna.
And every day of the week, we need to practically have the example of the life of the Lord Jesus. We talk about feeding on the Lord Jesus, but we need the practical example of his life, because what other example is there for us in our lives? And so where are we going to get that? We're going to get it reading in the Gospels more than any other place in the chapters that give us the account of what the Lord Jesus did when he was here. And So what? What do we need to feed on every day?
Well, if we can even get a few verses of some examples from the life of the Lord Jesus, The other kind of food that they had, and they had it in Egypt, they had it in the wilderness, they had it when they were into the land with the Passover and that feeding on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is the one who died for us, the one who died and rose again. And maybe to give an example of that, many of us here most probably know John Kemp. And I remember years ago, not all that many years ago, seven or eight years ago, the one occasionally had to meet his mother.
He said came up and said, young man, do you read the account of the death of the Lord Jesus? I said yeah, I try to read it at least once a week, says no, I didn't say that. Said do you read it every day? Well, I think she was a woman himself. She went home to be with the Lord who had the practice of reading about the Lord Jesus and his sufferings and his death every day. That's the Passover. And then the children of Israel when they got into the land, they had something else. They fed on the so where are we going to get that?
Well, if we can find some time, it would be nice to find an everyday basis that is as often as we can to read the account. There are some verses about his death. And the third thing is that the children of Israel, they couldn't do it in Egypt. They couldn't do it in the wilderness. But when they got into the land, they had time to sell crops. And so one of the things that they had to eat says, was the old corn of the land and the parched corn, well.
I doubt that. Very many of us, I'm sure none of us did on the trip on the way coming here took time to go and plant some seeds, to water them and to harvest from them. You only do that when you're at home, and we'll never be at home.
Completely, until we're in the glory, until we're with the Lord Jesus. But we can enjoy that now. And so the other thing that we can enjoy, that we need to feed on in the Lord Jesus Christ is the man in the glory. And so where are we going to get that reading some, for instance, in the epistles.
And so if we talk about feeding, just again, a comment for the young people or children, if we're going to get it, it's not a generic thing. It's not something we're going to get by just reading. As important as it is about his life, about his death or about the risen man and the glory, we need some of each to have a complete diet. And if we don't have that, there's going to be something missing in our nourishment. So just a very maybe brief comment.
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Some of you are in school and we've all been through that and know that it gets sometimes very busy and it seems like there's not much time. Just pass on a comment that a brother made years ago. That really struck me. He said, well, I try to read in different parts of the word of God every day. But he said if I don't have much time, he said the one place I read every day is a chapter from the Gospels. Why? Because he'll get, He said I can get direct nourishment.
And the Lord? About the Lord Jesus Christ, Rather, if you're busy, you're in the middle of exams or projects or whatever. To read Almost any chapter in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John won't take more than five or 10 minutes. And you can be thinking about it, or I can be thinking about it on our way to school or work or whatever. And so nourishment is not just something of concentrating on one thing at one time and another thing at another time, but it's having a complete diet.
Not perhaps if I can say an overload. It's not a place full of each every day.
It's according to the appetite, but having something of the different things that remind us and teachers of the Lord Jesus every day.
Some of them were not real. They were only outwardly following the Lord Jesus.
They were offended. They did not enter into what the Lord Jesus was trying to convey.
And in that connection, it helps us to understand when the Lord says in verse 63.
It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profited.
Nothing.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are like.
Like so. It is so important to realize in our lives that it is the spirit of God that has to make these things good to our souls. And it is not a question of how bright intellectually we are, not that we don't need intellect.
It's just a tool. As Mr. Kelly says, the power is the spirit of God that gives us.
To be able to benefit from the words that the Lord Jesus is given, giving in this chapter or in any part of the Word of God, this flesh profiteth nothing we have to realize and come in humility.
To the Lord and say I need divine help to gather anything out of the Word. And the Spirit of God is that power that helps us to appreciate and enter into these things. The flesh profits nothing.
Embarrass Larry. But when I was down in Hemet, I think he told a story about Mr. Darby telling some young brother that verse, remember? Could you tell it to us?
No, I I asked you first.
Before the punch.
Way. It's not sure which. Hurry to better take the lead in that brother.
Oh yeah, Well, simply this said Brother Darby told him. Study well, these words. The flesh profiteth nothing. What a lesson for us to learn, isn't it, brethren? The flesh profiteth nothing. It's ever true of the flesh. There's nothing for God in the flesh.
There's a proverb that illustrates that. It says if the iron be blunt, he put it to more strength.
But then the verse and the proverb for today it said as iron sharpens iron, so the countenance of the man is friends. Well, I trust we've been doing some iron sharpening here today.
All this, this whole chapter has been taken up with.
An awesome thing that really God has come to this earth. It says this is the bread. The 58th verse. This is the bread which came down from heaven. Not as your father did eat manna and are dead. He did eat at this bread shall live forever and saw.
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But it's almost as awesome in the 62nd verse.
Is it? Is it more awesome that God came down to this earth or that a man has ascended to heaven?
There's a man. Not only has God come to this earth, but there's a man that, as we speak, in the glory. So he says what? And if you shall see, the Son of Man ascended up where he was before.
He said. If you can't receive these things, what are you going to think about that?
One of the things that confirms what you just related, Vern is in the third chapter, and we might look at it because I think it's a vital scripture that was left out in some of the new translations. It's where the Lord is talking to Nicodemus and it's in the 13th verse of John chapter 3. No man hath set it up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. Even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. We're talking about awesome things, but you know, that's beyond my intellect. I have to receive it by faith.
This is God manifest in the flesh. He was upholding all things by the word of his power when he was here.
Now he's in the glory. But you know, when he appeared with Nicodemus, he says, Let me read it again. No man that could set it up into heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven omnipresent, he was gone. And you and I stand in awe, like our brothers referred as to who this person was.
And yet in the NIV to take it out, they say even the Son of Man, which came down from heaven, period. How we need to be on our guard that we that we hold the the person of who the Lord Jesus is. And that's what John in his witness of all the Gospel of John is so faithful for may we subscribe to that faithfulness?
As to the son.
Chapter 3. He is physically on Earth.
But in spirit, in heaven, that could only be true of a divine person. But it is reversed now, when we think of him promising to be in the midst of the two and three gatherings to the name of the Lord Jesus. He is bodily in heaven. That's what this verse speaks of the Son of Man. When he ascends up, that's where he is now, bodily. But he is in spirit, in the midst of the two and three gathered to his name. It's a wonderful thing.
I brought that thought, came to me in Africa several times and I said isn't it wonderful that we have a person to be the center?
Around whom we can meet. If we had a physical or geographical center like the Jew, how many of you could go to Jerusalem, the poorest people in the world almost. Who would ever be able to be there?
But this blessed person is a divine person, and Christians can gather around him in Africa or China or wherever they are in the world. He has promised his presence. That's a wonderful person to know. He is not just a man, he is God and man in one person.
Our first astronauts landed on the moon.
You'll probably corrected in all The greatest event in history was when God came to earth, when God became a man, and now that man has gone up where he was before.
Nothing like that. And he can never, never change his mind. Really speaks of how much he must love us. So he would become like one of his creatures. Something that he could never undo. He knew that when he did it. You know, there's been something. If he just came, he became a man who died and then he just just was gone. But we we never will cease to be a man. You know, that's that's going to call for.
Praises from our heart when we're there. It's amazing.
You you use the word awesome brother, maybe you could get a better adjective.
I like the words of the poet, His darkness to my intellect, his sunshine to my heart.
00:45:06
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is time.
We can't appreciate it until we have it like our brother was saying. I was thinking of that illustration. Somebody said the parachute doesn't open until you jump out of the plane, and so you don't understand these things until you have them. You don't appreciate what?
What God, this message until you have life.
It's like the saying the living is saying. The world says seeing is believing, but the blind man, you know, he couldn't see, but he had his eyes open when he believed.
Brought out in these verses here and that is the importance put on the word, the words of the Lord Jesus. And I believe this is in contrast with miracles that he did and.
It's so important, you know, people in Christendom, the Pentecostal movement, they're always looking for miracles and things like that.
And then, neglecting the word, the Lord Jesus says, the words that I speak unto you, They are spirit, and they are life. And then we find that some of the disciples left him. And the Lord Jesus asked the question, Will you also go away? What is the answer that Peter gives? It's beautiful. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal.
Life, you see, it's so important to be attracted to him by what he says.
Rather than by miracles that he might perform, and we find even in the Scripture clearly shown that in the early days of the Church, when there were miracles, it was to give support to the message that had been given.
The messages.
Always more important, the word is more important than Even the miracles that took place in the early days of the churches was only to support the message that was given.
Omniscient in verse 61 when Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured verse 64. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Verse 61. It speaks of offense.
It's kind of interesting to think about it. It's been mentioned the person of Christ is what is presented here and it's through his word, verse 60. They said it was an hard saying here who can hear it, but it is the word of God and the person of Christ that is the reference point. I think that's so important, brother. And sometimes we act in a way that we are an offense to people.
But if we could simply set Christ's person forward His word in more simplicity. If they are going to be offended, let them be offended in that and not in ourselves. I think we have to all admit, like Scripture says in all in many things we all offend that if we could simply make it a priority in our thinking in our.
Words and are speaking to put Christ forward His precious word. Then if they stumble, that is the stone of stumbling that those that are. Just to quote that verse in First Peter chapter 2.
Verse 8. He's not only that. Elect.
Precious cornerstone. But he's a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient whereunto they were appointed. So if they stumble, let them stumble over Jesus over his word, and the Lord help us to keep out of sight so that they don't stumble over us.
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They were not appointed to be disobedient, but they were appointed being disobedient, to stumble.
God never predetermined anyone to be lost.
At 70th verse I should have read it before Jesus answered them have.
Not I chosen you 12 and one of you is the devil.
He knew this beforehand when he chose him. Now that's not the word demon. Oftentimes you read devils as many means demons. Here it is devil, which means a slanderer. Satan means an adversary, The devil means a slanderer. And one of you is a devil.
Peter said the sexy nightmare.
And we have believed, and are sure, that thou art should read.
The living God, or the Holy One of God. But he said, we have believed. The Lord said, Have not I chosen you 12 And one of you as a devil? He says, only 11 of you believe.
Again, he knew he was a mission.
I just want to make things that are mentioned in scripture.
Sometimes we almost recoil from them in reading recently through the book of Deuteronomy.
Some of the things that Moses said, ye have done a stubborn people from the day I knew you and we would say that to our brethren, I'm sure a local brethren would you know, tell me to come aside and be a little kind and but and indeed we do need to be. But notice here Jesus said some very pointed things, therefore said unto you, that no man can come unto me except that we're given him my father.
From that time many of the disciples went back and walked over with him to pick up the thread of what Bob said, Bob, Tony. That if it's our attitude, if it's our expression, if we have a a facial expression that that would would freeze ice. Well, it's not of God. But to think of the things that scripture says and that we should take to heart suppose that that this were spoken today.
No man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father.
There is a circumstance that I remember that these verses were read after the breaking of bread.
About 2:30 in the afternoon.
A telephone conversation ensued and someone in the audience said, were you Speaking of me? And the comment was made, No, there was no thought of you. But within five weeks they'd withdrawn from fellowship because it had touched, it had touched their conscience. And if there's something that my brethren say, whether it's at a conference or if it's in private or if it's in the assembly.
I can't say well that brother has this or that and we set it aside. There's some very pointed things in scripture and we need to take them to our hearts and consciences, don't we? And it may be that some, if there is this type of ministry we like the ministry that encourages that, that builds us up, that that ensues our our poor aching hearts and properly sold. But there is that which we need to stir us up.
And to make us decide that there's some, thankfully that and some of us know about this but are starting to come back.
And they wanted to make a general letter of four or five, six people.
And one brother that would have been in the group said. I don't think that that is proper.
What is needed is an individual exercise concerning returning, and that that exercise should include, did I really understand the ground of gathering and the person of Christ in the midst in the 1St place? Because if it wasn't known in the 1St place, it may not be known in the second place in coming back sooner or later.
God searches our hearts as to the reality and we can quibble about the place and and and dear Hines made it very plain. The place is a person, and unless that person is understood as the place that there's many walked no more with him. We need the searching parts of scripture as much as we do the comfort.
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And it may be that there are those that will go back and walk no more.
The truth presented in love is too pointed, and that's what we need sometimes lose sight of the person of Christ. We're going to be in the state of confusion.
It will affect our state of soul I was just enjoying recently. We might turn to it for a moment.
Second Samuel, Chapter 9, where we see something that is very precious for our hearts, and one would just like to make a little application here regarding the truth of the Lord's table. And at least four times in this chapter, perhaps more, we find the expression my table. Now the setting here is that.
David had Mephibosis there at his table.
And in verse 7 And David said unto him.
Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy Father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. That word table is not plural. Rather it's not tables. It's table. And then next in the 11TH or 10th verse. And we read there.
Eat bread as always.
My table shall eat bread always at my table. And then in verse 11 again as per Mephibosheth said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the King's sons. And the last verse, verse 13.
So Mephibosheth wealth in Jerusalem.
God Center for he did he continually.
Might we might underline that thought in our minds. He ate continually at the King's table. O brethren, something so precious comes to one's mind in connection with this. Whose table is it? It's, he says, My table. It's not our table. Beloved brother, I remember years ago eavesdropping on a conversation.
With a couple older brothers there, and they were saying it's important for us to understand that we are brethren with a small B. And as a young man, I wondered, what does that mean? Why does that make any difference, a small B or a capital B? Well, we're just brethren, that's the point. But we're gathered not to a system of men. We're at the King's table. We're at the table where his blessed authority is owned and respected.
To be there. As we could visualize the scene, David had the preeminence there at his table. And so how important it is just to underline this thought in our hearts and in our minds. Let's not lose sight of Christ as we gather together. Let's remember that it is His table, His blessed authority, His preeminence is there.
And here's he lays down in his word the terms for admission to his table. What are they? Very simple. If you're a member of my body, you have a place there, and you don't have to be intelligent as to the truth of gathering to be there. There are many that are at the Lord's table with us that are not intelligent. As to the truth of gathering, that is not a requirement. It's nice if one is.
But if he is a member of the body of Christ, the simple believer wants to remember the Lord in his death. He has a place at the Lords table and should be received as such. Otherwise we're not intelligent as to the ground of gathering. We falsify it if we make other conditions and we make ourselves a sect.
What's table? If we are truly at the Lord's table, anybody leaving?
Leads the presence of the Lord in the midst of his own.
He doesn't leave, brethren, he leaves the presence of the Lord.
And that is a serious thing. I believe there is a possibility of in our individual lives to walk with the Lord. You know, His presence with each individual believer is something that might also be enjoyed by people who are not at the Lord's table. But we have to distinguish between the Lord's presence with the individual believer.
01:00:30
Or his presence in the assembly, where two or three are gathered together unto his name, and it's a serious thing to leave his presence. And sometimes people say, oh, I've made a mistake, I left the Lord's table. It would be much better to say I have sinned. I left the Lord's presence.
You know we don't leave brethren. Certainly we lose the fellowship of our brethren when we leave the Lord's table. But the important point is we're leaving His presence in the midst of the two and three, and that is not everywhere.
Was at the table with his father. His name was Micah. His father's name? Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth means destroying shame.
At least that's what the Bible dictionary says. But, you know, that little boy's name means who is like the Lord? And there's three ways you could express it as a question. Who is like the Lord? As that little boy sat there, Michael was his name. He sat there and saw his father at the King's fable as our brother was rehearsing. And then he could have the character of who is like the Lord by sitting there. But, you know, I like to think of the last. That might be an expression of overwhelming awe that he could say who is like the Lord.
Maybe we could sing that song #38 in the back of the book. Our time is up and we adore the evermore Hallelujah. Could we stand and sing that song 38th in the appendix?
We adore the heaven.
Illuminati.
For the crowd.
You're.
Making for life for thy blessings.
Slavery.
68 verse of our chapter.
Just to make emphasis. I know it's been spoken of, but feel it's so important.
Peter, Simon, Peter answered him, Lord.
To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
His person, His word. That is the anchor. It is the reference point in connection with gathering to his name. I think it's so important to keep that clear before us sometimes, I fear.
01:05:07
That what has been a stumbling block to souls is that we make ourselves a reference point. And I think we unconsciously do that at times. And not trying to take away from the truth of gathering. And that there is one gathering center. If we all gather to him, There can be no other gathering center. But is glorious person. But it's this person. It's not we. I may be there. I may not be there.
My desire is to be there, brethren, but it's his person, his word.
That is the reference point in Hebrews. We often mention that verse in the 13th chapter.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach. It's his person. And if we set forward the glories of his person, those whose hearts are true to Christ are going to be attracted. Sometimes it's because we have been unfaithful.
Brethren, that we have caused souls to stumble, and they go away, and we need to be willing.
To admit that, to humble ourselves. But it's his person, his word, that is the reference point in the full question. I was talking some time ago to a sister who left fellowship and she said you people think you have the Lord's table. I said sister, we do not have the Lord's table. The Lord has his table.
It's his, not ours. I want to be there, but it is not ours, it is his.
And I think we need to keep the reference point clear in our souls in that connection, brethren, because if it becomes.
In people's minds that we are the reference point oftimes, our walk is a stumbling brother.
If you also say what?
01:10:15
I.
Believe.
My God.
We hate.
The Long Night.
Of the whole world.
A verse in First Corinthians 11 in connection with his comment, and this is in saying Amen to what he said, so you'll know that it isn't a counter to it in connection with being at the Lord's table and maybe not understanding.
And this verse in First Corinthians 11/29. I'm going to be negative 1St and then be positive. It has been taken to mean that he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the the ground of gathering. It doesn't mean that, and it doesn't say it. What it does say is this. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. What does the Lord's body mean?
It means that he died and I died with him and if I conduct myself in my everyday life.
As if Christ hadn't died and I haven't died with him. And I'm careless. I'm going to be eating and drinking unworthily. And how important for each conscience may not understand the ground of gathering. I didn't understand it for several years, and I can go into that. That's not the point. The point is that that isn't what it means. But discerning the Lord's body is to put to death the flesh, because we're at His table and we need to conduct ourselves.
In a way, that is for his glory, because that's discerning the Lord's body. He died, and I died with him.
We might stumble people by coming across, if we are proud of a position where we have absolutely no reason to be proud, because it's the grace of God that has gathered us to the name of the Lord Jesus around the person of Christ. But I'm afraid that more people are stumbled by our lives, the inconsistencies that they see in our lives.
Then.
By both stained statements, and let me say this too, there is absolutely no pride connected with saying by faith. I believe that by God's grace I'm gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
That's faith. It's not pride when the remnant returned from captivity and they were in Jerusalem at the divine center.
They were sure.
That they were at the divine center, and they too had to give thanks to God, who made it possible for them to be there, even moving the heart of the Gentile king in giving them orders to go back. And then it was a matter of their choice to return, and not all returned from captivity. But those who did, they knew and had no doubt in their mind that they were at the divine center where the Lord had said his name.
And I hope we all will come to that If by His grace we are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, that by faith we see that we are where He wants us to be, at His table, gathered to His precious name, I hope all of us will come to see that, and that the grace of God will preserve us there, because many have been there in the past, and the enemy has succeeded to draw them away.
It's the grace of God that gathers us and the grace of God that will keep us, and it's a matter of faith.
And personal conviction to know whether by His grace I am at his table.
I like to say it this way.
01:15:03
You may not like this, but this is the way I say it. I can't show you where the Lord is in the midst, but I can direct you to one that can follow the man with the picture of water. He will never mislead you. I may. I'm fallible. I can mislead you. I can think I'm right and be wrong. But the Spirit of God will never mislead you. Follow the man.
With a pitcher of water, the Spirit of God will lead you by the Word of God to where he is.
And I believe I'm there. But if you would come there because I believe I'm there and because I said so, then if you become disappointed and disillusioned, you can blame me. But if you're there because you've you're convicted by the Spirit of God using the word of God, then you problem is take it up with him.
Cultivation of Shepherd's Heart
Address—P.S. Jacobsen
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Just a few verses of it or words before someone starts it #238 Our shepherd is the Lord. The living Lord who died with all his fullness can afford. We are supplied. He richly feeds our souls with blessings from above.
And leads us where the river rolls of endless love. Someone please start #238.
We are the Lord. Here is the heart, soul.
When family grows.
With for a verse which I call one of my key verses. Actually there is 2 verses but one portion in the second chapter of Philippians and verses 20 and 21. Now this may seem a bit negative but what I have in my heart I hope is very positive.
And very encouraging. But this I admit. And after we read the second key verse, I'll explain the first verses that we read and the second verse. But let's first read Philippians, the second chapter and verses 20 and 21.
Philippians 2 Chapter, verses 20 and 21. I have no man. It's Timotheus of the 19. First, I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. Now let's turn to 1St Corinthians 12 and verse 24.
For the second verse, and this is a very positive verse.
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Well, verses 24 and 25I Corinthians 12.
Verses 24 and 25 our comely parts have no need, but God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked that there should be no schism in the body, and now this phrase, but that the members should have the same care.
One or another.
What really is on my heart this afternoon is the cultivation.
Of a shepherd's heart.
The cultivation of a shepherd's heart. And I take that those two verses in Philippians to be an example of sort of a gauge. I don't know if they do it anymore, but there are some big tanks as I remember as a boy, gas tanks, water tanks, oil tanks under pressure maybe and they've got an outside gauge that runs up the side. Well, I think that the verses in Philippians.
Are an indication that the supply of desire in my heart and yours for the Lords people is about 0 All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ.
Now when that supply from the spirit of God for you and for me in connection with a desire for the Lorde people, that's First Corinthians 12 verse 25. We should have the same care one for another.
Now just a little bit of negative touch and then we'll get into what's very positive. We don't have the same care one for another. There's relatives. There are those that we've been used to being with. There are some that biologically, unfortunately we differ because there's a verse in Romans 12 That says if it be possible as much as lieth in, you live peaceably with all men. So that's a suggestion that there may be.
A certain individual that will find me and a certain individual that will find you a bit difficult. But here it says, and this, let's take these two as sort of a pressure gauge, a volume gauge. In Philippians, the gauge is all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. And you know, some people have studied a fancy subject, and I don't want to single out a certain brother that I know studied at the college. He's now retired, but it's called thermodynamics.
And the second law of that body of study says that basically everything goes back to its natural state. And so you and I, if we allow ourselves that tendency, we go back to the condition of Philippians, the second chapter, all seeking their own. Now if our hearts have been motivated by the presence of the Lord and walking in his footsteps, which is the subject that I really have on my heart this afternoon.
The gauge is going to go to the top and it's going to we're going to have a care one for another and not just certain select people but what does it say we should have the same care one for another. Now if the subject that I have is in kension with.
Having the cultivation of a shepherd's heart, what is the best way to find out how a shepherd would act? And you say, brother, I think you're him was an indication of what you had in mind. There's only one chief shepherd. There is only one chief shepherd. And if we follow in his footsteps, then we know that if we take on the characteristics.
The characteristics of that man whose footsteps we've been asked to walk into. There's going to be something of the manner of thinking and the attitude of heart that that blessed man has shown that's going to be transfused by God's grace into your heart and mind. Now let's turn.
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To Ephesians, the 4th chapter.
And I have a There's a special mention of shepherds in this verse in this chapter.
So at this point I'm going to divide our attention.
Into two facets, one in connection with those that may have a gift of being a shepherd. And then we're going to take up what really amounts to the rest of us in connection with doing the work of a shepherd. If the Apostle Paul could tell Timothy do the work of an evangelist, I'm going to take the liberty at this time of suggesting.
That there is such a thing as doing the work of a shepherd, and that shepherd may be a sister, may be a brother in connection with the work that God would have each of us care, showing our care one.
For another now, without enlarging on the portion itself, I'd like to read verses 11 and 12 and notice the punctuation.
Sometimes, unfortunately, like a certain verse in my Bible, it's in It's on the right hand page, the left hand column in the book of Hebrews, which isn't quite right, but this punctuation is very helpful now notice, and he gave some.
Apostles semi colon and some prophets semi colon and some evangelists semi colon. Now notice what is the next semi colon come and some pastors and teachers God never intended.
For a pastor not to be also.
A teacher. And I'll put it in a reverse way God never intended. From this portion we understand that he wants every teacher to be a pastor. And I know that there are some here that will hasten and say, brother, I don't know that I'm a teacher, but I desire by the grace of God to exercise something of the spirit of a shepherd.
I accept that. And then there's going to be a teacher that's going to say brother.
No, I'm a teacher. But all to say that I'm a I'm a I'm a shepherd, he's a teacher. But oh, I'm not sure that I'm really a shepherd. Let me put it this way. It's not what I have said that matters. It's the word of God. And here in Ephesians 4.
It's an apostle. It's a prophet. It's an evangelist.
Pastor slash.
Teacher. That's the teaching of this portion. Now for those that are pastors, slash teachers in connection with just to show the the, the, the way they're put together.
Is there any difference even though it's a gift?
And if it's just a gift of being a teacher, how that gift needs to be cultivated by a closeness to the Lord and the guidance of the spirit of God. And so if it's also a pastor, then a teacher, how important for that to be cultivated? My point is this, whether we see or do not see that were a shepherd slash teacher according to Ephesians 411.
Those of us that would not say we were and have a desire in any way to show a care for the flock, regardless of who they are, how difficult or easy they are to get along with. That includes most of us, because we're not pastors or shepherds slash teachers, but we're just simple Saints of God.
But both go down the same aisle, they go down the same path. And let's find out what that path is and let's get into our subject first, Peter, the second chapter.
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First Peter second chapter 20 first verse.
For even hereunto recalled, because Christ also suffered for us.
Leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. There's the secret. There's the secret For every believer here, regardless of age at the low end or the high end, whether they qualify for being a pastor, slash teacher or not, young person can have the blessed privilege of walking.
In the footsteps of the Blessed Lord, you know it's beautiful. We have it in principle in the other epistles. But to think of what we have here, from inspiration, to be sure, but from Peter.
You'd say, Peter, you didn't walk very well. You know what he'd say? I didn't. That's the honesty of a heart that has been searched.
If I want to be accused.
Of something that I know for sure is absolutely true. The only thing I need to add to what a brother may say is one word.
Amen. Amen. All right, so Peter is going to say Amen to any accusation we bring against him, but we're going to find that this man was plowed and he was restored.
Now he is saying follow his steps and you and I.
If we're going to take on anything of the of the attributes, the attitude of mind, the the, the, the largeness of heart of a shepherd, we're going to have to follow in his footsteps. Now, a page or two in my Bible is first Peter the 5th chapter.
And here, in a very special way, it points out those that are the elders.
And we'll notice two significant things about this class, if you will, of people of Saints of God, the first word of the second verse.
And the words chief shepherd in the fourth verse. And So what does it say? It says feed the flock of God, which is among you and when the chief shepherd shall appear. So it's a suggestion that those that Peter is speaking to are shepherds. But now let's remember, morally, God has put together shepherds and teachers into one, because the teacher may have.
I say may may have a tendency to give truth that he either thinks or assumes is what the sheep need to hear or what he himself knows. It's a tendency. But now if he is goes through the portal, as it were to reach the sheep with ministry, if he recognizes that first he's a shepherd, then he suits the ministry of being a teacher.
To the needs.
And propensities of the sheep see my point, not my point. It's what the word of God has done in putting together those two that we might separate. And brethren, I say, by the grace of God. Anyone here that's a teacher must of necessity, except that they have a responsibility to be a shepherd, and anyone that has a shepherd's heart must accept.
A shepherd's gift must accept that they need to connect with it, teaching beautiful, beautifully, morally consistent. And we see how beautiful it is that if there is a shepherd, he's a teacher, and that his heart has been filled with the person of Christ, and he understands the needs of the sheep.
A brother in a tape I listened to recently, and that brother is here.
Made this comment in Mr. Darby's letters in connection with the early days of being in Canada. He spent three months without ever bringing up the subject of Church teaching. What does that mean?
00:20:07
Is because they needed something else. And as a shepherd, Mr. Darby was not first a teacher, because if he had been, he had to give him church truth like he did in 1837 or so. And there's a book, you know, that we can read about beautiful things about church church teaching that he gave in in Switzerland.
But when he goes to Canada, he doesn't just say, well, now this is the teaching that is so important. I've been a part of its revival in this day. But no, he's a shepherd and he gives them that which is needed for their hearts. They need to be established.
In Christ for salvation say beautifully, beautifully brought together now.
What about the rest of us? Well, let's go back to first Peter 2.
And let's repeat what we've had.
The.
Even though we have established by Scripture that the pastors and teachers intended are intended of God to be contained in the same gift, and necessarily so for the good of the sheep, for the proper presentation of the truth, But now most of us don't fit into that category.
I'm just a simple brother, is the expression we often use. Or I'm. I'm just a sister. What a beautiful, beautiful label.
To put on yourself, being a brother in Christ, being a sister, and we can each, regardless of the path that we're in, whether we're pastor, slash teacher, or just a mere Christian. What an expression to think of what it means to be a believer in Christ. And so we can follow the same path and we can emulate the attitude.
And manner of the Chief Shepherd I'd like to take up.
Three people, three men. They were apostles in the Gospel of John. And you'll say, well, that was sort of an easy choice, brother, because we've been taking up John, and I don't deny it. Let's take up the life, as it's mentioned in the Gospel of John of three individuals.
Philip.
Not so difficult.
Peter.
A little more difficult. And then Judas. And let's see how the Lord dealt with each of them. And I would suggest this to everyone that has a desire for following in his footsteps, that you search a little more deeply.
You search another gospel and see how the Lord deals. Let me tell you the 24th of Matthew is the most severe denunciation that there is practically in the in the the Gospels. Let me make sure of my chapter.
No, it's the 23rd.
Scribes. Pharisees. Hypocrites. Is that the approach?
That we're going to follow in his footsteps and level such a thing towards our brethren, I hasten to say with a bit of sorrow in my heart. Indeed not. They had proved themselves the development of up to that chapter.
Is the full development of from the very first chapter practically of Matthew till the 23rd, and the Lord is pouring out.
Their proper and righteous judgment. But what is the most severe statement that the Lord ever made, as I see it right now? And some of you may think differently and show me that the Lord made to His disciples.
All thou of little faith.
Wherefore didst loud out? I believe that one of the before we start with these men.
I want to make some a few cursory summary comments. I believe that the manner.
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In which we reply and have to do with our brethren, shows how close we are.
To the shepherd.
There's not a one of us that in private we don't need to do it now, but in private can bow our heads and say yes, I have not always. I've tried to mix Matthew 24 and and and this expression.
Of the Lord's disciples, I've mixed some of them. Who of us can't, can, can get away from the denial of that. But that's not our subject today. We're not here to to bring some reproach or or. We're here to encourage your heart and mind, regardless of age, regardless of gift, regardless of knowledge that we need of necessity to stay close in the pathway.
Of the Blessed Lord because we have a tendency to go back to the empty reservoir of Philippians 2 and if by His grace we have been close to the shepherd, then we find First Corinthians 12/24.
Same care one for another.
You know there are large families here and there are some that have been united because of.
Distance and they've come here and and obviously they've been occupied.
With their children and their grandchildren. My wife and I remarked that if our two daughters had been here with our.
Children, we probably would have given them our undivided attention, and I I think that is quite proper. But you know, in connection with an attitude of heart and mind towards the Lord's people, just as if we were in an assembly that had this many people, you couldn't. If you wanted to avoid somebody, you could easily avoid them.
What are you talking about, Stanley? I wouldn't think of it. Well, this poor heart does sometimes.
And I'm sure yours does too, but see if we have the same care one for another. There wouldn't be.
One person in our assembly that we wouldn't want, whether they're young, this size, taller than I am, that we wouldn't want to greet, we wouldn't want to to know their their exercise and talk to them, same care one for another.
Same care one or another.
All right. Let's take up, Phillip.
The first mention of Philip, you know, in the first chapter is sort of the genesis of of the book, isn't it? And so we find that in the 43rd verse, and I'm going to mention something that may not be.
Provable.
But I think the two disciples that had been John the Baptist's disciples.
And followed Jesus. I think they were Andrew and Philip. That's my thought. Maybe an extrapolation. Extrapolation means you go beyond the available information. But that's what I think. And we noticed in the 43rd verse, the day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find his Philip and Seth unto him.
Follow me. Follow me. Now, Philip was a facade of the city of Andrew and Peter. So Philip finds Nathaniel and we know the rest of the story. Now let's go to the 6th chapter and we've had that in our reading and it will be familiar to us now notice.
In the 40, I'll give you the end of the story before we take up the parts in the 14th chapter as a result of encounters with the shepherd. Isn't that an exaggeration? Doesn't they have each one of us in a special training?
He wants us to understand his purposes and his heart of love. And so here.
The fifth verse of the 6th chapter he saith unto Philip. Why did he choose out?
Philip, I can't answer that. But he did. And there was a there's a.
A very special thing. When shall we buy bread that these may eat? Philip says there's 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may take a little one of his disciples. Andrew. Oh, there's there's Andrew again. Philip and Andrew in the first chapter. Philip and Andrew in the 6th chapter. And now let's turn to the 12TH chapter. And there we find it again. Philip and Andrew, Phillip and Andrew. You know, it's nice to have.
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A brother that.
Cares that shares your heart.
Isn't it nice, nice as young people to have a friend? You're a boy, I have a boyfriend, girlfriend that you can say, you know, I enjoyed that portion. I enjoyed those verses, someone that you can share. It's nice. And it seems that Andrew and Phillip were that kind of people together. Chapter 12 and verse 20, There were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship of the feast. The same came therefore, to Philip.
That an accident, not an accident that it's mentioned, it's divine.
The same came there to Philip, which was of the seed of Galilee, and desired him saying, Sir.
We would see Jesus. It was a bit much for Philip it seems. And so he goes and he tells Andrew and again Andrew and Phillip tell Jesus, it seems that Philip is being sort of trained. He's being approached the the divine master ordered that these people come to Philip, but he's not too secure about it. And so he goes to Andrew and they go and they tell Jesus.
Now.
What have we had? We've had the first chapter, the 6th chapter, the 12TH chapter. Now let's turn to the 14th chapter.
And our King James.
Gives us. Really.
Singular and plural in a way that sometimes we don't take use, we don't make use of.
And so let's read verses 8:00 and 9:00, and it's the ninth verse that has the indication of plural and singular that are going to be a help.
Philip says unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Now this verse Jesus says unto him, Have I been so long time with all of you?
Which it really means. Have I been so long time with all of you?
And yet hast thou not known me?
Phillip now.
Walking in the footsteps of the Lord.
The example that we find here that if we think that there's a brother that after all of these years should have known more than he does, how do we address him? Have I been so long? What's the matter with you, brother? Why you've been exposed to the truth?
That's not the Shepherd's voice. It may be ours, but it's not the Shepherd's voice.
And so the tenderness with which the Lord deals with Philip, the tenderness that you and I can find. If we walk in the footsteps of the blessed Lord, that tenderness comes out. And believe me, this type of of supposed scenario is not way out. It's right in the midst of of each one of us in our assembly. And so how does he, the Lord, deal with it? Have I been so long time with all of you?
And yet, has thou not known me, Philip? See, there was a special way in which the Lord, as we went our way through the 1St and the 2nd and the 3rd and the 4th and the 5th, and on through the 12TH to the 14th. Do we really recognize that in case with all the beautiful things that have been said, that there was a training program going on? He was trying to draw Philip out, and for Philip in the 14th chapter to have said what he did?
One of us and I go that way just to show.
That's what you and I might have a tendency to do, brother.
I've told you this so many times. Can't you understand? No, that's not the Shepherd's voice. Have I been so long time with you? Well, let's not belabor it. The point is obvious that Philip was in a training program.
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And he didn't exactly get the lesson. But how did the Lord deal with him? That's the way in tenderness and love and understanding we need to deal with one another. Now let's go back to the book of Genesis on the 1St chapter of John, the Genesis of the Book, and let's pick up about Peter.
Intertwined. Really.
Notice the 40th verse.
This is back to the first chapter of John and the 40th verse.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon, Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon and set them to him, we have found.
We have found the Messiah which is being interpreted.
The Christ.
The very first introduction that Simon Peter.
Has to the Lord.
Is that he's told he's the Christ.
Let's turn now to the 6th chapter. And are we surprised at the answer that Peter gives in this 69th verse of the 6th chapter?
We'll read the 67th Then said Jesus unto the 12 Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God. Beautiful. See, He's learning, and he's showing spiritual discernment.
Let's go on 13th chapter, fifth verse.
13th of John fifth verse. After that he poureth water into a basin.
And began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel where with he was girded.
We need that, don't we? We need to see in following his footsteps, because the Lord himself says.
What I've done to you, you do to your brother. Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter saith, And Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and sent him. What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter, and I believe I'll take the time to make a comment in case of that seventh verse. What I do you do not have.
The inward sense of communion of what?
I am doing, but hereafter you'll know from experience 2 words for knowledge. The first one is inward communion, as it were, and the second one is from experience.
Brethren, and I want to say this with tenderness. If we don't learn something in the communion.
Our hearts with the Lord, we're going to have to learn it.
Through experience.
And that experience.
Is sometimes.
A very difficult path.
Enough of that, Peter said unto him. Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee knot, thou hast no part, not in me, but with me, Lord, my hands in my head. He that is washed all over, he does not save but to wash his feet, but is clean every whip Peter is beginning to show.
Even though he acknowledged the Christ. Even though he acknowledged.
From the very first is mentioned in the Gospel of John that he was the Christ.
He's wavering. He's wavering. Now, let's go on to the 23rd verse. There's something very special in the 23rd and the 25th versus, and I would like to bring it out, even though it's not in connection with Peter directly.
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Two expressions, one in the 23rd verse about John leaning on Jesus bosom.
And in the 25th lying on Jesus breast.
There are very few.
Mere repetitions in scripture. And this is not a repetition. We might save the 23rd verse that he was in the bosom, but that's not physically possible. But it's spiritually possible. He was in the Good of Jesus bosom, and as you looked at Peter, you could see him lying on Jesus breast. That's really the thought. And when it's brought out again in the last chapter of John.
It's not the 23rd verse that's been referred to, but it's the 25th. And so let's get the point.
John was so much in the good of the bosom and thoughts of Jesus that it can say there was leaning in the end. Jesus bosom in the good of his bosom, but he was physically you just looked and he was lying on Jesus breath. And Peter recognizes that John was physically and spiritually closer.
To the Lord.
We see a development here, so let's go on to the 18th chapter. Let's skip a little bit. We don't want to lose track of our time.
The 18th chapter. You know I'm going to make this point in the Gospel of John. We find certain little nuances, little incidences in the life of Peter that we don't find in some of the other Gospels.
Who is writing it? Will you say, brother, It's inspiration. For who did God use John? And in the last chapter, I take the liberty of suggesting that Peter was just a bit ruffled about John, and the Lord had to say to him, what is that to thee followed by me? But in the gospel, in the book of Acts, the two of them went together at the hour of prayer. And you know there's something there. And if we don't say one more thing, if our time was up.
I'd want to make this comment.
There may well be brothers and an individual assembly that.
A Peter that says, what about John? And the John is one that has an affection that is greater than Peters in our type. And there's a concern, but all there's a reconciliation so that these two brothers go up together at the hour of prayer. How beautiful.
You know, to go on with our brethren, everyone of them.
No favorites have the same care one for another.
And So what does it do to an assembly where there are two brothers that aren't Exactly. We passed by the Golden Spike area of Utah. And you know, there are cartoons that that show them coming together. Instead of like this, they come like this. And of course those, those two rails coming from the east and the two rails coming from the West, they met. And so there could be no difference between them. And so it is that God desires.
That each one of us would lend our attitude in the local assembly such that there's no schism, same care, one or another.
But Peter?
He decides that the sword that the Lord had told him was enough and he had misunderstood it in the book of Luke, he's now going to use, and he must have either been a very poor swordsman or an expert swordsman. Can you imagine?
Being so expert that you only took off a person's ear with a sword.
My opinion is he meant to take off his head.
But it's the mercy of God to Peter and to that servant that it wasn't too good. But the Providence of God guided that sword, so it only took off his ear.
Put up thy sword into the sheath. See, Peter had some very serious lessons.
00:45:00
To learn and we're going to find before we're through, how the Lord dealt with Peter.
More severe than Philip, A little more as necessary.
But in this chapter he more than takes a sword.
He says some things.
That's very, very hard to accept.
Unless we scrutinize our own heart, is it possible?
That you and I in 1998 could be in circumstances in which we individually, not Peter now for the moment, but individually, would deny that we ever knew that man.
And I'm not going to make an accusation about anyone.
But the tendency of your heart and mind is the same. And if we're not walking close to the Shepherd.
It's quite possible that we could be in a circumstance where we would deny that we knew the Savior, and that's what Peter did. Now let's go to the last chapter.
And we don't find it in John, I don't think.
May be wrong, but there was a private meeting between the Blessed Lord. We don't find in John that the Lord turned and looked on Peter. That's in Luke. But we do find in John what we find in no other book, no other gospel.
That the Lord makes the mall comfortable and then he is going to start a dealing.
With Peter.
Publicly.
Now there's the the pathway of the Lord that we should.
Emulate how? If we have an opportunity, a requirement to speak to someone about a particular need, how do we handle that person?
Well, we could go through this portion, the last chapter from verses 15 and through 18. And in fact at Regina conference last year, some of us were there. I think it was gone through. And I think with profit there's an interchange of the chief shepherd, an Underlay shepherd with the word love, the word knowledge and the Lord finally reduces Peter.
And I'd like to make to a position.
Where he is completely open concerning what?
Had not been opened before.
That's the way.
The Lord dealt with Peter.
Now, because our time is quickly going, let's see the very end of Judas. Let's turn to the 18th chapter.
Now this is not in John John 18 verses 3.
But what I'm going to say is in the book of Psalms, the perspective that the Psalms give us.
Concerning the Lord's attitude towards Judah, my own familiar friend.
Now I'm not trying to make out that Judas was a believer and so, but it's the manner in which the Lord treated Judas. Now remember this. He did say that he was going to be one of you is a devil. But they didn't understand. He didn't give them individual instruction so that they clearly understood that Judas was the person because the Last Supper.
Who is that? Who is that person going to be? You know, they had no idea. And that's the tendency of our hearts. If we're not following in the footsteps of the Blessed Lord that we like, oh, that's a bad word. We like to divulge what is not savory. Love thinketh no evil, and so the Blessed Lord never exposed.
Peter or Judas to the point where they could say, ah, I understand that's the one you mean. He never, never did, you know?
00:50:10
I want you, I want me, each one of us, to take on the character, the attribute, the attitude of mind that would be able to deal with this variety of things in our lives with our brethren in the way in which the Lord himself did. I don't think that we find Judas in the Gospel of John after this.
Because, it says he also fell backward to the ground.
Serious, but it's the attitude that the Blessed Lord had towards him. And there's extremities in our lives that sometimes we think it calls for extreme measures. It may, and I'm not here to dictate any individuals in their individual assemblies or ways, but each one of us, whether we're a shepherd, slash teacher or just like the most of us are.
Let's follow in his footsteps.
And let's emulate the attitude that the chief shepherd showed. Now in conclusion, I want to read just a few verses in the 34th chapter of Ezekiel. And then I want us to sing hymn #19 in the appendix, but just a few verses in Ezekiel.
And this is the attitude that the chief shepherd has towards his earthly sheep that were scattered. And it may be a special word to each of us concerning any of God's sheep that have been scattered. Ezekiel 34, verse 11 For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I even I will both search my sheep and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel. By the rivers and all the inhabited places of the country I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall they fold there. There they shall lie in a good fold and in a fat pasture.
Shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel? I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God There may well be.
Some that we know of that have been scattered, what is our attitude? I'm not attributing indifference. I'm simply saying that if we follow in the shepherds the chief shepherd's footsteps, this is the attitude of mind towards such. Let's sing #19 in the appendix.
In heavenly love, abiding no change my heart shall fear.
And say it is such confining. For nothing changes here. His sight is never dim. He knows the way he taketh, and I will walk with him. My savior has my treasure, and he will walk with me. Hymn #19 in the appendix.
The fire may Lord.
Be my heart.
Heart fail.
My God is proud of the crowd here, and I can't. I will be the weakness made.
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Wherever there is a life with me.
Now there's me.
By my cat burned in the past.
Consecrate to the Lord
YP Address—B. Anstey
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#283 Some brother raised the tomb.
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry, Merry Christmas.
All right.
All day I want to talk about.
More grateful and proud of your grass.
Let's turn first of all the first Chronicles Chapter 29 for a verse.
First Chronicles, Chapter 29.
The latter half of verse 5.
Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?
This was at the time when the congregation of Israel were gathered together. David was now turning over the reins of the throne and Israel to his son, and it was desiring that there might be dedication and devotion on the part of all that were in Israel at that time. And he threw in a great challenge to the congregation who then this day is willing to consecrate the service under the Lord.
And I'd like to throw that out here this afternoon to each and everyone of us, and particularly the young people for whom this meeting is particularly directed, that we might hear the Lord's call to consecrate our all to him. Now notice what it says here in the verses that follow. Certain of the chief priests of the fathers And so on came forward, and they gave, and we learned that all the way down through the family of God and Israel.
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Once came forward and.
Gave what they could to the cause of the Lord.
And I think that's very nice to see at the very beginning that it was the chief of the fathers that first responded. And we can be thankful for the older brethren who have set an example for us in the path of devotion and sacrifice in their lives. This and we have seen as we have lived and moved and had our being among those gathered to the Lord's name. But as we have seen from time to time, the older ones are passing off the scene, and slowly the Lord has taken them to be with himself.
And now the call of responsibility lies squarely in the lap of each and every one of us that are here this afternoon. The Lord is speaking to us. It is time for us to consecrate our service this day unto the Lord. And I'd like to emphasize those two words this day, he didn't say.
A week Tuesday or sometime later in your life when you get through.
This project or that that you may have in your lap, but the call was this day and.
So I'd like to take up the subject of consecration, the subject of devotion and dedication of our lives to the Lord. I think that is a good place for us to begin when we address young, and I'd like to particularly look at some of the great motives that Scripture presents as to why we should consecrate.
Our lives this day unto the Lord. Someone might ask the question, Isn't getting saved good enough? I've turned my life over to the Lord when I received Him as my savior, and I'm thankful that my sins are gone away. And now you're telling me that the Lord gives another call that He wants me to give, not just.
My sins and all to him and salvation but my life. But this is what the Bible presents as the consecrated life.
That will deal his all as we were singing. And so if that question is in the hearts of any that are here this afternoon, I'd like to try to answer that.
From the word of God, I like to look at some scriptures that would give us the great motives.
For consecrating our lives to the Lord Jesus and His cause, let's look first of all then.
In Second Corinthians chapter 5.
Two Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14 and 15.
For the love of Christ constraineth us.
Because we have thus judged that if one died for all, then all were dead.
And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.
Here we have a great motive, perhaps the supreme motive, and that is the love of Christ ought to constrain us. Or rather, as the Scripture says here, the love of Christ does constrain us.
And this make me say, is perhaps the greatest of all motives. When we have a great shaft of light dawn upon our souls, and we realize what the Lord Jesus accomplished at the cross of Calvary for us, I believe that it will change us.
And we will never be the same again. When that love and that grace and that sacrifice that he there so freely gave at the cross on our behalf is realizing our soul in any measure at all. There's going to be an effect. We can be sure of it. And this verse is not telling us that the love of Christ, that it's our love for Christ, doesn't say our love for Christ should constrain us to live for Him.
But it is saying the love of Christ. That means that it is his love for us. And that, I believe, is where we need to begin. When we look at this subject, and that is to look and to think and to meditate, consider his love for us. And what better place could we look to see the display of that love, that the cross it was there he poured out his soul unto death. It was there that he suffered. It was there that he gave himself for us.
And this verse here tells us that there are only really two ways in which a Christian can live. As it says there in that 15th verse, we can either live unto ourselves or unto him. And every one of us in the audience here, more or less, are doing just that. We're either living our lives for ourselves or for him. But it tells us here that in the light of the cross and the strength of that love, that what will take place is that we will no longer want to live.
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Unto ourselves but unto him who died for us, and rose again.
And for this, it's going to take faith. Isn't it? Faith to trust him that he can make a blessing in our lives? You know the reason why? That we sometimes hold back in giving the Lord what we know he should? And the reason why some people seem to throw their whole life into the things of the Lord, and many of us hold back? I believe that one of the reasons for it is that there is a lack of faith on our part.
To trust him with our life. We want to control and navigate our own lives through this world, and perhaps there isn't that confidence to turn everything over to him. We may have the idea that we're going to miss some joy or some happiness, and it's a lie of the devil we know, and so the lack of confidence to put our lives in his hands.
Causes us to hold back, but when there is that phase to trust him.
He will prove to us that he is better than we ever thought.
And those that have laid their lives upon the altar of sacrifice for the Lord can testify this day.
That the Lord has been more, and He has proved himself to them.
That he can give them the joy, the happiness, and the fruit bearing that a Christian life should have. But it begins by considering the love of Christ, and that will make commitment, won't it? The love of Christ. Well, if the love of Christ, as this verse tells us, constrains us, we might ask the question, why are we not more constrained to live a life of 100% devotion to the Lord?
While the mass of the Christians that are in this world today not doing.
As we have been speaking, this verse says the love of Christ constrained. This verse tells us that his love will produce that Well, it's no fault in his love, we can be sure of that. But the problem lies of course in our part could never be on His part. And it has been illustrated to me like in the way of a magnet. We take a magnet and we hold it a very powerful magnet. We hold it over some nails. And what happens to the nails when we hold it over mother's movement. But if we held the nails or at least the magnet at some distance from the.
Although the power of the magnet is there, the nails would not move.
You say what is wrong with the nails? What is wrong with the magnet? There is nothing wrong with the magnet.
Because the nails are not close enough to the magnet. If we brought the nails closer to where the magnet was, we would find that they would move and they would jump to the magnet. And so I think that that illustrates just the point I'm trying to make here. And that is that if we let ourselves get close enough to the Lord by taking time to meditate on His love and His grace to think in the shadow of the cross of what has been accomplished for us, there will be plenty of movement and consecration.
To him, because the love of Christ constraineth us and so there needs to be commitment. We all know that we lack this in some area, but that's the kind of that's the way that it's presented in the scripture. And I believe that if the the, the magnitude of what is took place at the cross would really grip us, we would realize that the Christian life as the Bible presents it as the writings of the Apostle Paul.
Or in the life of the Apostle Paul as it is recorded here, would show us that it is all or nothing. The Bible never gives us a halfway Christianity, although many of us know all about living in that halfway land. And I remember hearing a story about Cortez when he landed at Veracruz in the 1500s. Probably heard about this if you know your history. When he landed there. His mission from the king in Spain was to take Mexico.
And he had 200 men.
And they came over and these 11 ships, I believe it was. And what happened was the first thing he did when they got on shore is that he burnt the ships. And the men standing on the shore looked out there at the harbor and saw their only means of retreat going down to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. They knew that there was only One Direction they were going to have to go. And that was forward. And I'd like to just stay here this afternoon. It's time that we began to burn our boats.
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It's time that we began to burn our bridges, so to speak, that we would give ourselves no opportunity to return to the humdrum, halfway type of Christian life. And there's no better time than in a conference like this.
To consider these things in the light of the Scriptures, and especially what has been accomplished at the cross. There is only One Direction for us to go when we think of these things in the light of the Cross. And that is forward. That is forward. That reminds me of the Napoleon.
One time he was in a battle, a fierce battle, and his army was losing terribly. And at the last movement he called to his drummer and he said beat, retreat, and the drummer turned to him and said, Sir, you never taught me that beat.
Apparently, as those armies would move in those days that they would listen to the drummer and that would indicate what they would do in the battlefield.
But the drummer said, You never taught me that, and that stirred Napoleon to such.
A devotion to his 'cause, that he rallied his forces and they went on to the most signal victory. And he conquered. I'm not even sure what the enemy was at that time, Sir. You never taught me that beat. You know the Lord has never taught us any beat.
To do with retreat, having the scriptures give us One Direction and that's forward. And the Lord wants us to move forward.
According to the leading of the Spirit of God and the 1St place we need to go as young people.
So to speak is to the altar of sacrifice, that place where we can lay down our life for him, and to put him on the throne of our life and give him the control.
Let's look now at another passage, and that's Romans 12.
12TH chapter of Romans.
Perhaps we can read a few verses at the end of the 11TH chapter to take a run at the 12TH.
Verse 33 of Chapter 11.
All the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out For who hath known the mind of the Lord? And who hath been his counselor? For who hath first given to him? And it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will have gone for I say, through the grace given to me, that to every man is given among you.
That is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another, having their gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith.
Or ministry that is weighed on our ministry.
Where he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on an exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity, that he that rules with diligence, he that show of mercy, with cheerfulness. Here we have in this passage yet another motive for our lives to be laid in the hand of our Lord Jesus. I read the verses in the 11TH chapter because I think that it leads forward to the 12TH chapter as a springboard.
The Apostle has been penning for 11 Chapters, something of the mercies of God and how that he what he has done for us. And then when he comes to the 12TH chapter he turns it around and says now there are things, something that we can do for him. If the 1St 11 Chapters outline what he has done for us, the 12TH chapter onward gives us what we can do for him. It's a nice response, isn't it? I believe that the Lord is counting on a response from those who have read and meditated on the things that are found in those eleven chapters.
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The Mercies of God. And the last four verses or so of the 11TH chapter we have what we call a doxology.
And I suppose that most any of the young know what that word means. But doxology is a short burst of praise that comes spontaneous when a heart is filled with the subject and the matter that we have had in these chapters if we would look through them. Like the apostle puts down his pen for a minute in his writing and just lets out a little burst of praise and wonder to the one who has designed these things and brought them to pass through grace.
And so we find that he names a number of things. Here are riches, wisdom, knowledge, judgments, His ways, the mind of the Lord, his counsels, and so on. Someone said there's about 7 different things that he enumerates here, and he just wonders at the the goodness and the grace of God. And I would like to just attach to these words one word for you to remember, and that is the word appreciation, Appreciation. We need to take time to appreciate what the Lord has done for us.
It's not something that's going to come without taking the time to do that and I can't.
Encourage you anymore than to say that we all need to spend time before the Lord every day. Now, if you haven't established a quiet time in your life each day, you are in need of it desperately. Each and every one of us need to start the day with a quiet time with the Lord, and we need to take time to think of these wonderful things.
Because love will bigot love. It will produce response, and that's what we get here. The first response is a short *********** of praise. Just to think of what the Lord has done will give us a burst of praise to Him. So we find here appreciation.
But appreciation will lead to what we have in the 12TH chapter and that is consecration.
Consecration doesn't happen on its own. It's something that it precedes it and that is appreciation will lead to consecration. And so he goes on in the 12TH chapter and he says, I beseech you therefore, And that therefore connects with those words that we have before it. Whereas we've said back home, whenever you come to a therefore in scripture, find out what it's there for. It's there for a reason. It's connecting the foregoing with what he has in hand now.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice in the light of what the Lord has done. He would have us to present our bodies, and that would be our energies, our time, our interests, our all.
And notice it's not I command you if I beseech you. And that's because the call to consecration, the call to follow the Lord with a dedicated life, is not a command of the Lord. Exactly.
The scriptures do have commands. We're commanded all men everywhere to repent.
And another place in John's epistle to believe on the Son of God. But when it comes to the yielding of our lives, to him and to his cause, the Lord is not going to command that he's waiting, that there might be a response from our hearts and love to what he has done. And it reminds me of dear Jonathan and David. You know, their lives in the Bible illustrate this very point that we're talking about this afternoon. David, the type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jonathan is a type of the believer. When David went forth there into that valley of Elah to accomplish that victory for the children of Israel.
When he vanquished their foes as a picture of Christ going forth to the cross and putting down our enemy.
Winning a great victory for us there. What we find, what happened was that Jonathan was so affected by that that he said he loved him in his heart and he and he began to surrender what he had and he put off the many things he gave him his coat and his armor and so on. But we'll find as you look through that story, you'll see that there was something that Jonathan neglected. And they said there's a hint of it right at the very beginning because he neglected to give David his shoes and sandals.
And you'll find through that story that David waits in rejection for Jonathan to make up his mind, to take up that path and fall with him. And they meet together on occasion and have sweet fellowship. But it says Jonathan went back into the house and David went into the wood. Then they come back together again sometime later, and they have a little time of fellowship together. Jonathan goes back to the court of the king and David waits in the field. Why was David waiting in the field? He was waiting for Jonathan to make a decision.
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To follow him in the path of rejection for David was rejected at that time by Saul, and he was haunted by Saul.
And Christ is in rejection today, and He wants you and I to follow him in the path of rejection. But all the while David waited for him. He never asked Jonathan, not even once, to follow him if love for him demonstrated in what he had done for Israel. And vanquishing that full Goliath the giant wasn't enough to affect Jonathan. David was not going to ask him, and you'd find that he waits for him. And you know, dear young people, the Lord is waiting for a response from your heart and mind here this afternoon too.
He's watched your life through from the very beginning.
And he is so interested in your blessing. He wants to see you grow in grace, in the knowledge of him. And he knows that there needs to be commitment, there needs to be that forthright laying down of our lives for him. That's wherein lies the happy, fruitful Christian life. Maybe you say, I hear the brethren talking about those kind of things, but I don't know what they're talking about. It's because what lies between the two did you know?
There's a life of consecration to him.
And so the Lord knows that if we're going to have a happy, fruitful Christian life, it begins here. And so we have the presenting of our bodies. In the Old Testament, they brought their their dead sacrifices to the altar in Israel. But now in the New Testament, the kind of sacrifice they were to bring is a living sacrifice. We're to bring our lives to Him holy. Yes, it needs to be holy. That's the kind of sacrifice it needs to be.
He wants us to be holy in every manner of life and that should be presented to Him, for it is our reasonable service that tells us our reasonable service.
What does it mean reasonable service?
Well, it could be looked at this way.
If he has given his life and his all in death, for me, it's only right then that I should give my life to him and to his cause. That's a reasonable thing. That's something that you can get ahold of and understand. I mean, it's only logical, isn't it?
The word could be translated intelligent too, and that's because the service that we have in Christianity is so much.
Different in contrast really to the service that they had in the Old Testament times. We have an intelligence service in the sense that we have been brought into the knowledge of God's ways and His service, and we can carry out our service for the Lord with intelligence, knowing why He had asked us to do what we are to do.
When we were told to carry the word to the lost, we understand why. Or to bring a word to his people, or to shepherd and help his people, or 10,000 different things that the Lord may call us to do. Each one of them we have an intelligence that goes with it. Now in the Old Testament they didn't have that. When Moses was told told by the Lord to do such and such, and the children are visible to make their sacrifices, they didn't know why.
They knew the Lord wanted them to do it. I suppose in one sense they knew that, but they didn't really understand why the animal had to be cut in such and such a pieces, or why the blood had to be poured out on and why this piece had to be done and all these things. They had an unintelligent service in that sense, but not in Christianity. When we talk about sacrifice for the Lord, He has outlined for us not only what He would have us to do, but we can do it with intelligence in our hearts. Isn't that wonderful a service that we can do for Him?
And let us remember, each one of us have a servant for God for our lives.
He says be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That ye may prove that good and acceptable perfect will of God. Here we find that the world stands as an obstacle in the way of a Christian really discerning the will and mind of God. For him We have a yielded body in the first verse. The second verse we have a separated life. Be not conformed to this world. Yes, the world has a way of hindering from us. 1000 blessings.
And we need to be careful. We need to be careful that we have made sure to distance ourselves from the world. And this particularly is a great attraction to the young people. And when we speak of the world, we're not talking about this globe, as the Bible sometimes uses the world as the universe. When he talks about the world, at least in this verse, he's talking about that system of things that man has built up in his alienation from God, an attempt to make himself happy. He has all kinds of things built into this system.
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An entertainment system, an art system. Music plays politics. It's even got its own religion. Everything that a heart, a man and his alienation from God may long for. Man has tried to develop a system of things that is now almost 6000 years old. That was what fill the void and to keep him happy at a distance from God. It doesn't exactly work. And that's why that so many of this world that have as much as the world can offer, usually end their lives with sadness.
Some with.
With suicide.
But nevertheless, this world is what stands in the way of a believer. And I think we need to be very careful. You know, I once heard a story of a bunch of young people that in the north of Scotland, they were going to go on a little tour in some of the mines that they had. They had a coal mine up there and there was this old coal miner that was hired to to be the guide to take them down into the coal mine. And so these young people showed up there and one young girl was wearing a white frock dress and she said to the guide because she was kind of wondering.
What it would be like in there, she said. Excuse me, Sir, do you think there be anything from hindering me from wearing this dress into the mine? And the old farmer, said Lassie, there'd be nothing from hindering you from wearing that dress into the mind, but there would be considerable from you for you wearing that dress out of the mind.
It would be awfully filthy dirty because of the cold, and so in one sense, in every sense.
The world can make us dirty, and so how careful we have to be.
And so, if we have appreciation, it needs to consecration.
And consecration will lead to separation, and separation will go on to transformation, as the verse goes on and says that you may be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And every one of us this afternoon are either being conformed to this world or being transformed.
We are transformed by the word of God. I believe by saturating our lives with the word of God in a daily way, we begin to think like the Lord. So we have transformation by the renewing of our mind. Our minds see things as God sees them. We weigh things as He weighs them. What is?
Sin in the eyes of God will be sin in our eyes. What grieves the heart of God will grieve us. The mind is transformed when we saturate ourselves with the word of God. And again, I can make this plea. Let us saturate.
Our lives with the continual reading of the word of God.
You know it was mentioned in the in the reading by a brother about the.
Taking in the word of God like a civil our minds may be like the sieve. You've heard the story and he put it in the water and you bring it out and well, he doesn't retain a whole lot, but it gets a lot cleaner. Did you know what they told that story to Jan Darby? Did you know what he said? He said, oh, if you want to keep the basket full of water, just keep it in the fountain.
I like that you want to keep it full of water. Just keep it in the fountain. Don't bring it out. It's full. And so it is. If we want to keep flow, the word of God, stay in the word of God.
Yes, and it will form our thinking. And you know, this world wants to do our thinking for us. To quote another brother. This world wants to do our thinking for us. It wants to squeeze us into its mold and gives us its smile of approval if we go to March to the beat of its drum. Or it will give us its sneer and scorn if we choose another path. But that shouldn't affect a Christian who has been affected by the greatness of the work of Christ and the cross.
You may be considered fanatical, but who cares? We're marching to the beat of a different drummer now, and everything demands our sacrifice for him. Well, transformation leads to realization of the will of God to realize and understand the will of God for us. And God has a purpose and plan for every one of us. What He may have for you to do may be different than me, but one thing for sure, that the Lord has a plan for every one of us.
A place to fill in his body as the verses go on here and so even for the youngest believer here.
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He would love to hear you say to him, Lord Jesus, I want to give my life to Thee, my all, and be whatever it is. You may not think that you have any ability to be a help to the Lord's people or to His cause at all in this world, but he doesn't see it that way. And more than that, if you put your life at His disposal and there is a consecration, there is that separation and the transformation that will lead to the realization of his will for you. But it goes here and it says not just the knowing of His will.
The proving of his will that goes beyond just knowing.
Most, if not all, young people seem to want to know God's will for them, but He gives the knowledge of his will for those.
Who are willing to do it? See it says there, and I think it's the 7th of John. If any man will do his will, he shall know.
If any man is predisposed to the doing of his will, is when there is going to be the revelation of it to us in the past.
And we are going to prove just how good and acceptable and perfect it is.
He wants us to prove it, and we prove it by walking in it. Well, that leads to something else. Verse three. You might think it would lead to the performance of his will. Not yet. That would be verse 4 on know there's something in between. The third verse brings us to yet another thing, and that is humiliation.
If transformation will lead to realization of the will of God, there will be a familiar humility in our lives that as we discern what we believe to be His will for us, there will be that quiet confidence in our lives. We won't be boasting in saying the Lord has sent me, I am. The Lord has told me to do this and to do that. If you hear a Christian saying the Lord told me to do this, the Lord sent me to do that, the Lord told me to do this. He is much as telling you that he lives so close to the Lord that He couldn't possibly miss the Lord's mind. And the Lord just speaks almost like audibly to him while the rest of us have to wait in His presence.
But you know, as a boast that I think is very dangerous, very dangerous. And I believe that if we have discovered in any measure what we believe to be his willed forest in the pathway, it will take all the pride out of it. And what will happen is that there will be, as this verse says, not a thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Yes, he'll be that quiet confidence that we trust we have His will for us, and that so is so very important.
Because there's a danger, you see, of trying to stretch ourselves beyond what we really have been called to do for the Lord.
And try to rethink ourselves more highly than we ought, and we can create difficulties and problems among our brethren. But just the thought there of humility. And then shall we say the last one in verses 4 through 8, which we read. It's the waiting on our service. The waiting on our service for the Lord.
And I would have taken that might be administration.
Yes, ministry. Everyone of us are in the ministry and Christendom today. Usually when you speak about being in the ministry, they mean that you wear the badge of being a minister. But the Bible presents the subject of ministry as simply the exercise of our service for the Lord be whatever it is. In that sense, we're all in the ministry. I asked the sister one time a few years ago. Do you believe that a sister could be a minister? She said. Oh no, I said, Well, look at Romans 16, he says. I commend unto you, Phoebe.
A minister.
The church said right there in the Bible. She was a minister of that church there in Centuria.
Well, she didn't know what to say about that.
Then my wife and I explained to her, of course, that the word ministry means a whole lot different than the conventional meaning out there. And yes, dear sister, dear brother, dear young person, you are in the ministry and the administration of our service for the Lord is simply the exercise of it, the performance of it and humility. How important that we take that place of humility and waiting on the Lord, We are going to have something to do that will come into our hand and soul. Verses 5 through 8 there tell us whether it be this gift or that.
Let us wait on it and notice it says if it be prophecy, let us do it according to the proportion of faith or ministry. Let us wait on ministry teaching, on teaching. It doesn't say let teaching, we wait on preaching.
We are to perform that which we feel the Lord would send us to do.
Not another person's work.
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And the Lord has something for each of us to do.
There's never been a day when the challenge has been greater, to live for Christ, to serve Christ.
When I was younger, I thought all the bases are covered, the Lord really doesn't need me. I remember saying that to somebody too. I mean, you know, they've got plenty of teachers in the meeting and they've got lots of preachers and I can't think of anything for me to be doing, but I'll just carry on. But as we get older and we see the gaps become bigger until finally we see that there is a field white.
What needs and service. Yes, you may not see just a whole lot what the Lord may have you to do, but the first thing is to put our feet in the path. And I, being in the way of the Lord, led me. That's a verse from Genesis 24. When we're in the path of His leading, he will guide us. It's like the rudder of a ship. We're not going to get guidance in the pathway. But just like the ship's rudder doesn't guide the ship when it's sitting at port, the helmsman could get back there and turn it this way and that. The ship doesn't move at all, does it?
That's because the ship isn't moving. See what the wheels in my car.
As long as it sits in the parking lot, I can move the steering wheel around, but the car doesn't move. But when it's moving and we apply the steering, the car moves in the direction that we move it, that we steer it. And so as we move in the pathway, walking day by day with him, the Lord will open the path for us as to what he'd have us to do. Well, let's go on now and look at yet one more. And I know we've come to the close here of our meeting and I want to just look.
At.
First Peter.
First Peter Chapter One, verse 15.
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, be holy. For I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who out of respect of persons, judges according to every man's work past the time of your soul, journey here in fear, here we have the third motive, and that is the disciplinary hand of a loving Father. Yes, there is such a thing as a motive of the Father's hand and discipline.
And when our ways do not please him, if we are careless in our lives, he has undertaken as our father to perfect holiness in our lives.
And he knows just what to do to produce that in us. He may allow suffering or some trial and difficulty. Not all the trials and difficulties that we get in our lives are because he is seeking to correct and to perfect holiness. But very often they can be. He wants to perfect holiness in our lives. It's like that verse in Psalm 139. Thou winnowest my path. So he's taking a lesson there from a farmer who winnows his.
Wheat that he takes the chaff from the wheat, and there may be some chaff in our lives, those things that don't belong there.
Have no business being there. The Lord knows how to win of that and take it apart, take it aside. It may cause suffering, may cause trial, but it will produce exercise. And so if our ways are such that they do not please the Lord in some direction, some way, a hand of the Father in love will seek to work that out. And so we need to have a healthy respect unto our God our Father, and we need to pass the time of our soul journey in fear, as this verse tells us.
You know, I heard a story about Alexander the Great. One of the soldiers was acting up in his army. He brought him before him, had him in, and he said, what's your name? And the soldier, said Alexander hesitantly.
Alexander said.
Either you change your ways or change your name. There is a soldier in the army of the Emperor and he was carrying on in such a way he's bearing his name, he said. Change your name if you're going to carry on like that, or better yet, change your ways. We carry a name, don't we?
And we have a father that will change our ways.
Why is he allowing those things? Because he loves us too much to let us go on our way. And there is such a thing as the motive of the hand of a father disciplinary ways, A man that I know, at least I heard of. He has had sculptured a lion, an enormous statue of a lion. And in the at the day of the unveiling of this thing, people are all around and people are asking him how did you ever do it?
And he said, well, I just chipped away everything that didn't look like a lion.
You know something? That's exactly what the Lord is doing in our lives. He's chipping away everything that does not look like his own son, though, his attitudes, those ways, those things. He knows exactly what to do.
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And so we need to have that healthy respect to our Father that loves us. He wants us to be holy, and if there is no holiness in our lives, he will produce holiness. If he has to even bring chastening in, our time is through. We've gone over 3 motives for living for Christ, and I just like to close with this one verse in Exodus 32.
Hardly without comment, Exodus 32 and verse 29. And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son and his own brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
Twice in this verse we find this day, he says. Consecrate yourselves this day and you'll get a blessing this day. Isn't that nice? And so I believe that's the word of excitation for us to.
It begins at the foot of the cross.
The love of Christ, the mercies of God, and the hand of a Father.
And discipline are the great motives for living our lives for him. Let's pray.
Our God and our Father, We look up to thee now and thank you for this time we've had together with Thy Word, open.
Sphere of the World
YP Address—C. Hendricks
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Alone aren't worthy ceaseless praises to receive for thy love and grace and goodness rise, or all our thoughts conceive. Someone raised that tune, please.
I love your voice.
Praise and praise.
Heaven.
Will swing its way.
In the door is my clear render on.
Oh my burns in water, and while thy were proclaimed.
Praise and praising.
Praising praise the Savior.
Savior.
Pray, pray, pray and praise him.
And.
Perfect and will sing in praise.
Ephesians 4.
Ephesians chapter 4.
Verse 17.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that she henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk.
In the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened.
Being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him.
As the truth is in Jesus.
She put off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that she put on the Newman, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying? Speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steel no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands.
That thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need it. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.
But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Be therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us.
And hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savior, But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as it become of Saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving a thanks. For this ye know that no *********** nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
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Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God.
Upon the children of disobedience, Benachi therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness, and truth, proving what is that what is acceptable unto the Lord?
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them.
In secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest his light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
I don't think we'll get beyond that this afternoon.
The last three chapters of Ephesians give us practical expectations based upon the doctrine of the first three.
We move in three areas of our lives. We move in the area of the assembly.
And that's covered in the 1St 16 verses of chapter 4. I have not read those verses this afternoon.
Assembly life, the verses that I have read is the second sphere where we move and that's the world.
Sphere of the world.
And then the third sphere, and that goes on. By the way, that second sphere I didn't read at all. It goes on to verse 21 of chapter 5. And then we have the third sphere, that of the family, chapter 522, into chapter 6, verse nine. And finally verse 10 says finding my brethren. And he says be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of God. So we have the armor taken up at the end.
We need the armor of God, all of it, in order to walk worthy of the Lord.
In the assembly sphere, in the sphere of the world, and in our family relationships.
What I've read this afternoon has to do with our walk out in the world.
He begins by saying in verse 17 this I say therefore and testify in the Lord chapter 4.
That she henceforth walk not.
As other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, And then he describes them, they had been this.
They, most of them had emphasis here, were saved out of being gentiles, having the understanding darkened, it's so important.
This is a young people's meeting and I especially thinking of the young, but it applies what I'm going to say applies to all, of course.
That you have to realize that you move in a world where those with whom you.
Come in contact every day that are not the Lord's. Their understanding is darkened.
They are alienated from the life of God.
Through the ignorance that is in them.
We speak a language. The Saints of God speak a language which the world does not speak.
They don't understand us oftentimes.
They are alienated from the life that you and I have.
We were once in their condition.
And know something about it. God was not in all of our thoughts. It's not in their thoughts.
So God has set us here to live a life, the very life of Christ.
So that they can see what Christianity is.
As we move amongst them.
Begins by teaching them.
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How that their understanding is darkened. Don't forget that.
They're alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness or the hardness of their hearts.
Those with whom we have to do every day at school, at work, at play, whatever it might be if they're not the Lords. This is true of them who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness. You remember when you turn on the television or the radio, you're going to hear from this kind of these kinds of people, those that.
Their understanding is darkened.
They are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them. Because of the blindness and hardness of their hearts they are past feeling.
When I was a young man, a young boy, I should say this country has, though it's never been, as some would have us to believe, a Christian nation, but there were, there were those that feared the Lord that had to do with the founding of this nation.
And even the people of the world did not were not saved.
Yet.
They had the 10 commandments that they respected. It was oftentimes hung up in the school rooms.
This gives God's moral standard for man and.
There was a respect. I remember I was unsaved as a boy. I had a respect. I'll never forget the time when I was talking with my sister. And I said, will you swear to that on the Bible as she put her hand on the Bible and she swear to it. And I thought when I found out later that she had lied.
I was horrified. I don't know what it was. I wasn't raised as a Christian.
But I had a respect for this book.
And for someone to put their hand on this book and swear.
And be a liar was horrifying to me and there was a natural feeling.
In this country that was something like that there was a respect for.
The things of God.
That's all changed.
The moral standards of the country were taken from the Bible.
Even this nation so favored of God.
So blessed of God, it's something like I'd like to liken it like Israel was it had the law, it had the 10 commandments and and you know they didn't follow the Lord. And this nation began with the fear of God.
I know there were the drunkards and those that didn't follow the word of God, but.
There was a respect for the word of God back then.
In the 60s and 70s.
This all changed. It's all changed in my generation.
And as I read this, these verses where Paul is describing what these gentiles were, sounds like he's describing the present, the United States of America.
So have those that once revered.
God's Word, whether they believed it in their soul enough to be born again and saved.
I cannot say many didn't, but there was a reverence for it, a respect for it.
I remember when I was in Moses Lake, I said I had to come all the way in all of my journeys to Moses Lake WA, to hear these words. Fred and I were sitting at the breakfast table there at the Denny's restaurant and the waitress came to me and came to us and she said, what would you gentlemen like?
And when she came back, I said to her, I said you said something to me that I haven't heard for years.
Usually is. What would you guys like?
Speaking to 70 and older men, 70 years and older men, what would you guys like?
But this waitress showed respect. What would you gentlemen like? I haven't heard that for years. Have you?
There is no respect anymore in the part of the younger and even the waitresses and the waiters.
Towards those they're serving, but I found it. Moses Lake WA. It was most refreshing and I told her so and she got a special good tip because of it.
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Fred gave his and I went back and gave mine.
You might say that's a little thing.
We were talking once in one place. The sister went behind her and she brought out this picture of an iceberg.
It was the level of the water. All you could see was the tip and then you saw the huge iceberg underneath that no one sees. And I said, yes, we've been just talking about the tip of the iceberg, but it's an indication of something deeper, deep rooted.
When the Communists took over China.
What did they promote?
Was it the writings of?
When the Russians took over Russia, what did they promote?
Was it the writings of Karl Marx and Lenin and other communist leaders? No, that's not what they promoted.
They promoted evolution.
Get the people to believe that by.
And you've done away with God. And once you've done away with God, you can do whatever you want. And there's no authority on earth to tell you it's wrong. That's your opinion. I have mine.
And that's true. Your opinion is just as good as mine.
Sometimes we encounter that with our children if we have not instilled the fear of God with them.
You tell them and give them a command and and they say why and we say because I told you so.
Well, that's your opinion, Dad. I have mine.
They've learned that in school, you know, but if you told them God, the supreme authority of the universe.
Has given me the authority to raise you for him.
And to instill in you.
His moral principles for how you are to live your life.
That's why you have to be subject to me in your subjection to me as a father. You're being subject to God.
Who has assigned me that position?
Well, all you have to do is do away with the the absolute authority of the universe, and you've removed the only thing that's stable.
Upon which the society can exist, and without it, it will crumble. This country is headed for disaster, and so is Canada, and so is Western Europe, and so is every nation that forgets God.
Their understanding is darkened. They are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them.
Those in the highest places of authority in our land are making decisions which are moral suicide.
Because they have no sound judgment.
There is No Fear of God before their eyes.
Where that exists, I remember talking to a young man once. He says let's just argue this point, seeing if we can come to a discussion to see if we can arrive at is there a God? I said forget it, I won't go one step in that direction.
You start with God in the beginning. God. If you don't start with God, your whole basis for an argument or for a discussion is futile and worthless.
The fool that said in his heart, there is no God.
Evolution.
It has caught hold like wildfire. Why? Because man does like.
Does not like being told what to do and what not to do.
And when we are just the product of some distant explosion or some gathering together of molecules and gas and some substance, and that all of a sudden, somehow, some magical way, it becomes organic.
And there's life. It's the most utterly ridiculous. Absurd.
00:20:06
Piece of guesswork ever come out? It's not a theory that can be proved. It's not a hypothesis. That's an educated guess. It's not even educated.
And all you have to do is get people to believe that lie. As Adolf Hitler said, tell a lie over and over and over again and the people will finally believe it. Well, that's what our media is doing, pumping this poison, poison over and over again to the people.
And all moral judgment is gone.
Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work. All uncleanness with greediness. Young people, this is the kind of world you're living in, and you'll never know how to find your way through it if you don't realize that's the kind of people that you're dealing with every day in the world.
But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him.
Have you heard him? Have you heard his voice? Do you know him? He is the very truth that the world says. There is no such thing.
Well, this country used to believe there was a basis for.
Moral living. And that was the Bible.
In the 60s and 70s that was given up. There is no God.
And man became the one that decided what was right and wrong.
If it was going to hurt man, that was wrong. If it was going to help him, that was right.
But we had another change in the 90s, the 80s and 90s.
They don't even have that any longer.
There is no moral standard. There is no right and wrong.
If you can classify it under the broad heading of love.
Then it's all right.
But the way the world talks about love, it has no concept of what love is.
While I'm going ahead of myself, let's just read on a little verse 21. If so be ye have heard.
Him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Remember this. The truth is in Jesus.
A Christian had written a book and he was on a talk show.
And the talk show host was a humanist and she said to this brother.
How do you know that you have the truth?
In a very mocking, sneering type of tone.
And he said to her.
You can never know that you have the truth unless there is a truth to be had.
That stopped her.
And this book is the truth.
And it tells of one who is himself the truth.
And you and I are indwelt by the person of the Holy Spirit, who is the truth.
Doesn't that make you feel good? That of all the millions attaining millions on planet Earth?
We have the truth because we have His word and we have His spirit.
And we have the Lord Jesus himself, and those who do not have him, who do not know him, who are not in dwelt of the Spirit of truth.
They don't know it. The truth is in Jesus.
You're having put off, I'm going to correct this a little bit in verse 22 That you're that you're having put off concerning the former conversation concerning the way you used to live as these blind gentiles.
The old man you're having put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust. The old man is what we were, and Adam what we were in the flesh. We're no longer in Adam. We're in Christ, a new standing before God, and a new absolute state produced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are in the Spirit.
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Can't say that about an unsafe person.
Put off the old man with its corruption and its loss. You put it off when you came to Christ. You're done with that. And you put on the Newman, which after God is created in righteousness and through holiness or holiness of truth. Again we have the truth, righteousness, and holiness. The new man, It speaks of Christ. But in between those two statements, the putting off the old, the putting on the new, it speaks of being renewed in the spirit of your mind.
That's We were talking about this in our reading meetings. The importance of reading the word of God every day to make it making it a habit, Habit with you. You read the word of God as often as you, as consistently as you have a meal. Again, three meals a day.
More than, more than our necessary food, the word of God, that's how the mind is renewed. The spirit of the mind. Our very thoughts are affected by the the propaganda that's constantly being typed out through the media. You don't even have to turn it on. You just drive down the road and you see signs are pasted up and they'll put thoughts into your mind that are that are corrupt.
And sinful.
But our standing is that we put off the old man and we put on the new. We're being renewed every day in the spirit of our minds.
Because we have made the Lord our refuge, the word of God our daily.
Source of food We've been talking about the Lord come down and become the bread of God, our bread to sustain us, to nourish us, and the water of life to take it in. God has given us all needed to sustain us and to enable us to go on separate from this present evil world that we're passing through. These things that we see going on around us shouldn't surprise us. We're in the last days and evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. This is what God tells us.
The utopia of a present revival, which I've heard so often said by some radio preacher as I travel. I do listen to those sometimes, and it makes you sad.
Sad indeed to hear what's going on.
Let him that stole well at verse 25 put away, Wherefore put away lying.
Speak every man truth with his neighbor.
When I was at work, the most common sin that took place just every day.
They never batted an eye. Look, you're right smack in the eye and lie like just lies. Lie, just lie, doesn't seem to affect them. They don't care whether they tell the truth or not.
They're liars.
And this is characteristic of these last days. Satan is a great liar.
And yet people will steal him One politician. He was so cast down over the insurmountable task of bringing order out of the chaos that exists in the political arena, he said. If the devil himself could get us out of this mess, I'd follow the devil.
That's bad. That's a bad state of things when one can make such a ridiculous statement.
Wherefore putting away lines, speak every man truth with his neighbor.
But we are members one of another.
Some of us have gotten into the habit. It's a habit with us.
I'm in a you say we often do it the other way around. That's the way of the world, you know?
The Lord never did that. Never unthinkable to attribute something like that to him. He was the truth. He always spoke the truth.
Never spoke something that could be and mean the opposite.
Be angry.
Thought we weren't supposed to be angry.
Turned back to Mark Chapter 3 for a moment. We'll come right back here.
Mark, Chapter 3.
And he entered again into the synagogue. Jesus did. And there was a man there which had a withered hand.
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hands stand forth.
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And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil, to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
And when he had looked round about on them with anger being grieved.
For the hardness of their hearts he saith unto the man, stretch forth thine head.
And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him.
How they might destroy him.
Because he had healed a man on the Sabbath.
The Lord looked round about him with anger at the hardness of their hearts.
There are sins that take place in our presence that ought to produce anger on our part.
It would be wrong to be indifferent to it.
But it says be angry and sin not. There is a righteous anger. We always ought to be angry with sin. But it says sin not. What is it meant by that? Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Brother Hale used to say to us, never lay your head down on your pillow at night with an unkind thought against anyone.
We have to hold our anger. It will soon we being who we are and with the nature that we have.
Or we still have that flesh nature. It would soon degenerate into sin, wouldn't it?
If we think upon it too long.
We ought to abhor it before that which is evil, plead to that which is good. We ought to abhor it, but not dwell upon it.
The angry and sin not Let not the sin go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. You hold your anger and you'll give place to the devil. He'll have advantage over you.
And the Lord knows that. So he has warned us, let him that stole steal no more. But the Old Testament, the 10 commandments, said that thou shalt not steal. Grace tells us something more. It says, let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands, the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needed.
That no corrupt communication pro ceed out of your mouth.
How many times as we go through this world, we hear that? We hear the the vile language, the filthy jokes? We should walk away, we should turn a deaf ear, and sometimes we should even rebuke it.
Publicly if necessary.
Let no corrupt communication pro ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying.
That it may minister grace unto the hearers. We have been hearing a lot of grace.
All that. We knew it better.
And grieved not, you can't grieve him away, but you can grieve him the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
In us because of the work of Christ, and he'll never leave us no matter how much we fail Him.
Don't grieve him, Paul says.
And then he says let all bitterness.
And wrath and anger and clamor and even speaking be put away from you with all malice, evil intent to injure someone else. That's what malice is devising a plan. Have you ever thought of killing someone?
You didn't do it, but you thought about it.
Malice.
Bitterness.
It's a canker. It will destroy you and it affects others. It defiles others.
That all bitterness and wrath and anger, well, it just said be angry and sin not there is a place for righteous anger. But this isn't that here.
It's just fleshly anger, wrath and anger and clamor, evil speaking. Let it be put away from you. That's what the Gentiles round about us do.
And I'm guilty of this. We're not to speak evil of dignities.
Michael the Archangel would not raise a railing accusation against Satan, but said the Lord rebuked thee.
That some of those who are in power and authority today.
Christians are, you might say, the first to speak very strongly against them.
Well, we're grieved over what's happening.
Over decisions that are being made and so on.
00:35:00
But we're to hold our tongues and not to speak irreverently of those that God has placed in authority.
And be kind.
One to another.
Tender hearted Do you have a tender heart? Do I have a tender heart? Heart filled with compassion, you see?
You see those that are not going on maybe those that are under discipline and.
They had never been restored.
Does that bother you? Bothers me?
Bothers me.
It ought to bother all of us.
God didn't leave me out in the wilderness.
I never found my way back.
Shepherd sought the sheep.
Brought us back.
He restoreth my soul how often he has done that.
For my soul. For your soul.
Tender hearted, forgiving one another.
Now I'm going to read this as it should be read even as God in Christ has forgiven you, and that word forgiven here means to show grace to.
God has shown grace to me. God has shown grace to you.
When you think of that being placed in the place of exercising.
Discipline upon another fellow member of the Body of Christ.
Who am I to do that? Who are you to do that? Who are we to do that?
We're just as bad.
But the prerogative of love, divine love, leads us to exercise it.
Because love always seeks the blessing of its object. Always.
And when I discipline my child, and when you discipline your child, if it's not love that's motivating you to do it, you want their blessing. You want to them to be corrected. So they don't do that anymore. They don't learn that way. They don't speak those foul words that they may have picked up at school. You may have to discipline because they have uttered them.
The whole purpose of discipline is restorative, corrective that the person under discipline might be brought back to a state of usefulness in the Assembly.
Sad to say, I don't find that as often as I'd like to.
And I went to the Burbank conference last December.
I was delighted.
I felt it was worth going all the way, just for this one thing to find out. Here was a sister standing by her husband. She'd been out of fellowship. She'd left the meeting, he was still in the meeting, and here she was with him at the conference.
But I could hardly believe it. And he was just radiating with joy. And so was she.
Nothing more precious than to see a soul that's been out of communion restored.
Even as God in Christ has shown grace to you.
You therefore, followers of God, imitators of God, imitators of God's, a better word as beloved children.
And walk in love.
Just a few comments on this first part of chapter 5 and then I must close.
As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself love, gives oneself love, is not seeking to get He came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And that's love.
An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. But then.
And I've often wondered why this next but fornication in all, and cleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become of Saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving a thanks.
Those are strange things to be put next to those first two verses.
When it's describing the love of God and the love of Christ.
It's put there because if you can put any of those things that fornication and uncleanness and filthiness and all that under the caption of love.
And that's what the world is doing today. It's calling these illicit and wicked and corrupt lifestyles and expression of love. They can't help but they were born that way.
And they put it under love. They don't know what divine love is. They don't know what real love is at all.
00:40:04
And they're calling their lust and their perversion and their wickedness. They're calling it love.
And once you content it that way, then you can do whatever you like because.
I love them.
What you really love is yourself.
And you want to have your desires, your sinful desires, fulfilled, gratified. You call it love, and so it passes. It's acceptable. That's where our society is today. And young people, you're moving in that society, Don't be fooled by the very words they use. They pick up the words of Scripture and they use them, but they don't understand them.
They corrupt them. They falsify them. They don't know what love is.
Love is always seeking the good of its object. Love is serving. Love is blessing.
Love is giving of oneself in order to help the other. It's not self gratification, but that's the way it's used today.
Well.
The hour went by awfully fast.
Let's close by singing number six.
Jesus, How much?
Of my name.
Please please.
Play.
All.
And.
Whoever.
Made.
Us more.
Jason.
Make sure to.
Make a strong.
I'm still.
00:45:03
Here.
When?
And all who has and it's all.
Me.
Psalm 150:1-6, Leviticus 23
Open—R. Thonney, H. Brinkmann
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.
In my purpose I constantly.
Return.
My heart.
A freshman first.
Walking, he bravely returned.
I'll ever hear.
For everybody.
Like coming Lord.
When he may.
My.
Dear, where Lord can last the joy, of course.
Running my.
Favorite.
To have all my way for thee.
Wrong as I say.
I can walk and wave.
The fella and fly.
I never.
Heard from speaking.
Hard that I.
Will get private things.
And brethren is going to leave room for others, but there is something the Lord has laid on my heart in a very specific way. Maybe the best way to preface it is be reading from Psalm 150.
Actually, it is a little word of exhortation for us.
Feel it for my own soul, the need of it, and I want to pass it on to my brethren as well.
Psalms 150. I'm going to read the old Psalms since it was only 6 verses long.
The exhortation is found in the verses of this Psalm. I think you'll realize what it is when we get done with this Psalm.
Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise Him in the firmament of his power. Praise Him for His mighty acts.
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet, Praise him with the sultry in heart.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance, praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud symbols. Praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that at breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
This was written for Israel and they used instrumental music. We don't in the New Testament find that.
The praises of God are connected with any instruments. The instruments in the New Testament are the fruit of the lips. It is our hearts singing from the heart. Those are the instruments mentioned in the New Testament. But the exhortation I want to leave with you, dear brother and sister in the Lord Jesus.
00:05:15
Is what is repeated so often in this Psalm phrase.
Praise. I really find it rather than exercising to travel around a bit and the little light do travel around.
That oftentimes in a breaking of bread meeting.
There seems a reticence to praise him.
Of times many dear brethren sitting there, fully capacitated to get up and praise Him, to give out a hymn of praise, to read some scriptures of phrase and silence, long silence.
It exercises me, brother.
We're going to talk about our testimony, brethren. It's going to be a testimony to our weakness. But if we can be more occupied with the glory of God's eternal Son and get our minds off of ourselves, I can guarantee you that praise will be the automatic flow of your heart.
You know how we should long for that to be the case in each one of our whole meetings, that there be more praise for His precious name. You know, there's an interesting expression I pondered, and I don't know how to understand it that well. In Psalm 22, it says, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Interesting expression, isn't it? He inhabits.
The praises of his people, I don't know what to say about that exactly.
But I can say this perhaps.
That where His presence is, there is His praise, brethren.
And that should exercise our hearts, brethren, we can talk about being in His presence.
What about His praise? You dear young brothers, in your home meetings, do you exercise your priesthood in praising the Lord? I sometimes wonder what it is exactly that hinders the praise that should flow so freely in His presence. I suppose it could be a number of things. I know we live in a.
Society here in the United States that is very self-centered and.
I'm not going to point at you, brethren, but I can point at my own heart and say that I have been affected by the society I live in. It shouldn't be that way, but I have to confess it has been. And oftentimes I find that my thoughts are about myself instead of being on that glorious person of the Lord Jesus. And when our thoughts are on ourselves, there will be no praise bread, and I can guarantee you that.
And so oftentimes when we come together in our meetings, I know as a young brother growing up in the meeting that OFT times when I thought about participating in the breaking of bread meeting and praising the Lord, I immediately started thinking about myself. What will brethren think about me? Maybe I'll make a mistake.
And we do make mistakes, but it should be an encouragement to us that the Lord Jesus.
Is our great high priest for that very purpose because of the weaknesses and infirmities that accompany us here in this world? I'd like to just turn briefly to Hebrews chapter 10.
To meditate briefly on the liberty that.
Belongs to the believer in the Lord Jesus in this connection and entering into the holiest of all to present to God the praises that our Lord Jesus is so worthy to receive.
Hebrews chapter 10 and let's read from verse 10.
He is speaking about the will of God, and he says by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
Once for all.
And every priest standeth daily ministry and offering oftimes the same sacrifices which can.
00:10:01
Never take away sin, but this man after he had offered one sacrifice, 4 sins forever sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified down in verse 17.
And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Verse 19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having an high priest over the House of God.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Just to get the background of the provision that is made for us, dear brother and sister in the Lord Jesus.
To go into God's presence because when we come to Him.
Wherever it may be, in prayer or in praise, we are really in spirit entering the holiest of all.
And Scripture tells us to come with boldness. That's a strong word. I think we need to let it sink down into our soul. Boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Notice verse 10 speaks of that. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
Once for all, God has sanctified you and me. This is positional sanctification.
And then in verse 12, one by one offering.
After he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.
The work of our redemption is complete. The testimony to that fact is that Jesus sits on the throne of God. If there was any question at all about the sufficiency of the work of Jesus on the cross.
He would not occupy that position he now occupies. Oh, to let those.
Truth sink into the soul rather than is so important. Dear young brother in the Lord Jesus, I want to encourage you especially to take up the praises of your God, of our glorious Savior. Soon we're going to see Him face to face, and then our praises are going to flow unhinderedly. Now we don't see Him so directly, and perhaps that's one reason we don't praise Him like we need to.
And so he has offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Now, verse 14.
By that one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Think of it perfect forever. We look at each other.
In our physical frailties and we say perfect. I don't think so, brother.
I can think of a few faults of yours. That's true for thinking about our state. But when we're talking here about our position before God in Christ perfected forever, no question can ever be raised about any of God's redeemed ones.
If there can be a question raised about God's redeemed ones, you have to raise the same question about the person of Jesus on the throne of God. He sat down there, having accomplished the work once forever. And brethren, this is the way it comes home to my soul if I don't understand that he, at such a price, opened the way into the very presence of God.
If I hold back.
Thinking about what I am, it is really putting a question mark on the sufficiency of the work of our Lord Jesus. We should not do that. The Lord encourage us to understand that this is the work that He has done. He has made every provision possible so that we can have boldness to enter into His.
00:15:06
Holy Presence. Never should we forget that it is a holy presence. We should never use it lightly. We should enter there with all reverence at all times. But Scripture uses that word.
Boldness, oh, I love it. And so the exhortation is in verse 19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, as we enter into the holiest of all through that rent, fail we remember the awful cost. What was that veil speaking, Speaking of?
His flesh.
Oh, the awful cost he paid in giving his himself in death for us. We should never forget the ghost. And so we enter right into the very presence of God. Think about, brethren, the tremendous privilege of it. In the Old Testament, of all the millions of Israelites, there was only one tribe chosen to do the service of God, the Levites. Of that one tribe, only one family that could go into the holy place.
The family of Levi, the family of Aaron, I should say the priestly family.
And of that one family, only one person could go into the very holiest of all, and that only once a year.
And that without not without blood.
And now, because of a work that is so complete, the way is open and the exhortation is to come with boldness.
Right into His very presence. Do we enjoy that, brother? There is no privilege that equals this privilege on the face of the earth than to enter in spirit into the very holiest of all to offer our prayers and our praises.
Notice it says in verse 21 and having an high priest over the House of God.
And so you and I perhaps make mistakes in the expression.
Of our praise to God. Sometimes I've heard brethren, and sometimes perhaps I've made the same mistake, Start out, blessed God our Father, and sometimes we say, thank Thee for dying for us on the cross. Instead of designating the Lord Jesus, we offer that to God the Father. It's a mistake, and sometimes in our nervousness we make mistakes like that. Does that mean that we should shut down and not praise Him at all?
Brethren, because of that He is our great High Priest, and as the little hymn says, to all our prayers and praises.
Christ adds his sweet perfume and love. The sensor raises those odors to consume.
He is there for that purpose because we do make mistakes. We do.
We're compassed about with weaknesses.
And then it says in verse 22, Let us draw near with a true heart.
Brethren, there is no place, given what He has done for us, there is no place for holding back now. Oh, may the Lord grant that we would have more exercise in praising Him. I must say it's an exercise, brethren, in South America.
Of times the brethren perhaps go a little to the other extreme, and they stumble over each other.
In giving out hymns and they need instruction about the leading of the Spirit of God.
Even we stumble over each other sometimes, brethren. Perhaps we needed to, but.
I really feel that there's a need of being exercised about praising the Lord more. Perhaps we don't praise Him during the week. You know, it says in Hebrews chapter 13, Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. It should be a continual flow of praise in the Old Testament.
There was an offering that was the continual burnt offering. It was an offering that was to burn.
All the time on the altar that was never to go out. One place that says it was to be burning all night until the morning.
So there was a lamb in the morning and a lamb at night. The sweet savour of that burnt offering was to always be going up to God. And I think we can say, dear brethren, as much as I may not enter into it, the sweet savour of what Christ is to God, and what He's done in that sacrifice of Calvary continually goes up to God.
00:20:24
But if I am in fellowship with the Lord, with God about it, there is going to be praise that comes from my heart as well.
Oh, I think it's so important to praise it. Bread the Lord give us to be.
Exercised about it in our home lives. I know we live busy lives, high pressured lives, but this takes some time to stop. Sing his praise. Praise Him brethren, that's going to be our occupation for all eternity. It's something that belongs to us all, not to just certain ones.
Who may have a gift? Praise is not a matter of gift, brethren.
Praise is a matter of priestly activity. It is giving to God what is His part, and that should be first on our thoughts. Oh, may the Lord help us. My desire to encourage you, dear brother, younger brother, to be more active in the Lord's praises in your home assembly, in your very own home in the Old Testament. I think it's at least three times that I think of.
It says none shall appear before me Empty. How can we sit down in the presence of such a glorious God and Savior and be empty and have nothing to praise Him? With the hymn book we have What a precious little volume. I know of no volume that is so full of hymns that concentrate on the glorious person of the Lord Jesus and His work. Like that volume.
Hymn 150 What a beautiful hymn speaks almost entirely.
Of the Person of Christ.
Him 27 Another one that speaks so much of his person as well as his work.
But oh, how can we sit, dear young brother and sister in his presence and not praising? The sisters don't take the lead in praising in the assembly meetings, but they sing along. When we sing the praises. They say Amen when a brother gets up to praise the Lord. And in that it is assembly praise because all are represented in what is presented to God.
That's all I had to say. I just want to leave with you that little word of exhortation, brethren, that we have so many times repeated in Psalm 150. Crazy.
So the pop is not the only one that has felt the need for bringing.
This line of truth before us, because it is evident that we are neglecting in many assemblies, are priestly privileges.
And.
We better be careful, beloved Saints of God.
Not to neglect our privileges, otherwise we might lose them.
And I'm convinced that the best way for any person to start participating in the assembly meetings is to use their priestly privilege of prayer and worship. I believe that's the normal development for a young believer to open his mouth in the assembly.
The.
And it doesn't matter how well praised the statements are that we make in prayer or in praise. What does matter is that what you bring before the Lord is what you're really in the enjoyment of.
That you have really entered into these things by faith. The danger is sometimes that we hear somebody expressing himself and we repeat it. You know what somebody else has said.
00:25:06
Well, thought about already said.
To praise, to worship, and to use the privilege of prayer. It's not the exercise of gift. It's a priestly function. But.
What about the sisters now?
They cannot audibly participate in prayer.
But what about their state of soul?
What is the occupation of the hearts and minds of not only the brothers but the sisters during the week?
Let's turn to.
A verse in Leviticus 23.
We know that in Leviticus 23 we have the feast of Jehovah, the seven feasts.
And we have the feast.
Of unleavened bread.
We have the Passover which is closely connected with the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We find in the New Testament the statement the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, drew near.
And what?
Does this feast speak of the Passover? Speaks, as we find in the New Testament, of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ? Our Passover has been slain.
1St Corinthians 5.
So it means that we enter.
By faith.
Into the truth of the death of Christ. For me, that's where we begin.
But then for seven days, there was the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
That speaks of a complete period of time.
Our life should now be characterized as those who walk apart from evil and sin. That's what leaven speaks of. And they were not only not to eat leaven.
They were not to have leaven in their houses for seven days.
Is that perhaps?
Why there is?
Lack of praise in the assembly. Have we neglected to walk a separated path? Have we allowed things to come into our lives and into our homes?
That spoil our appetite for divine things or render us unfit.
To give him praise.
These are some things that should exercise us and might give us to see why we come empty handed.
We are not occupied with the Lord Jesus during the week. That is a very interesting statement in connection with the peace.
Of unleavened bread. Verse eight of Leviticus 23 And ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days.
Every day of those seven days, they were to bring a sacrifice.
Someone has suggested.
From Lord's Day to Lord's Day, seven days, there should be something each day that we offer up to the Lord Jesus. Worship is not limited to the breaking of bread.
You know, we are in the position of worshippers and we can use that privilege every day.
Sing a song of praise.
And thank the Lord Jesus for what He has done. Be occupied with him.
Seven days. Each day they were to bring a sacrifice.
And I'm sure that many times the.
Lack of the Spirit being able to move among us is not just the brothers.
00:30:04
It's the state of soul of the sisters.
If my soul is not in the enjoyment of Christ and hasn't been in the enjoyment of Christ during the week, it affects the spirit in the assembly.
I'm either a help or a hindrance by the way I have lived during the week.
And the sisters, if they have been in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus, and they come with a full heart.
Their state of soul contributes to how the spirit can lead.
In the assembly and young people.
You know this is not just an admonition for your parents, for those who are married and have families. If you belong to the Lord Jesus, it speaks to you just as well.
You know. Now turn to Deuteronomy 26.
You know, it's wonderful that Old Testament is a tremendous blessing, isn't it? Because many things are illustrated there and that we can learn from.
Deuteronomy 26 verse One shall be when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it, and dwell. Estarian, that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land, that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose.
To place his name there, and thou shalt go unto the priest.
There shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord swear unto our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God. A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became their nation, great, mighty, and populous, and so on. Well, here we have.
One who has now come into his possession, into his portion.
Speaks to us of having.
00:35:33
I love my heart.
OK.
No longer care.
Oh.
Oh, right of my heart stand OK.
I hear that crying.
Yes, call me there and.
Raise your mind please, we can not fall in love.
You're playing to face.
I am looking for a rush to get there.
Way out of things like, all right, I'm afraid.
Something to him.
But even then, He is there to help us and to assist us.
And it makes he makes it acceptable. Hebrews 13 verse 15 by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. You see, the Jew brought sacrifices, animals or first fruits that which he gathered from the field. We don't have such.
Sacrifices. It's the fruit of our lips giving praise.
To God and the Lord Jesus is there to assist us, to help us by him. Therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Now I'm sure many of us many times have experienced, although we come together to bring something to the Lord Jesus or to worship the Father.
In spirit and in truth. Yet when we leave that meeting, we have been refreshed, we have been blessed because we have been in His presence and we have been able to respond to the request of the Lord Jesus. Let me ask you this, is there anybody here in the audience?
That knows the Lord Jesus as Savior.
Who never had any exercise to respond to his request.
Do this in remembrance of me.
There isn't much that he has asked us to do, has he?
Maybe you will be exercised.
That you will come.
00:40:01
To him and respond with grateful hearts to his request to remember him and then to think, just to think.
What the Lord Jesus says in John chapter 4.
That the Father seeks such to worship Him and worship in spirit and in truth. There is a desire in the heart of God that can only be satisfied by you or me or the redeemed, any of the redeemed bringing worship to Him.
You know, but about Speaking of praise.
And that is a form of worship.
And years ago somebody explained to me and gave an explanation as to the difference of prayer, praise and worship, and I'd like to pass it on to you because I enjoyed that very much and still enjoy it, he said in prayer, which is a priestly privilege.
The soul is occupied with its needs.
Fears his dependence and comes before God in praise.
The soul is occupied with its blessings.
It is a form of worship, but the highest form of worship is to.
Be occupied with the Blesser.
And to be in the enjoyment of his person.
And to bring that to God, this is.
Fellowship with the Father.
Rejoicing.
In his son, it's like what the prodigal son did when he was sitting down with the father.
You know, they were feasting and that rose Lamb, the Father at the prodigal son together. Isn't it wonderful, just like we had in the readings, the breadth of God. You know, the Lord Jesus has been the joy and rejoicing of the heart of God the Father from all eternity. And he as much as he said, I'm going to share him with you. I'm going to make it possible that you by the Spirit can enjoy that same person.
And there is nothing higher, beloved, than to be occupied with him. Thou art my portion.
You know, many times when we're together to remember the Lord Jesus in his death, we're always occupied with what we have received through the death of the Lord Jesus. We are occupied with the sin offering aspects of his death.
And we very often do not think.
Or very seldom we think of what God received through it.
We ought to be thinking of that more often. That's the burnt offering aspect of the death of the Lord Jesus. There was all four.
Jehovah.
And beloved, this has been called the Acceptance.
Offering.
You and I are accepted before God because of what the Lord Jesus has done for God and what he means to God. That is the basis for our acceptance, it has been said.
When the Israelites brought a burnt offering, he put his hand on the head of the sacrifice.
And the Excellency of the sacrifice was transferred over to him.
That's the burnt offering aspect, beloved Saints of sacrifice, and his sinfulness was transferred over to that back of vice.
We think of that most often, and we usually begin as young believers to see that side of the death of Christ, that he bore my sins in his body on the tree. But oh, how wonderful to see what that sacrifice means to God, and that I'm accepted on that basis with the peace offering. Again, the Israeli put his hand on that sacrifice, but there I believe it.
Simply expresses identification with the sacrifice. It is the fellowship offering, and how wonderful.
That we as Christians.
Can OfferUp spiritual sacrifices the fruit of our lips or the calves of our lips giving praise to God? But isn't it interesting too that?
00:45:05
Associated with that which we bring to God through the Lord Jesus or by Him, is also to do good and to communicate. Forget not for which that sacrifices God is well pleased.
Young people sometimes might ask the question, why do we have a collection in connection with the breaking of bread?
Well, here you have it. These two things go together, you know.
And don't you think if you're in the enjoyment of what you have in the Lord Jesus?
That makes you ready and willing to share things that He has entrusted to you of a material nature so that needs amongst the Saints might be met.
You know, God loves a joyful giver, you know, and one who is in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and is in the position and privileges, uses the privilege of a worshipper. He has a joyful heart, you know, and God is well pleased with such sacrifices. You know, even in this part of the world there are needs amongst the Saints of God. It's not just in Africa.
Or in South America or India. There are needs here and we ought to sympathize with those who have needs.
Someone has said.
It isn't so important how much you give.
The question is, how much do you keep for yourself?
You know, that really shows where our hearts are. But the Lord has entrusted to us beloved Saints of God.
Really doesn't belong to us.
The material things I'm speaking about, if one isn't faithful in that which is another's, that's the material things. How shall the true riches be entrusted to him?
So maybe.
Sometimes we are in a state of spiritual poverty because we have not been good stewards.
When it comes to that which God has entrusted to us, how can the two riches be entrusted to us?
Well.
I trust we are encouraged to.
Look into our lives and see what might be a hindrance for my enjoyment of Christ during the week so that we remove those things. Remove the leaven.
Not only not eating it, we move it out of our houses.
Then you can be in the enjoyment of these things and you have something to bring to the Lord Jesus.
He doesn't want vain repetition.
You know, I remember whether Urban will forgive me for mentioning what he once said. There was a brother that served the Lord amongst us years ago. I never knew the man, but some of his relatives are still in our midst.
And what he enjoyed was.
He always had something fresh to bring, you know, It wasn't always the same thing.
When I came from Europe.
I was in a meeting where there was an older brother and he had the habit of praying at the end of the Breaking of Bread meeting and after you had heard him pray twice or three times, you could have said that prayer for him was always the same thing.
That's not worship in the Spirit.
You know the Lord Jesus wants us to grow.
In the enjoyment and to get a fuller understanding and enjoyment and have fresh things to present.
He is so worthy of our praise and worship and let me just yet explain before I get down in John chapter 4.
We have the statement in spirit and in truth, worship in spirit.
And in truth, of course, we have spiritual sacrifices and it's spiritual worship. But I think the most important point is to realize that is by the Spirit that we worship. He is the power of worship. God is the spirit, and we worship Him in spirit. But according to the nature of God, it's spiritual worship. And truth is according to the revelation that God has given.
00:50:14
Of himself in the person of the Lord Jesus. He does not want to be addressed by us as a Jew addressed him.
We were in Malawi and we noticed we didn't understand.
Their prayers, but there was a brother that several times while he was praying used the word, the name Jehovah that we understood.
Well, we were able to sit down with that brother and explain to him that, you know, we don't really know him as Jehovah.
That is the relationship that Israel was brought into, and God revealed himself in Exodus 6 verse three to Moses as Jehovah.
And he says to Moses, at that time he wasn't known in that way to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was known as God Almighty.
But he revealed himself now to Moses as Jehovah. Did he become Jehovah when he revealed himself as Jehovah? Of course not. He has been Jehovah all along, just like the sun. When he comes and reveals himself as a man, he on earth and gives God's revelation in the person of the sun. He doesn't become the sun. He was the sun all along. But this is the revelation that we have in Christianity. We have.
God revealed in the person of His Son and the Father is known and we address him as Father. No Old Testament St. could ever do that.
Growing by their true knowledge of God. Paul uses that term in Colossians chapter one.
Well, how wonderful to be a Christian.
And to live at this time in the church's history, not only since the work of Calvary's cross is accomplished and we can have this relationship to God as our Father, but to live at a time when that truth has been recovered.
The reformers had no idea of worshipping within the holiest of all, that they had a heavenly sanctuary that wasn't known until the Lord.
Raised up men of God about 170 years ago.
And the room where we meet is not the sanctuary.
His presence is the sanctuary we enter into the sanctuary of His presence.
And how wonderful he is the minister of that sanctuary, and is there to assist us. But beloved Saints of God.
Let's be exercised to be more occupied with the Lord Jesus, the things that we have in Him during the week, so that we don't come empty handed, that we have something to offer to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus. What a privilege those who have left the gathered Saints and ended up in the systems of men. Several have stated this, what they miss more than anything else.
Is the breaking of bread.
Yes, what a privilege to come together as holy priests and avail ourselves of the privilege to worship in spirit and in truth, But it requires a state of soul.
Going on with the Lord and not just before we go to the breaking of grad meeting to be in the enjoyment of these things throughout the week, seven days of the week to bring a sacrifice every day you know and.
The sisters can do that while they do the housework.
To kid sing a song, right? You know, you might not be able to be a very good singer, but you can still make a joyful noise. But to the Lord, you know, while you do the diapers or the wash, you can sink. And we don't have to necessarily be occupied for hours with these things, but have moments where we can raise our voice, where we can thank the Lord Jesus.
For what he has done for us and what he has brought us into.
Whose Side Are You On?
Gospel—D.E. Rule
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.
The claws in the middle of verse 26, Exodus chapter 32 and verse 26.
Who is on the Lord's side?
We can bow our heads now and pray together, but there's one question you need to answer. Not to me, not to the person next to you, but it's a question you need to answer.
To God himself.
Whose side are you on?
You can fool the person sitting next to you. I know very few people in this room very well, so it would be very easy to fool me even if I knew you well.
Never fool God, you'll never fool the Lord Jesus Christ. And so just if we could read the question one more time, who is on the Lord's side? We pray the book of Exodus since we're there. There's a verse that I'd like to read.
In Exodus chapter 13. Excuse me, Exodus chapter 14.
And verse 13.
Exodus chapter 14 and verse 13.
And Moses said unto the people.
Bear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord?
Which he will show you, show to you this day for the Egyptians whom you have seen today.
You shall see them again.
No more forever.
I'd like to read that last clause again. You shall see them again.
No more forever.
Before we sing a song from this hymn sheet, I want to ask you a question. And the question is this.
I'd like you to look to your right and to look to your left for the people who are seated on either side of you.
And think for a minute what it would be like if you were given one minute.
To say goodbye to the person who's next to you. Not for the evening, not perhaps until there was another conference, but say goodbye to them forever.
We read this account many times and we think about.
The relief it was for the children of Israel, an account that's known to most, perhaps not all here. What a relief it was for them to Passover in the middle.
The sea and dry land and make it to the other side.
But Moses had told them something that was very serious.
He said those people that you see now, you will never ever for all eternity see them again.
I assume you're sitting next to the person you're sitting next to because they're a family member.
A friend, someone you know, not for the first time, but someone you've enjoyed spending time with. And I have a question.
And I'd like to ask it again.
Are you ready to say? What does it say? See them again?
No more forever.
Are you willing and ready to say to that person?
Goodbye.
And add those two words forever.
Goodbye forever.
Should we sing before we go on any farther?
#21 someone could start it, please. Christ alone can say break the power of sin.
Christ the fully satisfied, the heart to please to him #21.
If someone could start.
A sidebar Christ today.
And.
God, Salvation.
Day.
He'll come in my heart and well.
00:05:02
Get him to die for the.
Crystal can they?
Break the power of sin.
Price and fallings and then fight.
That please do him.
Jesus.
I love, how can I say?
How?
Glad I'm guilty. That's fine.
No longer judgement, Grace.
Right.
The Lord can say.
Break the Pharaoh sin.
Cry the holy satisfying.
The hearts and please hear him.
Yeah, I fart right here.
Roughly.
Cry. Some of them can save.
Break the power of sin.
Pride, God, holy, satisfying.
To him.
In contrast with the verse we read.
I'd like to read and you can.
Turn to it if you'd like. That's known to memory by many, but in First Thessalonians chapter 4.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel.
And with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.
To meet the Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be.
With the Lord.
One group of people here.
The majority of those who are here tonight I'm sure are included.
With those who will go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ when he calls.
We will meet him in the cloud, this Dome, which is an interesting structure to look up at.
Will be absolutely no barrier.
A person could be down in the deepest cave.
And the earth is a minor, absolutely no barrier at all.
To meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air and to be forever with Him.
The reason? There's a gospel meeting on this schedule tonight. And plan for tomorrow night and plan for Lord's Day evening.
Is not because there's three different messages, different verses, yes, but three different messages that are going to be presented. You might say, well, why not just say it once and that's enough. That can't be.
Because there's a concern by those who live here who sat down together and made-up this schedule.
That no one here has to say goodbye forever.
Those are horrible words to half daughter. It's sad sometimes to be on a journey, to be traveling, to be with loved ones that you may not see very often, to be with friends that you may not have seen for years, and to say goodbye, but those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
00:10:05
We have other words. We can use the simple word until.
Why can we use the simple word until? Because we know with certainty that we're going to be together again.
But again, I come back to you, not the person next to you, not someone else. And I have to ask you the question, where would you be if the Lord Jesus Christ were to come in the middle of this meeting?
When the Christians are gone.
The God of this world, Satan, has prepared a pack of lies.
And those are going to be disseminated through every means of communication this world has, I'm sure.
But there are going to be people somewhere on earth who are going to be sitting in a meeting like this and all of a sudden wonder if they perhaps have fallen asleep to meeting has ended, the seats have been vacated.
Perhaps if that happens, in that coming day, someone will walk out the door, look around in the parking lot and find out that if the people have just escaped, they just have gone. Why are all the cars there?
Why is no one outside visiting? Why is the place just empty of the people?
Why are the Bible still sitting on the chairs? And then it will be too late.
Absolutely too late to say goodbye forever.
Three or four weeks ago, Friday morning, three or four weeks ago today, I think it was four weeks, at 7:30 in the morning, the phone rang. I picked up the phone. The person on the other end who had called us was friend of Sarita, someone who in the job I worked at part time works there. And she said, well, I won't be in today at least until my brother is found. So well, what's happened?
Said Joseph didn't come home last night.
Joseph Sarita was that 19 years old. He had just finished that week, his first year of college.
And someone I knew pretty well that had him as a student four different years in 7th and 8th and 11TH and 12TH grade science and, and so he was by there frequently.
What happened over the phone said well, when my parents got up this morning early because they hadn't heard the door.
They were. They walked in and looked around and.
And Joseph wasn't there. His bedroom door was still open. This was perhaps 4:00 in the morning.
Picked up the phone, dialed the phone number of Santiago Tina, Hero, young man who lived 2025 blocks away that he had been with that evening.
Santiago said. You know, Joseph was here until 1:00 in the morning, but and he left, he was on his way home.
Not here now.
Went through the list of phone numbers, dialing 1 by 1.
One friend, another friend, another friend. No one had any information about Joseph. They thought perhaps he'd stop somewhere to eat or to visit a friend and that's something to eat or whatever, and gone to bed there.
Brenda woke up not long after that, walked down the hall, looked in his room. The door was still open, not shut like it would be when he would normally go home.
And shut it. The bed was pulled up, the sheets made. No one had been in it that night.
You can imagine the heart of a parent, desperate, desperate, wondering what had happened.
If you're a young person here who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Have you taken a moment to say goodbye forever to your father and to your mother?
Because if they know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, and something happens and you don't come home some night.
The next time they see you.
Is as a cadaver in the morgue dead?
You know people don't plan on not making.
00:15:00
Coming short of coming home one night, Dan Brimla, if I were asked to remember very well, driving South of the city where we live in one time coming back from visiting some believers.
And coming up on an accident scene.
And seeing just a medium sized truck with a cab over the engine.
And a dump truck in front of it.
And a man. The only thing recognizable as a human being was the head, because either the man had gone to sleep.
Because brakes have failed or something of that kind.
And So what stopped him was the dump truck, and his head was just up enough to clear the top of the back of the dump truck. His body was reduced to something that's a little thicker than this wood and that was it, but a full formed head there.
And man, I'm sure intended to be home that night.
But he never made.
Joseph, I'm sure, started out that night with the intention of getting home.
But during that night, he didn't make it.
During that night, he didn't make it.
I'd like to read a verse in Genesis.
Genesis Chapter 9.
Verse 13.
And since I do set my bow in the cloud.
This is God's statement after the 40 days and 40 nights of rain.
Who made a promise when the Ark settled again on dry land?
He made a promise. He said I just set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth that shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.
And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
About this time 48 hours ago.
Standing with my family along Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park.
A day of intermittent rain and sunshine. We were walking along the shore of the lake.
At about 7:30 in the evening.
And looked over the shore of the lake. An unusual sight, but one complete rainbow.
In parallel to it, another complete rainbow over the lake.
And those of us who have read these verses.
Know that there's a promise from God in that.
He's not going to destroy this earth again with water.
But I had last been in Yellowstone National Park maybe 25 years ago. And when you look beyond these two beautiful rainbows, complete rainbows over the lakes, you could see in the background most of the panorama that you could see in the background on the other side of the lake.
Was dead, burned trees.
From a fire that occurred 10 years ago.
God promised that day that He would never again destroy the earth by water.
But he has not made the promise, because it is not a promise that he would keep, because what he has promised is that he will destroy the earth on which you and I are standing by fire.
Judgment is coming, and it doesn't matter whether it's a person who knows.
A lot, as most in this room do, about what the word of God says.
There a person who knows very little like Joseph Sarita about what the word of God says.
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, if you've never said to Him from your heart that you're a Sinner, If you've never repented of your sins, If you've never believed in Him as the only Savior who can save you.
00:20:16
Your destiny is the same.
Does this ground seem pretty solid?
How many of you have ever been where there was a strong earth tremor or an earthquake?
This planet Earth at that time seemed very solid.
No it doesn't.
But you know, there is coming a day in this world when people with all their fear of the natural disasters that can occur, are going to look at the rocks that are going to be around them, and they're going to wish that those rocks would fall on them. If we could imagine that, this Dome.
Was the top of a cave and we were inside The Cave.
And on earth, tremor started and you knew the alternative would be?
To be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ because you've rejected him as Savior. Your wish would be, and you can't understand it now, but the word of God says your wish would be that if this were a domed cave that would fall on you. But even with that, you'll never be able to escape, never be able to escape God's judgment.
And we turn over to another verse in Exodus.
Exodus Chapter 5.
A couple of words that we had in common. No more forever.
That word no more.
Promised in Genesis to no more destroy the earth by.
Water.
It says in verse six of Exodus chapter 5 in Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people.
And their officers saying you shall know more.
A verse that couple of words that we'll see perhaps in some of the verses we'll continue to look at if we're left here.
You shall no more give the people straw to make brick as heretofore let them go.
And gather straw.
For themselves in the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore, you shall lay upon them, and you shall not diminish aught thereof, For they be idle. Therefore they cry, saying, Let us go.
And sacrifice to our God.
Let there be more work laid upon the men.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing a day's living during a day's wage.
Most of us do.
Most of the days of the week.
But here was a group of people.
Who this current pharaoh and the current group of Egyptians had completely forgotten it seems like.
About a man named Joseph.
Who had come along and saved the lives of the vast majority of Egyptians?
By telling them to save grain for seven years so that for seven years they would have something to eat when there was no food production.
Had forgotten about that and now these people were slaves basically.
In this same word shows up again. Shall no more give the people straw to make bread.
Agent.
Many others have sat in meetings like this many times, and we've heard what the Word of God teaches.
That when we read about that country, it makes us think about this world.
Does this world seem like a pretty wonderful place?
Compare it with what we're doing right now.
If you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you have to sit through.
Three days of meetings like this.
I have a question for you. I'm not talking about younger children whose attention span and time for sitting is limited.
But if you have to sit through several days of this and if your thought at the end and during each time where the word of God is opened is this is boring.
00:25:10
I can't wait until the clock comes, in this case to 8:00, till the minute hand takes 180°. Turn from where it is now until this is over. I can get going again and again. I'm not talking about children, right? They're more difficult time to sit.
If you think that this world has something to offer, you're right. You're absolutely right. If I were to say to you that this world doesn't offer pleasure, I'm absolutely telling a lie that goes contrary to what the word of God says. The Word of God says that this world offers pleasure.
This world offers pleasure.
It's only got a problem to it.
That pleasure doesn't last.
That pleasure in any activity you undertake in this world will diminish every time you repeat the activity.
That's why people get deeper and deeper into mire and drugs and that's why other people say, well, I'm going to find my pleasure and my work. And so 40 hours doesn't do it, or 45 or 50. And so they become so they can never leave it. That becomes their life. This world offers pleasure.
But it never offers real satisfaction. This world offers pleasure, but it says it's for a season. It doesn't last.
It doesn't last.
Let's go back to what happened with Joseph.
He.
Was being looked for by his family when I got the call.
I asked a few things. I said, well, have you gone to the hospital? Yeah, I've gone to all the hospitals in the North End of the city. We're going to go to the police.
Have you called the police outside the city? No, and so I said, well, give us a call if you have any more news. I got in the car and drove out to the school that I used to teach at.
Went in and found a teacher, Shirley Monthia. His husband is a Colonel in the national police and said this is what's happened. She had had Joseph as a student, too.
She said well with what's been happening lately, the most common thing that happens is they take the person, they either beat them or kill them. They head north out of the city around the Cape rather the Canyon of Wojobamba. They stopped during the night and that are one further north. They pushed the body off into the Canyon alive or dead and keep going to score 4 1/2 hours to the Colombian border.
There's an alternate route around customs, a back Rd. that people go through. The car is gone and maybe or maybe not the body will be found.
While the Canyon is not like a little.
Travis between two houses. It's a very deep Canyon.
There's a river flowing through there that if the body ended up in the river, could be carried downstream and.
Head to another river and eventually end up in the Pacific Ocean.
Parents were desperate, absolutely desperate.
The mother was staying beside the phone, listening for a phone call.
Perhaps you're here without your parents.
If you've never gone to them and told them that you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
We've never confessed. Jesus as Lord says 48 hours may be too long.
Because on this schedule, if I was to look at it again, I would guess that somewhere on the schedule.
There might be something that would indicate that these meetings might not happen. Sometimes there's two words, Lord Wellington.
If God says to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, now you can call your bride.
He's not waiting 48 hours.
He's waited until now, but where are you headed?
Well.
We got back, went back to home.
And before I went back, I made a call to someone I worked with and said to his brother, the Lord had said, would you make a call to the border and describe the car, describe Joseph and say that if they see anyone like that heading toward the border, stop it.
00:30:05
So he called up to the border, but now by this time, 7 hours have passed and it's only 4 1/2 hours away to escape.
Perhaps too late was what we were thinking.
But half an hour from then.
Another phone call came.
Call the completely changed things and the message was this.
His body had been found.
But there was one question and how is he unconscious but alive?
What happened that night, 1:00 in the morning, he was on his way home.
He stopped partway on his way home at a store.
A small store that was open all night basically to sell liquor, but had snacks. And there was a package of something that some of you may have had or heard of. It's called Combos. It's just a thing. It's like a dough wrapped around like a pizza center. And it was something that in the school that he had gone to and I had taught, that was a common snack served in the school cafeterias or the things. And so he had acquired a taste for those. And so he had stopped and bought a package of Combos.
When he walked out, there were four men waiting there and they said to him, have a sip, have a sip. They pulled out a bottle and offered him some, and he said, no, I'm driving, I'm on my way home, thank you very much, but I don't want any. But they were insistent and they were four and he was one. So he took the sip. And that's the last thing he remembers.
In the morning, evidently what happened, someone walked out on their way to work. They see this 6 foot tall young man, almost 6 foot tall, lying on the ground. They beat up, knees bloody, scabbed over, perhaps by that time unconscious, justice T-shirt and underwear on. I didn't know whether he was alive or dead. They went to the phone and called 101, the number to call the police.
The police came and took him.
To the nearest hospital and they basically said, well, I'm not sure what we can do. So an aunt had walked in, said if you had anyone come in during the night that you don't know where they've come from.
Walked in and there she saw her nephew lying on a bed unconscious.
With a sheet pulled up, thankfully not over his head but up to his neck.
After some discussion in which they didn't want to learn the sheep, they took him from that hospital in the back of their car to another hospital where his father's head of the anesthesiology department and he was lying there for two hours unconscious.
It was good that he was alive but unconscious when I went over to the hospital and out in the hallway came out his mother and his sister, very thankful to have him alive, but wondering where he was going to be, what was going to happen.
But he was ever going to regain consciousness or whatever.
Your life might be preserved, but you might be in a position of not being able.
To decide for the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Here he is lying there and gone in to go over and he started to.
Come to.
He, under pressure, had accepted a drink of that.
And it turned out when they tested his blood, there was a drug in that that made him go to sleep.
But thankfully he's alive physically he's fine now. I'm not sure where he's headed.
Physically, he's fine.
This world wants to give you something day after day after day.
To drug you into thinking that you have tomorrow.
His life was spared. He wasn't ready.
For eternity your life has been spared up until this day. This evening, the question is, Are you ready?
Are you ready for eternity? Are you ready for the Lord Jesus to come? Or would you be left sitting here?
With no opportunity to say goodbye forever to the person sitting next to you.
As we turn over in the book of Mark in the New Testament.
00:35:05
The book of Mark, Chapter 9.
Verse seven and there was a cloud that overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud saying this.
Is my beloved son hear him? And suddenly, when they had looked about roundabouts, they saw no man anymore.
Jesus only.
With themselves.
We can't do it physically now.
But I wish there was a way this evening.
That you could block out all of the other faces that are around you. You could block out of your mind your plans for this evening. You could block out of your mind any other distraction.
And spend a few minutes.
With the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see these same 2 words again, no more.
No more did they see the people that are around the only one that they could see.
Was the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have a question tonight for you.
Have you ever?
In your heart gotten along with him.
Have you ever had the talk that you need to have to respond to what he's saying to you and he said to you many times through his word?
Have you ever simply gone to the Lord Jesus Christ?
It's not something about, it's not going to be anyone call up here to come up front or anything like that, You know that.
Not dealing with any person that's in this room, the one with whom you have to do, the one who loves you so much he came and died for you, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
They saw no man anymore, save Jesus home.
It isn't the question as to whether you know a lot about him.
It isn't a question as to whether you could easily tell someone else the gospel.
I'm sure there are very few people in this room who couldn't.
That isn't the question. It isn't the question as to whether you've ever been baptized.
It isn't the question as to whether many times on a table like that in the center of the room.
Someone has given thanks for a loaf and for a cup, and when it's come around you've taken a piece of the bread, you've had a sip.
Of what was in the cup.
Because you've expressed that you wanted to break bread and they were happy to say yes.
I know people who are in their 50s, in their 40s.
In their 30s that I sat with on numerous occasions.
To remember the Lord Jesus Christ and his death with them.
And if you were to ask me today if they were saved?
I would have to say there's no evidence, there's absolutely no evidence from their life that gives me any peace that no matter how many times they sat around a table like that, that they're going to spend eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those are wonderful things, but they're outward things. I can't see inside your heart. I can't begin to name the people in this room or to keep in my mind all the different people that are in this room. But God is looking down from above and He can see right through into your heart and He sees if in your heart there is a response.
When the name of his only beloved son is pronounced.
Or whether it's just another name that rolls off the lips, like John or Mary or Bill or whatever might roll off the lips.
When you hear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, what does your heart say?
That's my savior. I'm looking forward to seeing him.
Or is there no response?
Is your heart as cold as ice, as hard as a stone?
When you hear that name.
How do you respond saying I can't wait to be with him?
00:40:00
We're in a world, some of us were talking last night or this morning. We're in a world where people want to go backwards in time. If they could be a day younger, that would be good. If they could be a year younger, that would be better. If they could be 20 years younger, that would be great.
If I could be 20 years older right now.
Or 30 years older. If I could be 30 years older, I'd be past the line of 70, which the Word of God says is a complete age.
And I'd be that much closer to being the Lord Jesus Christ.
I don't want to go back in time. Do you want to go back in time or is every day one day closer?
To seeing the faith of the one who loves you so much that he gave everything.
That could be given.
So that you could spend eternity with him.
A week ago this evening.
Some of us here were enjoying big witnesses of two people being brought together in matrimony.
Happy occasion, wonderful occasion to be able to look at the face of the.
Broom and the face of the bride.
And some of, you know, the groom, John Whitaker, and if you could have seen his face a few times, a smile that's particular, I can say to him that forms the heart. There wasn't any doubt that he loved the woman, the sister that he was standing across from. There wasn't any doubt about it. It was a day that those of us who had been close to him.
For meals and different things over the last few months could see that there was a countdown and I was saying I wish the days would be a little longer because there's stuff I can't seem to get done. And he would have been very happy to have 24 hour days reduced to three hours to get to June 19th. How about you?
When you hear the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming, does it make you want to have it happen today?
Or is it something you're saying, they've been saying that for years and years and years and they don't believe it anymore? Or is it something you're thinking, well, maybe, maybe I'll take care of that whole thing tomorrow or the next day? No, you don't have any guarantees like that.
The Lord Jesus.
When he was talking about it, he said about two people being united on their service. He said the two or the twain.
There won't be any more two, no more 2, but it will be 1 flesh.
It's a physical.
Being united in part spirit, soul and body. The relationship should be, but many of us here tonight are looking forward to being united together.
Not for time, but for all eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ.
How about you?
It would be very unusual to run into a bride and a groom.
That we're not looking forward to being together.
Very confusing situation.
Some 20 years ago.
21 or 22 years ago.
I was in an engagement, got a phone call.
And the phone call said three weeks from the wedding, invitations were out.
I don't want to be married.
Well, very painful at the time. What a wonderful savior. Had someone infinitely better.
To thank him for.
But is that a phone call?
That you'd like to get No.
Is that a message that you've given to the Lord Jesus Christ?
I don't want to be together with you.
As the groom for all eternity, if you say no to him, that's what you're saying. You're saying you don't want to be with him for all eternity.
We go over to Luke chapter 15 to another No more. That's very well known.
Luke chapter 15 and verse 18.
I will arise and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven.
And before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants.
Those two words again, no more. In this case, he was admitting that he wasn't worthy. If you and I could have followed him along the road that day, we probably wouldn't have wanted to follow him very closely because he was probably down to one set of clothes. The set of clothes that he probably had on would have the odor of a pig pen, which is not considered to be one of the more appetizing smells that someone might come across, and that odor probably permeated his clothes. He was tattered.
00:45:27
He probably didn't have people sitting up next to him saying, well, what can you do for me? Because when they saw him, they realized it was someone who could do nothing for them.
And if we could have heard him, perhaps he was saying these things out loud. Sometimes when someone, some of us are alone, we might be talking out loud.
And he was rehearsing what he was going to say to his father, and no more worthy.
But what happened?
Verse 21.
Let's read verse 20 and leave it out. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion.
And ran.
And said, go home, get a shower. I want to meet you in the study. I've got a few things we need to talk about before I can consider whether I'll even have you as a servant. It doesn't say that at all. That's not how God wants. That's what we deserve. We don't deserve even that. You and I deserve to spend an eternity in the Lake of fire. But what does he say? He fell on his neck and kissed him. It didn't matter that his son smelled like a pig pen. It didn't matter that he had sent him away with his inheritance and he had come back with nothing. His son was back.
No one here is dressed in that way. No one here is absolutely destitute physically.
But if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are absolutely without a single thing you can offer to God.
That's the way we have to come. Not saying oh, I'm going to do this or I'm this or I'm that because we are absolutely nothing.
We're living in a world where there are crazy things being said. They cloned a sheep, now they're working on cloning a human being. And the man who's behind it said when we do it, when we do it, we're going to be that much closer to being.
Like God ourselves.
A man who.
Sunday we'll be sitting.
In some so-called church somewhere religious man. But he said we're going up and we're becoming closer and closer to God and if we can clone a human being then the distance that separates us is very short.
What a fool, what a fool. That man cannot even take his next breath.
If it's not given to him by God, he's totally dependent, as you and I are, upon God.
Absolutely, totally dependent.
He's never learned that he wasn't worthy. I have a question for you tonight.
Have you learned that you're not worthy?
Will you admit that you're not worthy?
Are you ready to admit that?
God's ready to receive you just as you are His love.
Is unconditional. His love is not looking for anything in you or in me because he could never find it.
His love is infinite. His love is the only reason.
That the calendar is marking 1998.
Because he's waiting, perhaps for you.
The last goodbye forever.
To be uttered.
If you say no to the offer of salvation that the Lord Jesus has for you.
The last face you will ever see will come.
From the only man who for all eternity will show any scars, any wounds.
The last face you will ever look into is the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The last hand you'll ever see are the hands that are going to still bear the Prince of the Nails in them. The last voice you'll ever hear.
It's his voice.
And what will the rest of us be doing?
With him for all eternity, rejoicing in His presence.
00:50:04
Just two more verses quick. Our time is just as quickly. Our time is just about up in Romans chapter 6.
Again, those two words, no more Romans chapter 6 and verse 9.
Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no.
More.
The eternal life that most of us in this room have, and I hope you have.
Is dependent upon one man.
We heard this afternoon that the Son of God came to this earth. He became the Son of man. He died. He was buried. There was no doubt at all that he was dead. He had given his life.
But there is also no doubt.
That.
He's not dead any longer.
He rose again. He's in heaven.
My eternal life is in danger.
The moment he died again, and that's impossible.
That's absolutely impossible. We have the assurance here in a chapter that talks about deliverance from sin, but it also leaves a very.
Important thing for us.
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead.
Dieth no more death, hath no more dominion over him.
There's one thing that the inhabitants of planet Earth fear more than anything else.
And that's death.
And staff.
But now some of them are challenging that people are going to certain doctors and saying give me a shot.
Put me out of my pain, put me out of my misery. And not realizing that the pain, the misery.
On the other side of that injection are infinitely worse.
The most pain that I have ever seen was one time being rolled in a hospital card into a.
Buy a place to go into an operating room for a knee operation. And I saw a man on a cart that they had brought down to take an X-ray or something who was, can't describe it, but a body that was twisted and a man who was just writhing in pain. I'm sure they had given him painkillers and everything else, but I've never seen in my life.
Such pain that a person was endured.
And it.
I knew I was going through something that would hurt after, but it would be very temporary. But that man looked like whatever he had, it was going to last him as long as he was alive.
And if you had seen that man and you'd talk to people today, they'd say, oh, it would be better if he was put out of his misery. No, there is no comparison between the greatest pain, the greatest suffering on this earth.
And eternal separation from God.
In the Lake of Fire, there is absolutely no comparison if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
And you've got something wrong with you.
Until you're willing to bow the knee before him, you better pay for the best doctors.
You better have all the treatment you can to prolong it until you are willing to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because once you pass that line, there is no turning around, there's no going back. If we could just finish in the Book of Revelation.
Just in passing in Hebrews 8 quote a verse their sins.
And iniquities I will remember no more. Not only do I have a life that's dependent upon one whose life will never again.
Finish the Lord Jesus Christ. I have a Father God, and you do too, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Who has an infinite memory? It's not a memory slip that he says.
Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more like it would be with us. It's not something that he's forgotten and will later come back to his mind.
It's because every trace of those sins is gone in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a memory that has had something erased to never come back. And in Revelation chapter 20.
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Revelation chapter 21. Now we're with the Lord Jesus.
A bright and bridegroom together.
Going to have an opportunity to know a little bit more and see how he does things, it said.
Verse four, when God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and again those words, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying nor crying, neither shall any more, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. I'm going to have an eternity. Those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior to begin to have unfolded to us.
The marvelous person being that he is, and here is God with tissue here in my pocket. Sometimes we see someone who's having a difficulty and we might say, well, here's a tissue to wipe your eyes. When it talks about God, the Lord Jesus doesn't say.
A discomfort, it says he'll wipe the tears away.
He cares about you so much that he doesn't want to just provide a solution. He wants to be there with you and take care of your every need, every need for all eternity. It's not just providing a tissue or Kleenex. He personally will be wiping tears away.
What a savior in the last time we see those two words in the Word of God. No more.
Chapter 22 and verse 3.
And.
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.
And his servants?
Shall serve him, and they shall see his face.
Punishing time is over.
The Lake of Fire has its inhabitants for all eternity. Those who, whether by saying it with their lips or by saying it with their actions, have said goodbye forever.
In heaven and earth will have a people that are going to be before the throne of God and the Lamb forever.
Who is on the Lord's side? Should we pray?
Blessed Lord.
Gospel
Gospel—R. Thonney
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Free on our hymn sheets.
Behold, behold the Lamb of God.
On the cross.
For us, he shed his precious blood on the cross.
Oh, here's the overwhelming cry. Eli Lama Sabachthani.
Draw near and see the Savior die on the cross.
Come, sinners, see him, lift it up on the cross. He drinks for you the bitter cup on the cross the rocks do rend, the mountains quake.
Well Jesus stuffed atonement make well, Jesus.
Suffers.
For our sake on the cross, maybe we could all stand and sing #23.
They hold, They hold the Lamb of God.
On the ground.
On the ground.
We're on the lady's head.
Can't understand.
Everything.
That God.
Is great for you.
Shall we pray?
Blessed God our Father were through the book of Hebrews to begin with, and chapter 4.
Hebrews chapter 4, beginning with verse 12.
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For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts.
And intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest.
In His sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do tonight. It is our privilege to open this precious book again in this room, and we can make no apologies for the truth of it. As we speak from this book, we want you to know.
That if it gets into the thoughts and intents of your heart is not because I know about the thoughts and intents of your heart, but it is because we have to do with God. And God knows the thoughts and intents of every person that is sitting here in this room. He knows why you came here. He knows if you came here just to see your friends.
Or if you came here with a sincere desire to learn more about the Lord Jesus and the Scriptures. He knows it all. I don't.
But what really concerns me this evening is what we have in this verse 13.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. You can hide things from me, you can hide things from your parents, you can hide things from the brothers in the meeting, you can pass as a Christian before them, but you won't fool God.
And it is the God with whom you have to do. You cannot escape from having to do with him. I fear sometimes in these conference meetings that we're here and we know all the nice things to say and all the nice things to do without being real with God.
And so people, if I'd ask them about you, they might have a pretty good report of you.
But tonight, we're not dealing with what brethren think of you.
We're dealing with what God sees as you stand before him, manifested every detail of your life, opened naked before Him. You can't hide anything you may think you can. There was a Samaritan woman that met Jesus.
One day at the well where she came to draw water to slake her thirst, and when they began talking, she thought that man didn't know anything about her. And so when he came around to the point of saying, go call thy husband and come here, she thought she could get away with it by saying, I have no husband but the Lord Jesus.
Because he knows every detail of our lives, said to her.
Thou hast well said, I have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands.
And the one you now have isn't your husband. You said that truly. She found that she was in the presence of somebody who knew every detail of their of her life. And that's where you are tonight, my friend. I wish you could single yourself out of the crowd and realize tonight that we stand before a God with whom we have to do that. Nothing is hidden in His sight.
I see so many young people.
And children.
I cannot see your heart, but I want to talk to you tonight. I don't see decision for Christ in your lives. I see a desire to enjoy what this world has to offer. It makes me wonder how much you have come to grips with the matter of your sin before God.
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Tonight, my purpose is to speak of three judgments.
Because I want you to pay attention to this statement I'm going to make.
Every sin that has ever been committed on the face.
Of planet earth will must receive its just penalty from the hand of a righteous God. Not one little white lie will escape the punishment from the hand of God.
God is holy and God is just, and he lays down the terms.
You and I are not free to determine the terms of our judgment. We live in a country where we have a democracy. We're thankful, I trust, for the liberty we still enjoy. But it breeds a wrong idea in people's minds that they can set the terms. If they don't like the way the government treats me, well, I'll rebel. I'll do my own thing. And since it's a democracy, we have the right to do that.
That may be so under a democratic system, but we're not talking about democracy tonight.
We are talking about having to do with God, and you have to do with God.
There is no way around it and God sets the terms.
You are not at liberty to set the terms. One time outside of a town in the Andes of Peru, we met up with some.
Young people who were university students.
In that nation and we were standing beside the pathway going out of town.
And there was a cemetery there.
And then our conversation, one of the students said to me.
When we were in university, we debated the issue of resurrection.
And we came to the conclusion that there is no resurrection.
I said, did you know that that matter is not up for debate?
That matter is not up for negotiation, God has said.
That there is a resurrection, and for as much as you may think in your mind that there is none, you only show your ignorance in denying it. I can stand here tonight and say I don't believe there is an ocean called the Indian Ocean. I never sighed. I would only be showing my ignorance.
God has said there will be and that every single person.
Living upon the face of the earth must meet. God must come.
Face to face with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no way you or I will ever be able to escape it.
Again, I say every sin that you have committed, every sin that has ever been committed on the face of planet Earth.
Will receive its just penalty from the hands of a righteous God. But we have a God who is loved. Oh how he loves. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
Remember a friend of mine back east who had a little text who was a dentist?
He had a little text In his dentist office was a small framed little text. It only had one word.
So that's all.
And people would go in there and they'd ask, what does that mean?
He said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
Oh, what a great lover our God is. He loves you.
He loves you right where you are. He looks at you with infinite eternal love. He doesn't love your sin because your sin is going to ruin you if you don't repent of it and believe in the Lord Jesus.
But he loves you with a love that you and I can never understand.
He gave his only begotten Son. He knew how people were going to treat his only Son when they when he came into this world. He knew the awful death he was going to be given and still He sent him because there was no other way. For you and I to be saved. There is no other way. Let me tell you the story of the crucifixion place. Please listen.
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It is so important to understand.
What took place that day in the city of Jerusalem?
The Lord Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son, made flesh.
The brightness of God's eternal glory, the Creator of the universe.
Was standing in Pilate's judgment hall.
And Pilate in one of the interrogations.
Said to the Lord Jesus.
What is truth? We've been hearing about the truth today.
There is a standard young people. We're living in a country where people are getting.
Mixed up in a vast cesspool of moral relativism.
Everything is relative, like was said today. Some people say your idea is as good as mine. And if it's a matter of your idea and my idea, I'd have to agree that your idea is as good as mine. But it's not a matter of my idea. It's not a matter of your idea. It's a matter of what God has said in His Word. You have to deal with that, my friend. You and I are not at liberty to set the standards for judgment.
The Lord and Pilate asked the Lord Jesus what is truth? And you know he didn't even wait for the Lord Jesus to respond.
He would have turned around and walked out.
But that person that was standing before Pilate was the one who had said, I am the Way, the truth and the Light. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Those words thrill my heart. I am the way. He didn't say I am a way. No, I am the way. I am the truth. The truth is the most exclusive thing in the whole world.
It excludes all other options. Jesus is the only way.
He is the truth and what did Pilate end up doing that day? He asked for a bowl of water and he washed his hands as he condemned the truth.
And in condemning the truth, he condemned himself.
Oh, what an awful day it's going to be when the tables are turned and Jesus sits on the throne.
And Pilate stands before him.
I don't think there's any reason to believe that Pilot ever repented.
If he did, there's mercy for Pilate, even.
But there's a day coming when Pilate is going to be called to give an account before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Awful, awful moment for Pilate if he never repented of his sins. Awful.
And then?
Pilate turned him over to his soldiers, I should say, before he turned him over to his soldiers. Pilot scourged Jesus. Think of it. I marvel it as I think of it. The creator of the universe, Pilot, a mere creature that was being given breath and strength and life by this one that stood before him. Pilate took a whip and scourge Jesus.
The Old Testament says they plowed upon my back.
They made along their furrows. The Lord Jesus suffered that. Then he turned them over to the soldiers once he was condemned to die.
And the soldiers hidden in the face until his face was completely disfigured.
His visage was so marred more than any man's and his form more than the sons of men. They took a crown of thorns. Don't know if you've ever tried to do that, but in Bolivia, where we used to live, there's an awful lot of thorns in the South of the country.
00:20:10
And they're not just little thorns, they're two and three inches long, and they're so strong that they will go directly into your tire. I've had lots of flat tires from those thorns.
They took a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus head. They beat those stones.
Into Jesus.
Then they let him outside that city of Jerusalem.
And they led him to Mount Calvary.
Then they stretched out his hands and his feet, and he helped.
To that cross.
They hung him up there.
For all to see. It wasn't only the physical pain, as awful as that was.
There was the emotional, the pain of his soul.
When he said reproach has broken my heart.
Those that he had done so many favors for, those that he had raised from the dead, those that he had cured from their leprosy, where were they? Nobody.
His most loyal disciple, or the one who said he was most loyal to him, denied him three times.
One of his other disciples betrayed him for the price of a common slave.
Reproach broke his heart. A broken heart is a tough thing to deal with. But that's not all I want to get to. The most serious point is when Jesus was hanging there on that cross.
You'll turn to Matthew's Gospel chapter 27.
Matthew, Chapter 27.
And verse.
44 The thieves also this is Jesus on the cross.
The thieves also cast that were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth, mocking him. Verse 45 Now from the 6th hour there was darkness over all the land unto the 9th hour and about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani, that is to say.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? What was happening on the cross in those awful hours of darkness?
It was dark, people couldn't look to see what was going on. But we have.
A prophecy by Isaiah the prophet that tells us.
What took place in those hours of darkness? He says in Isaiah 53 verse 5.
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised.
Or our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace is upon him.
And by his stripes, we are healed.
Here is the guilty Sinner. There is the sinless Savior.
And to let me go free, he had to pay the price. Somebody had to pay for me. I could not go free if nobody paid the price.
Jesus paid the price in full. God laid on him.
The iniquity of us all says all we, like sheep, are gone astray. We are turned everyone to his own way. The Lord Jehovah has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Every sin of mine that had to be atoned for, that had to be put away from the holy eye of God, was laid on Jesus.
And God took the rod of his punishment, and it fell in all its fury on Jesus.
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I am Jesus.
God's just judgment fell that would have sunk our world to hell. He bore it for a sinful race and thus became.
My hiding place.
Praise God there's a place of safety from the.
To come in Jesus. No other place is there safety in this world.
People build buildings to protect themselves from an atomic attack.
There is no place of safety in this world, in any building that is built, however safe they can make it.
Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He bore the full penalty of guilt for the last guilty Sinner.
One Corinthians 15 says Christ died for our sins.
According to the scriptures, he was buried and rose again the third day. According to the scriptures, Galatians says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it is written curse. It is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Paul says in Second Corinthians chapter five he has made him Jesus.
To be sin for us who knew no sin that we.
Might be made the righteousness of God in him, Peter says.
Who his own self bear our sin in his own body on the tree.
That we, being dead to sin, might live unto righteousness. By whose stripes?
We are healed.
And those awful hours of darkness. There is no time in the history of this world that can compare with those awful hours of darkness. Jesus hung on that tree. On top of all the physical sufferings and those sufferings from that broken heart. God laid on him the iniquity of us all, and the full storm of judgment fell on Jesus.
He had to say, All thy waves and billows Passover me.
At the end of those three hours, there's an awful, awful cry.
That rends the silence.
My God.
My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
How can we understand?
The only man that always did the will of God and now doing the will of God in the face of the wrath of God.
Forsaken of God.
You know why he was forsaken?
So this poor Sinner wouldn't have to be forsaken in the Lake of Fire.
Jesus gave up his life. He died.
Nobody could take it from him. He gave it up of himself.
After he died, a soldier came up the hill.
Dispatch the one malefactor that was crucified with him on one side.
Broken his legs and then the other, and he came to Jesus. Jesus was already dead.
He took his spear, pierced his side. Blood not of any victim.
But of our God, chosen victim, and Jesus the Lamb of God paid the price in full. He shed his precious blood. Oh, what wonderful words we have in John's epistle.
The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sins.
Peter says.
You're not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Paul says in whom we have redemption through his blood.
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The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
Oh, the power of that precious blood of Jesus.
Maybe I've told the story before, but it was a real privilege to me a number of years ago.
Down in the South of Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca, to know a brother by the name of San Idol Ruiz.
So now there had been a bandit before he got saved.
He was a bad man, really bad man.
He had killed 21 People.
And he was so bad that the Mexican army had orders.
To get him that are alive.
One night.
One little place called Okatlan, there in the hills, the back hills of.
Oaxaca.
The brethren have a little gospel hall there, but the way they build their halls is they just put holes in the ground in the form of a rectangle and then put a roof on.
So that at nighttime they have a lamp that they light inside and people without being noticed much can come up on the outside and listen to the message too. Through the sticks they can see and listen.
Tonight I'll heard that verse. The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Started thinking about.
All the bad things he had done.
And when he had a chance, he couldn't hardly believe that verse. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
When he had a chance, he came up to a brother there and asked him, Is that really in God's Word, the Bible? The brother opened his Bible and showed it to him. Sure enough, there it is. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins.
Tonight I'll believe the gospel. He accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
He himself went to present himself to the authorities, the army that were looking for him.
And when they took him into custody and examined him, they decided this is not really the band that we were looking for.
This is a man that has completely changed.
He said I'd all lived out the rest of his life in the hills of southern Mexico, forgiven by the state of Mexico, forgiven by God.
Not too long ago, not too many years ago, Senado came to the end of his days down here.
He went home to glory. What a drunk.
A Sinner with his hands so stained with the blood of his fellow humans.
Went directly into the presence of God. How could it ever be?
Because my friend of what Jesus did on that cross.
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all.
Soon, but perhaps there's people here tonight.
We're not ready to accept the Lord Jesus as their Satan. God offers a full and free pardon to everyone that believes. You don't have to do one thing except believe.
And the command of God is to believe.
On the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If you don't, we have the responsibility to tell you.
What the options are?
You must meet God, you cannot escape that.
But if you refuse to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you yourself will have to bear the penalty for your sins forever in a lost eternity in the lake of fire.
And I want to show you.
From God's word. That this is not just an idea of mine, That this is what God's word.
Clearly teaches us.
Turn to Acts Chapter 17.
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And verse.
30 and 31.
Acts 1730 and the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent because.
He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
Whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him.
From the dead, Jesus died. Jesus was buried, but thank God, the third day he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, Jesus came out of that grave. Jesus is a real living man of flesh and bones, and he accompanied the disciples down here for 40 days.
After his resurrection, he ate. He drank with them. They handled him.
They saw him at one time. There was above 500 brethren at once who saw them.
Unmistakable the fact that Jesus rose again been kind of interesting to me to hear through a number that.
Know that if you ignore the testimony of God's Word, still man's.
Secular history.
Attests to the veracity.
Of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's one of the best confirmed facts of history.
How are you going to deal with that fact? My friend, Jesus was raised from the dead, and because he was raised from the dead, there is going to be a judgment day. The judge is appointed, the day is appointed. You cannot escape.
Meeting Jesus, You must meet him sooner or later. Today. There's mercy, there's salvation.
But if you will not have him, you will still will need Jesus.
And I'd like to read the scripture account of.
Is coming again in judgment. It's going to be an awful, awful day for this world. Last night we heard about the fact that people are going to call on the rocks.
And they're going to enter the dens and the caves of the earth and call them the rocks to cover them when they realize that it's true.
In abject terror, they're going to escape and do anything possible so that they don't have to meet Jesus, but they're not going to be able to escape it. You will meet Jesus.
Someday you are going to meet him, either today, excepting him as your savior, or in a coming day, as your judge in awful judgment. Let's read the account of this judgment that takes place in Revelation chapter 19.
When Jesus returns to this world, because he's going to return.
Was going up into heaven after those 40 days of being with his disciples.
He went up into heaven. They saw him go up.
And two angels stood by them, and said to those men.
Ye men of Galilee, oh, I stand ye gazing up into heaven.
This same Jesus that you have seen go into heaven.
Will so come in like manner as ye have seen him go up.
Where did he go up from? He went up from the Mount of Olives. What coming are they talking about in that?
Verse it's not his coming to take his own home to heaven that is referred to there now. It's the coming again when he comes in power and glory to judge and to make war, as we're going to see here in Revelation chapter 19. Let's read from verse 11.
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And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a White Horse. And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Isn't that awful to think about? He not only is going to judge, he's going to make war. The nations of the earth have extremely sophisticated arms today.
And when Jesus comes again, I would guess they're going to try to use their arms.
My Jesus.
He's going to make war. They will have no effect on him.
Let's read what happens.
Verse 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word.
Of God and the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linen.
White and clean, and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth.
The winepress of the fierceness.
And wrath.
Of all mighty God, and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of kings, and Lord of Lords.
And I saw an Angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying To all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven.
Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains.
From the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast.
And the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war.
Against him that sat on the horse, and against his army, and the beast was taken, and within the false prophet that wrought miracles before him.
With which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast.
And then that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse.
Which sword proceedeth out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Here we have the coming of God's man back to earth. Oh, what a day that's going to be.
I just revel when I think, dear brethren, that I'm going to be one of the eyewitnesses of this happening that we've read about this evening.
The heavens are going to open outcomes this White Horse, one who is the supreme conqueror.
Once allowed himself to be nailed to a cross. Coming back again now not to say, but to judge.
It is the most awful, awful judgment that this world has ever seen or will ever see again. That's what's just ahead for this world. And if you don't accept Jesus as your savior, that's what's ahead for you. That's why we get excited about this message. That's why we plead with you to listen, to be serious with God, to don't fool around anymore with the destiny of your soul. Don't fool around with God.
Jesus is coming back again.
And it says the beast.
The beast is the head of the revived Roman Empire, what is called the.
European Economic Community today the EEC.
Interesting, one of the last times I was in Bolivia.
Friend that works quite a bit with Jewish people down there.
That are tourists told me that a friend of his in Israel.
Who is a believer too?
3rd A high up official in the European Economic Community.
00:45:00
Make this statement not too long ago.
That the European Union is not going to be a democracy like people think.
There will be no elections, he stated.
There will be 10 appointed men that will.
Be the ones that govern in the European Union.
Interesting when you look at the prophetic picture.
The beast is a man that has his face to the earth. He does not look up to heaven. He has no reference to God in heaven.
And when Jesus comes back again, this beast, the head of this European Union.
Is going to gather the armies. Those 10 kings are going to come against Jesus.
And one by one, those armies are going to fall before our Lord Jesus Christ.
His sword of his mouth goes out. All the Rockets that can fire will have no effect. They're going to be dead.
And then the beast, the false prophet, or the Antichrist are going to be taken in red handed rebellion against God and thrown directly into the lake of fire.
And the rest are going to be slain, and the fowls are going to have a feast off. Awful time again, I say. The Lord Jesus himself, in Speaking of this time, said that there was never a time so awful before in the history of this world. There will be never a time afterwards so awful as this time we're speaking about. And this could very easily happen within one decade of the time we're sitting here. Very easily this could take place.
We can't set days, times.
But this could very easily happen. Things are set to go.
In the world texture.
But what about those that die?
Both before this happens and those that die at this time.
What about them? Are they going to escape because they died?
Or are they going to be a cow called to account for as well?
I should mention, before we go on to that, that after the Lord Jesus.
Wins the war of Armageddon, the end of the Great Tribulation period.
He's going to set the throne of his glory in this world, and he's going to unite. He's going to gather all nations before him, and he's going to divide between 1:00 and another as a shepherd divides the sheep from his goats.
If you would happen to be living on the earth at that time and you have heard the gospel of the grace of God that we are speaking tonight.
And you have purposely decided not to receive the Lord Jesus.
It may well be that you will be there at that time, and you will be part of those on his left hand, the goats.
And he's going to say to them, Depart from me, ye curseth into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. God never prepared everlasting fire for you. He doesn't want one of Adam's race to go there.
He pleads with you tonight. He has made every provision possible that you would be saved.
Sometimes I like to say he roadblocked the road to hell with the cross of Christ, and if you must go to eternal hell, it will be because of your willful decision to ignore the pleadings of His love. He doesn't want you to go there. He prepared everlasting fire for the devil and his anxious He doesn't want you there. He wants you safe.
But if a person dies in his sins, what about him? Go over to the 20th chapter.
See what happens to those that have died in their sins not having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Here's the third judgment we're going to speak about.
The first judgment was of Christ and the cross. He bore the judgment in full.
The second one is the judgment of the living nations when Jesus returns.
In power and glory to reign in this world. And here is the final judgment.
I want to speak about tonight.
00:50:01
Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11 and I saw a great.
White Throne and him that sat on it. From whose?
The earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.
And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, And the dead were judged.
Out of those things that were written in the books according to their works, and the sea gave up the dead which were in it.
And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged according to every man, according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Here we have the final scene.
A great white throne. The earth and the heavens flee away. They're gone.
They disappear. Their place is no more foul.
Atomic meltdown. They're gone forever.
Only a great white throne.
And one who sits on that throne.
Was the same one that died on the cross. Because all judgment is committed to the Sun.
And the dead.
Raised from the dead spirit, soul and body.
To stand that great white throne.
No blood there to remove sin.
They refused to be separated from their sins. They refused to repent.
And now they have to meet God.
In all the holiness of his character.
And the books are opened. God keeps books.
We don't know exactly how he keeps books, but that's what Scripture tells us, and that's what's right.
Every detail of your life and mine is recorded there.
Every thought you have ever entertained in your mind, every word that has come out of that mouth of yours.
Every act you have ever done.
The record of it stands there.
There are a lot of things I've done I've completely forgotten. People sometimes remind me of things I've done I don't remember.
That God is not afflicted with a poor memory.
He has it all written down in that book, in those books, and in that day the books are going to be open and the dead are going to be judged out of those things written in the books.
And then there's one other book, The Book of Life.
Tells us in Philippians that in that book are written the names of God's people, those that have believed God's testimony, that have received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Can you imagine the awful scene? I tried to imagine this in my mind sometimes.
A soul, a person.
Spirit, soul and body standing before that awful throne, nowhere to escape.
Nowhere to run away in space stands that throne.
The books are open, they're judged. It's evident, the guilt of this person. One last.
Tests their name. Is it found in the Book of Life?
Whosoever was not found written in the book of Life was cast into the Lake of Life, and that person stands there.
Is cast into the boat.
Lake of Fire, forever and ever and ever.
Unending torment. I don't think people get the point. We talk about these awful things.
Was in Peru one time and I was trying to get the point across what fire was.
We had a candle on the table and I asked for a volunteer of those that were there. They wouldn't mind coming forward and putting their finger in the flame of that candle for just one minute. I'll keep close track of my watch. I'm not going to ask you to hold it any longer than just one minute. To my surprise, I got a volunteer.
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I said come along and put it in there real steady now and I'll keep track. OK, Do it.
Yanked it out. So what happened? It hurt. I said yes, it hurt.
But what is it going to be when you're cast not only your finger, your whole being into ever lasting fire forever? And as was brought out last night, as you think into that outer darkness forever, the last face you will ever see is the face of that man on the throne, that one who died, who suffered to save you, to be able to offer to you tonight.
Everlasting salvation, the forgiveness of all your sins.
A home in heaven and you sit there and refuse to accept the Lord Jesus.
I plead with you tonight to don't do such a thing, to stop, to think about it, to turn around, to repent, to turn to Jesus. He's right beside you. He's waiting for you to turn to him. Come to him tonight. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be safe.
Gospel
Gospel—L. LaBenne
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Permits to his lost.
I wonder if we could sing together hymn #24.
We know there is a bright and a glorious home.
Yes, as I look at these words, I like to think about what I'm singing. I think about those who have gone on, loved ones that you have here tonight, that I have, who have gone on to glory. They know and they feel what it is to be there.
And so we read. We know there's a bright and a glorious home. We know it away in the heavens high.
Where all the redeemed shall with Jesus dwell.
But will you be there and I?
Will you be there and I?
In robes of white or the streets of gold beneath a cloudless sky.
They will walk in the light of their father's smile, but will you be there? And I take it personally, not only the person sitting next to you.
But you yourself, will you be there?
From every Kingdom of earth they come to join the triumphal cry, singing worthy the Lamb that once was slain.
But will you be there and I, if you take the loving Savior now, who for sinners once did die, when he gathers his own in that bright home, then you'll be there and I.
Oh, may it be true of every single person in this room, not one left behind for judgment. Shall we sing this hymn together?
We know there is a bride and the glorious hall.
Always.
Where all the dream shall listen to the frog, What will you be there and not when?
What will you be there at night?
I'm afraid of God.
And walk into my mouth and father's.
When you've been there.
And all.
Where all are we live now in favor of the world?
What will you be there at the morning?
From Mary's King of the birthday go to God and my pride fall crying.
00:05:05
Where are we?
What can you be better than sorry?
If you make a lovely day, we're flowing.
We have had three precious days before us, beloved. Here tonight.
And one of the strong emphasis that has been before us has been the word.
Of God that liveth and abideth forever. The need of that book. You know, I was thinking, enjoying this thought during these meetings. Here are all these people together. There's a lot of books that the world could offer to us today that we would have. But we spent three days with one book before us. The book that exalts the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the unerring word of God.
And so I'm reminded of a time when there was a brother.
Who had an opportunity to speak to a man who had employees under him, One after another got saved.
And it was wonderful to see this and finally this man said.
I am noticed quite a difference in the way things go here in my business.
The employees seem to be getting along together better than they used to.
There must be something to this, and so he was offered a Bible with these words.
This book is light. This book, as we handed them the word of God, is light in a World of Darkness.
A darkness that can be felt in anybody clear thinking person today must.
Admit that things cannot go on the way they are.
The end of all things is at hand.
Light amid the darkness, truth amid error and deceit.
And falsehood.
Comfort and this man was going through deep sorrows in his life.
In a broken marriage.
Yes, this book, Comfort in time of sorrow, but ah, this book.
The word of God will point you to Christ. It will point you to Christ. Let's turn.
To the book of Romans.
Chapter 11.
And verse.
33.
There are 6 verses that I would like to read 33343536.
The truth expressed in these verses is so profound that I'm not going to make a comment on it. I'm just going to read it.
All the depth of the riches.
Both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are his judgments?
00:10:02
And his ways past finding out.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who have been his counselor, or who hath first given to him? And it shall be recompense unto him again.
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Powerful words.
As we have had the precious truth of the need of daily reading the Word of God before us.
There's a line of things that I believe I have seen in every single meeting.
And it's the subject of his grace, the grace of God, that bringeth salvation.
Has appeared unto all men.
I'll stop there for now.
Let's turn to John's Gospel chapter one. A familiar verse there.
Verse 17.
For the law was given by Moses.
But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The word grace, beloved here tonight, is not an unfamiliar word, perhaps to anyone of us.
By believing it is often a very misunderstood word.
All you say, doesn't that simply mean the unmerited favor, the unmerited favor of God? Yes, indeed it does. Unmerited favor it does. But I was thinking of this so often today man will speak about the grace of God and yet.
Feel that somehow they have to do something themselves and so they find comfort and security. And this is what the enemy of your souls wants tonight. He wants you to find comfort and security in making God feel obligated. And you cannot do that.
Or perhaps in all the things and you could make a big list of things that you do not do and a negative righteousness.
And all of this kind of thing will never give you peace. Oh, it reminds me of Luke 18. We might turn to it for a moment.
Luke 18 and verse 9.
And he Jesus spake this parable unto certain, which trusted in themselves.
That they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into a temple to pray, the 1A Pharisee and the other Republican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give thought ties of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.
But smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a Sinner or the Sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbled himself shall be exalted. Oh, it reminds me of Job, who had to come to that place where he could say, mine eyes see a bee. And all went to God tonight, that we might see Jesus before us, that holy one of God.
Who never sinned, the eternal Son of God.
That we might see him.
For who he really is.
And like job say, mine eye seeth thee.
And I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
May we come to that if there's someone here who is trusting in their good works.
Or perhaps there is someone here who just doesn't care at all one way or the other. Oh, let me tell you, God knows how to make you care.
00:15:13
We might look at something. I was thinking about the chords of a man. I was thinking about those powerful chords of love as we sing in a little hymn. Oh God, what chords of love are thine? How gentle, yet how strong that would draw you to him today. For he's saying, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Let's turn to a familiar portion adverse that we've had before us often in John's Gospel, chapter 15, verse 9.
We're speaking about grace and I might say truth. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
So in this ninth verse of John 15 we read as the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you, continue ye in my love.
As I read words like this, I hardly know how to comment on it.
How much did the Father love the Son?
Could anyone even begin to imagine? Can you put it in the word?
Can human language rightly justify speak well enough of that relationship between the father and the son?
And yet think of this as the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you.
All, can I ask you a simple question tonight? Have you ever considered those simple precious words? God loves you.
Someone mentioned the other night.
That there was a plaque that had just one word on it.
From Don 316 the word soul.
I have heard that there was a brother who spoke for one week on that one word of that song of that verse, one word soul, for God so loved the world.
Oh, do you feel that love tonight when I think of a holy God, and oh, I trust it, tonight, we feel ourselves, feel His presence here with us as a God who is looking down into every one of our hearts.
And he is looking down with love. And if you are rejecting him?
You use no friend, so I'll to reject the grace of God.
Is the most solemn thing, the most awful thing that any human being can ever do? I might say something else here about the love of God, of the Father to the Son. I've enjoyed this so much. God never showed grace to the Lord Jesus. He never showed grace to the Lord Jesus.
Grace means unmerited favor.
All the Savior was worthy of that love.
But for us, each one of us, every blessing that we know.
As a result of His grace.
And God would have us each one here tonight.
To have that loving relationship with Him as our Savior and our God.
Oh, how wonderful.
To know that the eternal Son, that one who was.
Not only God, but God the Son from a past eternity.
Came into this world to save sinners.
In Luke 15, we might turn there for a moment.
Here we have the story of the Prodigal son.
And perhaps most, if not all of us are familiar with this precious story.
00:20:00
But I was thinking of the 20th verse of Luke 15.
That you might too realize tonight.
That if you've wandered far away from God.
Now you can come home.
The Savior is waiting.
And so we read, and he the prodigal, he arose and came to his father, And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
The Father had compassion. He is not dwelling that any should perish.
And, you know, this is the last meeting of the conference, and I've often thought of this.
As brethren have to part, and we may never meet again this side of heaven.
There are those who were here a year ago.
Who will not be together the sight of glory?
A solemn this is, but we well meet if we know Jesus as Savior.
In that blessed place as we see him face to face.
We can speak much about the love of God.
No human language, as I say, can possibly describe it, but I'd like to look at a verse now that would tell us something of the truth on the other side of the coin.
Is verse in the book of Job chapter 36 and verse 18.
You might turn to it.
Job 36 and verse 18.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have.
No concept at best of the awfulness of sin. And so we here we read.
Because there is wrath, this is a solemn statement that is made.
And this is what you are facing, dear one, here tonight, if you are without God.
If you are without hope, if you do not know Jesus as your savior.
Because there is wrath. Beware, lest he take thee away with his stroke.
And a great ransom cannot deliver the.
The prudent man foreseeeth the evil and hideeth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.
Tonight in the prayer meeting before the gospel, there was a verse that was quoted that I would like to turn to also in Isaiah 33.
And verse.
Start with verse 13.
Hear ye that are far, are far off. What have I done? And ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness hath surrounded the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
All dear ones, here tonight you have your children, some of you, sitting next to you.
Do you want to say goodbye forever?
That was brought before us in the first Gospel meeting.
Forever. Goodbye forever.
Everlasting burnings we have here.
Where the fire is not quenched.
You know, I remember reading a story about a man who had spent many years in prison. There was no possibility of of escape.
Every morning he would wake up.
Having perhaps dreamed during the night.
Of his home, of his family, of his children, of his wife.
00:25:05
He would wake up to another day and there were those Gray walls all around him.
Those bars, no escape, no hope. It reminds me of a time, and this is many years ago.
I was coming home from San Diego and on the way there was an awful accident I could see that had just taken place right ahead of me.
And I came up to the scene and stopped and there was a car on fire and a man came running to me. The flames were all around the car and you could feel the heat 20 feet away or more.
And a man came running up to me and said, can you possibly help? There's a man in that car.
And we can't get him out. Others came along. We did everything we possibly could. We didn't have time. Oh, you know, boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Dear 1 Sir, tonight I saw that man. He was unconscious, perhaps at first, but I saw him frantically trying to get out of that car. And all I would tonight that many here would be plucked from the fire of eternal hell.
This is no small thing, beloved. You face eternity with or without Christ. To not know Him, to reject Him, is eternal doom.
Well, you'll be there, and I will you be there in glory.
Or are you going to reject?
The fire was so hot, I never imagined that a car could burn like that.
That man died, was burnt to death in that car. He was in that prison, and he could not escape. And so it is with you when ye were yet without strength. In due time Christ died for the ungodly.
There is a decision that is left.
With each one here tonight, you know I was sovered when I heard the other day.
That there were some sitting in this room.
During the solemn gospel meetings that we've had the last two nights.
There were some sitting in this room.
Paying no attention.
Seemingly unconcerned.
Dead in trespasses and sin.
This is what we would fear.
Oh dear one here tonight. This may be your last opportunity.
God is now speaking to your precious, never dying soul. What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be. Someday your soul will be asking, what will he do with me? Oh, it reminds me of another story of an inescapable situation.
Where one had a dream. This is right after the North Ridge earthquake down in Southern California.
This Cray quake shake would really shake everything up. A lot of people were shook to the car because of this.
But in the dream.
This brother dreamed that he was driving along in his car and the traffic, as is so typical of Southern California, was very, very heavy. And there's a lot of bridges that go over the freeway.
And all of a sudden he was stopped under a bridge. He couldn't go forward, he couldn't go back. There were cars on both sides. But all you know, God, we can shake terribly to the earth and how good it is.
If your soul is shaken tonight.
In view of eternity.
But anyway, the bridge began to collapse. A hunk of cement came down and hit the roof of the car and caved it in a little ways. And then where can one run? Where can one go try to get out of the car? This was all in the dream. The doors were locked, they couldn't be opened, couldn't get out of the car. And then the heavyweight of the bridge came down more and more.
00:30:00
Finally, the person in the car.
Had to kind of lay over to one side because there wasn't room to sit up anymore.
And then there was another sudden lowering of that bridge, even more on that car.
Until finally this person was in that car and could not even move his head from one side to another.
And then he cried out, Lord help me. And he woke up. This was a dream.
But oh, it's a dream that reminds me too much.
Of the awful reality of what it will be to wake up in the lost eternity.
Having rejected the grace of God, having rejected Christ.
And to find that there is no hope to be forever lost. Oh, I've often thought of that story I read some time ago about this dear young lady who had come to know the Lord. And one day she was visiting her father who was dying in the hospital, and he wanted nothing to do with God, nothing to do with the word of God. And she said to him.
Oh, Daddy.
Am I going to say goodbye to you tonight forever, never to see you again?
Oh, as I quoted part of that little hymn, if we never meet again this side of heaven, we will meet we who know Jesus as Savior on that beautiful shore where we'll see Him face to face. But for those who do not know him, it is a forever goodbye.
Forever lost. Oh, I look into this audience tonight and I think of the heart of God.
He does not want one of you to Paris. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
To perish in your sins.
This night.
May be indeed your last opportunity.
All little dead, that young man.
Who ran out to play one day?
Know that it would be the last time.
He would ever do that A little boy in Beaumont, CA that many of us knew about.
His name was Richard Ramirez.
And I tell the story because it illustrates a very precious thing. Precious point here.
Someone, a man, came along in a pickup truck.
To kidnap this little boy's brother and he ran over.
To rescue his brother and this man let go of his little brother and grabbed him.
And took him and for many days they couldn't find him any place. They finally found his body. He gave his life for his brother. But I found great comfort in one thing, and I'm sure it was to his parents. I hope that they were really the large, and perhaps they were.
He had an assignment at school and this assignment was that you should write.
For the class and tell us who your best friend is.
And he wrote, My best friend is the Lord Jesus.
So I hope from thousand few remarks in that letter as I've heard them.
Are an indication that he really did know the Lord. You know, one of the most solemn things that comes to my mind.
Is that there are sometimes you hear of some young person who has passed away and during their life there was number evidence in the way they lived, no evidence from their words that they ever really knew the Lord Jesus as Savior. They had no hunger for the word of God.
And then they passed away.
And we tried to find some little hope that we can cling to. Well, they did read the Bible one time. They did do this. They said this or that. That perhaps perhaps meant that they were a Christian. All that's not enough. Dear one here tonight. How solemn to not know. Oh, I'm thankful that I can say I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.
Against that day.
Oh, I'm going to go back to the Romans for a moment and make a comment.
00:35:04
It says all the depth of the riches.
And I'm thinking of a time many years ago. In fact, it was about 45 years ago.
That I was on a boat for one week and I was on the high seas. And one of the things that impressed me as we were on this boat for this long period of time was the depths. The depths, all of that water that was there, it made you feel so little, so small.
But all think of this, all the depth of the riches, God besieging men, refusing to be made forever glad. Oh, do you know what God is offering you tonight, dear one? Are you going to accept it or reject it? All to think of waking up in a lost eternity and remembering I had an opportunity that night in Walla Walla and many other opportunities too.
To come to Jesus as Savior.
Is it difficult? Is it complicated? What is it that is holding you back?
There are many of us.
Who are in the Hemet assembly who know of a man?
Who comes periodically to the Gospel meeting there?
He can tell you how to be saved.
He comes.
And he sits there and he listens.
And I believe he's heard of the clear gospel go forth many times with much pleading.
And his answer is yes, you're right. But will I come? No.
Oh, I'm reminded of the blessed Lord Jesus when he wept over Jerusalem and said, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeth the prophets, how often would I have gathered thee as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings? But ye would not. I'm reminded of another man.
Who was asked?
Do you know Jesus is your savior? And he said no. And then he was asked again, would you like to know him tonight? You can come to him right now. And he said, I can't.
That's not true because Jesus has made a promise. We've had it before us in our readings in John six. He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Come unto me, all ye that labor, and our heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
It's not that he couldn't come, but it's like the Lord Jesus said ye would not.
Is there someone here tonight whose stubborn heart is still saying no to the Lord Jesus? God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
All if you knew him. I enjoyed hearing the story of two people who were not saved apparently, and they were going through this Bible study and one found that the other was learning a little more than the other and so.
They started getting into the Word, perhaps with wrong motives. At first they were competing with one another, but in the middle of all of this competing, they were reading the Word of God. And they got saved. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and as a deserter of the thoughts and intents of the heart, the precious Word of God. Oh, as we quote those words that a brother has said.
It is indeed light them in the darkness.
Truth amid error, comfort in time of sorrow. And I'd love to add this and it points you to ever point you to Christ. Yes, the one who is the center of all of God's thoughts. All we've talked today about praising the Lord, all may we add this dear one here tonight. Let's not only talk about it, let's praise him in our closets. Let praise him from the housetops.
He is worthy of our praise and our blessed, sweet employee throughout all eternity will be to sing unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. Oh, if you knew Him tonight. Oh, I love to think of the Father looking down upon his beloved Son and saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.
00:40:19
He finds his delight in him and how lovely someone has added when you are in Christ, when you know him as Savior, you can know this that God is going to look down Christ will look down and say this is my beloved bride in whom I have found my delight. Yes dear ones here tonight to think not only are we who knowing who know Jesus the Savior going to spend eternity with him.
But we're going to be like him as well. Unthinkable. How blessed, how wonderful, all that little child sitting next to you.
Well, he'd be there. Will she be there?
Will you be there? Will I be there? Yes, I will. Yes, I'll be there. Why?
Let me tell you a story.
I'm probably not unknown to any of us.
There was a woman by the name of Carla Faye Tucker.
Who was a very, very evil woman.
But she had She had committed murder. Vicious murder.
But in her cell, someone had come in and presented Christ to her.
She learned something of the grace of God.
I read an article about her and it said that perhaps this young woman.
In Texas, the first woman to be executed in 30 some years and she was September 9th.
1997.
She was put to death.
Because of the crime that she had committed.
But she made this remark as I read.
She said I deserve to be put to death for what I did, but I'm thankful that the grace of God so came in.
And flooded my soul and washed me whiter than snow and made me meet, made me fit to be in heaven. And when I die on September 9th, the Lord Jesus is going to come and take me by the hand and take me right into his presence, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And all we think Carla Faye Tucker, does she deserve to go to heaven?
For there is no difference.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Your heart, beloved.
One here tonight is no different than hers. We all come upon the same ground.
You know, the world was stunned, Yes, the whole world was stunned when Princess Diana.
Was killed.
Here was a woman who had you might say everything this world.
Had to offer, and perhaps there is something here tonight that is keeping you from Christ.
Is it money? Is it riches? Is it power? Is it fame?
Is at last. Is it some sin that so eagerly, easily beset you?
Whatever it is.
Run from it. Run from it. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time.
She had all of this millions of dollars, beauty, young, everything.
And.
Dead. Where is she tonight?
Man's days, job tell us, are like a weaver's shuttle.
So quickly. This life is over. So quickly.
And then eternity. All I ask you tonight, where will you spend eternity?
Where were those precious little ones? Be that you love so much.
That perhaps you would give your life for them.
Have you brought the gospel of God's grace before these little ones? Do they know how to be saved?
00:45:03
Do they know that they are lost, guilty sinners? And that is the case with everyone of us. Oh, I love the words of the public. And there when he said, God, be merciful to me, the Sinner.
No words there of his own accomplishments, no words there of all the things.
But he didn't do that. Made him better than anyone else.
Have you ever struggled with that? Do you feel that you're better than someone because you haven't done this thing or that?
Or perhaps once in a while, you get honest, just for a moment.
And you say, I know that my heart really isn't that good. I've made a pretty good impression, I think.
All near one's here tonight. God has concluded all under sin.
Yes. Where is Princess Diana? I don't know. God does. I do know this.
That unless she knew Jesus as her savior, her money doesn't do her any good.
Her beauty did her no good. She's in a lost eternity. I hope it's not true. I don't know. I haven't heard anything that has given comfort to my heart as far as she's concerned. What about Mother Teresa? That name is familiar to us.
Is she in heaven or is she in hell?
Oh, I remember visiting a friend one time who said oh.
You know that Mother Teresa is in heaven. Look at all the good things that she has done. And I said, if that's all it is, she's in hell.
They were offended.
But I think we need to be careful and jealous for the truth, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The truth is, except you believe that I am, He shall die in your sins. The truth is that you're a lost, guilty Sinner and you need to come just as you are to Him and all of your sins and receive Him as your Savior, or your lost, your lost forever.
Let's turn to the.
I chapter.
Of lamentation.
There's a question in verse 12 That so often.
Searches my heart.
Even as a Christian, thank God I am by the grace of God alone.
But sometimes I wonder, you know, we come to these meetings. How many meetings do you want to attend? I know that sometimes we can't attend them.
Because we're there's circumstances that make it hard, but it's nice to be at every possible meeting you can. Why all you know, if I can put it in a simple way, as someone said one time, well, maybe if I go, something might rub off something of the precious word of God. Maybe something will stick. And I believe that just like when you went to school, when we go to school, we learn here a little and there a little. And so it is with the things of God.
As we read His Word and as we find ourselves in the company of those who are talking about His Word and honor him, maybe a little bit of rub off. I just say that by the way. However, let me make it clear, unless anyone would misunderstand, even memorizing Scripture, even learning the Word. And I'm reminded of a preacher who one day when he was preaching to his congregation and he was talking to them about the Word of God. And I don't know what he was saying, what all he was saying.
But he came across a verse and the verse convicted him and he got saved.
Yes, he had been preaching to others and he was not saved. And I'm afraid so often it's the case, and I know a solemn case of a dear sister who for years was breaking bread at the Lord's table, and one day after breaking bread for that time, she got saved. There one here tonight. Do you know Jesus personally as your Savior? Or have you just said the kind of things that have made others feel comfortable around you and made you comfortable around them?
Hoping that they wouldn't get too close to the truth.
It's a very solemn issue as to whether or not you have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Savior and Lord.
00:50:04
I have enjoyed the story I remember hearing many years ago.
Of someone who was walking along in a graveyard.
And they came across this brave.
They came across this grave where the stone that sat on the stone as you are now, so much was I, as I am now, so you will be and when you die, please follow me. Someone made another little plaque. There was a tree close by and they put it on the track. And it was an answer to that that said to follow you. I'm not content unless I know which way you went.
And so I'd like to ask a question tonight. I see my time is gone. I'd like to ask you each a question tonight.
If you should die tonight.
What should we write on your gravestone?
Would you like the words, as I saw on one gravestone, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fate is not away, reserved in heaven? I think that's as far as it went on the gravestone.
Or would you like to have such words on your gravestone?
As eternally lost.
Lost for eternity.
All. I remember a time when I was driving along and there was a police car next to me and I could hear his radio and it was a few miles to the beach and I had time to wait, so I thought, I'll follow him. There's a drowning, it said. And I was interested in seeing what was going on. I went down there. Perhaps in the presence of death there would be an opportunity.
To speak to someone whose ears would suddenly be opened, there was that opportunity.
But as we got there, down there, the lifeguards were swimming around and finally they came up with this young man, probably about 18 years of age, very healthy looking body.
And a doctor also was there on the scene.
And he pronounced him dead.
Very healthy, looked like he was having a good time in life but he was lost.
He was gone, I say. He lost. I don't know about his eternal welfare, but he was gone.
What will be on your gravestone if you should die tonight? Where will you go if you shall die tonight?
You know, in closing, I would just like to look, oh, there's so much more that we could bring before us, but time goes by so quickly.
I was thinking of the Isaiah 9.
And six.
As to the person of the Lord Jesus as the one who is the Savior, just a few comments in verse six. For under your a child is born, under your son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called. Wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. There's a little application that I would like to make here tonight regarding that verse. First we read a child is born. There we see his perfect, impeccable humanity.
A Son is given. There we see the eternal Son. We see his deity, the government.
Shall be upon his shoulders.
His righteous reign.
The rest of the verse has to do with his personal glories. And so we read. Wonderful.
His person and his work, Wonderful, wonderful salvation tonight, it's wonderful.
Counselor Wisdom.
He is made unto us, Wisdom, the mighty God.
The omnipotent ruler.
Everlasting Father, the source of every blessing you and I can ever know.
And then we read the Prince of Peace.
The Prince of Peace.
Yes, this world so full of turmoil someday. Well, no blessed peace.
00:55:01
Because of the Prince of Peace and that blessed One who is indeed the Prince of Peace, can give you peace at night in knowing that your sins are forgiven. You know, I was informed of.
Of a brother who?
And I'll close with this.
Who had a long journey ahead of him, probably by train or plane. And he thought, I'm going to read a lot of the word of God at this time. I have a good opportunity. And so he turned to that familiar 23rd Psalm and he started reading.
The Lord and I want to close with this. Hours went by and he had gotten no further than those first 2 words. The Lord.
The Lord is my shepherd present tense. He is my shepherd I shall not want.
I dispose of that.
Shall we say #12?
Someone started.
Just as I am. Poor, wretched, blind sight, richest healing of the mind. Yay, all I need. And thee to find. O Lamb of God, I come. I come just as I am. Thou well received. Well welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve. Because thy promise I believe. Oh Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Job.
Stones
Children—D. Mearns
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Somebody here in the front row have a number for us.
Nobody wants to sing.
Everyone running #22.
Let's turn to #22 There's lots of hymns in this hymn sheet. There's ones for the children on the back, but we can sing any hymn you'd like.
So let's start off by singing hymn #22.
Right from Sun, welcome to play Rise and take her home.
Bring your lamp, lamp, your granny, bring your lamps and be ready.
For the bridegroom tonight.
The right friend comes, let no man down the land. For those who's lands are up there. Why no one? No oil, no island divine.
Bring your lamps and be ready. Bring your loud and be ready.
Trim your hands and ready for the bridegroom.
Night.
We're ready ourselves and her in the marriage being swell and begin and every near me.
I bring your lamp and get ready. Bring your lamps and you're ready.
Break your hands and surrounding while I'm crying around.
Me to like play now feel nursing all fringe.
Will somebody else have one for us #19 Well, let's look at #19.
Now none but Christ can satisfy. That's a good one. How about we sing the 1St and the last verse of that one number 19?
All crying spanly my soul and bound get me alone.
I'll be some joy. I saw someone.
Let's tell now. I hope now and I love my pride. Can't laugh.
There's love and my friend last night.
'S found in the.
Planters of thy Sandy, for my never went for thee.
Yeah, I'll raise the light as I'm breathing my lovely day.
00:05:01
No, no, but I can't stand his life. Another name for me.
There's my.
Well, how about we turn to the Backpage and we sing one more 41?
#41.
Around the throne of God in heaven will many children sing, Children whose sins are all forgiven Will heavenly anthems bring #41.
Around the throne of Thai heaven will many children.
Save children within the whole world and singing glory, glory.
Worry.
Your shining round and clock left my.
Will be afraid.
Will begin never bustling length and joy that never breaks thinking glory.
Glory.
Glory.
What brings them to that world of love that has a bright and fair?
We're all in peace and joy and love have come a children. They're singing.
Marie, Marie.
Me, the God.
Just before we open the word of God, I've got a bag here and I've got something in this bag.
Wonder if someone can tell me just what's in that bag. Can you tell me what's in that bag?
Rocks. Yeah, there's a whole bag full of stones. I'll put a couple of them here on the table.
Big stones. I'm going to do something here with these stones. You know what I want? I want all the children to come up here and to get a stone. Can you all come up here and get a stone out of this bag? I'll put it right here. I'll come up here and get a stone.
It's just one.
Just one.
Well, we've got more children here than we're in the front row.
Okay.
Does everybody have a stone?
Well, there's still a few left. There's some more you can have a stones.
Sure.
A stone, Another one. There we are. They're all different colors, these stones.
So I could have a stone. OK, I'll put it in the pocket. OK, you can have it there. That's right.
Now I'd like to turn to a verse in Luke's gospel.
00:10:03
Luke's Gospel.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 22.
It says that the Lord Jesus was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast. You know, I always wondered just why I said that, why it didn't say that he was withdrawn from them about an eighth of a furlong or whatever other measurement of distance they used at that time. Why it says here he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast.
And this morning I want to take up a little subject.
About the throwing of stones, and maybe we can find out why it says here that the Lord Jesus was withdrawn from them. About a stone's cast, you know, boys and girls.
We read in God's precious word.
That there were eight people that died.
By people throwing stones at them.
Isn't that something we read of eight people that had stones thrown at them and that's how they died?
I remember when I was a little boy and I went out into the woods.
And my brother was throwing stones and he was throwing stones about this big. That's a pretty big one. It's bigger than the one you have in your hand. Well, he took a stone and he threw it into the woods and it went that direction. I was way over here, but it hit a tree and it bounced off the tree and it hit me right in the head.
And that's all I remember. That's all I remember. The next thing I remember is I was in the living room and I was on the sofa and had a big bump on my head. I was hit by a stone. You know, that's a solemn thing, boys and girls, to consider this subject of throwing stones because we're going to look at some people. And the first one I'd like to look at is in the book of Joshua.
Unless you don't have to turn to it boys and girls. You can if you have bibles but in Joshua the 6th chapter.
Or the 7th chapter rather. We read about a man and his name was.
Hey, Ken. And you remember the time that the children of Israel went to Jericho and they marched around Jericho?
And they blew trumpets. And who can tell me what happened to the Walls? What happened to the Walls of Jericho?
That boy right there. No, that's right. You.
They fell down flat. That's right. They fell down flat. Well, you know, the Children of Israel were were told to destroy everything that was in Jericho and they weren't supposed to take anything. But this man Akan, he saw something that he wanted and he took it. He wasn't supposed to take it, but he took it and he hit it. And when the children of Israel went to the next city and they thought they were going to win the battle there, they lost the battle. And it was because of this mannequin. Well, we're going to read here in the 7th.
Chapter.
About a can.
And they?
The 16th verse that says Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes. And the tribe of Judah was taken. And he brought the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Tzar Heights, and he brought the family of the Zahar Heights man by man. And Zabdai was taken, and he brought his household man by man. And he can the son of Carmi, the son of Zapdi, the son of zero of the tribe of Judah was taken. And Joshua said, unto Akin my son, give, I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, Hide it not from me.
And he can answer Joshua and said, indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel.
And thus and thus have I done, when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold.
50 Shekels wait, I coveted them, and took them, and behold, they are hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent, and behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. Verse 25.
Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day in all. Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
And raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day, both boys and girls. I wonder if for just a minute we could go back to that time.
And the Lord had told the children of Israel that they weren't supposed to take anything.
And this man, he can. He took something that didn't belong to him.
I think there's anyone here that's ever taken something that didn't belong to you.
00:15:04
You know, I have to put up my hand because I've taken some things that didn't belong to me. Ever taken something from your brother and sister that they didn't want you to take? Or something that your dad and mom said not to touch?
You know, here was a man and he took something that didn't belong to him.
And knew what the Lord said you to take that man out and stone him with stones.
Isn't that a solemn thing? If we could pretend that we were there, let's pretend it was done in this building, and here we are. Maybe.
3500 years ago and this man, a can, he's taken and we're all standing there with our stones and the Lord says you stone that man until he's dead. Isn't that a solemn thing? Just for taking something that didn't belong to him? That man was taken out and he was stoned with stones. It says that Israel stoned him with stones. It wasn't just the big people, it wasn't just the middle-aged people. It was all Israel took him and stoned him with stones.
Isn't that a solemn thing?
Let's turn over now to another book. We go back a couple of books to the Book of Numbers.
And in Numbers, the 15th chapter.
We read about another man.
Numbers 15 and verse 32. Let's just listen to this story. It's 12345 verses long.
This man didn't take something that belonged to him, he did something else.
Number chapter 15 and verse 32. And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found the man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses, and Aaron unto all the congregation. And they put him in war, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones, without the camp.
And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
And as the Lord commanded Moses, you know, I thought of this little portion, I thought of this man, and you know what he did? You know what the terrible thing was that he did? He went and he gathered some sticks.
Does that seem like such a terrible thing?
You know, last night we heard about a man that shot 21 People and killed them.
And that was a terrible thing, wasn't it? Here's a man, he went out and he gathered sticks. Does that seem like it's such a terrible thing? Doesn't that sound kind of severe, boys and girls, that a man goes out and he gathers sticks on the Sabbath day, and the Lord says, you take that man out and stone him with stones.
The Lord had said that they weren't supposed to do that and he was disobedient.
And he did something he wasn't supposed to do. And it says all the congregation of Israel, they took him out and they stoned them with stones.
Until he died.
Let's turn to Leviticus.
Leviticus.
Leviticus chapter 24 we read about another man.
Leviticus, chapter 24.
And verse 10 and it says the son of an Israelitish woman whose father?
Was an Egyptian went out among the children of Israel, and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. And the Israelitish woman Sun blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed, And they brought him unto Moses. In his mother's name was Sheila Meth, the daughter of debris of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be showed them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp. Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregations stone him.
Thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin, and he that blast theme at the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall surely stole him as well. The stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. And the end of the 23rd verse says.
Children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. They took this man out.
And they stoned him with stones. Now why did they stone this man? Who can tell me why they stoned this man? Can you tell me? He cursed the Lord. And we read about a man and took something that didn't belong to him. We read about a man that was disobedient. He gathered sticks when he wasn't supposed to. And now we read about a man that said something he wasn't supposed to say. He was naughty with his mouth. Now I can remember a time when I was a little boy and I came in the house and I said something that was bad.
00:20:27
And you know what my mom did? My mom took me into the bathroom and she washed my mouth out with soap.
But this boy, this man here, he said something that was wrong and he didn't have his mouth washed out with soap.
He was taken out and he was stoned with stones and you boys and girls, I want you to look at the stones that are in your hand.
You look at that stone.
You know what's so solemn about looking at that stone? That if we were living back then, at that time, these three men that were taken out and stoned, it was a solemn thing for all the children of Israel, because every one of them, they picked up a stone, they all had a stone. And in each case the man was standing there. And the people, they threw their stones at that man until he died. And what is so solemn, boys and girls, is that every one of those people.
That threw a stone knew that they were guilty too. They knew that they had said things that weren't right. They had done things that weren't right, and they were throwing a stone at someone that so easily could have been themselves.
What a solemn thing to be there and to stand there and to throw those stones.
Isn't that a stolen thing? You know, we've heard the gospel.
The last two nights where the gospel has been preached and we've heard how to get saved, and I can't help but think this morning that there are boys and girls right here in the front row that are perhaps not saved. Not saved. You don't know the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
Well, we read in that portion in Luke's Gospel, he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast. And I can't help but think that the Lord Jesus was thinking of those three men as he was about to go to the cross. And as he faced that situation, he said, Father, if it be possible, remove this cup from me.
The reason that the Lord Jesus said those words is because He knew.
What a great cost it was for him to go to the cross. And boys and girls, I just want to paint a little picture for you today.
These men that were stoned with stones.
It was for one little thing that they did. They were taken out and stolen. They didn't have to pay a fine. No, they were taken out in stone and they had to lose their life.
And as I think in my life and I think of the things that I have done.
The Lord Jesus tells us in his word that all the sins that we've committed, everyone of them.
Are going to meet their just recompense of reward. Everyone, every one of those sins meet their just recompense of reward. And I can stand here and it's a fearful thing because, you know, I look at this building and I think of how high it is. It's a high building, isn't it? And that's about the height of the pile of my sins. Doesn't that look like a big pile?
And if I can say it this way, the Lord Jesus.
We're standing on holy ground when we say this. Then in the three hours of darkness we sing that little hymn sometimes that says, Oh Christ, what burdens bow thy head. Our Lord was laid on thee. Thou stoodest in the sinner's stead.
To bear all I'll for me, the Lord Jesus.
On Calvary, during the three hours of darkness, if I can say it this way, the stones of the wrath of God, they fell down and they reigned upon the Lord Jesus. We sing that little hymn, Jehovah lifted up his rod, oh Christ, that fell on me, and the stones reigned and reigned upon the head of the Lord Jesus. And then.
One of my sins had met. Its just recompense of reward.
One of those things was paid for, and then the stones reigned again, and they reigned and they reigned some more.
On the head of the Lord Jesus and another one of my sins.
Was paid for, the Lord Jesus shed his precious blood. And when you think of the mountain of my sins.
00:25:05
And we think of all that the Lord Jesus went through for all of my sins. Oh, I'm so thankful that he did. But boys and girls, I want you to look at those stones in your hands again.
What about you?
Have you had your sins washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus?
What about you this morning?
Or do you still have your sins on you?
Now I'd like to look at another portion.
In First Kings.
First Kings.
The 12TH chapter.
First Kings chapter 12 and we find here that there's a king.
And.
He asked for some advice as to what to do.
And he asked for some advice from some old men.
And then he asked for some advice from some young men.
And it says here in first Kings chapter 12 and verse 16.
So when all Israel saw that, the King hearkened not unto them.
The people answered the king, saying, What portion have we and David? Neither have we inherited in the son of Jesse To your tents, O Israel. Now see to thine own house David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But As for the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent to Doram, who was over the tribute in all. Israel stoned him with stones that he died. Therefore the king Reboom made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day.
The first three men that we read about that were stoned with stones.
This was at the command of God. He commanded that these ones should be stoned.
But there are five others we don't read that there was a command from God to stone them. Here we meet about this man Adoram.
And we read here that Israel rebelled. Israel rebelled against the Lord.
And we find, too, that this man reabelled Bohm.
He took some advice and it was bad advice. The good advice? Well, boys and girls, I'd like to tell you a story.
But another man who took some bad advice there was a French king.
And this French king, he had a very, very faithful servant.
And this servant looked after a lot of the King's things. He looked after all his buildings. When the king needed something built, this man did it.
And the king, he said to this man, I want you to build me a castle.
And he showed him the place that he wanted it to be built. It overlooked the sea.
And the king gave the servant a large amount of money and he said, you go and build this castle. So they had an architect and they drew up the plans for this this castle.
And the man who was the servant, he started to build this castle and one of his friends said to him.
If you were to take maybe some material that was not real good material and you were to build this castle, you could use some inferior material and use it in a place where it's hidden and nobody would see. At the end of it, you'd have some extra money and you could take the money and you could put it in your pocket.
So the man, if he thought about that, the servant thought about that and he thought that that sounds like a pretty good idea. So he, he went out and he thought, well, what won't you see? Well, you won't really see the foundation. So he, he went and he got some, some beams that were sort of rotten and they weren't real first class ones. And he put them down in the foundation and, and you know, I did it quick so that it could be all covered up. And then he started to build on top of that. So here's this foundation underneath and it's not very good.
Well, he, he continued to build the castle and by the time he was getting to the end of it, it looked, it looked magnificent. It really looked nice. And he came to the end and it was all finished and it really looked nice. And he had the keys to the, to the gates of the castle and he went to the king and he said, here's the key to the castle. I finished it. So the king went to the castle with him and he went around it and he said, boy, you've done a wonderful job here. You've done a wonderful job. And they walked around the castle and the man showed the king everything that was in the castle and at the end of it all.
00:30:02
The king said to the servant.
He said you have been such a faithful servant. He said, I want you to have the keys. You can live in this castle.
You know, boys and girls, I wonder how that man felt.
He took some bad advice, he took some bad advice.
And sometime later there was a hurricane that blew against that coast, and that castle collapsed because it had a poor foundation. And that man was in the castle and that man died. He took poor advice. Here we find this man Rehoboam. He took very bad advice. It seemed like good advice, but it was bad advice. Miss Manadoram was stoned with stones.
Now let's turn over a few chapters to 1St Kings chapter 21.
First things chapter 21. You perhaps all know this story about Naboth. Naboth.
He had a vineyard, and King Ahab wanted that vineyard.
And he asked Naboth for the vineyard. And I wonder if anybody can tell me what Naboth said. Did Naboth want to give him a vineyard? What did he say, David?
That's right. He said no, because it's in the inheritance of my father's and he didn't want to give up his vineyard. He wanted to keep it for himself. But Jezebel, Jezebel who was Ahabe wife, she heard of it and she said to have I'll get you the vineyard. I'll get you that vineyard. And we won't go through the whole story, but we find that Naboth he was he was taken and he was falsely accused and he was set up on high among the people. And there were those that said that Nibahathi blast seen God and the king.
And they took Naboth out. And what do you suppose they did with Naboth?
What do you suppose they did when somebody tell me that's right, they stoned them with stones and he died?
Neighbor Naboth valued his inheritance and there are some in the word we find where stone with stones and because they value things.
You know, we read about a man, his name was, this was another French king, his name was Charlemagne. And Charlemagne died and they dug up his grave. And when they dug up his grave, he was sitting on a throne, sitting on a throne. It was just his skeleton. And the word of God was open on his lap. And there was a Bony finger that was on the verse. What shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul?
Wouldn't that have been solemn to dig up a grave and find a man sitting there?
With the word of God on his lap, and that skeleton sitting there, and that 20 finger on that verse, what shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? Well, this man.
He didn't want to lose his soul and he held on to that which Dave has just told us. He held on to the inheritance of his father as he had a value for that.
Oh, but it cost him his life. It cost him his life. Let's flip over now to.
Second Chronicles.
Second Chronicles.
Chapter 24.
Second Chronicles, chapter 24.
And verse 20.
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them thus.
Saith the Lord.
You suppose it's important what the Lord says?
Thus saith God, why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper, because ye have forsaken the Lord, He hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned them with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the House of the Lord. This man's message was thus saith.
And what God has to say is very important. Very important, boys and girls.
We've heard in the gospel meetings what God has said in his world in his Word. We read that God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. I suppose that's important. Yes, that's very important. It's very important to be obedient to the Word of God.
There was a man in the 1700s.
And he dug a well in his backyard.
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And while he was thinking that, well, he discovered.
A city.
And they excavated and they found that it was a city that had been destroyed by a volcano right close by.
And as they chipped away the rock, he found.
Different people in this city and there were those that were running away from the city and they died as they were running away. And there was those that were climbing stairs to get up onto the top of their houses so that they could get away and be safe and they died there. There was one man they they found and he was, he was huddled around a whole pile of money. He was trying to hang on to his money.
But there was one man and it's very remarkable, he was this this century for the city, and he was standing at the gate.
And he was told to stand there and guard the gate. And when they chipped away, here was this man who was still standing there in his armor and with his sword drawn. He hadn't been told to do anything else. And that's how he died.
What we find here that the Lord wants us to be obedient, and here we find this man, Zechariah. He had a word from God and he told that which was true, and he preached the word of God. It cost him his life, but it didn't cost him his life, his eternal life. I believe we're going to see that man.
Boys and girls, there are two men in the New Testament that we find we're stoned with stones. The first one is in Acts Chapter 7.
We're not going to take very much more time here, just more people. Acts, Chapter 7.
And it's about Stephen.
Accept verse 54. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. And he, being full of the Holy Ghost, steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And when they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him, with one accord, they cast him out of the city, and stoned him.
And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Song, and they stoned Stevens.
Calling upon God, saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice. Lord lay not this sin to their charge. When he had said this, he fell asleep. Now here's a man that's stoned. And is it different than the man that was stoned when he was picking up sticks? Is it a little different, boys and girls? It's really different. Here's a man, he looks up into the glory and he sees the Lord Jesus. And I believe his face was just radiant. But they still took him out and they stoned him with stones. And Steven is with the Lord Jesus now.
Oh, what a wonderful thing. We look over this building here and there's a whole pile of people, and I would say that most of them are going to see Steven. Most of them are going to see Steven and are going to see the Lord Jesus. What a wonderful thing, boys and girls, to be able to know that our sins are washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus and that we're going to be with Stephen and be able to see the Lord Jesus. But is there someone here and you don't know the Lord Jesus?
And your sins, they're still on you. They haven't been washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus.
The last one, let's turn over a few chapters.
To Acts chapter 15.
Acts Chapter 15.
Psoriatic Chapter 14.
In the 19th verse.
And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people in having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city. Supposing he had been dead, albeit as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city, and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith.
And that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. 27 first, and when they were come.
And gathered the church together. They rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith under the Gentiles.
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Here we find a man that loved the Lord Jesus. This man was taken out and falsely taken and stoned. The Lord didn't order that this man was to be stoned, but the people took him out and stoned them because of what he said. They didn't like to hear what he said. Maybe there's boys and girls here that don't like to hear what we're saying.
But Paul was taken out and he was stoned with stones. He loved the Lord Jesus so much.
Boys and girls, there was a there was a time when there was 40 soldiers.
And they knew the Lord Jesus. 40 Roman soldiers. And because they said that, they didn't want to disown the Lord Jesus.
They were going to have to die at least 40 soldiers. And the way that they were to be executed was they were to have, they were taken to a lake in the middle of the winter and they didn't have very much clothes on and they had to stand on this cold lake until they.
And they built a big bonfire on the shore, and they told those forty soldiers that if they would decide that they didn't love the Lord Jesus, that they could come away from that lake and they could go warm up by the fire if they would renounce the name of the Lord Jesus.
Well, they all stood out of there in that lake, and they all started to freeze. Well, one man.
He decided that it was just going to cost too much and he went to the fire to warm up. But the other 39, they stayed there and it's so impressed, the Centurion that was executing the whole scene.
That he decided he was going to take that man's place and he.
Went out to the lake and he froze with the other 39. He loved the Lord Jesus.
He came to know the Lord Jesus. It was a wonderful thing. And we don't have something like that that's going to happen today if someone turns to the Lord Jesus. No, nothing like that's going to happen. But oh, what a wonderful thing if there would be someone here this morning that would realize that the Lord Jesus died for your sins and that you would come to know him. Well, I'd just like to end by looking back at Luke's gospel chapter 22 and just reading that little verse again.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 22.
Boys and girls, I want you to look at those stones that you have in your hand.
And here in Luke's Gospel, chapter 22.
And verse 41 it says, and he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast.
I wonder if we could pray?
Lusters After Evil Things
Address—C. Hendricks
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Turn with me again to 1St Corinthians 10. Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and we're all baptized in the cloud and in the sea. And they'd all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. I'd like to talk about a little bit more extensively.
We had in the readings the the next 5 things that are mentioned.
Verse 6. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things.
As they also lusted.
Evan.
I don't know, verse four. In the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting.
Of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat Egypt freely? The cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.
But now our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all beside this manna.
Before our eyes.
And the manner was his coriander seed and the color thereof is the color of dellium.
And the people went about and gathered it, and grounded in mills, or beaded in a mortar, and baked it in pens and made cakes of it.
And the taste of it was as the taste.
Of fresh oil.
I noticed in looking at these 5.
Things. Four of them are in numbers and 1 is in Exodus.
These 5 examples that the Spirit of God calls to our attention in 1St Corinthians 10.
That are examples to us.
And lessons for us to learn that the first one is a despising of the manna.
It says our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes. Now we know that the manna speaks of Christ. Humbled Christ come down. He was that manna which came down from heaven to give life to the world.
And here they they remembered the fruit of Egypt.
The beginning of the warnings that we have in the 10th chapter we've been looking at in our readings.
Starts with this murmuring.
This lusting.
Who shall give us flesh to eat?
I'd like to apply that, of course, spiritually.
The manna Speaking of Christ.
There are three instances. Of the five, there are three of them that all refer directly to Christ in type 2 of the manna and one of the the fruit of the land. That's the last one.
And here we have.
The complaint? Our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes.
It says in that 10th chapter of 1 Corinthians it says.
These things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things.
As they also lusted when we desire the food of Egypt, the fish that swam in the river.
The leaks, the onions, the melon, the garlic.
All that springs from the ground.
All that is of the same the fish swimming in that river which made Egypt an apartment type of the world and its independency of God, never looking up, never raising the eyes to heaven for their water, but always looking to that river that flowed down the center of the land that overflowed its banks in a very predictable time of the year. It was very consistent.
Clockwork.
They knew exactly when that would happen.
There was number dependency.
Egypt is an apartment picture of the world in its independency, the world in its own resources, the world in its ability to to look to all that it can count on down here that that is very, very predictable and repeatable, as the overflowing of the Nile was.
And then the fruit that grew in the ground.
The fish that swam in that river.
Of independency self-sufficiency that.
Was Egypt picture of the world, the House of *******?
The place where we once all were.
Sins.
In our going on without thinking of God.
And to desire that food, as Israel did here, to remember it and to lust after it, was evil.
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What are we feeding on young people? It's a real burden. My heart this afternoon.
What are you feeding on?
What are you looking at? What are you reading? What is the staple of food that you take in for your soul?
There's a book written in the natural realm that says we are what we eat. That's true spiritually.
We are what we eat.
And when the manna becomes a light thing.
They complained our soul is dried away. As your soul dried away, do you desire the things of this world to feed your soul?
We sang Jesus, thou art enough, the mind and heart to fill.
We heard yesterday in the address about filling of the hands, the meaning of the word consecration and applying it to our hearts being filled with Christ.
If your heart, if your heart is filled with Christ, if you've found it to be so, Jesus, thou art enough. I coming back from Salem, when I was visiting Gresham, we stopped by and we visited Albert Shaker.
A man completely, totally, absolutely dependent upon others to feed him, to care for him, to bathe him every.
Need that he has is administered to him by others.
You can do nothing for himself. He's totally dependent. What a picture of.
The Christian unable to.
To get along without the help of another.
He's one that can prove.
The reality of that line that we were singing Jesus, thou art enough. The mind and heart to fill.
Oscar Frazee was telling me a little about some of the scriptures that Albert knows by heart, and one of them was John 14. So I said, I'm going to read you a chapter that I'm going to read you some verses from a chapter that you know, Albert.
And I started to read him from John 14. In my father's house are many mentions, but we're not. So I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and so on.
And his eyes brightened and I stopped after the third verse.
And he said in his very hard to understand for me.
English, he said. Me more, me more.
And I understood him. Read more.
And I did.
I went through the whole chapter.
It was a chapter he had learned because it had been read to him over and over and over again.
It made it his own and there were other portions.
He has proven as few of us, if any, have proven.
The reality of that truth? Jesus so hard enough is He. Yes, he is Jesus hard enough the mind and heart to fill.
Fill the heart with that blessed one. But here we have the opposite. Our soul is dried away. There's nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes. The manna.
They didn't like it in the form in which God gave it, so they they added man's manufacturing process to it.
It says in verse.
Eight, that people went about and gathered it and grounded in mills and beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pens, and made cakes of it. The taste of it was as a taste of fresh oil. They changed its taste, it changed its form.
They added their own works to it.
The manna.
Something we can't live without. You can't go on yesterday's manna.
We need it every day, a fresh.
The food from heaven Christ come down, and what feeds the soul is a humbled Christ.
The Christ come down into this world, right to where we were, right to all our needs.
Going through every circumstance of our life, He was here blessed 1 He was here amongst us, a man amongst men. He felt everything that you and I feel. Felt it perfectly. Felt it without the taint of sin, felt it without that evil nature which has the propensity to sin. Felt it as perfect man only can feel it.
Felt the awfulness of sin, the awfulness of evil. He groaned. He sighed.
He felt it, the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief, yes, in all her affliction.
He was afflicted, he was down here, beloved, down here where you and I are passing through the heavenly stranger on earth, and God says I want you to feed upon him. We got the man everywhere as we read the four Gospels lying everywhere. We get some of it in the epistles. Philippians 2 is the manna. He was in the form of God thought it not robbery, thought it not something to be grasped and held onto tenaciously, but he emptied himself and became.
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And took upon him the form of a servant. Was found in fashion as a man and likeness of men.
He humbled Himself and so on the manner. And then in the 3rd chapter we have Christ in glory, the old corn of the land.
The mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting.
Lust is unbridled desire, and the children of Israel wept. Who shall give us flesh to eat?
They wanted the flesh, they wanted the food of Egypt.
And if that's what you're feeding on?
You won't find your delight in the manner.
The manna is all that God has for us.
To nourish us down here in this scene, in the old corner of the land, of course.
Well, let's go on. I want to touch some of these other portions. We said something on this.
The mana.
Then it says in verse 7 of chapter 10 First Corinthians neither be idolaters as were some of them.
As it is written.
The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play and turned to me, with me to Exodus 32.
For that.
Exodus 32 will read from verse one.
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him Up Make us gods, which shall go before us. For As for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we what not, what has become of him? And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Notice the source.
From which this golden calf that was about to be made comes.
Comes from.
The family ties.
Comes from the wives, the sons and the daughters of the Israelites. They had these golden hearings which were part of the idolatrous practices and worship of the nations round about them.
And all the people break off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron, And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf. And they said, These be thy gods of Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.
You ever notice that?
In this idolatry, the first 3 commandments were broken.
Before Moses ever came down from the mount, while he was up in the mount receiving the 10 commandments on the 2 tables of stone from the Lord.
The first 3 commandments. The first one is Thou shalt have no other gods but me. The second is thou shalt not make any graven image.
Anything in heaven or earth and bow down to it. And the third one is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
They broke all three. They made another God, they made a graven image, and they said tomorrow is the feast of Jehovah. They gave the name of the true God to that idolatrous, blasphemous feast. Christendom has done that. It's attached the name of Christ to heathen feasts.
Which really stemmed from idolatry, and it's put a Christian veneer over that.
And called it a name which has the name of Christ in it. Christendom has done that very thing.
So the warning that we shouldn't be idolaters comes very clear to us and very close to us, doesn't it, as Christians? Because idolatry has come into the Christian circle just as it came into the religious camp of Israel.
They rose up early on the Morrow and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play. There's always connected with idolatry, which is the abandonment of the knowledge of the true God. For many gods. Idolatry, there's always immorality. It follows upon it, it goes with it.
First there is the abandonment of the recognition of the true God, there's the dishonouring of the true God, and then there's the dishonouring of their own bodies between themselves.
When one commits.
The sin of idolatry and when one commits, the sin of fornication.
The one is a dishonor to God and the other is a dishonor to your own body.
According to scripture.
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There's a moral order, I think, in the development here.
The first is they were dissatisfied with the food that God had provided for them in the wilderness.
And they lusted.
After the fruit of Egypt, they remembered.
You know, you may have been saved a short time or you may have been saved some time and some of the habits that you've developed.
Before you were saved, when you got saved, you became a new creature in Christ, and those things were turned away from you, turned to God, from idols, to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. And we had idols, every one of us, before we were saved.
And there's a danger of it even after we're saved. And so we have the issuance of the many warnings in Scripture. Flee from idolatry. If it wasn't possible for a Christian to have an idol, there wouldn't be that warning.
After the apostle John has outlined the beauties of the person of Christ, is that eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us?
He says the last word. He says little children guard yourselves from idols.
Idols. Anything that displaces Christ becomes an idol. And as our brother brought out in the readings, covetousness is idolatry.
And so we have here.
The departure from the true God. And then they peep. The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, and that's it. That's the suggestion of immorality.
And.
That's the very next thing in 1St Corinthians 10 that's mentioned verse 8. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell in one day.
3 and 20,000.
Now that's taken from numbers 25, and let's turn to that.
But before we.
Read that in numbers 25. I want to point out that in numbers 2223 and 24 we have a most interesting history.
It says in verse 2 of Numbers 22, Balak the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many, And Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.
In Balak the son of Zipporah was king of the Moabites at that time, and he sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pithor, which is by the river of the land of the children of the people, to call him saying.
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
Come now, I pray thee, curse me this people so Balak the the king of.
Moab he hires.
Balaam, this hireling prophet, this false prophet?
A wicked man.
To curse Israel.
And God came in and he spoke to Balaam very solemnly at night in a dream.
And he told him you say exactly what I tell you to say.
Now he wasn't used to this. He had gone and he had gone and used divination before.
And I just want to refer to some of the wonderful utterances that Balaam gives in the 23rd chapter, verse 9.
He says in verse 8, How shall I curse whom God?
Hath not cursed.
Or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied?
For from the top of the rocks I see him, from the hills I behold him. Lo, the people shall dwell alone.
And shall not be reckoned among the nations. This is the first.
Grand truth of Balaam's prophecy that the people of God, the Israelites, would dwell along. They were to be a separated people. The truth of sanctification. They were set apart to God for a holy purpose. The people shall dwell alone. They shall not be reckoned among the nations. What answers to that in the New Testament?
We have it in John 15 and in John 17. The Lord Jesus says they are not of the world. Even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
And so we're a separated people. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you.
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If they hate you, know that they hated me before they hated you.
Now have they seen and hated both me and my father?
They hated Him, they hated the Father, They hate us because we're not of it. We belong to another scene. We belong to heaven. Heavenly people called out of this world to be a people for His name. Glorious calling. So here it was from Israel, the same principle. They were an earthly people, but they were not to be reckoned among the nations. They were a separated people.
And then it says in verse 21 of chapter 23, he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob.
The other half he seemed perverseness in Israel. The Lord is God is with him, and the shout of a king is among him.
God doesn't see a spot in us, not iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel. He sees us from the top of the rocks, dwelling alone, separate from all the evil and the contamination of the world round about us as separated people, a sanctified people, a holy people, a justified people. He doesn't behold iniquity in us. He didn't behold it in Jacob.
What a portion there is thine, what a portion belongs to us. We've had that before us, some of our Persian.
What has brought us into?
Will be guilty. We have the forgiveness of our sins were we under the sentence of condemnation.
Were justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Will be dead in trespasses and sins. Yet now had he quickened us.
Given us life.
Will we, as to our nature, fallen and polluted and defiled and unclean?
He has given us a new nature, a new life.
As unclean He has washed us.
And cleansed us.
Were we under the power of the Prince, of the power of the heir, Satan himself?
Now we have the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, given to us in shed abroad in our hearts, sheds abroad in our heart.
Love of God.
Where we lost.
Unable to find our way, he saved us.
He found us. He sought us, picked us up.
Where we at enmity with God is reconciled as to Himself.
By Jesus Christ and given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
You could go on and on and on.
When a portion there is thine, what a portion we have.
One with the man in the glory, united to Christ on high.
But then I'm not going to go over too much because of the lack of time.
All of Balaam's prophecies, just those first two.
But in the 25th chapter of Numbers, after he had totally failed to pronounce the curse that he was hired to pronounce against Israel because God didn't allow him to do it.
He does succeed.
In bringing down the judgment of God upon that favored people.
Breaking down their separation, his first prophecy said, I see him from the top of the rocks. The people shall dwell alone. They shall not be reckoned among the nations. And the power of Israel's testimony.
Was connected with that separation.
They're not having illicit intercourse with the world.
That the nations round about us.
It says in chapter 25 Israel abode in Shittim.
And the people began to commit ******** with the daughters of Moab.
And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods. Again we have idolatry.
And the people did eat and bow down to their gods.
They had fellowship with their gods, with idolatry. And Israel joined himself under Baal Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the Son, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye everyone, his men that were joined.
Unto baal peor.
Behold, one of the children of Israel came, and brought unto the brethren of Midianites woman in the sight of Moses, in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel.
Who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phineas the son of Eliezer the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand. And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. So there was judgment.
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Executed against that wickedness.
Now turn with me quickly to Revelation Chapter 3, Chapter 2. Excuse me, Chapter 2.
Verse 12 To the Angel of the church in Pergamus write these things, sayeth he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan seed is here in the history, the prophetic history of the church at Pergamus, the church was dwelling in the world where Satan's throne is. And thou hold as fast my name, and is not denied my faith. Even in those days where an Oedipus was my faithful martyr who was slain among you, where Satan?
They were dwelling in the world. They had given up their separation, though there still was a measure of faithfulness which the Lord commends. But notice what he says in verse 14. I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them, that hold the doctrine of Balaam.
We don't read about the doctrine of Balaam in Numbers. We read about how he was hired to curse Israel but failed in it and only pronounced blessing.
But here we read about the doctrine of Balaam. After he had failed in that, he got together with Balak and he counseled him. He counseled him and he he taught him something. He taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And to commit fornication.
Notice the order. It's the same order we have in one Corinthians 10. Idolatry followed by immorality. 2 Things going together, God being displaced in the soul and as soon as we displace the true God then all morals.
It's up to you, the individual, to set his own moral standards. There is no such thing as absolute morality once there's no God.
And if there's many gods, they're at conflict one with another, so there is no absolute any longer if you.
Enter into idolatry. You have abandoned an absolute standard.
For right and wrong.
And so immediately immorality follows upon this, and that's what happened.
That's what happened at Pergamus.
Balak was taught of Balaam, a wicked man, a doctrine he says, well, I couldn't curse them for you, but here's how you can get God to judge them.
Bring them into judgment. Marry with them.
Have intercourse with them.
And the daughters of Moab.
The children of Israel began to commit ******** with the daughters of Moab.
That's what happened in the history of the church. The church has been worldly. The church in the world have been united.
The Church in the days of pertiments. The Church became worldly and the world became churchy. It's been that way ever since.
But notice in Thyatira there's an advance upon this in verse 20, chapter 2. This is Tophia tiring, he says, Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferers that woman, Jezebel. It's no longer the doctrine of Balaam, it's no longer the teaching of the man. When you have the man, it's the energy of it's the energy that brings a doctrine in When you have the woman, it's the settled state that results from the teaching.
Now you have the woman, Jezebel.
That wicked woman which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication.
And the week being sacrificed unto idols. Notice the order is reversed. Fornication is first here.
Because at the time of Jezebel, at the time of Thyatira, the world and the Church were really one, so totally one, that the intercourse between the Church and the world was practiced all the time.
No separation any longer.
Sardis was a recovery, partially.
But not separation from the world. You don't get that in Sardis.
The reformers still sought protection against the tyranny of Rome by going to the earthly governors, the earthly emperors.
There was still a false principle of illicit intercourse with the world.
But in Philadelphia, you have the true testimony restored.
And we're living.
160 so years after the recovery.
What a responsibility we have.
You can't go back to the days of Sardis. Impossible. You can't go to the other side of Philadelphia. You can't go back. There will never be another. There will never be another Sardis. That is, the days that Sardis speak of are gone.
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Because the recovery of truth has been made, you can never go back to the time before the truth was recovered.
And so the guilt of Laodicea, which follows upon Philadelphia.
Is far greater, far greater than anything that preceded it.
Because all the light has been brought out, The truth of the assembly, separation from the world, true Nazarite ship.
We have it in Philadelphia.
Now let's quickly look at the other two portions. First Corinthians 10.
The next one says.
Verse 9 Let us neither, let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted were destroyed of serpents. That's Numbers 21.
We'll just quickly look at that.
It says in verse 4 they journeyed from Mount Horror by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom.
And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way the people spake against God and against Moses.
Knows what they say. Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness.
For there is no bread, neither is there any water in our soul loatheth this light bread.
The manna.
And so God sent the fiery serpents among them, and they bit the people.
And they learned a lesson.
Serpent was made of brass and placed upon a pole, and everyone that looked upon that serpent of brass lived.
That's the remedy for despising.
The manner.
We have to see the end of the first man, the end of the flesh, and the end of all that we are by nature.
Serpent of brass, He was made sin on the cross. He had not only dealt with our sins, He not only dealt with what we've done, but he's dealt with what we are.
By nature the serpent of brass.
Again, there's the despising of the manna.
That was the first one that was mentioned.
And then this one and then the last one. It says verse 9 of chapter 10 of First Corinthians. Neither, let us excuse me, verse 10 neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed.
Of the Destroyer, and that's found in numbers 14, and let's just quickly look at that. The time has run out.
But there's a nice progression here. In the 13th chapter, we have the spies sent into the land, and they bring back the grapes of Eshkol. The grapes of Eshkol tell the story of the fruit of the land.
Fruit of Canaan, What's in the land now?
Land speaks of the heavenly places. The death and resurrection of Christ has brought us into a new position.
It's not the manna any longer feeding the Israelites as they went through the wilderness, but now it's.
It's the food of the land that is before them. And in the 14th chapter it says all the congregation lifted up their voice.
And cried. And the people wept that night. You see, ten of the spies had given this.
Report verse 33 of chapter 13. We saw the giants, the sons of Enoch, which came of the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight, and they were much discouraged. And all the children of Israel, verse 2 now murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them with God, that we had died in the land of Egypt. With God we had died in this wilderness.
And they say, let us make us a captain and return to Egypt.
Well, judgment falls upon them, plague breaks out. The 10 die that bring this false report. They despise the fruit of the land speaks of Christ and glory. What a portion is ours.
If you despise it, if I despise it, whether it be the manna, Christ come down and humble down here, or Christ gone up in glory, if we say that's not sufficient and we get occupied with the power of the enemy, we do not realize why that man is in the glory. He's far above all principalities and powers and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. God has put all things under his feet.
Made him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth. All in all, He is the great conqueror there, and all things serve his might.
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He is in control of everything. The enemy. The enemy cannot touch us. It's not his.
If He's not allowed to, and our portion is there where he is altogether outside of the scene, the death and resurrection of Christ and our association with Him there has carried us into a scene where the enemy cannot come, cannot defile it, cannot touch it. Our portion is sure and certain what a portion there is thine.
Jesus, thou art enough the mind and heart to fill. Whether we feed on Him as the humble Christ or our animated to run after Him as the glorified Christ in heaven, we have all that is needed.
In these two figures, Philippians 2 and three present him come down humbled and gone up glorified.
To form us, is he enough?
Is our portion enough? Samson in the 14th chapter.
He went to Timnath and he went down to Timnath and Timnath means portion.
And he says he saw a woman there, a Philistine woman. And he says to his mother, to his father, get her for me, for she pleaseth me well.
There are things down here in Timnath, another portion and they say to him.
Samson, why don't you marry one of your own? Are they not enough?
Why are you forsaking your own portion and going to another portion, young people?
You're in the assembly, You're in the place where Christ has placed his name, where the truth of God is ministered and upheld.
And acted on. We admitted. Those of us who are a little older, we admit it with great feebleness, and we have failed. And we would be the first ones to confess this to you. We have failed.
To carry out what's been entrusted to us. Don't abandoned it. Don't seek another portion. Don't go elsewhere.
God can't have another center. There is no other truth of gathering than the ground of the one body. There's no other name to which we can gather than Christ. Don't go elsewhere.
Stay where your portion is, stay where the Word of God places you, and you'll have rest for your soul. That's what I want to bring across.
It's today.
We have it traced out very briefly there in One Corinthians 10.
Is Christ enough? That's the question. We had our brother bring it before us yesterday. Is your heart filled with Him? If he's, if he's everything to you, he's everything to me, we'll be kept. We'll be kept where the Lord would have us to be till he calls us home.