Walla Walla Conference: 2019
Table of Contents
2 Timothy 1:1-5
2 Timothy 1:6-12
Reading
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How far did we get in Second Timothy 1 Bob?
Verse 6.
Good, yes.
Second Timothy one and verse 6.
Wherefore I put the in remembrance that they'll stir up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel, according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us within holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles? For the which 'cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for 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.
Hold fast the form of sound words which thou has heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee. Keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me, of whom are fight, jealous and homogeneous. The Lord give mercy unto the House of Vanessa Forest, for he OFT refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently.
And found me the Lord. Grant unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day.
And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
If we can use this six verse as an opportunity to look back. Brother Tim made some comments about gift.
And that there may be some who are younger who, who don't they wonder what their gift is. And I think it's a good opportunity to say that here we have an older man.
Writing to a younger man and he uses this expression stir up or rekindle or kindle afresh the gift that is in thee. And it's a good time for us to say there are there are hundreds of people in the room here today.
There is no such thing in the body of Christ as a non functioning member.
Every member of the body has a function.
And some of the things that we've talked about I think emphasize the fact that.
You want to know what our proper function is, and that's a matter maybe of some period of time, but it's also a matter of the Christian community. So here is an older man encouraging this younger man to rekindle the gift of God that is within him. He needed encouragement in the dark state of the assembly as it was in the empire at that time.
Needed encouragement. And when we think of the functioning members of the Assembly, we have all the different ages and stages of life at which we are. We have some in the room who've been down the road of the Christian pathway for many years. It is incumbent upon them to be looking to the next generation. And we'll see some of that as we come to the second chapter, that there are those who are older who've been in the path of faith and they watch out.
Over those who are younger, all the while realizing that a day is going to come when they're not going to be there and the baton is going to be handed to someone else. There are people in the room here who can remember a generation of men that I don't even remember.
And the men who were sitting in these conferences ministering when I came among the brethren, they're no longer here with us. It's been handed on to someone else. But it's not just that. It's every function, whatever is necessary, even those things that are not readily seen with the eye. Every member has a function. And we want to be able. First of all, I think some of the comments that were made in the first reading.
Are very important. There are things that are necessary if we're going to know what our gift is. One of them that was talked about was a good conscience.
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If there is a walking in simplicity with the Lord in our lives, we can be found in a state of soul where we can discover what our gift may be. Secondly, what is our bent? The older ones even like with a child, but the older ones can look at the bent of the younger ones and we can see, you know this might be an individual.
Who has a future as an evangelist?
You can see that with some of the younger ones or as a teacher, or there is someone who is is shows an aptitude for wisdom in applying the Word of God to the practical affairs of daily life, whatever it might be. If you look at the gifts as we have them in Romans chapter 12, First Corinthians chapter 12, Ephesians chapter 4, there are a variety of different gifts that all have a function within the body of Christ.
And I want to be in a state of soul so that I'm not disqualified from using the gift that the Lord has. I also want to be there. We want to have a condition in the assembly where the exercise of gift is encouraged. If a member does not function, the body misses out on that. And I think it's, I think it's a good thing to emphasize with this verse here for which 'cause I put the in mind to stir up or to rekindle.
The gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
It's a it's a real encouragement to look after one another, to see that the needs in the community of faith are being met and that the gifts can function normally. Every gift.
Even in the.
State of the Christian testimony as it is today. God on his side has not lacked and he continues to give gifts like you say to every member. I'd like to point out this because it's good to get it in Scripture. Ephesians 4 and verse seven you made mention of it but says unto everyone.
Of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. In other words, there's different measures given to different ones, but it's to everyone. So it's for us to be exercised about it. What are you going to do young brother or sister, because the sisters have gifts too. If you get to the judgment seat of Christ and he said the Lord says to you the gift that I gave you.
Are you going to wait till then to say I didn't even realize I had a gift?
Here it is unto everyone of us. That's why I cringe a bit when sometimes we make a classification of those in the Lords work. Brethren, we're all in the Lord's work, every one of us. Different functions, different measures, but still all in the Lord's work. And I think that's good. What you say, brother Dave, that there needs to be a sense in the those who are older.
And seeing those that are coming on, of encouraging them, giving them space to exercise their gift, because gift is developed with use, it doesn't come immediately. Still remember our brother Chuck Hendricks when somebody asked, how can I know the gift the Lord has given me?
His answer was what the what Mary said to the servants.
At the wedding feast in John Two, he said she said, whatsoever he says to you, do it. I think that's a good answer. The Lord lays something on your heart. Do it. In time it may become evident what particular gift you might have. But the point is that we function in obedience to the directions of the head. Not just because I have a gift, but the directions of the head.
And notice here in this chapter one of Second Timothy, it was by the putting on of my hands. In other words, the apostle Paul said, Timothy, I am in full agreement that you need to use the gift you have been given. Timothy evidently, according to 1St Corinthians 16, was a timid person. And so a timid person is not going to speak up that much.
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And so he tells those Corinthians to be aware that he was there and that God had given him something to be used. I'd like to go back to first Timothy chapter 4 to see the difference because as we mentioned this morning, there we have the House of God in its order. But notice the distinction here in verse 14. Neglect.
Not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterian, or the Elderhood. So evidently, when Timothy began his ministry, there were those in the local assembly that encouraged him. They laid their hands on him. They showed their fellowship. But notice what it says.
By prophecy, I suppose that the apostle Paul detected that there was a particular gift in Timothy that was going to be useful, and so he told him to be diligent in its use. I think that is very helpful to see and and.
Gifts are different, no one has exactly the same gift as another, but we are all to be exercised and if we would function as the Lord gives us opportunity, what blessing there can be.
In connection with the sisters and experience I had a few months ago, I have the privilege of having an open door in the gospel and therapy houses. But the dear sisters, they make up cakes and cookies so.
I have a little refreshment for them after the meeting. And so one week this young man came at the end of the meeting. We I get, you know, from anywhere from 30 to 50 that come. But at the end of the meeting they all come for the cake and cookies. And so this fellow came around and he had a a piece of cake.
And he felt obliged to talk to me because he had a piece of cake. He thought that was so nice. And so we talked together. And he said, I'm not really interested, but I'll come next week, you know, and he got saved. So I want to thank the sister for the piece of cake, you know, so all the members are useful. And so perhaps you didn't know she was a Baker evangelist, you know, just encourage the sisters.
We don't really know what gift Timothy had. I don't think Scripture ever says in the 4th chapter he says do the work of an evangelist, but it doesn't say that he was gifted in that way. And I think it shows that if the Lord lays on our heart to do something like evangelizing, even though we don't have the gift for it, we need to be obedient to the Lord in that. I wonder, Brother Bob, if verse 13.
That you mentioned first Timothy chapter 4 verse 13 really defines Timothy gift. I'm suggesting this because it says till I come give attendance to reading. That's the public reading of the scripture. So a reading meeting like this remember that they didn't all have copies of the word of God. So a copy of a particular epistle would be read and then one that had the gift of teaching or exhortation here would.
Be able to expound the passage so he was to go to those Bible readings, conduct perhaps Bible readings and exhortation are really.
The.
Stirring up of the Saints in connection with what was being brought out, and then doctrine.
Doctrine is just an old English word that means teaching. So it's evident that Timothy had a gift for being able to expound the truth and to stir up the Saints, to encourage the Saints to walk in the truth. And he had an orderly outline of the truth of God and the Pauls doctrine particularly. And then in verse 14, as you mentioned, the apostle says neglect not the gift that is in thee. So he was timid and he perhaps was a little reticent and there were others that were there and he probably would rather just sit back and let them take part.
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But he had a gift for expounding the truth of God. And so the apostle encouraged it. Now you might say, when did you get that gift? Well, it's been pointed out that the brethren recognized, and Paul himself recognized that this young man has a gift. But I believe he got it at the time that he was saved. And if we just look back at Ephesians or forward to Ephesians chapter 2, we find that there's at the time of our salvation, at the time that we're sealed with the Spirit of God.
That we get a couple of gifts here. One is faith, chapter 2 of Ephesians verse 8 for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. So as soon as you're sealed with the Spirit of God.
Or quickened, I should say. You're quickened with the Spirit, You're given life, You have divine life. You have the capacity to hear the voice of the Lord, and He gives you faith to believe so that when you do hear His voice, you do believe.
But I believe at the time that we're quickened, He gives us spiritual gifts. Everyone would get a spiritual gift. We have natural gifts that are given at our natural birth, but we have spiritual gifts that are given to us when we're born again. And when we're sealed with the Spirit of God, then we have the power we have. We're indwelled with the Spirit of God. We have the ability to use that gift for the glory of God.
No gifts are mentioned here, aren't they? But.
It's really in passing almost, isn't it? Because it seems like this last epistle of Paul, he's speaking about the condition of soul necessary to thrive in the difficult circumstances when there's failure, general failure. And So what we have here are mainly the moral and the spiritual character that does these things. Gift is good, good to talk about that. We have that in different places.
In First Corinthians and Ephesians, but it's really part of the package here, isn't it? Sometimes people wonder, well, what's the difference between spiritual and moral? Maybe it's helpful to point that out. At least as best as I understand it, the spiritual qualifications have to do with my personal relationship with the Lord. The moral qualifications have to do with the practical working out of that in my soul and my relationship with others. And so that's what's mentioned in this book. Now this is Paul's last epistle. Some of us were visiting during the lunch hour.
And one of the brothers was we were speaking about it and he said, well, notice that Paul doesn't say well.
What you have to do, because things are so weak, you're going to have to set up a system, you're going to have to have a clergy, and you're going to have to appoint certain people that are going to be teachers and certain people. It doesn't say that at all, does it? But it's the moral condition that's conducive to order in God's house, even if it's only part of it, as we'll see in chapter 2. Because what we see in chapter 2 is within the great house, there's a place where the Spirit of God is given his proper place.
And so we're to act in such a way that we behave in such a way that we recognize his place and his person. So again, I just want to make the point. I appreciated that. Brother pointed out to me that it's not a mechanical thing he sets up. That's what men have done, and that's what Christianity historically has done, is set up a system with clergy and with offices and so on and so on and so forth. Here it's the moral and spiritual qualifications.
Necessary to function properly in the House of God.
Yes, I think that is very, very good.
Because the tendency is as the power of the Spirit of God, and of course I'm not talking about his intrinsic power, but the enjoyment and living in the good of the power of the Spirit of God. As that declines, so does arrangements to fill the vacuum with human energy increase and that is the system that you're talking out talking about.
And so here in the next verse now we need to remember that if we follow Bob's outline, we have 3/4 of an hour to finish this chapter.
But in the next verse, in verse seven, Timothy is reminded that it is God's power.
God's love and a sound mind. I'm no Greek scholar, anyone can look this up, but the word for power here is the word that is generally used for God's power. The word for love here is the word that is used for divine love. And the word that is used for a sound mind is a mind, I believe under the control of the Lord through the Spirit of God.
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It's the same word as is used about the man who was filled with demons over in the country of the Gadarenes, and of whom, it could be said, after the Lord had cast them out, he was clothed and in his right mind. And so we have everything that we need amid all the weakness to go ahead. Does that mean we're going to restore things back to what they were?
Originally, no. In the second chapter we find that that isn't going to happen. Does that mean that we can pretend to have the power of Pentecost? No, that's a mistake, and to try and do so only makes us realize that we don't have it. Does it mean that we should try and fill the vacuum with human energy? No. That becomes pretty self-evident if we're honest with ourselves that that is not spiritual power.
But at the same time, has the Lord changed? No, he has not. But.
Again, a remark that was a big help to me.
And some will recognize the source of it.
The Lord will always meet us where we are in blessing, if we admit where we are, if we pretend to be what we're not. He has to occupy us with our failure until we own it.
But if we take the place that yes, the church has failed, yes, we are part of the failure, no, we cannot expect to restore things to what they were at the beginning, Then the Lord says, my power is there, my spirit is there, my love is there for you, and you are not to have the spirit of fear. We can go forward in confidence, but at the same time in the humility.
Of realizing that we are part of the ruin of the church.
Here is a ingredient off times when a young man wants to commence to use what the Lord may have given him or put on his heart.
But that's not the spirit that God has given us. He's given us the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
Always remember your late father-in-law, Brother Bill.
Encouraging us younger ones. And he was.
Really good in the gospel. He had a gift in the gospel, but he told us that the first time he gave got up. You probably remember this. It was in Toronto I think it was and there were quite a few older well taught brothers sitting there and he said I was so scared I my mouth went dry and I.
Reached through the glass of water, but my hand was trembling so bad I had to hold it with the two hands to take a drink.
You would never know that in later years he was a gift and that that shows that gift is something that is developed with the use. So seek the Lord, start in your own local area.
Samson began. The Spirit of God began to move him in the camp of Dan that was his own local area.
And so that's where to start. And then the Lord will show you where to go from there.
So, Brother Bill, you use the expression the ruin, the ruin of the church.
What do we mean when we say the ruin of the church?
But I believe what we mean by that is that.
Very shortly after the apostles passed off the scene, we find that very quickly the church gave up many of those cardinal truths that the Lord had given through Paul, the heavenly calling of the church, the leading and guiding of the Spirit of God instead of human systems, the present living hope of the Lord's coming at any moment, and many other precious truths.
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These were given up, and as a result, human systems came in, bad doctrine came in, bad practices came in, which resulted very quickly in what the Scripture calls the Great House in the next chapter.
And.
It is always, I believe, a principle with God that whenever something that He sets up fails.
And every, if we could say it this way, every dispensation has begun in blessing and has ended in failure, whether in the Old Testament or the New.
Whenever that happens, it's a principle with God that he does not restore things.
Down here to the condition they were at the beginning, but he calls out of that ruin those who.
A spouse who show out, live out the characteristics that God gave right at the beginning, but only in a character that demonstrates the weakness that has come in. And so the church is in ruins because instead of a united testimony in this world going on with oneness of mind, being led and guided by the Spirit of God.
What do we see? We see Christendom all broken up into literally hundreds of different groups and denominations, some with a large measure of truth, some with so little truth that you could scarcely call them Christian, and yet all congregated under the umbrella of what we might call the great House of Christendom. And I believe that is what we might call the ruin of the church. Would you agree with that, Dave, or would you add to that?
So if we if we can, we can compare a few scriptures. If we have Matthew chapter 16, we see that Christ builds. He is a builder on this rock. I will build my church and I think we can say that what God does is perfect. It is not ruined. What Christ builds is the building of God.
But we have in First Corinthians chapter 3 we see that men build.
On that foundation, foundation is Jesus Christ. There is no other foundation, but men build upon that foundation. There are some who build and both they and their work are saved, are commended. There are some who build and they are saved, but their work is lost, it's burned up. And then there are the third class where both the workmen.
And the work are burned up. In other words, some of these heterodox teachers that bring in Christ dishonouring doctrine, they don't build on the truth. They, they, they're building on the foundation, but they're adding wood, hay and stubble and this kind of thing. So there's the difference between what Christ builds, which is perfect, and there's that which man builds. And I think we, we see in Scripture, as you say, that God will begin something.
But then we see the activity of man and what does it become in the hands of man? And that's where the ruin comes in. Now, everybody can take there. There are many excellent volumes of church history where you can go all the way back and and see some of the initial issues that arose at the beginning of the history of the church. And as it's been said elsewhere, in the first few 100 years, there were the Christological issues.
Where the the person of Christ, what do the Scriptures really teach about the person of Christ? Is he very God and very man? Is he the eternal Son of God? The doctrine of the Trinity? These things were fleshed out in the first four or 500 centuries of the church's history. And, and what have we seen? We've seen ruin that has come in with many of those things, many of those teachings.
That have departed from the biblical teaching of the person of Christ. Well, that's just an example. There are many other things.
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So I think those two things, what Christ builds and what man builds on the foundation, those two things are key to understanding what has happened over the past 2000 years in the Christian profession.
That's what God does is forever, isn't it? And and there is no fly in it. I sometimes use the expression the ruin is in the public testimony. That's where the ruin has come in because people say is the body of Christ one and they looked around at the different groups and they say I don't see that.
And so the public testimony shows otherwise. But God is faithful and he continues to give gifts. I think that's so amazingly wonderful. Even in our day, brethren, He's giving gifts. And so we need to be encouraged and we need to be exercised to use what the Lord has given us.
Well, the apostle in verse eight goes on, and he says, therefore thou therefore be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. And so.
Timothy was.
Very well aware that all day in Asia had been turned away from the apostle Paul, so they had turned away from his doctrine. What did Paul teach? He taught that the church was an heavenly Organism, didn't belong to this world, wasn't a part of Judaism at all. And he taught the fact that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. All those things that have to do with good church order, Paul taught those things. He taught us about the coming of the Lord.
We didn't read that. I didn't learn it from John or from, although in John's gospel he speaks of the Lord, gives the seed plot of it. He speaks of all those things that we have in Christ, all those blessings. That's Paul's doctrine and he teaches us the doctrinal significance of the remembrance of the Lord, what the loaf means, what the cup means and the cup of blessing which we bless and so on and so.
Timothy knew that the whole of the Christian profession at that time largely had gone off into a popular Christianity, a mixed thing, a mixed thing of Judaism and Christianity, and took the sharp edge off the sword, you might say. And there wasn't a reproach to that kind of Christianity. But to remain faithful to Paul's doctrine and to remain faithful to the truth of what God teaches as to what the church is and how the church should conduct itself will bring reproach.
And it was going to bring reproach to Timothy. And so he says, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner. And so we need to be willing. And I believe this is the instruction that we're getting here in Second Timothy. Paul is saying, be willing to identify yourself with the rejected Christ. Be willing to identify yourself with Paul's doctrine that has been rejected. It's very evident.
In the world that we live in, that Paul's doctrine is being given up and has been given up to a large part.
It's very evident. The one outward visible expression of it is that the sisters in Christendom don't see themselves as being a type of Christ, a type of the church in submission to Christ, and they don't cover their heads, They don't see the type, they don't see the picture, and so they've given up. It's a visible giving up of Paul's doctrine. So what a privilege it is to identify with the Lord in his rejection.
To be gathered by the Spirit of God to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, and then to to identify ourselves with Paul's doctrine, to know it, to get an outline of it, to enjoy it, and to live in the good of it.
I'd love to connect verse 8, verse 12, think he says to Timothy, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. And then in verse 12, Paul says, nevertheless, I am not ashamed. So there was the example for Timothy. Paul, where are you in prison? Whatever happened?
Well, they rejected my testimony and so I landed in prison. Timothy, aren't you ashamed of that man? He's just so narrow minded. Why don't you just leave him there?
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Don't be ashamed, Timothy. I am not ashamed. Look how he says it. I think it's so beautiful. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded when it says am persuaded.
It means that there was reasons for Him to take the place that he did. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
The word is in the new translation. Is that the deposit? I am persuaded that he is able to keep that deposit. Aren't you losing balls by taking that position? No, my deposit is kept on another side. Oh, brethren, it it does me good. It encourages me to see the confidence with which the Apostle Paul speaks. I am not ashamed.
I know whom I have believed. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. Every encouragement, isn't it? When we read Scripture, it's always helpful, isn't it, to look for keywords or key expressions in a particular book? And I think this is the key expression in the book of Second Timothy. Keep that good deposit entrusted. We have that same expression in the previous.
Chapter of last chapter of First Timothy. I'll read in the new translation verse 20. Otimotheus, keep the entrusted deposit.
What is the deposit that God has entrusted to us? Well, it's those things that were recovered in the 1St century, weren't they? The foundations of Christianity with the truth of a remnant testimony. And if we look at church history, it's so impressed me that these truths were understood to a certain extent in the 1St century. The Word of God wasn't even completed until the end of the 1St century. And then these things were gradually, were actually quickly lost, weren't they, for many, many years?
And then over the period of time there was a recovery beginning back in the 14th century with Wickliffe and some of those people and Hus, and then later with the Reformation of some of these truths began to be recovered. I think we have a beautiful picture of it in Matthew 13, which is really a picture of church history. We have the treasure first. The treasurer, Mr. Kelly points out, is usually made-up of a number of individual pieces. And in the Reformation that some of the individual truths of Christianity were recovered.
And that's a wonderful thing. And that was the foundation then on which the next parable in Matthew 13 is the Pearl. The the parable of the Pearl, which as we well know from Revelation and other places, is a picture of the Church of God, the collective truth. But not only the collective truth, but all the counsel of God, as Paul says in Acts chapter 20. Now these things were recovered only 160 or 170 years ago.
And these things have been entrusted to us, and a great day of weakness, haven't they? But the truth is there in fact.
It's more available now than it's ever been. These eternal truths. I was thinking of two expressions. The one is.
The verse 8, the testimony of our Lord and another inverse. I know I have to go quickly here because our time is down to 25 minutes now, but in verse 9 according to his own purpose.
Well, it's God's testimony and God's purpose, and it's been entrusted to us. That's a wonderful privilege. There's a difference in Matthew 5 where the Lord Jesus speaks of the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Mr. Kelly and his excellent book on Matthew points that out. The light of the world is what we normally speak of. That's the gospel to this whole wide world. But earth in Scripture is generally used in a more restricted way to profession.
So the salt of profession is what we're speaking about as well. The church has those two important ministries. The one is in the gospel, the other is the mystery. And the mystery has to do with the whole council of God. And I, I, I believe that's what we have here. I would, I would like to say that I believe that's the key expression in Second Timothy is keep the good deposit entrusted.
So there are two deposits, aren't there here in this chapter, is that right? There is a deposit that we put up there with the Lord and that's in verse 12.
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And there's the deposit in verse 14 that the Lord gives us to keep.
There can be no question of the Lord keeping our deposit if we could say it in.
Financial terminology. It's an absolutely secure investment. Can't possibly fail. How many are interested today in a good investment? One that will not fail? Where can I put my money where it'll yield good dividends, good profits, good increase? Here's the best investment we can make.
But then the Lord says, I've given you a deposit, now are you going to keep that? And as you say, Eric, that's the exhortation that is given to Timothy. The deposit is there. It's complete. Men have tried to say, well, I've got a new revelation. Muhammad said I've got a new revelation. Ellen White said I've got a new revelation. And various others have come along and said, well, I've got something new.
No, the deposit is complete and it's there. We have the wonderful responsibility to keep it.
I've often said that I believe I'd like.
Subject, of course, to my brother's thought, but I believe really that this, this position that we've been entrusted with as as Christians is the highest privilege that God has given to any of his creatures. And it hasn't been recovered really in its, in its wholeness until recent years. So it's a tremendous privilege that we have, isn't it? I like the expression. I've often mentioned it, but Mr. Faraday in one of his little books on Solomon.
Made a striking statement that I've never forgotten, he said. Israel is the aristocracy of this earth. The Christian is the aristocracy of the universe.
Yeah.
So Paul was in prison when he was writing these. He was suffering for the name of Jesus Christ. He had preached the gospel to the Gentiles. He says in verse 11, I'm a pre. I was appointed a preacher, an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. Verse 12 for this 'cause I suffer. And so the apostle Paul was suffering because of his testimony of Jesus Christ, but he also suffered double because the this the.
All the Saints in Asia were turning away from him.
So he suffered at the hand of the Saints and he's telling Timothy, now you need to go to these people and it's not going to be easy. Don't have a spirit of fear. And so if you are a servant of the Lord, which you all are in one form or another, you are a servant of the Lord. If you know Him as your Savior and you have a gift and you have a ministry, and God has not given us a spirit of fear. If you're going to serve the Lord, you need to have courage.
That's another another quality of a servant of the Lord is he needs courage.
To serve the Lord and it says be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. So not only does there need to be courage because we're facing the world that hates the Lord, we're facing Christians who don't want the apostles doctrines, there's going to be afflictions. And so we need to be willing to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. We need to be willing to suffer in our in our Christian pathway. And Paul says for this, 'cause I also suffer. And he's telling Timothy, you're going to suffer too if you're going to take up this.
This work to serve the Lord.
You're going to suffer and Paul says I know, I know in verse 12. I know whom I have believed. I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. And so he's looking forward to that day. What is that day? That day is when the Lord Jesus comes back and takes his rightful place as king of kings in this in this world and he sets up the Kingdom here and all the enemies are destroyed and put away. And at that time all the gifts are are being used or the.
The rewards that we receive in that day, the day of when the Lord Jesus takes his place, we'll start being able to use our rewards that He's given us. Those rewards are not for our glory, They're not for our prestige. They're for the Lord. We cast our crowns at his feet. Those crowns go back to the Lord. But as a servant of the Lord in this day, we need to have courage. We need to be willing to suffer for Christ.
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Because we know in that day we've committed ourselves to him.
Because we know in that day everything will come out right.
That's that's very good what you just shared and I was.
Wells between second Timothy chapter one year and Haggai.
What was said to the the remnant when they had stopped building in the book of Haggai? They had become discouraged and complacent. And in verse five of Haggai chapter 2.
It says here, according to the word that I coveted with you when you came out of Egypt, So my spirit remains among you. Fear ye not. And so they were told not to be afraid. And then the word goes on a little bit later, a reminder of what was to come.
That some were discouraged, Perhaps the state of things there.
At that time and the house that was being built, but they were, they were given a future view of what was to come. And so it says in verse 9 and Hagee I chapter 3, The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former mercy of the Lord of hosts. And in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. So I just thought of that in connection with the verse you just read you mentioned about. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that.
Day and it's such an encouragement to our souls to look forward to that day. That was the word of the Day of Haggai.
And in connection with that, not to.
Go back too far, but in verse 10 and also in verse 9.
It seems to me that the Lord is in verse 9 going back into a past eternity.
All of this was something that was in God's purposes in a past eternity.
Verse 10 shows us that.
God has now brought into the light what the future holds. It could read in the middle of verse 10, Who hath abolished isn't really the right word, because in that sense if the Lord doesn't come, we do go through death. But it could read an old death.
All the sting that was associated with death under sin has been taken away and brought life, and not immortality, but incorruptibility to light through the gospel.
We've attended funerals, many of us, and when that body is laid to rest, it sees corruption in the normal course of events. But will those who are alive at the coming of the Lord seek corruption? Absolutely not. And will those bodies be raised again in incorruption if they have suffered corruption?
Indeed they will. They'll be raised, glorified bodies. Well, now, if God had purposes in a past eternity that can never fail, and if God has shown us the blessedness of the future, here we are between the two.
In what is admittedly a place where failure, at least in outward profession, has taken place, how we can be encouraged on the one hand, to see the purposes of God in a past eternity and to see, on the other hand, what he has for us in the future. And that ties in very much with what you were saying, Sean.
We need to know. We need to recognize too, that what Paul was given to reveal to the church, it was revealed to him.
He brings in life and immortality to life or to light or incorruptibility.
That has to do with the body. What really happens with the body after death? The Old Testament Saints really didn't have a clear picture, did they? No. And they didn't have a real clear picture in connection with life, their own souls, what they look for after they pass through the article of death, they had no idea. So it was after Christ came into this world and after he went into death and raised the gain. And his body, the very same body, the walk through this world with was glorified.
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And the truth was revealed to Paul in connection with the immortality of the Saints. The in first Corinthians chapter 15, the change that's going to take place, what life really is composed of for a believer, his future state with the body that he has glorified. It was all revealed through Paul's ministry. And so this is what he's Speaking of here and what God has done not only.
For the blessing of man, but for his own glory, for his own pleasure. And so he says that in verse 11 That he was appointed a preacher.
An apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. So he had many gifts. He was an evangelist, he was an apostle. He was the one that was sent by God to deliver a message with a particular work. And so he was appointed an apostle and he was also a teacher. He was a very gifted man and he used that gift to.
Really lay the foundation, you might say, in connection with this, these truths that we understand, that we know, and that we should enjoy and that we should have an outline of. Because in the Old Testament times they had no idea. After they left this world, they had very little idea of what took place afterwards. They knew that there was a resurrection and they thought of it in a general sense. The Lord began to open up the veil a little bit and reveal it to them.
In connection with the rich man and Lazarus and in connection with the death of Lazarus and his resurrection, he revealed some of the truth of those things. But it wasn't until the believers were indwelled with the Spirit of God and had the capacity, the spiritual capacity to understand these things that the apostle Paul was given the revelations and he unfolded it all. So now we understand completely. We ought to understand completely.
The word of God has given it to us. So in a day of ruin then.
Where Timothy is being encouraged to rekindle the gift of God which is within him, we have in verse 13. Here you might say we have the first antidote that he is faced with. The apostle says hold fast the form of sound words or in the new translation have an outline of sound words, which words thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. Now every element there is important.
An outline of sound words, a systematic expose. He is to have a systematic theology in his mind. This is an encouragement to study systematically. You know, Paul was accused in in Acts 17 when he was speaking there on Mars Hill. They said, what will this babbler say? That's a Sperma logo. It's a seed picker. And you find the people that they'll pick up a little something here and a little something there, and they kind of get this mystical system of all these little things that they've picked up and put together.
And it simply doesn't hold water. There might be a few things that are true, but then there might be a whole lot of it that's just an ad mixture of some other stuff that comes in. We want to study systematically. He was to have an outline of what he held. And he got these words which he had heard from Paul. He heard it right from the source in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. And that takes away the thought that it's merely an intellectual thing. Is the mind involved? Yes, of course the mind is involved.
But it links us up with the person.
The living Word is revealed in the written word, and the written word brings us instruction as to the living Word. We want to have a systematic understanding of what we hold from Scripture. That's very important. There are many helps available. There are many that can offer direction as to where you might start, but you want to understand the Word of God.
Systematically so that you see where the parts fit in the hole.
That's what we have in second Peter chapter one. Don't wait. Peter brings the same thing out. He said, knowing this first, that no prophecy of scriptures of any private interpretation. In other words, every part of scripture is part of a larger piece and we have to understand the larger pieces in order to understand where each piece fits. And so it is so important. And these things have been recovered again in recent years.
00:55:05
We sometimes refer to it generally as dispensationalism. It gives us an outline of Scripture. I've often appreciated that. There's three PS that'll maybe be helped to help to some others in getting an outline of Scripture. When is that? Scripture is progressive. There's a progression from Genesis through Revelation. Genesis is the introduction. Genesis is the Revelation is the conclusion and what we have in between. But then there's also.
A great deal of parallelism in Scripture. We talked about Judges and Joshua parallel to what we have in first and Second Timothy, for instance. There's a number of parallels in Scripture and there's illustrations. The Old Testament illustrates the truth of the New Testament. And then there's parentheses. We have to understand that there's certain parentheses. The church, for instance, is a parenthesis between Israel being set aside and Israel restored.
And that puts to rest some outlines that people have where they say that the the church takes the place of Israel. It does not. The church is simply a parenthesis between the time that Israel is set aside and when it's restored. So I just mentioned those three. PS Maybe some help, maybe some may be helpful to some others. They've been a help to me. We have progression in Scripture. We have parallelism.
And then we have parenthesis.
Had a Fort peak.
Because all that it has to be connected, as you mentioned, with the person.
When we disconnected from the person, it's like disconnecting our minds from our hearts.
Somebody has a beating heart and he's alive, but he might not be thinking about anything.
But if you stop the heart, of course you can't be thinking about anything. So the heart is really, I think the key and the person of the Lord Jesus is the heart of Scripture from 1 Cover to another where it's parallel parenthesis. And I agree with what you said, brother, but I really will feel in my own heart that we have to connect every time with that which we have in that verse we were reading in 13 verse. It's faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Not article of things that we believe, it's the person that we believe in and all the things connected with him.
Is a person who loved us had a different thought in connection with Matthew 13 because that treasure in the field, that merchant, that man, he sold all he had to have the treasure. And I did have a precious thought in my heart that because the treasure is made-up of different pieces that are precious. I thought of that as the Lord thinking that you and me, each one of us are precious to Him.
Collectively, that Pearl.
And both of these are to be at this time affected in our affections towards that same person.
Hasn't God revealed to us something, what He feels about His Son, the satisfaction that He's found in Him, so that He would have something now? The Lord just would have something now. He's going to have it all when He comes, because we're all going to be brought into the full intelligence of who He is and what He's done, but He's given to us now.
While we're here on the earth to reveal to us the person of his son, so Paul says to reveal his son in me, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. The Lord loved the church and gave himself for it. For it. What is he getting in response to giving himself?
For you, what is he getting from us or giving himself for us? I think this is what our response should be today as we learn of these things that we move our hearts to live for Him individually and collectively.
Might just ask how do we get a sound outline? How do we get a sound outline of the word of God?
Well, if we turn to 1St a second Timothy 3 verse 14, it says, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And so Timothy had learned from Paul himself. And Mr. Darby made the comment, perhaps I'm not saying exactly right, but he said that no Christian in the day that we live in can live in a right way without knowing Paul's doctrine.
01:00:00
No, Christian today cannot live in a right way without knowing Paul's doctrine. How do I get an outline of it? Read Paul's ministry, take notes. You know, there's a brother, he's well known among us. He has a notebook that Mister Darby had, and it's probably an inch thick, maybe 4 inches by 6 inches, just littered with notes. Mr. Darby was very well taught man, knew Greek, Hebrew.
Different languages could translate the scriptures into French and so on.
He took notes he had an outline of scripture take notes get an outline when it comes to I I mentioned earlier that there are four parts main parts to Paul's doctrine, the coming of the Lord make notes as to what those Scriptures are study them and the notes in connection with the remember to the Lord and those things that have to do with church order all the Christ loved the church gave himself for it. What is the church have an outline of that. Well, Timothy did and he didn't even have.
All of the Scriptures. There is no excuse for us today not to have an outline of scripture.
Of Paul's doctrine, there's no excuse not to have it. We have electronic ebooks, we have books. We have the funds to be able to afford to buy the books we have. We can make the time to read those books. We have it all. But perhaps we don't have the outline. And so this is very practical ministry. Paul was giving to Timothy, wasn't he says have an outline. And he says a little earlier, I think it's in first Timothy that he did have that outline.
Want to encourage our young people to not miss the assembly reading meetings. That's I must say, brethren, in looking back over my life and 62 years ago, I remember being at a conference here with old brother HE Hayhoe. I was 13 years old and I must say I didn't pick up a whole lot. But yes, I did pick up a little piece here.
And there, but it's important to be at the assembly readings. I appreciate the reading meeting because.
There's a balance in ministry. One brother speaks and another brother can balance it off properly or correct if there's need for that. And I must say, I remember times when there was definite correction in a reading meeting and it impressed me. Brethren, that's what is so important in learning the truth of God. So over the course of many years, listening.
Listen to what your brethren are saying. Don't be occupied with your cell phone and and what somebody may be writing to you. Listen in. The reading means it's valuable. There's a balance in the ministry that you won't get anywhere else.
What Paul received, he received directly by revelation of Jesus Christ. He says. Let's read it in Galatians chapter two. I think it is.
No, it's Galatians chapter one.
Galatians, chapter one, verse 11. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And so he got many revelations from the Lord. We might also read in chapter 2 and verse.
9 Galatians 2 verse nine. When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they under the circumcision only they would, that we would remember, should remember the poor the same which I also was poor to do. And so.
Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, and God spoke to him by revelation. He gave him many revelations. Let's look at another one.
First First Thessalonians, chapter 4.
Just as an example.
Make a list of the revelations that Paul was given of the Lord. It says First Thessalonians chapter 4.
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Verse 15 For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. So Paul didn't just dream this up. He didn't get it from the Jews in Jerusalem. It wasn't a part of Judaism. It was something distinct, it was new, and it was because the church.
Those that were members of the church were indwelled with the Spirit of God and had the spiritual capacity to understand and to walk in what was being taught it. It's also important to emphasize that what Paul received by revelation of Jesus Christ was the key to understanding the Old Testament as well, because now he had the key.
On general statement First Corinthians 11/23 that which I received of the Lord, that also I delivered unto you, and we have in our chapter Second Timothy chapter 2. Consider what I say, and the Lord will give the intelligence and knowledge in all things, not of all things.
Our time is up.
The House of God
Address—Bob Thonney
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Let's sing number 178.
Blessed Father.
Infinite in grace, source of eternal joy.
Thou lead star hearts to that blessed place where rests without alloy.
Want to start by reading a couple verses in Psalm 84?
The first.
Is.
Verse 4.
David, evidently in this first section of this Psalm, at a distance from the tabernacles of the Lord, says this, Blessed are they that dwell in thine house.
They will be still praising thee. Selah.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. A little bit further on in the same Psalm, verse 10, second phrase I had rather.
Be a doorkeeper in the House of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedness. I'd like to speak this afternoon.
About the House of God.
The House of God has spoken of quite a bit in the Old Testament.
And also in the New Testament.
What is the House of God? Well we know in New Testament revelation that the church is the House of God and David could say blessed are they that dwell in thine house. At that time it was the Tabernacle when David was there because the temple wasn't built yet.
And later on it was the temple.
But now in the New Testament, the Church of the living God is the House of God.
We not only dwell in the house, brethren, we are the house. So in a certain sense of the word, we never cease to be in the Lord's presence. And the challenge that comes to my soul, brethren, when I think of this incredible truth dwelling in the House of God.
Where is this? It's in the place.
Of the enjoyment of all that God is for us and in US and to us.
And it's lifting our hearts in praise to Him. I I just feel like we are not.
Fulfilling our responsibility as priests.
We are priests, brothers and sisters alike. Do you take time in your daily life to praise Him? Or is it just when you come together in public meetings that you lift a song of praise to Him?
We're not only priests when we come together on a Lords day to remember the Lord and his death. We are priests every single day. And I think if there was more occupation of who God is, he has been fully revealed in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament. They knew God. There was a partial revelation of God. There is a partial revelation in creation.
How big is our God?
O brethren, when we look at creation, the incredible immensity of it all.
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Our God made it, His wisdom, His power, His greatness. You know we live in a day when man is setting himself forward as important.
Are you important? Am I important?
Brethren, let's get the perspective right here. Yeah, you might be important, but important in comparison with our God and dwelling in His house to be occupied with His glory, to be occupied with the power, the wisdom that is so evident in Him. I just would like to.
Refocus our vision, not so much on what we are, but on who he is.
It is our privilege to be in His house every single day of the year. So blessed are they that dwell in Thy house. That's where we are. Brethren, let's go over to the New Testament because that's where I want to speak mainly in first of all, in First Timothy, chapter 3, we in Second Timothy, but we mentioned this morning in First Timothy, we have the House of God.
In its order and so if you read here first Timothy 3. Let's read from verse 14 to start with says these things right I unto thee, hoping to come into thee shortly. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave thyself.
In the House of God.
Which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit.
Seeing of angels.
Preached unto the Gentiles, Believed on in the world.
Received up into glory or in glory.
Interesting. Here we have one of the aspects of the church is that we are the House of God. We know in Ephesians chapter one, it says that the church is the body of Christ too. That's a different aspect. That's our relationship with Christ as head. But here we have the aspect of the church as the House of God.
And it's in connection with behavior.
How are you behaving?
It's important your behavior.
In the House of God.
Oh, brother, and I really believe if we were more occupied with the glory of our God, our behavior would correspondingly be proper. But it's because we start looking at one another and comparing ourselves amongst ourselves that we get distracted.
Not that we don't have a responsibility one with another.
But the Lord help us, brethren, to keep our focus on our God. And I like to put it in this way that our God is not only our God, but he's our Father. And that incredible to think I've often mentioned it and I I still revel in it.
Muslims say that God is unknown and unknowable.
And you and I can say we know God personally. Not only is he our God, but he is our Father. Look up into the heavens and say the God that made this whole universe is my Father. He takes an individual interest in every single one of his children.
I revel in the fact that when the Lord Jesus inside John's 14 said.
In my father's house.
Are many mansions or many abodes?
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And why didn't he say in my house? Why did he say in my father's house? Because I think it's bringing forth our individual relationship with God as Father, and He has a special place in His heart for every one of us. There is a place for me there that nobody else can occupy.
But there is a place.
For our brother Eric James, that I'm not going to be able to occupy. Everyone has an individual place. So I even know there will be millions and I suppose we could say billions of the redeemed. Everyone will have a special place of attention from him, you know, go to Latin America, down in Oaxaca, there was a brother that had seventeen children and it's interesting to see his. He's gone to be with the Lord now.
But I used to go down there and every time I go down there was another child.
And I used to say, how many children are there now, brother? And he said.
Rather, they're various. That's all he would tell me he didn't know. I don't know if he knew the number, but he had so many. But I like to ask those kind of people.
That many children, which is your favorite one? And you know, when there's a right family relationship, they say every one of them is my favorite. You know how each one of them is different, but favorite in a different way. And I think that's really what it means.
My father's house are many abodes. There's a place for every single 10 brethren. We need to revel in the fact that we are in the House of God and it's the Church of the living God. And notice what it says here, the pillar and ground of the truth. I still remember our brother Eric Smith Speaking of this and he said.
The Church is not the truth. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.
The support you have pillars to hold up something and what holds up the truth is the Church of the living God. It's not a Bible school. There are Bible schools that teach probably pretty good Christian truth to a certain extent, but that's not the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the Church of the living God Where God.
Instructs us in First Corinthians chapter 14. Let the prophet speak.
Two or three and let the others judge. In other words, like we were mentioning in the reading meeting that was that was just passed. There is a balance in the reading meetings to correct if there's something that's not wrong, right and the truth is upheld and maintained in that context. Go to a Bible school and there may be a.
That teaches pretty well, generally speaking. But supposing to make some mistake, are the students capacitated to say, hey, you made a mistake on that point? No, they're not there. And so the Bible school is not the pillar and ground of the truth. It's the Church of the living God that is the pillar and ground of the truth. And I love verse 16. Notice it, It says.
Great without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit scene of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Of course we relate that to the Lord Jesus.
And those little phrases apply to him. But I don't know if you've noticed that the Lord Jesus was not preached to the Gentiles until after he was received up into glory. So the order is not in the order of the Lord's life. I think the order is in connection with the testimony of the Church of God when they walk in the order that they should.
Says God was manifest in the flesh. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 it says.
If someone comes in among you and those they you prophecy.
The thoughts of his heart will be judged, and he will confess of a truth. God is in you, so God is manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit. The Spirit of God is here to bear testimony to the truth.
00:15:05
I may make a mistake, and if I make a mistake, brethren, the Spirit of God is not going to commend it to your heart. I think that's so amazingly wonderful to realize that the Spirit of God is here to bear witness to the truth of God.
Scene of angels.
Anybody ever seen an Angel?
I suppose we have, but we didn't realize it.
But the point here is not that we see angels, but the angels are watching us and that's why the sisters have a head covering on because of the angels.
Sister shows in that way by covering her head when it comes to that which relates to God, to praying or prophesying it, and is in the assembly meetings. But it's not limited to that. It's in the time we pray or prophecy. The head covering is an indication there is a woman that recognizes God's order in creation.
Christ, the head of the man.
So the man should take off any head covering that is on his head, and the man the head of the woman. So there's an order of authority, and the angels respect that order. They never disobey. If they disobey once, it's eternal condemnation for them. They always obey. What do they say about?
Christians who say they are children of God and don't obey.
Oh, it's a serious reflection we're seeing of angels.
And then it says preached into the Gentiles. You know, I think there's real blessing when we respect the order of God's house believed on in the world. There's blessing in the gospel. And then the last phrase is received up in glory. What a wonderful thing if we are walking in the order of God's house, when that moment comes when we'll be received up in glory.
Respecting the order that he has set in his precious word.
Now, given that, brethren, I'd like to go back briefly in this chapter to show that we have two sometimes we call them offices that God has put in connection with the church as the House of God.
1St is what is called in verse one a Bishop, the same word as an elder or an overseer in other parts of the scripture?
They are those who watch over the spiritual needs of God's people and then from verse.
Eight down we have the deacons, those who take care of the material things in connection with the House of God. Since it's a House of order, not only the spiritual matters, but the material things.
There should be order in it and it's interesting if you'll look at Mr.
Darby's translation in verse.
11 It says in the King James Even so must their wives, but it says in the new translation, Even so let the women, because women can be ministers as well, Deacon or ministers the same word. If you look at Romans chapter 16, you find a sister. Her name was Phoebe who was.
Minister of the Church of Sencreator. The word is the same word as we have here. So there are positions of service that women can fulfill as well in this context of the House, and God puts them there in that order.
And I just want to encourage us to recognize that, you know, in the New Testament, you'll find in the book of Acts that the apostles appointed elders in every church.
And in the case of Titus, we find that he was a delegate to appoint elders in Creed and the assembly is in Crete. But beyond that, we don't have any authorization for naming elders. It's a common practice in many sectors of Christian profession, but we don't have any justification for it.
00:20:10
Are there elders then amongst us?
Yes, and here's the list of the qualifications. It's pretty exhaustive. I don't know that a whole lot can really qualify here.
Bishop, then, must be blameless. That's a pretty hard qualification.
The husband of one wife because in those times there were many that had multiple wives.
Vigilance sober of good behavior given to hospitality, apt to teach not given to wine, no striker not greedy of filthy lucre not but patient not a brawler nor covetous one that ruled well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Not a novice?
Lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
So it's pretty exhaustive list.
Brother in La Paz, Bolivia one time approached me and said, brother, you know, I would love to be a help to my brother and here in La Paz, but looking at that list in First Timothy three, I just don't qualify.
I said I want to read you a verse.
Verse one This is a true saying if a man.
Desire the office of a Bishop. He desireth a good work. So I said to him, you know what, you are desiring a good work. Do it in the measure that the Lord gives you to. We're not going to call you elder so and so.
But I want to encourage you to do what you can for the blessing of your brethren here in this place.
And so those are things that God has put for order in his house. And then we have the deacons, and we notice in chapter six of the book of the Acts that there were seven deacons that were chosen and were given the responsibility of.
Ministering to the needy and so there is a real need of that.
And I think it says here that they should be first proved and occupy that position if they were found blameless. Verse 10.
I found in my own experience in Latin America that not everyone that wants to handle the Lord's funds is really capable of it. And so there needs to be a test given whether they are faithful in such a task. And so the Lord help us brethren to recognize the order of God's house. It's.
An order in which.
God is there to reveal to us His glory and that we might enjoy Him, Father as Father, to be in His presence, to enjoy His thoughts. Oh, what a privilege it is to be members of the House of God. That's an expression we have. Maybe we could read it in Ephesians chapter 2.
Because I want to read another verse there too.
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse.
19 It says Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. We've been talking a lot about that in our reading meeting.
About the importance of having an outline of sound words.
And so here we have that the foundation is called the foundation of the apostles and prophets. I thought Jesus Christ was the foundation. Here it says He's the chief cornerstone. He is both, brethren. There's no question about it. First Corinthians chapter 3 says there is no other foundation. Can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ? But who is the one who gave us? Who are the ones that gave us the Scriptures that talk about?
00:25:18
So that we can learn it's the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. Not all the writers of the New Testament were apostles. Only two of the gospels were written by apostles. There was Mark and Luke. Some think that Luke was a Gentile. Be that last as may, I don't think he's ever called an apostle.
But there are other books of the New Testament, the book of James in the book of Jude.
Supposedly are the Lord's brothers. They were not apostles, I don't believe, but they were prophets because they gave us the Scriptures. So the Church rests on this foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that's why it's so important to understand their teaching.
It's very important. And so Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in other words.
He is the point of reference in this building.
When we lived in Bolivia.
We moved to Cochabamba after about 10 years of living there, and on the lot that we obtained to build a hall, there was huge piles of stone. And so we got together to talk with the brethren of how we're going to do it. And we decided amongst them all that we would not build it with bricks as they usually do, but build it with stones, since there is so many stones.
On there, but on the corner of the property where the building was going to be built, a brother Doug quite a large hole and in that we put a huge stone that was the cornerstone that was the point of reference for the whole building. Now how long was this building to be 15 meters long and how wide was it going to be, 10 meters wide?
Measured from that stone, now how high was that going to be?
Such and such, I forget how long, how high it was, but anyhow, every point was referenced to that stone. And so in connection with the Church of God as the House of God, the reference point is Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. So He really is the foundation and He is the chief cornerstone, the reference point in everything.
And then it says in verse 21, in whom all the building?
Fitly framed together growth to an holy temple in the Lord. Then notice verse 22, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. So the House of God is inhabited by the Spirit of God. And that is a tremendous truth to think that the Spirit of God dwells not only individually in our bodies.
Tremendous truth and brethren, I don't believe we give the due place to the Spirit of God in our lives, but collectively as well. When we're here together, the Spirit of God is there to guide us.
In worship, in praise, in prayer, in ministry of the Word, how important to be sensitive as to His.
Presence there and to be obedient to His direction.
I want to speak a word to our young brothers.
Be sensitive as to the direction of the Spirit of God.
He's in us to guide us. That's one of the reasons he's there.
And I find that we are easily directed by natural impulses.
Be sensitive as to the presence of the Spirit of God in you.
Have to confess something that happened to me when I was still a young man. I was working in a hospital in Chicago. Maybe I've told the story before, but.
It was a union, Chicago is a Union City had struck the hospital wanting to get the union into the employees of the hospital. And so they were picketing the hospital and the truck drivers would not cross the picket line. So they sent me out because I was on the receiving dock with a truck and I was in a certain position with a rental truck.
00:30:24
And it was kind of a decline in the street.
And I was waiting for trucks that needed to deliver packages for the hospital. And as I was waiting there for the trucks to come, one of the.
Men in place of.
Of authority in the hospital was across the street, and it was just as if the Spirit of God said give him the gospel. I'd just been at a Wheaton conference and I was rejoicing in the truth that I had heard there.
Twice the Spirit of God said to me, give him the gospel.
And you know how you tend to delay things? Lord he's, he's a high up and I got to watch how I approach him.
Well a truck came and started backing down the incline so we could transfer the boxes from that truck to my truck and he had bad brakes so he stopped every once in a while and pumped up his air brakes. The last time he stopped I opened up the back of the truck and there was a bunch of garbage previous renters that left there so I hollered at the.
Man in charge over across the street. I said, what do you want me to do with this garbage? And he came and stood by.
The truck at the bottom on the on the street level and I was on the truck looking in to the truck and all of a sudden I turn around and here comes this car truck and just pinched him right in the middle, killed him.
Never forget your brother.
The reflection it was I didn't obey.
I don't think you'll go to hell. He was if it was lost. I don't think he'll go to hell because of my unfaithfulness. But the Spirit of God is in you. Pay attention. He's there to guide you. Be aware of His presence. To me, it is a wonderful thing to realize that He's there So often in meetings. I have proved that.
The Lord is moving, sometimes young brothers, to give out a hymn or to stand up.
And to praise him. He's such a glorious God. Why can't we praise him?
O brethren, the Lord help us so we are a habitation of God by the Spirit. I want to turn to one more scripture in Hebrews chapter 3 which shows that even in the house character there's a relationship with the Lord Jesus as.
Sun over his own house, verse chapter 3 and verse one. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.
Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is builded by some man, but he that build all things is God.
And Moses, verily was faithful in all his house as a servant.
For a testimony to those things which were to be spoken after verse six, but Christ as a son over his own house. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm until the end. So Christ is a son over his own house. What really encouraging this is me, brethren, when we go around and sometimes there are difficult situations.
In assemblies that I have confidence in Christ as a son over his own house. Is it a situation that I don't have any answer for? So often that's the case.
But there is one who is always faithful in Revelation 2 and three is called the faithful and true witness. Maybe we are not very faithful witnesses, but there is a faithful and true witness. What a precious thing it is to realize that Christ is the Son over His own house.
00:35:05
I'd like to take time now and the time we have left.
Our late brother AC Brown wrote a little pamphlet that was a great help to me years ago, and I don't know if the pamphlet is available any longer, but we have it translated into Spanish and I wrote down some of the references that he gave.
Title of the pamphlet was Distinctions in Offenses and Disciplines. Because God's house is a House of order, necessarily there has to be discipline to be ordered, and as we were mentioning earlier today, discipline. Sometimes we relate to punishment.
And it might include that, but that's not the full thought of discipline.
It's from the same word that we get our word disciple. It's learning by example, not only by word but by example. And so the Lord Jesus with his disciples not only taught them, but they saw what he did, and that will has left on them as tremendous instruction for when he would no longer be there.
They were his disciples.
And so there is discipline in the House of God, and he arranged these distinctions and I'm going to.
Read a number of the chapter of the places that talk about them and they go from the very least perhaps.
Offense to the ones that need to be dealt with very seriously. I just like to read them because I do believe that we are not aware of these sometimes and we think that the only discipline is to put away from the Lord's Table. That is not the only discipline.
In fact, when a person is put away from the Lord's Table, it is an admission that we have failed to help that person and that we leave them where the Lord will have to deal with them.
So the Lord help us, brethren, I just want to leave these with you, not in the way of leaving you a list of rules.
But a principles that God has put in His word that will help us to go on together as His house in an orderly way. The first one he put was in Ephesians chapter 2. Let's just read it please. Ephesians chapter 2.
I'm sorry, Chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 2.
With all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.
So the.
Discipline here is a self-discipline forbearing. What does that mean? It means that there's something in my brother that just rubs me the wrong way and I can't figure out how I can get along with him. What should I do? We need to learn to forebear. It's easy to talk about discipline others, but if we don't know what it means to discipline ourselves, how can we talk about disciplining others?
The Lord help us with all lowliness and meekness. Lowliness is not giving offense, meekness is not taking offense, and so often we are offended by one another. And there were another word is long-suffering.
Brother **** Gorgeous used to say we don't pronounce that word right.
It's long-suffering.
How long has the Lord born with us in His governmental ways? So often we are so quick on the trigger to do something. We need to know what it means to be long-suffering. The next one is in the same chapter further on down in verse 32.
And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted.
For giving one another, even as God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.
To learn to be forgiving amongst ourselves.
00:40:00
We have a parable in Matthew chapter 18 of a servant who has forgiven 10,000 talents a tremendous amount.
And then he could not forgive his fellow servant 100 pence and he was taken and delivered to the torturers until he paid the full amount rather than an unforgiving spirit is something that needs to be avoided at all costs. The Lord help us.
Now in Colossians chapter 3 is the next one he put and it adds.
One little detail that is not in that one in Ephesians 432.
Notice it, patients our Colossians 313 forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, there's a little bit more serious. There's a quarrel involved.
So, brother, I just leave these with you. The Lord help us to apply these little points of offenses and disciplines. Next one he puts in First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 14.
Now we exhort you, brethren.
Warn them.
That are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men that part.
Warned them that are unruly there's a warning.
And sometimes we don't like to be warned, but we need to recognize that sometimes this is what we need, a warning. I have to confess that I have received warnings in my life.
And it's important to consider it in the presence of the Lord.
Next one is Galatians chapter 6.
And you see he's getting a little bit more serious each one.
Brethren, this is in Galatians 6 verse one. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye that are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
So here is a fault.
What kind of fault is he talking about, brethren? The Scripture doesn't say and I think we just have to simply take these with the Lord and discern when there is a need. There is a fault in a brother ye which are spiritual.
Who are the spiritual ones, the ones that are able to go and to restore, considering themselves that they also might be tempted?
Next one is in Matthew chapter 18, very important one, and because it's in connection with the Lord's presence in the midst of two or three, but it comes before really the collective side of it because you look at Matthew chapter 18 and verse 11.
If thy brother trespass against thee, now here is a trespass. Doesn't say what the trespass is, but it's a trespass. He's gone over a line.
Go doesn't say wait for him to come and talk to you. No go.
Tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee two, one, or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
So this is a case of personal offense, and this is the way.
It's to be handled. If he verse 17 neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. If you neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. And then we have in the next verse what relates to assembly, binding and losing, because there's only authority in the assembly.
To bind and to lose.
So the personal side of it ends in verse 17, and it's in the hands of the assembly to determine from that point on. So there's a case of thy brother trespass against thee. We have something that is similar in chapter five of the book of Matthew. Notice it in verse.
00:45:26
23.
Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee. Now this is not something that he is transgressed against me, but I remember my brother has something against me. Do I know about it? Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But I hear he has something against me. What should I do?
Leave thy gift there before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brethren, Then come and offer thy gift. I think if we would be careful to put these scriptures into practice, brethren, then it wouldn't lead to further complicated situations.
In assembly matters, the Lord help us to put these into practice.
Now we have one that's further, perhaps a little more serious, in Second Thessalonians Chapter 3.
Just leaving these with you brethren to meditate on. Like I say, their principles of God's word. They are put there to help us in our relationships together as members of the household of God so that we can walk together. Lord help us to put them into practice.
Here in verse 14 of First Thessalonians.
I'm sorry, Second Thessalonians, chapter 3.
And.
Verse 11.
Where we here?
That there are some among you which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but our busy bodies now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
Verse 14. If any man obey not our word by this epistle.
Note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. So it's a little more serious, but it's not, I don't think yet putting away from the fellowship of the Lord's table.
Anyhow, these are principles to be considered.
Now let's go on to the next one in Romans. Chapter 16 is a serious one.
And verse 17.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them, for they that are such do not.
Do not serve.
They serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. These are things to be considered. Next one is Titus chapter 3 and verse 10.
I know these are negative things, but I think they're important to keep in mind in our relations one with another. Here in verse 10 of Titus three it says a man that is in heretic after the 1St and 2nd admonition reject.
Heretic really comes from the same root word as to choose, and it's been explained that Harris is not merely teaching bad doctrine, but it's teaching perhaps the truth in a way that divides Scott's people.
00:50:11
And that's a very subtle thing, and so it needs to be avoided.
Now the next one is that he has here on the list is second John 10 and this is not exactly with the assembly as such, but as those that come to our door. But this is what we would call a discipline.
Here is he's addressing the elect lady and her children, and he says in verse 10, if there come unto you.
Any and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed.
This is the doctrine concerning the person of the Lord Jesus as was brought out in our readings. How important it is that we be clear as to the doctrine that relates to the person of our Lord Jesus, because that's the foundation of our faith. How important. Now we have a different one in First Timothy chapter 5.
Just want to mention it briefly.
And it says here in verse.
19 and 20 against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Then that sin rebuked before all that others also may fear a public review. This is what happened in the case of Peter in Galatians chapter 2.
He dissembled, and it caused a lot of confusion. And so Paul administered a public rebuke to Peter. Thankfully, Peter seemed to receive it.
That's good to see.
Now we have another one in First Corinthians chapter 5. This is one that involves putting away from the fellowship of the Lord's Table, and this is tremendously sad to have to take place, but we read in chapter 5 and verse.
11, it says.
Now I have written unto you not to keep company. If any man that is called a brother doesn't say he's a brother, but he's called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge those then, that are?
Without do not ye judge them that are within.
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from yourself among yourselves that wicked person. And this, as I said before, is the admission on our part that we have failed to restore such a person in time.
And we have to put them away from fellowship, and the Lord can deal with them there. But it's the Lord's table that needs to be honored. His presence, His glory, His honor. Can we have fellowship with these kinds of sins? No, no waking. We have fellowship with Him. So these are a number of.
Disciplines, and there's distinctions in them, brethren. My desire is to encourage that we would.
Apply the ones in when they are less serious so that we wouldn't get to the ones that are so tremendously serious where a person has to be put away from the Lord's table. The Lord help us, brethren. These are all in connection with the truth of God's house. It's a House of order. It's a House of good behavior. And so when there's not the proper behavior.
There are consequences.
And the Lord help us to, rather than put these things into practice. And if we would do it early on, if we would be watchful and helpful to our young people and perhaps our older ones to, then it wouldn't come to such serious consequences. The Lord help us, brethren, I think it is such a tremendously wonderful thing that we are.
00:55:09
The House of the living God.
The Church of the living God. The House of God, the Pillar.
And ground of the truth. May the Lord help us to walk in the enjoyment.
That we are called into his fellowship, into his thoughts, to share his thoughts.
And to enjoy all that He is for us, Let's just pray to end our meeting.
Gospel 1
Treasure Box
Children—Josh Costron
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All right. Does anybody else have one, Anna?
#17.
It's not alive in here.
You may need time for treating you.
Once I can.
Take this time.
Later you make a really good watching what she's, what she loves, what she does for Jesus, falling out for.
Anybody have one?
13.
#13.
In my place.
00:05:32
You'll take my land out, Bless me.
Somebody else?
Speak.
What I come and.
Feel kind of love.
All right, I think we'll take one more song and then we'll say reverse Jude.
#11.
Maybe the 1St?
With your anger.
When the strong tides left and the king was straight with a director.
Of her creation made.
And let's say.
We'll do anger, hold in the spring of death, and the water can go to your thickness, friend on the right. In time, you can never fail.
Fasten to the rock which can do round the ground and tea in the same doors. Love.
OK, this morning I'm going to do something a little bit different. I would like all of us children to stand up and we're going to say our verse together. Does that work?
So let's let's stand and we'll say our verse. It's Romans 623.
And I'll start it.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 623 Good job.
OK, let's, let's pray, and then we'll have a few words. Our loving God and Father, we do thank thee for thy love to us. We thank thee for our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, our blessed Savior. And we just thank thee, our God, that we have opportunity again to speak to the little ones here. And we pray that there might be something for their hearts. And we pray for any who might be here.
Who are not saved yet. And we pray that they would realize that they're sinners and that they need a Savior and that they would accept the Lord Jesus today as their own personal Savior. We pray for clearness of mind and and that the thoughts expressed would be simple and understood. We asked for help. Commit this time into thy care, asking it in the worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
00:10:07
Well, I mentioned I have a.
A few things that I want to show you this morning and I have a question for you children. Do any of you have a collection?
Is anybody collect anything?
I'd like to hear what you have.
To collect different kinds of stones and I like to collect just things I find like like in yards and stuff wonderful. Just like my son Jude. He he loves to collect rocks.
Glass bottles, glass bottles, wonderful. We have my wife's parents, they live out on a farm and they have a there's a lot of hills out there. And, and my kids, they go out and they dig in the hills and there's one area that they found some nice treasures in those in those hills. And actually they come across some old bottles of really neat. Anybody else?
Want to share?
Anything with us?
This little man over here.
Crystals. Crystals.
Help my brother. Wonderful.
It's a great collection.
All right. Well, I would like to speak about.
Valuables today and.
There's a lot of things that we put value in in this world.
And it's interesting, you know, that God has a collection and we'll speak about that in a little while here in a few minutes, but.
I have a few things here.
That a brother here had. He is built and I want to thank the brother in advance.
Brother Mark had asked me if there is a way I could incorporate this into my Sunday school and and give these away and.
Sure enough, it fits right in with what I want to speak about.
So we got a few things here.
Anybody know what this is?
What is this?
A chest, chest, a chest, a chest or a treasure box.
And what do you keep in it? I think that's an obvious question, but what do you keep in a treasure box?
Special things, special things.
Jewels, yes. So you might say that what you keep in a treasure box are things of value, things that are precious.
So I've got something here that might seem a little bit odd.
Does anybody know what these are? You can touch them.
Do you know what these are?
Are they rocks?
Clams, clams. These are oysters.
Pretty neat. Hey, you want to feel those?
Look at that.
Yeah, it looks like a rock, doesn't it?
Not that pretty.
These are and these are alive. These are alive oysters.
There you go. Yeah, we'll touch them.
See that?
They feel exactly like a rock, and I bet you and they come out of the ocean and I would bet you that if you really didn't, if you weren't really looking for one.
And happened to stumble on one for some reason on the shore, which they normally wouldn't be there I don't think.
You probably just think it's a rock because it looks exactly like one. It feels like one too, doesn't it?
Interesting. So within this there's a living thing.
So these oysters are unique, you know why Does anybody, can anybody tell me why oysters are very unique?
Jude.
00:15:02
Not too sure.
Anybody else?
There's something that is kind of, it's rare and that you you can, I would say they're hard to find.
I think you know.
Girls Pearls.
Our pearls valuable.
Yeah. So this here.
Is a string of real pearls. Now these are called freshwater pearls. I can't give these away, they don't belong to me.
But these are freshwater pearls, and some of them have been dyed different kind of metallic colors, but they're real. Did you know that these pearls come out of what is called a mollusk?
A muscle, then they don't come out of an oyster like that. These are farms that that means that they are.
They are made in a way. So the way a Pearl is made is that there's something that gets into that shell. Usually it's a bit of sand or.
It's a piece of organic matter, like food. I don't know a whole lot about oysters.
But so these pearls are a lot easier to get, but the rare ones are very valuable and they come out of oysters like this in the ocean. And so something gets in there and in order to protect itself.
The oyster within the shell starts to coat that piece of matter with a secretion that turns into.
A beautiful Pearl, and they're rare. And if you find one, whoever finds one is very fortunate because they are rare and they're worth a lot of money. Now I want to read a verse in connection with that, and this was mentioned yesterday in the in one of our reading meetings and Matthew's Gospel chapter 13.
Matthews Gospel, chapter 13.
And we will read from verse 44 again, The Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. The witch, when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all thee half, and buyeth that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls.
Who, when he had found one Pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Well, a brother had made a few boxes here and I have to apologize in advance. I only have six of them. So I'm going to give these away and I might ask you some questions. And if anybody can is brave enough to maybe answer a question, I'd happily give you a box. But I also have something for all of you kids today.
So.
Here we find something of value.
We find a man that.
Found treasure in a field and also a merchant man who was looking for goodly pearls and he found one.
You know, again I say these things are rare. And he went and he sold all that he had.
Then he bought it.
Does anybody know who this might be Speaking of?
Jesus. Yes, the Lord Jesus.
He's the one.
That was this merchant man. And you know, I suppose you might say a merchant man is one who could put a proper value on what he's looking for. He's looking for something of value. And you know, I guess what I want to get across to you kids today is that you are all valuable, that the Lord Jesus has put a value on each one of you.
00:20:02
Individually, and you are all very unique. You know a Pearl.
Not one Pearl is is like the other.
And its value is based upon its size and what it looks like.
And it's kind of a picture of us because the Lord Jesus like this treasure, it's made-up of many different treasures. In this treasure box here I have many different things that are not alike.
And so God has put a value on each one of you.
Because you're very unique and God made you.
But more than that, because he put such a high price tag on you.
He went.
And he sold all that he had.
To buy you.
You know where he did that was at the cross. The Lord Jesus went to the cross and he was made sin for us, and he lay down his life.
That we might be saved.
This suggests to me something of the heart of God.
You know the Bible tells us that God is love.
God is love.
You know God and His love might bring before us the activity of His nature. That is how He acts towards us.
Can you imagine it?
That the Lord Jesus would sell all that He had to come.
Because he put a value on you and me.
And he didn't want us to perish in our sins, and so he gave his life at the cross.
And His precious blood can wash us from all our sins if we place our trust in our faith in the Lord Jesus.
He found this treasure hid in a field. I was thinking a little bit how this oyster, it's pretty ugly, you know? Doesn't look very nice, does it?
But God, I would say that a lot of people today who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ think the thinks that the world looks pretty good. It's pretty attractive. But you know, if we look at the world through God's eyes, it's pretty defiling, you know, it doesn't look very nice. It's full of sin and corruption and violence.
But within it, there's treasure.
And you know God, what he's looking to do and he is doing today is that he is pulling out from the world, this ugly world treasures for his collection.
I mentioned earlier that that God has a collection.
He has a collection, and so perhaps if I opened up this oyster, there might be a beautiful Pearl within it. Now, supposing that I opened this up, do you think I would just close it back up and leave the Pearl in there and just throw it into the ocean and forget about it? No, I would. I would take that Pearl out. I'd clean it up a little bit and I would put it in my treasure box.
That's what God wants to do with you.
Because you're valuable.
So don't be deceived by the world, because you know what? The world.
It's not a very nice place.
And God wants to save you if you're not saved here this morning, and he wants to clean you up. He wants to wash you in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, his Son, which cleanses us from all sin.
And he wants to add you to his collection.
So you might say that God is seeking you.
We have a man who is looking for something in both instances in this chapter, and God is seeking sinners today to add to his collection.
The Lord Jesus said that the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Do you know Him as your savior?
And if you don't?
I would encourage you to come to Him. He knows your thoughts and He knows your heart. He knows all about you. He wants to save you this morning. Put your faith and trust in Him and He will save you. Easy's up. Well, I'd like to look at another portion and first, Peter.
00:25:25
First, Peter.
Chapter 2.
Adverse and to verse 3.
The Lord is gracious. The Lord is gracious, to whom, coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
Ye also, as lively stones or living stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Verse 7.
Unto you therefore, which believe He is precious.
I said God has a collection and.
His collection is made-up of living stones.
I believe you have a stone collection, right? Yeah. And my son Jude, he has one too. I think Jack had one for a while.
And they would go about, and if they saw a stone that would catch their eye, they would gather that stone up, put it in their collection and keep it.
So in this little treasure box here I have what are called semi precious stones. These are all real stones, and with the exception of maybe a couple in here that have had some color dyed into them, they're all real.
And these are all special stones. Different colors, different shapes, different sizes.
And you know what? After the meeting, each one of you can come up and grab one if it's OK with your mom and dad, and you can keep 1 and add it to your treasure if you have one.
So God has a treasure box and He is adding living stones to it. We had in our meeting yesterday the House of God.
God is building something in this world. Matthew 16 tells us that.
Upon Peter's confession that Jesus is the Son of the living God, he was going to build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
So God is building a house, and within that house he is inserting special unique stones. But it's not a building like this. It's a building made-up of people.
It's his church.
Here we have.
The Lord Jesus spoken of as a living stone as well.
I wonder if you have built your life upon the rock. You know, sometimes we sing on Christ. The solid rock. I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
We sing that, don't we? And what that means is that if your life and your faith is not put within the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
You know, we've all been to the beach and you know what happens when a wave comes up. And if you've built a sand castle, that castle comes tumbling down because it's not built on solid ground.
The foundation is wiped away and doesn't last.
You know there's a verse in the 28th Psalm. I'm going to read it here.
I believe it's Psalm 28.
And.
Says this.
Unto thee verse one. Unto thee will I cry, Oh Lord, my rock.
And that's what the Lord Jesus wants you to do this morning too, is He wants you to cry out to Him.
And ask him to save you if you're not his already.
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It's only unto Him because there's no one else and nothing else that can save us. Our parents can't do it. You're good if you're just trying to be good. That's not good enough.
It's faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus.
That famous verse, we all know it. John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That's God's promise to you.
So in first Peter 2.
We have the Lord as being the living stone, and He is precious.
He is precious.
It says here unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious.
So God we read in Matthew 13.
About the Lord Jesus in picture placing a value on you.
And now I want to ask you.
Have you placed a value on Christ?
What does he mean to you?
Is he your savior?
Have you placed your faith and trust in Him?
And if so, you become part of his collection.
Part of this treasure of living stones.
And.
You might say it reminds me.
Of what someone had said once, that a seeking Sinner will always find a seeking Savior.
You know there's a verse that tells us to seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way in the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, for he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Are you seeking the Lord today?
I hope you are if you're not saved because the Lord is seeking you.
And he's placed a value on you and he wants to save you. He gave his life for you.
And you're precious to him and those who form part of his treasure box, those who are part of his house.
You are incredibly precious to the Lord, I want you to know that. And it just thrills my heart to think that I belong to Him.
That you can belong to him too, part of this wonderful collection that he is making in this world today.
My son one week ago today he asked me a very good question.
He said Dad, what is the most valuable thing in the world? I was in the kitchen making breakfast and he just came into the kitchen and asked me this. And I thought, wow.
That's random, but a very good question.
I want to ask you children today, what is the most valuable thing in the world?
Does anybody? I said I would be giving out some of these boxes so I better get to it. I think that people are the most valuable thing in the world because because God says that he cares even about the spouse and if he cares about the spouse, then why would he not care about us? Exactly. That's a very, very good answer. Thank you.
You have a little treasure box. Anybody else?
Well, he's not really in this world, I think. To me, Jesus is one of the most valuable things. I would agree, because we just read that unto you, therefore which believe He is precious.
There you go. Anybody else?
I think Jesus is the most valuable thing in the world in the world, because he died for us. Very good. Yes, Yes, he definitely is.
A precious person, if we believe on him. You know the world did not value the Lord Jesus the stone.
The Lord Jesus, the Living Stone was disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
The Bible. The Bible. God's Word? Yes, very precious.
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1.
I was getting saved.
Yes, those are all very valuable things.
Let me just get these.
Grab these here.
There you go. OK, I'll get one over here.
This little guy.
I think it is.
People.
Good answers. I'm sorry because I don't have enough of these to go around, but you can all have one of these stones.
Well my those are all good answers.
My immediate answer to my son.
Was his soul.
So whether you're saved or you're not saved, we all possess something that is of infinite value that we cannot put a price tag on.
You cannot put a price tag on it. There's some pretty valuable things in this world.
Beyond which I can afford and many people in this world can afford.
And 1,000,000 billions of dollars. Pretty expensive, but guess what?
Nothing in this world will last. It's all going to perish and it's worthless.
But this one thing that each one of us possesses is a soul which will live on beyond this life.
Let's read a verse in Marks Gospel chapter 8.
Mark's Gospel, chapter 8.
Verse 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake and the Gospels.
The same shall save it, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
You might have everything this world can give you, and guess what? If you die without Christ?
You have nothing.
The Bible tells us that we came into the world with nothing.
And it is certain that we will leave with nothing.
But what I'm here to tell you today is that if you place your trust in the Lord Jesus, you get everything.
You get eternal life. You get blessings, heavenly blessings that this world cannot offer you that will never be taken away. You receive an inheritance in heaven with Christ that will be yours forever.
And actually, you know what? Everything around you that you see, every created thing we will inherit with Christ. He gives us everything.
So what can we give in exchange for our soul? Nothing in this world lasts. Nothing is is worthy enough to make that trade, because if we die, we'll lose it all.
The most valuable person is the Lord Jesus. The most valuable thing you possess is your soul, and God wants to save your soul. Today. Now I have a Before we close here, I'm running out of time, I want to read.
A quick verse here in Malachi chapter 3 and make a little application.
Malachi Chapter 3.
Verse 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.
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And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.
I know this has reference to Israel in a future day, but I think as we as Christians can make application to ourselves that we are His special treasure. The church is a picture or is pictured in that Pearl, and it means it signifies the preciousness of the church to the heart of Christ. And God is coming. He's going to gather us up unto himself, the Lord Jesus.
This is coming back, might be today, and he's going to gather all his jewels, all his special treasure.
And take it home with himself.
That's a wonderful, wonderful thing, isn't it? And you know what? More than that while we're here.
We have one quick minute in Revelation.
Chapter 21, I believe.
Revelation chapter 21.
Verse 11, well verse 10 and to verse 10, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God in her light, was like unto a stone, most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal. A little boy, I think said that he had a collection of crystals.
Clear as crystal.
And in verse 18 it says in the building of the wall of it was of Jasper in the city of was pure gold like under clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony the 4th and emerald the 5th Sardonics the 6th, Sardius the 7th, crystallite the 8th, barrel the 9th, the Topaz the 10th the Chrysler process.
The 11Th, adjacent, the 12Th and Amethyst, and the 12 gates were 12 Pearls. Every several gate was of 1 Pearl.
Well, this is a picture of the of the church in a coming day in her glory. And I, I noticed that in the new translation, a different translation, it says that her shining was like unto the glory of God. And you know what, what God is doing with us today. You see this stone?
It didn't come out of the earth like this.
It's all round smooth, shiny.
And God has and, and men have put it through a process that has gotten it to this stage of beauty. Did you know that when your sins are washed away, you're you're sealed with the Spirit of God and God now can use you, But what he's doing with us today.
Is that he's knocking off all the inconsistencies and the jagged edges and all the rough marks, just like this stone when it came out of the earth didn't come out like this.
And he is making us more like his beloved son, and He's passing us through things that might be hard at times.
But He is forming the character of His son in us, so that we might be a light.
For Christ in this world, that we might represent him in this life and in the coming day.
Re going to reflect his glory.
These stones.
And we can do that now.
But not like that.
We're going to reflect him in a perfect way in the coming day.
It's hard to take it in, to think where we've come from and where he's taking us and what he's making us into.
But, you know, I had a marble collection when I was a young boy, and what I would do with those marbles is I would take them and I would look up to the light and I would gaze into that glass orb and I would notice all of its beauty within in a way that I could never have seen it without putting it to the light. And you know what? We're going to shine the glories of Christ as believers.
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In the coming day.
You and I don't have any light in ourselves. None at all.
But God with what he's doing with us as Christians.
Is forming us and making us more like His Son. And in the coming day, in a perfect way, we're going to reflect His glory, reflect all His light, and the world will look on and see what he's done.
God's special treasure, the church.
Well, I would ask you again, kids, do you want to form, be part of that? Do you want to be a part of that treasure?
That God is collecting today.
Place your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus and receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let's just pray. Lord Jesus, we thank Thee for Thy grace and my goodness and what thou art doing, and we just pray for blessing on the hearts of these young ones here today.
That they might be saved and walk for thy glory in this earth. And we ask it all in thy worthy name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
OK, kids.
It is About Him
Open—Michelle Payette
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Jesus.
My blessing of his own.
Beginning for the Lord Himself.
And prayers and.
We may often hear a man giving forth to his fellows that on which his own mind has been dwelling in private with much interest and profit.
He may utter truth and important truth, but it is not the truth for the moment. He has spoken according to Scripture, but he has not spoken as an Oracle of God.
Says the Lord's help.
Would have prevented me from getting up unless I had.
Confidence in the grace of God.
And that I would find with my brethren.
A spirit of grace in judging what I would have to share with you and so.
I like to start with John's Gospel chapter one.
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John chapter one and verse 14.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
Pro of grace and truth.
John bear witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I speak. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was before me, and of his fullness we have we have we all we received, and grace or grace?
For the law was given by Moses with grace and truth came.
By Jesus Christ.
You know.
We often talk about each other, but languages, Spanish, English, German, French.
But for a French speaking person.
There is a regular problem in speaking English.
For example.
I could say, and I would hear this with people around myself and I could have said this myself.
I would take the thing through.
What you saying take the team through?
Well, if I write it out, you'd know what I was saying. Think the theme through.
But we're not used in French to have that little sound, you know?
We say duh, you know, THED. We say duh and something that we just do currently. And you know, if you listen to my speech, I do it on occasion. I just lose it, you know?
Missing the pronunciation of the H.
And I'd like to suggest to my brethren here humbly this afternoon.
H stands for him.
And you know, we might be speaking English, French, Spanish, doesn't matter, but it's possible for us to have a Christian conversation and we forget about the H. We're not talking about him. We're not connecting what we're saying to him.
We're talking about things.
Things, elements, they're all good in themselves, but I don't believe they're really profitable until we connect them to Him. And So what we have in this 17th verse.
The law was given by Moses. Grace and truth came.
By Jesus Christ.
We use the expression. I'm probably guilty of it myself, of Speaking of truths in the plural.
Unless I'm mistaken, I haven't found that in my Bible.
Jews in the plural.
I found it in a singular.
And I found it connected to him.
What about grace? Beautiful topic, Grace.
But Grace is connected to him.
It came. Grace and truth came.
By Jesus Christ.
So I'd like to just spend a few minutes speaking about Grace.
Grace appeared in Titus.
Titus.
Chapter 2.
Verse 11.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation had appeared.
To all men or you can read the grace of God.
That bringeth salvation to all men had appeared. Read it either way.
How did it appear?
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Through Jesus Christ.
There's no salvation out of the person of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, who partook of flesh and blood so he could die.
So the grace of God appeared when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared.
And went through a perfect life and offered himself and our stead on the cross.
It's appeared.
Now this grace of God had appeared in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We want to benefit from it.
And to benefit from it, it has to be received. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2.
And verse 8.
Verse seven That in the ages to come. Chapter 2. Verse seven That in the ages to come you might show the exceeding riches of his grace, and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved. True faith, and that none of yourself. It is the gift of God.
You know this morning.
Had some thoughts in connection with what we read in John chapter 10. A being in the Father's hand. I mean in the Son's hand. The position God has given us has sheep and perfect security.
I always think that before we could come into the Father's hand.
And the son's hand. There was something else in the father's hand.
We find that in the story of Abraham and Isaac.
It says that Abraham he had the fire.
In his hand.
Probably had it in a vessel, but it's not recorded this way.
He had to fire in his hand.
It was that fire for.
It was for you, it was for me.
You didn't give it to you. You didn't give it to me.
He gave it to his son.
I can't take that in.
That my father.
Would not spare.
His own son to have me.
Have you?
How could that be? That's the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
And the Lord Jesus would say, give it to me.
The cup which my father give it me. Shall I not drink it? I'll take it, father.
And we'll be glorified.
And their hearts will be moved.
It's going to do something to them.
So Galatia Ephesians two and eight, it says by grace.
That's the offer of God's hand.
Are you saved?
Through faith.
That's your hand taking God's hand, I believe.
What God says about me.
And about Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, and his work on the cross.
Some might not agree with this interpretation of that verse, but I do believe that when it refers to that none of yourselves, it refers to the offer of God's grace.
Received by faith no merit of us in any way.
The gift of God's grace.
That's grace received.
Let's go to Romans chapter 6.
We'll read chapter 5, verse 21.
That as sinneth reign unto death, Even so my grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin reigns through death.
On what basis does grace reign?
Through righteousness.
God is absolutely satisfied.
He couldn't be more satisfied.
By what the Lord Jesus Christ, his beloved Son, did for him.
On the cross.
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And on the basis of that satisfaction?
We can be as gracious as he wants.
Gracious to you and me, and be patient over this world because he is satisfied.
His righteousness is forever satisfied, and grace reigns through righteousness.
A bit further on chapter 6 of Romans.
Verse 14.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but.
Under Grace.
The law is given by Moses.
Principle of the law is that you do something.
To merit God's favor or to avoid its chastisement?
Based on your performance.
But Grace is not based on your performance.
Is based on the performance of someone else.
And that's someone else's him.
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
What rest we can find?
For our souls in Him.
This morning in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
We could be there in perfect peace.
In the presence of God himself, we will be in a moment when he comes from heaven.
How can we be at such peace?
Because of him.
The only reason?
Now some people.
Confused grace with.
Legality or legalism?
And others abuse it.
And doing whatever they want.
And it's easy to fall in one or the other.
Being liberal.
Are being legal.
And like this example, you know.
If I'm walking on a narrow path.
I mentioned this before, but I tried that in the snow a little while back with one of my sons a few years ago. The fields were white with snow and that we were walking through the fields and there was no footsteps anywhere. And so say, OK, let's go for a few 100 meters, you know, 300 feet or something, and we'd be really careful how we walk.
To walk straight, as straight as we can. And we did that. And when we were down a little wage, we turned around, we looked.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't straight. It was a little bit of it, side movement to the left and to the right.
And then we did something else. We said, OK, the next few 100 yards, we're going to look at that light over there and we're going to walk towards that lake. And we did that.
And sure enough, we turned around after these 100 yards and it was almost perfectly straight.
And the example of that is if we watch our feet occupy with your feet occupy with your walk, you're going to do pretty good.
But you'll never do as good. And if you've got your eye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then your heart's going to be set right. You're going to know that's not pleasing to the Lord. You're going to know ahead of time.
Because he's the object of your heart.
It's connected to him.
Don't forget about the age when you talk to Christian. Talk. Talk about him, what you have in him.
Well, it says, here we are under grace.
When a young man was brought up in a Catholic Church and what I was under was boy.
I wasn't under Grace, let me tell you.
I was under a God who wanted to punish every disobedience.
Well, he has punished.
You talk about legalism and.
Vessels are doing your own, will says in Scripture.
God has something called his government. Brother Bob touched on that yesterday.
There's God's way of dealing with those of us who need a little bit of help because we've got our eye off the Lord and our way of walking or talking or doing things might be a dishonor to Him. It might be discouragement to one another. And so we need to help each other. I think probably does a good job in looking at all these different levels, you might say, of the way we can help each other, but we're under grace.
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First, Peter.
Chapter 5.
First Peter 5.
Verse 12 by Sylvanus, faithful brother unto you, as I suppose I have written, briefly exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God, wherein he stand.
If I could translate it from the French, it says the true grace of God in which ye are.
I look up, I'm under the grace of God because the Lord is there.
I look around. I'm in the grace of God.
The Lord is watching over me, watching over us to do us good, to encourage us to have us grow, all the opposite of what the enemy seeks to do.
So grace appeared in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you received it by putting your trust in Him. It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
If God commands us to believe, it's because he thinks we're responsible to believe. We had the gospel last night to be another gospel tonight. I don't know if you're saved. You're a young person here. You're not saved yet. God wants you to have what the Lord Jesus did for sinners. He's offering it free, and it's yours on the basis of faith.
And I think of that. Teeth on the cross.
He didn't have time, perhaps to realize what he was getting when he said, Lord, Remember Me?
He thought when the Kingdom was going to come and he was going to have a place with him, you know?
He went to heaven that very day.
Had he realized it? You know, and maybe I'm going to heaven. I'm going to heaven. You didn't.
You're going to, I'm going to heaven. You're going to heaven. I knew with the Lord forever. You're going to be with the Lord forever.
You excited?
Well, you will, yeah.
I think it's exciting, the future is exciting, it's glorious, it's connected with Him and what is His and Grace is going to share with you and me.
Well, there's the appearing of Grace. There's yet that chapter to fulfill, and it's in.
Chapter One.
Of first Peter.
I'm not a Bible teacher, so but I I found that Peter maybe doesn't go into that aspect that Paul had of the Lord's coming for us and taking us up with himself. He speaks a more general way of the Lord's appearing, you know, when, when it's going to be this world is going to know.
That that one in whose face stays back.
And he's away with him. He's coming back.
As a victor to take possession of what is his and to share that with you and me, and to bring that people of Israel into blessing through Him alone. No other way. So he says in first Peter chapter one. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind and be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Or hope perfectly as it says on the margin.
Hope perfectly.
How can it be?
That among Christians.
Some fear.
They might lose their salvation.
How can that be? It's connected with him.
He's up in heaven. We're seated in the heavenlies in him. How can that change?
It's not connected with him, it's connected with you and me and how we live and how we transfer in our lives the things that we know we might not be that confident.
But God wants you to be perfectly confident of what's coming, and he says hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Expression in French, it says you're talking to your hat, Michelle, I don't have a hat, so.
When the Lord Jesus comes.
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For us, in a twinkling of an eye, I am going to be changed, and I know most of you will too. I'm going to become incorruptible.
And immortal.
Just like that.
That's my perfect hope. What's it based on him? That's about him. Because it's not about him. It's never going to happen to me, and most likely not to you either. But if it's connected with him, oh, how can it be? Just in a twinkling of an eye because of him and his finished work and the God's satisfaction.
What I wonder, brethren?
How can it be?
That we're not pronouncing the H all the time.
That it's not coming out in our conversation. We talk about things, not about things H is missing. And so I would just encourage my brethren, you know, we have so much good ministry.
But the apostle Paul said to Timothy, Those things that thou hast heard from me.
From the Word of God. I enjoy ministry and I would encourage everyone here to benefit from what's available.
But when we come together.
To be ministered to by the Spirit of God.
I can read ministry at home.
And I don't need someone to read it for me.
I want to be sitting in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, where the Spirit of God is free to entertain my poor soul about Him.
Who he is, what he's done, what I have in him, what he wants us to do for him.
And so I just had these thoughts here once. I want to share with you, Grayson, truth came by Jesus Christ.
And I do believe.
That if we look around either in creation or in this book.
That God has connected everything to him.
We just follow the threads.
And it leads to him, but sharing this with some brethren a few days ago in different occasions, going to a meeting on one Lord's Day morning and it was cold outside. And I came back to me something I heard in school about, you know, absolute zero, absolute cold, no heat at all. And then I thought, oh.
What did that happen?
Well, that happened on the cross of Calvary.
It got dark.
Everybody flew from him, his people said we don't want this man to rule over us. Away with him, crucify him.
And the father who had the fire in his hand.
Poured it on him and heaven was clothed for him. Nobody ever was so absolutely forsaken.
Than him.
And so when you feel forsaken, you feel alone.
Just go connect that with the Lord.
Just quickly, my wife was in the hospital a few years ago and I mentioned it. I didn't tell I was going to say that, but anyway, she'll forgive me after.
She had an operation for lung cancer.
And we're thankful for the Lord who took care of that. And she's in hospital and hospital bed, and she had these tubes on her side.
And as she looked in the tubes, they were transparent and it was coming out.
Blood and water.
And, you know, she didn't think. Oh, no, she said, oh.
Blood and water came out of my Savior's side.
Connected that with him, it made all the difference in the world to enjoy that fellowship with him in the circumstances of our lives. So I just encourage you, dear ones, follow the threads. They all lead to him. You're never going to be sorry.
Reading to Hear the Lord Speaking to Me
Open—Bill Prost
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Well, I I hesitate to get up but.
I'd like to add a little bit to what our brother Michelle brought out if we could turn to Second Timothy chapter 2, the chapter which, if the Lord leaves us here, we would expect to take up tomorrow, Lord willing.
And read one verse.
Second Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 15.
Study to show thyself approved unto God.
A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Rightly dividing the word of truth.
Or, as I believe the JND translation reads, cutting in a straight line the word of truth.
Yesterday in the last reading, the second reading, and I appreciated it, there was some emphasis laid on that verse.
And again, I'm quoting it the way the dark will. We'll look at it. It's right here in our our first chapter, verse thirteen of two Timothy hold fast the form of sound words. Or it could read have an outline of sound words. And there was, and I agree with it, some emphasis laid on the importance when we're young.
Of looking into the Word of God in a real way.
Getting an outline of every book in the Bible. Understanding how scripture comes together and fits together. That is of.
Real importance, no question about it. And I would say that to the young people here today, the sisters as well as the brothers.
Quite a few years ago now, when I was in university, the assembly in which I was at that time hosted a Bible conference every year, and as was their custom, when the letter of invitation had been drawn up, it was read to the assembly before being sent out.
I well remember the acute embarrassment of some of the and there were some well taught brothers in that assembly when an older sister came up after it had been read to the assembly and quietly pointed out a rather glaring unscriptural expression in the letter that had blown by all of those brothers.
She done her reading too. That was good.
I won't name any names, but that really happened.
It is important to have an outline of sound words.
But what we would like to emphasize equally well is this. There are two ways of reading the Word of God.
One is what we have already mentioned, that is to read it to get the scope of scripture and as was.
Emphasized yesterday especially to have an outline of Paul's teaching. I appreciated someone that made reference to the verse in the second chapter here. It's verse 7 and it could read.
Second, Timothy, two and seven, consider what I say.
Referring to Paul and the Lord give the understanding in all things, because Paul gives us the truth of the assembly in which all is displayed. He completed the word of God. That's in Colossians.
No new revelation after Paul.
Wrote yes. Others like John may have filled in some details and we appreciate that, but no new truth.
It is important to have that.
00:05:02
But there's another way, That is, I suggest, equally important to read the Word of God, and that is to read it as if it were speaking directly to my own heart, not so much in order that I might learn the scope of Scripture, but that I might learn to know.
The Lord Himself.
We don't need to turn to it. It's in Philippians 3. But Paul says that I may know about him. No, that I may know him.
And what a difference that makes in our lives, because when we know Him, there is the sense in our souls of that relationship with the Lord which is the present enjoyment of those things in our hearts.
Again, I say I don't want in any way to take away from what.
Was said yesterday.
But let me mention a story, and others will probably recognize the source of this story. Many years ago, and I mean many years ago, back in the 1800s, there was a young brother who had some really what I would call tough questions about the Word of God.
He went by a letter, writing, of course, directly to an older brother in whom he had real confidence and who, I might say, was very, very capable of answering his questions.
But after about the 3rd letter.
The senior brother answered the questions, but then at the end he said, Brother, from the tone of your letters and how you have written, may I make a comment? I strongly suspect that you have been studying your Bible too much and not reading it enough.
Well, how do we get that?
Quite a few years ago again, but not quite back in the 1800s, but it was long before my time, I was told that in a reading meeting where there was a well taught brother by the name of Walter Potter.
A brother raised the question and made the comment about studying the Bible.
And Brother Potter apparently answered, Well, the Scripture doesn't use the term studying the Bible.
I gather that Brother Potter could be a little abrupt at times. And when a young brother who took offense at that statement spoke up and said, well, Brother Potter, what are we to study?
I'm not saying this was right. I really am not. Who am I to criticize Walter Potter? But I'm not saying it was right. The answer was rather abrupt. Study to be quiet.
Ouch, but that was a pretty good put down.
Again, I'm not suggesting that was right, but what the brother in the 1800s and what Brother Potter were seeking to get through was that.
Equally as important as getting the scope of Scripture, I need to read it directly. And in this I really appreciated what our brother Ron said at the beginning of the meeting in his prayer. Now we are waiting for the Lord in this meeting to speak to us.
And so I merely make this suggestion to each one of us that when we pick up the word of God, yes, there is a place to read it for scope.
There is a place to pick up our written ministry in order to understand the ways of God.
But there is also a very important place to read the word of God, because I am in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a member of His body. I am part of His bride. As Brother Michelle was bringing before us, we are going to spend.
All eternity with Him.
What a precious thing that is.
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Some time ago.
I picked up a book that I still have at home.
And it was, still is, of course, the letters of a man by the name of Samuel Rutherford.
Now Samuel Rutherford lived back in the 17th century. He died in 1661.
And I have no doubt that he did not know much of the precious truth which most here in this room not only know, but hold dear.
No, the Lord had not yet raised up those who brought back to us the precious truth of the assembly, who brought back to us the preciousness of Pauls ministry and what the church really is, and the true scope of all that God is doing for the honor and glory of His beloved Son.
But to read the letters that that dear man wrote, oh, the preciousness of Christ that shines out pretty much from every page, and the enjoyment of Christ in which he lived. Did he have as much intelligence as many here in this room? No, he did not. But what he had was the enjoyment of Christ in his heart.
Excuse me for a minute.
I have nothing against this bottle of water, but there are other another someone else may come up.
The enjoyment of Christ in his heart and.
And I will say this, and I don't want it to be misunderstood. A mere knowledge of the truth will not keep me. It will not keep me.
And if I can be blunt about it, some of us had to learn that the hard way.
Some of us, including myself, had to learn that the hard way, that a mere knowledge of scriptural principles, a mere knowledge of the truth. Now which one of us has a perfect knowledge of it? But a mere knowledge of the truth will not keep us. What will keep us? Nearness to Christ.
Many years ago.
I sat under the ministry of our late brother Harry Hayhoe. There are still some here that remember him, but he's been with the Lord well over 50 years.
Getting closer to 60 years than 50 years.
It's not too well known, but his father was full time in the work of the Lord. He was a real evangelist.
No one apparently, and I of course never knew him. He's been with the Lord over 100 years now, but he was apparently known as the red bearded evangelist.
But he missed the path in a division back in the late 1800s.
There was a dear brother who was used of the Lord to help him out and set him straight, and he was restored.
Sometime later.
In the early 1900s, another sad difficulty among brethren.
Was looming on the horizon.
It was.
More in Europe than in North America at that time, but of course North America eventually felt it and had to deal with it.
And apparently Harry Hayhoe is a young man in his 20s, or perhaps at the very most in his early 30s. No, he would have been in his 20s, approached his father with the earnest question.
Father.
Which way are we going to go? What are we going to do? Now? I don't like to talk about division. We trust that no one here ever has to go through another one, that the Lord will come.
But we merely make some comments we trust that are pertinent.
To reading the word of God.
Father, what are we going to do? Which way are we going to go?
And his father didn't immediately say, well, brother, this, well, son, this scripture applies here. And this is that. And that's the other thing. So there's the way we go. Not that I say that would have been wrong, but he didn't do that.
00:15:08
His answer was rather interesting, he said. Son, at this point, I don't know.
But he said when the time comes that we have to make a decision.
Let us take care and make sure that we are near enough to the Shepherd to hear His voice.
And if I could use a common expression, He landed on his feet.
Both the same time I gather.
And this came from our dear brother Armstead Barry.
Who told me personally that in that same division, he very nearly missed the path himself and would have had it not been for an older brother who helped him out.
He said it was being bandied about among various ones. Well, which way will this one go and which way will that one go? What do you think this brother will do, naming various?
Leading brothers among those gathered to the Lord's name at that time. And of course various comments were made and someone mentioned the name of a dear brother.
Who is long since with the Lord?
Which way do you think he'll go?
Someone paid him, but I would consider the highest compliment, although intending it as perhaps a little on the derogatory side.
Someone said, oh, he'll just pray his way through it as usual.
What a compliment.
What a compliment.
He prayed his way through it.
And he too landed on his feet, if I could say that expression.
Why? Because they knew so much? No.
Because they read the word of God as if the Lord were speaking directly to them, and because they walked with the Lord. And so I say again, I want to leave room for someone else, because Scripture says two or three.
But let's remember that in reading the Word of God, there are two important and I am not suggesting that one is more important than the other.
Two important ways to approach the Word of God. One is to have a good form, a good outline of sound words. And Paul stresses that to Timothy because there was a danger of those sound words being lost, and there is that danger today. Very much so.
But Paul also says, Study to show thyself approved unto God.
I need to be approved unto God and I can only get that by reading His word in the other way to help me with my Christian pathway, to reveal Christ to me and to draw near to Him so that I in my own self.
Find myself approved unto God. Not that I put that label on myself, but I seek to be approved unto God. And then at the same time, how needful to be cutting in a straight line the word of truth.
The Word of Life
Open—Shawn Allan
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I just like to say I'm very much. I appreciated the.
The Ministry of the last two speakers and I would just like to share.
4 instances of the phrase and the scriptures. The word of life just in connection with what has been said already.
Would like first of all to reference as.
A beginning comment. A well known verse in Hebrews chapter four. We all know it very, very well.
Hebrews.
12Th verse.
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 heart. Thoughts and intents of the heart. And then I'd like to go to the Gospel of John chapter.
6 John, Chapter 6.
And verse 66.
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.
I'd just like to make a couple of very brief comments on this first of all.
That in order to have those words of life.
The disciples had to go to the source of them. The words of life were with the Lord Jesus.
And I made reference to that first verse because we find that this book, the Word of God, it's a living book. It's a living book. And when we read the Word of God, what we should, as I really can't add to what Brother Bill has already said to understand.
That is the very words of God Himself, and they need to operate in activity on our lives, and I say that to myself and the disciples here.
They could say, To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And so I would just like to now turn to the second instance of this expression.
In the Acts Acts chapter 5.
And here we have the Angel of the Lord coming by night.
And giving a message, and it says there in verse 19 of Acts chapter 5, the Angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to the people.
All the words of this life.
So here they were told they had heard the words of life. They were to speak the words of life to the people.
There's been a real exercise for me lately this in connection with speaking to my children, to fellow believers of the words of life.
I cannot possibly emphasize enough the need.
To a daily Bible readings, those of you who have young families.
The value of a daily Bible reading has eternal, lasting value that.
We can't put a price on.
Speak the words of life to your children.
When we speak to one another and I have failed so much in this.
Do we share the words of life with each other?
It's not just a matter of getting up and speaking at.
From a place as I am here today, it's about in our one-on-one conversations do we share Christ with one another, the very words that we have enjoyed from the source.
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So valuable to do that. We spend so much of our time Speaking of politics and sports work.
How much more wonderful to speak the words of life.
And so I'd like to go over to the First Epistle of John.
We get the third expression here.
Very first verse, first John chapter one.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us, that which we have seen and heard.
Declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.
And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Here we have the words of life have now been described here by the Apostle John as the word of life. They had become the person himself.
And I say this as one who does not understand it very much. But the more precious the word of God, the words in this book become to us, the more it fuses, as it were, together with the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the person. And here the apostle John. He refers to the Lord Jesus, the one he had heard the words of life from. He refers to him as the word of life.
And so I just like, in closing, to go to the 4th instance of that phrase that I've appreciated. There may be others that I have missed, but this one's in Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians, Chapter 2.
And the 15th verse.
We'll read from the 14th verse. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the world, holding forth the word of life.
That I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain.
Neither labored in vain.
But here I've appreciated.
Paul's exhortation to these Philippians.
That they were in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, and so are we, and they were to shine as lights in the world in that way. Where did the light, where did the shining of lights come from? I would like to suggest to you that it had to do with the fact of holding forth the word of life.
And I believe this is answers very closely to what we have in the first Epistle of John. It isn't just.
That they had the words of life, that they held forth the scriptures. I believe it's that. But the word of life, the person himself, is what gave rise to the light.
That made them shine in this world.
And it's been a real exercise to me.
Because I believe as the Lord Jesus becomes more precious to our souls, and as we have the word of God, as it were, hid in our hearts, there's a light.
That shines forth from within us. That is a beautiful testimony to the world around us.
And I believe that it would be all of our hearts desire here today to covet that we hold forth that word of life in such a way that we would shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation. I'd just like to share those four instances of the word of life.
00:10:04
Souls mean souls, so brain.
I saw his transport.
Where I think all the good Lord of my sword will.
Oh my Lord.
'S brightness.
Oh, he said. It's important.
You have joy, You've been thy presence, my soul constern words.
My.
And.
43 the last verse.
I.
Sat in my.
Night and.
Tall and we grow.
The word proceed our work may be come by grace.
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Oh we are. Great chance take and train.
Father to save the life and.
Back to the Basics
Address—Bill Prost
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A sister by the name of Mrs. JA Trench, and apparently she wrote it as a relatively young woman on the occasion of her baptism.
Sometimes helpful to know that and to realize that some of these people had very similar experiences to some of us. 254 Death and judgment are behind us. Grace and glory are before all the billows rolled, or Jesus there they spent.
Their utmost power.
2:54 will sing it to a common tune that I think everyone will know.
Death and judgment.
Let's look to the Lord for His help.
I realized that sometimes I keep telling stories from the past.
Sometimes they're worth telling.
Way back once again in the 1800s, apparently there was a reading meeting at a Bible conference. Probably not nearly as large as this because travel in those days was not what it is today. But at the beginning of the meetings, a very well taught brother who was present just looked around and said, what shall we take up? And someone.
Some brother suggested Ephesians, no doubt feeling that the highest truth that God ever gave.
Concerning the blessings of the church were well worth looking into.
Well.
As the meetings went on, apparently the brother who had been addressed.
Said I questioned whether we were really up to the book of Ephesians.
I perhaps, if it had been left to me, would have suggested Romans.
But he went on to say it really doesn't matter because no matter which one of Paul's epistles we go to, we always end up back in Romans anyway.
What did he mean?
He meant that sometimes, and not just sometimes, but perhaps many times, there's a need to go back to basics in understanding where we are in our Christian lives and in enjoying the truth of God.
00:05:06
I'd like to take us back to basics this afternoon, and we've already referred to the chapter that I would like to look at. Not that, not that this will be the only group of verses that we'll have before us, but turn with me, please, to Romans chapter 6.
Romans chapter 6 and verse one.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into or unto Jesus Christ?
Were baptized into or unto his death.
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death.
That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.
Even so, we also should walk in newness of life, for if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.
That henceforth we should not serve sin.
Going down now to verse 11, please verse 11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.
Neither yield ye your members, as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.
But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead.
And your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Going down a little further now, verse 21.
Four, no, not four, but rather what fruit had ye then in those things whereof you're now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, you have your fruit under holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We'll stop there for a moment.
And in order to put things perhaps in their right perspective, we will, with the Lord's help, first state the problem, and then, with the Lord's help, seek to bring out the answer.
It is appalling today.
The moral breakdown that we see around us in Western nations, the Word of God is being thrown overboard, its principles are being cast aside, and every kind of sin is being brought in as if, and you have heard this especially you young people, that everything is relative.
There are no absolutes anymore.
It's all relative, and whether it is moral standards, whether it is truth concerning God and what he is, whether it is truth concerning God's way of salvation, whatever it might be, it is being trumpeted around that Everything is relative. You can have your truth. I can have mine.
00:10:02
And even if yours and mine contradict each other, well, that's fine.
If what works for you is your kind of truth, I can have my kind of truth if that works for me.
We can scarcely conceive of a more ridiculous and illogical way of looking things, and yet that is man's natural heart. But the real problem comes about because all of this that is going on around us in the world tends to not creep in.
But come in like a flood among the people of God, and it is possible, and you know very well about what I am speaking, that it is possible to sit in these meetings and sit under the ministry of this precious truth that we have heard yesterday, the precious truth that we heard in the last meeting, and yet at the same time to go out.
Somehow and rationalize our way into carrying out very serious sins.
That is absolutely contrary to the Word of God.
Satan has done a very good job of bringing Christianity down to the level of a worldly religion, telling people, yes, if you want to be saved now, he doesn't want anyone to be saved, of course not. But if the gospel is going to be preached and people are going to be saved, Satan has done a good job of telling people you don't need to change.
You can carry on with the same lifestyle that you have always had.
After all, God is gracious.
On the one hand, God has established righteousness through the work of His beloved Son. Man turns that around and invents false religions and says, and of course he has brought it right into the great House of Christendom, that you have to work to do your part to get your righteousness.
But if the grace of God comes in.
What does Satan do with that? He turns around, and this is in the book of Jude, and turns the grace of God into that big word lasciviousness. What does that mean? Lasciviousness simply means.
Unbridled lust.
Oh well, God will forgive. He understands. And I had a young man whom I felt was a Christian and who had been at the Lord's Table tell me that many years ago he was engaging in serious immorality, having divorced his wife and having at that time been involved with another woman whom he expected to marry. And he had the.
To tell me, I think that the Lord understands these things.
He had warped his mind to that point.
And we have to realize that this is where we are in the world in which we live. And please understand, young people, that we are not some of us who are older pointing the finger at you, because we are affected by it too. Maybe not always in the same way, but we are affected by it. And the tide of evil that is coming in has its effect on those of us who are older.
And every new truth.
And every new thing that the Spirit of God seeks to teach you and me, young or old, from the Word of God will find its corresponding antagonist in some aspect of my old nature. So we are never free from it. And if anything, the more you want to know the Lord, the harder.
Sin will keep trying to gain the ascendancy.
It has very painful results.
Because sometimes we can try to deal with the matter in our own strength.
You have all seen that caption. At least it's very common in Canada where I live.
Just say no to drugs.
00:15:00
Sounds good, doesn't it? Does it work?
There's an epidemic, at least in the province of Ontario where I live with opioids at the present time. Just say no to drugs.
But it doesn't work.
Don't drink and drive.
Does that work? Maybe to some extent, because the punishments, at least where I live, are fairly severe for being caught under the influence of alcohol, and I imagine it's similar in the United States. But does that stop men from drinking? No, and we could go on and on.
Man seeks to try doing it by his own efforts. And I am not suggesting that governments do not have the need or the right to establish laws. They do, because when it's a question of curbing the activity of the old sinful self, yes, the law is necessary, very necessary, even for a believer.
It's a rather funny story, but it's a true story, and it happened in the southern states quite a few years ago.
Where a man was brought up before a judge for stealing, I think he'd been stealing chickens, if I remember rightly, not, shall we say, the most major of crimes, but it was stealing.
And sad to say, it turned out that he was a believer. He'd rationalized himself into stealing. He was brought before the judge, and when he was found guilty and convicted, the judge said, Sir, do you have anything to say for yourself before I pass sentence?
He was not only a believer, he knew his Bible a little bit. And so he said, your honor, I would only point out that it wasn't really I that did it. It was the old man.
Hmm, Was that right? I'm afraid it was.
But the judge was also a believer and the judge had an answer for him. The judge said yes Sir, I believe that with all my heart and because of that we are going to put the old man in jail.
And he went to jail. He was responsible for what the old man did because.
He was letting the old man act through his body.
Well, what an awful thing to do that look over in Chapter 7 and we're still dealing with the problem.
What does it say in verse eight of Chapter 7?
Now please understand, in one hour of a meeting there is no way we can cover the subject in its entirety.
If the subject is not clear to anyone.
It's absolutely imperative if you are a true believer that you get these things straight.
Absolutely imperative.
I can remember the time when they came clear to my own soul.
My mother went to be with the Lord almost 30 years ago and for the first time I read her diary.
Kept it secret until then and I found out that she at approximately the age of 20 or 21 when she was in nursing school, had the same problem and stayed behind in the local assembly where she was after a gospel meeting and said I know I'm saved, but how do I get the victory over sin?
And she got clear about it.
But notice what it says in verse eight of Chapter 7. But sin taking occasion by the commandment.
Wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.
The minute I try to do it in my own strength and put myself back under law, what happens?
That word concupiscence is another big word, but it simply means.
Strong desire. Have you ever felt that in your own heart, where there was a temptation in front of you and the desire was just so strong, even though you knew inwardly that it was wrong somehow, some way, it was just impossible to resist. Have you felt that?
00:20:09
I have and it's very humbling.
Have you ever gone out the door of your home?
Some morning having perhaps, and we'll call it a Monday morning, and maybe you enjoyed the Lord's Day.
Previous to it, maybe you really enjoyed the remembrance of the Lord and maybe there were other meetings on that Lord's Day that you really enjoyed. And in the freshness and joy of everything that you had enjoyed the day before, you walk out of the house Monday morning and say.
Now, I'm not going to let Satan get me today. I'm not going to fall into sin today.
Have you had the experience that somehow Satan was right there just around the corner? And if I may be allowed to use a modern expression, Satan knew just the right button to push?
And there you sin before you knew it.
I've had that experience and I have to say, with all humility and shame, too many times.
Why? Because I thought that I could handle it in my own strength.
Going back now to Chapter 6.
Notice what it says there in verse 14.
For sin shall not have.
Dominion over you now. We're still dealing with the problem.
Shall not have dominion over you.
Turn back to Psalm 19 for a moment. Psalm 19.
Excuse me for a moment.
Psalm 19.
And verse 13.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Sin doesn't start with the great transgression, does it? It does not start with sin having dominion over me.
It starts with little things.
It starts with wrong thoughts that I don't judge.
And then those thoughts turn over and over in my mind.
Until eventually a thought translates into an action.
And then those actions, if they are carried on over a period of time, become a habit.
Some of you will remember that last year at Morningstar camp.
The theme we had before us in the morning meetings was choices and habits.
And one thing that was brought out was that it takes very few actions to form a habit. Sometimes as few as three actions can be the formation of a habit, but it takes many good reactions against it to break a habit.
Dominion over me.
If you and I allow sin in our lives, they will eventually have dominion over us, and the natural man knows that all too well. Whether it is something that is very difficult, such as an addiction to drugs and addiction to alcohol or whatever it might be, or an addiction to anything, these things tend to have such a dominion over us that we find.
Very difficult to break.
00:25:02
And sometimes in our younger years.
Perhaps with strong human energy, perhaps we can keep, to some extent anyway, things under control, but then we will find out that as we get older.
And I'm in that category now as we get older. The sins that I refuse to judge before the Lord in my younger years.
Have dominion over me when I get old. Why? Because the human energy is not there anymore. I don't have that energy. And then, sad to say, those bad habits, those bad choices that I made and refused to judge, start taking over. It's very sad to see. Very, very difficult especially.
May I say it when we see it in a believer and one of the saddest things and allow me to say this.
With many fingers pointed back here, one of the saddest things is to see a dear Christian brother or sister who perhaps has gone on for many years and maybe been a real help to others, maybe has been someone who really.
Knew the word of God well and was able to teach it and has been a real help.
But then there comes a time, and I have had that happen in my life, where the Lord lays his finger on what we might call a besetting sin and says, Bill, it's time to deal with that. Now we're talking about basics. I hope that's all right. I feel it's needful.
Bill, it's time to deal with that. Yes, I know you've been doing this and that and the other for me. And sometimes we rest on that. I had a dear brother tell me one time when I I knew him very, very well and he didn't live in North America.
I ventured to bring before him something in his life that I felt he needed to deal with and his reaction was, Well brother, the Lord is using thee. People are being saved through my gospel preaching and people are being edified by my ministry and the Lord is really using me. How can there possibly be something wrong that the Lord needs to deal with?
Was that good reasoning? No.
No. Are we ever going to be at a point where the Lord can't put his finger on something and say it's time to deal with that? Not till we get to the glory. Not that we have any excuse not to deal with it, no. But I don't believe no matter how careful we are.
That we will ever be in a position where we can say I have nothing to deal with in my life.
Somebody pitched that question out in a reading meeting many years ago where there was a very faithful and well taught brother, he said. It is it possible for the believer to live a sinless life?
How do you answer that?
Hasn't God-given us everything to be able to do that? He has. His answer was superb.
He said I know nothing stronger than the grace of God, but I know nothing weaker than the flesh in me.
Good answer.
That weak flesh is going to be with us until the Lord takes us home.
Dominion over me. What a sad thing it is to pick up the thread that we talked about a moment ago to see someone who has been used of the Lord, and the Lord lays his finger on something and says deal with that. And instead of dealing with that, the individual reacts against it, justifies himself, perhaps makes excuses, rationalizes his way around it.
And ends up destroying his usefulness.
Oh, I don't point the finger, brethren. Please don't say it. Don't look at me. I am pointing the finger right here. I need it because it is something I suggest that we all need. Sometimes there is a real root that goes pretty deep, and sometimes the young people sing a song. At least I've heard it. I don't know it very well.
00:30:01
But and it's not, it's not the best English, but it talks about.
Our heart being like a house. And a couple of the lines of that hymn go like this. When the Lord wants access to a certain area of my heart, the individual is quoted as saying, Lord, I have a room in my heart where I don't go because I've got some things in there that I don't want no one to know.
Can we have that as believers? We can.
We can.
A very real difficulty. We've painted a bit of a bleak picture, but we have to face the problem squarely before we see the remedy.
The answer is there is a remedy.
And I want to say at the outset.
The remedy is not in myself.
When you and I were saved, we had to come to the point where we were absolutely helpless, didn't we? We had to realize that there was absolutely nothing we could do in order to save ourselves, that everything depended on the finished work of Christ, and when we came to the Lord as helpless, lost, guilty sinners.
Then we were saved through the grace of God.
Isn't it wonderful that the grace of God has provided not merely for salvation from the penalty of my sins, but has also provided for?
The release from the power of sin in my life down here.
And I don't want to point the finger, but I have to say, in my experience with dear believers, there are altogether too many who have not brought been brought into the good of that precious truth that not only does the work of Christ give me deliverance from the penalty of my sins.
But also brings me into a place where I can be released from the power of sin.
The 1St 5 1/2 Chapters, and this is just a little background, not to make it complicated, but it's important. The 1St 5 1/2 Chapters of this book of Romans. Now we're in the Psalms, aren't we? We better go back to Romans. Go back to Romans again.
And we can open our Bibles at Romans 6.
The 1St 5 1/2 Chapters of Romans deal with the question of our sins, those individual acts of sin that we have committed, and the answer to all that is the precious blood of Christ. Isn't that wonderful? The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son.
Cleanse us from all sin.
And as we get in Acts chapter 13 and verse 39, and by him or more accurately in Him, all that believe are justified from all things wonderful justification from sin.
But notice an expression at the end of verse 18 of chapter 5. Because the latter part of chapter five starts dealing with a new subject, it starts dealing with sin in its root and its principle.
And notice what it says there, verse 18 of chapter 5 of Romans. Therefore, as by the offence of one, or perhaps it could read one offense.
Judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men. And here's the expression.
Justification of life.
There's justification from and justification to.
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If God takes away my sins through the precious blood of Christ, He does not leave me there. He gives me a new life that wants to please the Lord.
Justification of life isn't that precious.
You know, in one sense, and I'm indebted to this remark to one of our old writers, in one sense, justification of life was not really complete until the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And that's why the resurrection is so important. Notice verse four of chapter 6 that we read.
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death or unto death.
That like as Christ was raised up from the dead, notice this by the glory of the Father. Even so we also should walk in newness of life. That's justification of life. And how does that come about? Because Christ went down into death.
Lay in the grave in death, and then came out of it in the power of resurrection. Why is that justification of life? Because it was God's stamp of approval on the work which Christ had done. And in the words of that hymn that we sung at the beginning of the meeting.
Jesus died, and we died with him buried in his grave we lay.
One with him in resurrection now in him in heaven's bright day, as we had yesterday. I believe the expression in him or in Christ is a revelation given to the apostle Paul, Peter, John, Stephen, Phillip. They didn't preach that before Paul came on the scene with revelations from a risen Christ in glory that the believer is.
Christ.
Justification of light.
What's the result of that?
Notice verse six of Romans 6. Knowing this, that our old man should be crucified with him. Oh dear, that's not what it says, is it? I read it wrong on purpose.
Is crucified with him.
The old man. What is the old man? Now this I know is going over very fundamental ground with many here. I hope it's all right.
But I need to be reminded of it.
Maybe others do too.
What is the old man? The old man is what I am as a child of Adam. It's what I am seeking to attain righteousness in my own efforts. It's that which is characterized by a nature that can do nothing but sin, a nature that is ultimately at enmity with God.
And that's why I might say just as an aside.
That it's so important to realize that salvation begins as a work of God.
I was very much helped my brother Ron read a quotation from Brother chapter Macintosh. I'll give you a one sentence from him. That was a big help to me.
He said Quotation The thought that the new life, the new nature can be had by the will of the old nature is absolutely ridiculous.
Is the old nature going to ask for the new nature to come? It can't. It's an enmity with God. God must begin the work in the soul. Thank God he does.
But then we find out when we come to Christ, that our old man has been crucified with him.
What does that mean?
Says that old sinful man, that old man, he has no more rights anymore.
Because what does it say that the body of sin might be destroyed? Now the body of sin perhaps is a difficult expression, but it simply means everything that characterizes as characterizes us as connected with the old man. I expressed that old man through my body.
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And the sin that I commit I do with my body. It doesn't mean that the body is destroyed, but it means that everything.
That characterized the old man. God says that it might be destroyed.
Which one of us does it perfectly? None of us. But is there power there to do it? Yes, there is.
And So what does it say that henceforth we should not serve sin?
The point we want to make is, among other things, that.
And this again is something that I learned when I was young.
Every exhortation given to us in the New Testament is based upon what we already possess.
Every false religion says do this and you might get there. God says I've put you there now.
Live it out.
And God has crucified the old man with Christ. We are identified with the death and resurrection of Christ.
And that is the simple meaning of baptism. We don't have a chance time today to go into all the aspects of baptism.
But in simplicity it means that I personally as a believer.
Take my place and say yes.
I identify myself as being dead and risen with Christ, and that's why in the Word of God, whenever baptism occurs.
It occurs as soon as possible after the individual confesses Christ. No such thing as an instruction period. No such thing as a catechism of knowledge that has to be attained. No such thing as a waiting period. Well, let's see if he's real or not. Or something like that, no?
If you and I named the name of Christ, that is what baptism means. And so the Philippian jailer was baptized right away, the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized right away. And so with many others, I say to those here, if someone confesses Christ.
The responsibility rests mainly with those who hear the confession of faith.
Scripture does not present baptism as being primarily the responsibility of the individual who is to undergo baptism. Now, I don't say they don't have a responsibility because someone can refuse to be baptized, and I've seen that happen. But Scripture places the main responsibility on the shoulders of those who hear someone's confession of faith and then immediately it's brought before them. You need to be.
Think about an army if someone were in the United States. Now if someone joins the US Army.
Though they wait until that individual says, well, let's see, I've been in the Army for several months now, I guess. Could I have a uniform please? Is that the way it works? Of course not. He's given the uniform right away and told Now you behave. Remember when you wear this uniform, what and whom you represent.
It's the same with baptism Christian parents. Now I know some practice Christian household baptism that's different, but if you do not.
And your children confess Christ. They should be baptized as soon as possible.
That's just an aside.
So let's get down in the last few minutes if I could use the expression.
To nitty gritty.
How do we put this into practice? How do we counter that strong desire of concupiscence when we're tempted? How do I keep from sin having dominion over me?
The old man is crucified with him.
The flesh is never.
Said to be crucified? No, the flesh is all too active. It's there.
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What do I need to do?
Look at verse 11.
Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead, indeed under sin, but alive under God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I am entitled to do that because of where God has placed me. I have the right. If I could use that word in the proper way, I have the right.
To say I am dead to sin, I reckon myself to be dead to sin. That old sinful self has no rights anymore.
I can say that.
And I'm told to say it.
The flesh asserts itself, it tries its hardest, and the more I want to let that new life display itself, the harder that old sinful self comes at me.
We had this in Lawrenceville a week ago but turned back to it and or yes it's forward to it to Ephesians 5.
Ephesians 5.
Notice what it says there.
In verse.
Three. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints.
Fornication, I don't think it hurts To mention it bluntly, is a serious sin.
And if I may be so bold, it's becoming increasingly common today among believers because it's common in the world. And so are many other serious sins.
And some of us are old enough to have seen that moral breakdown over a period of 50 or more years that has come about in Western nations.
But what leads up to fornication? Uncleanness.
And what leads to uncleanness? Covetousness. And what does Paul say about all three?
Let them not be once named among you.
Why does he say that? Oh, because if I would judge the covetousness that starts the ball rolling, I wouldn't have to have my brethren judge me for the fornication.
In simple terms.
What do I do if having reckoned myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God?
What do I do when that happens? When a temptation comes to me, do I fight with it? Do I use human energy to fight with it?
Back in the days when there were coal fires in North America and particularly in European countries, many more than there are today.
Creosote, which is a very flammable compound and a byproduct of the combustion of coal, would build up in chimneys and as a result you had to have a chimney sweep come along every now and then and clean out the chimney.
We had one come and clean out our fireplace once because we burned wood in our fireplace and he cleaned out our chimney a couple of times. Dirty job but in days gone by they tell me those chimney sweeps would walk down the street.
Close, black with soot, with brushes over their shoulders, black with soot. And a brother made the comment, he said, which would get you dirtier.
Hugging a chimney sweeper. Fighting with him.
Which would get you dirtier.
Wouldn't make much difference, would it? It just as dirty if you came to blows with a chimney sweep and wrestled with them. You'd probably get just as much soot on yourself as if you hugged them. Whether I hug sin or whether I fight with it, the devil doesn't care as long as I'm involved with sin. And that's where many dear believers make a mistake, because they think that fighting with sin is the way to get rid of it, no?
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It's too strong force. What do I do the answers outside of myself.
I look outside of myself, I look up to the Lord and say, Lord, I thank thee that I am no longer in the flesh or in flesh, but I am in spirit. Now those are expressions from Romans 8, and time doesn't permit us to go into that chapter. We are no longer in flesh. A man in flesh is trying to please God with a human energy and he fails.
That's what happens in the 7th chapter of Romans. He's trying his hardest and he fails every time. Now it's really the experience of a man who in that sense isn't truly saved. He's got new life, but he's not truly saved yet. He doesn't have the Spirit of God. But again, we don't have time to go into all that. But even a believer that is indwelt with the Spirit of God can fall into that way of thinking.
And we need to get clear of it. The answer is to look up to the Lord and say, Lord, I thank thee.
That I am no longer in flesh, but in spirit. That I am no longer before thee as a lost, guilty Sinner.
In flesh, but that I am before thee in all the perfection of Christ Himself. And then what do we do? Turn away from it. Think about something else.
I say this a little too often, but this is a personal reference. I was driving along in my car one time, pulled up to a stoplight. It was a warm day and it was just a nice temperature. So instead of turning on the air conditioning, I had the windows down. Really nice in the spring, but when I drew up to that.
Stop light. The car next to me had the radio on, and what was coming out of that radio was anything but edifying. Not only music but words and things like that.
And I couldn't. Thus I put my fingers in my ears. I couldn't help but listen to it, but I didn't want all that reverberating around in my mind when I pulled away from the stoplight. I simply started humming a hymn to myself. You know it works. Suddenly my mind is turned in the right direction, or I start thinking about the Lord.
This is a true story. It happened in Grand Rapids, MI.
And I was not there, I only read it, but I thought it was a very interesting story. There were two Christian men, I have no idea who they were, no one that I had ever met, but they were in a hotel in Grand Rapids, MI at a business meeting. And when they went out to get out of the hotel, it was one of these hotels in a big U shape and so on. And they got turned around and ended up, ended up instead of going up the right aisle to go out the front.
Door, they ended up going out the back door and they ended up going out by the pool and they had to walk pretty much through the pool area to get to the door to the back, which took them to the parking lot and.
As they walked through that pool here, of all things, they stumbled right on a beauty contest, and here was a bevy of beautiful girls in skimpy bathing suits standing there.
And all the rest of it.
And one of them heard the other one saying to himself with his eyes kind of half closed. Lord, you certainly are a great Savior. Lord, it's wonderful to be saved. Lord, it's wonderful to know that I no longer have to be subject to the devil or anything to do with sin. Lord, I'm thankful that very quickly I'm going to be with thee in heaven.
When they got outside, the first one said to that one, What was that all about? What were you saying all that for?
Brother, he said. It sure beats lust.
Did he have the right idea? He did.
Well, I'm not saying that everyone should go at it that way, but that was his way of dealing with the matter.
I'm being very practical.
But we need to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God.
It works. And what happens as a result of it? Not only do I.
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Learn more about the Lord. But it's liberty. It's liberty. It's not legalism. It's not bringing me under law. It's not living by a set of do's and don'ts. No, it is not. It is referring everything to the Lord, but it's doing it in what Scripture calls in James, the perfect law of liberty.
And what is the result of it? Spiritual growth?
Many dear believers stunt, and I'm pointing at myself, stunt their spiritual growth by allowing that in their lives which the Lord calls on them to judge. And even if it's only our thoughts that need judging, evil thoughts can be enough to destroy our communion with the Lord.
One last verse.
2nd Corinthians 4.
Or two last verses.
2nd Corinthians 4.
Verse 10.
Excuse me?
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.
You know that draws out our affections.
What a difference that makes.
And it's an always thing. It's a daily thing. I reckon myself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. Perhaps I do that once, and I do that in a very real way, and I take that position before God. That's good. But practically it's a daily, everyday thing. I have constantly, and maybe more than once a day.
To bear about in my body, not the fact that Christ died under sin as a mere fact.
But the dying of the Lord Jesus, my affections must be brought into play. Not merely do I do all this as a magic formula to be remained free from sin, but rather I remember in my heart and soul that that sin which I am tempted to commit.
Was that which ultimately caused the suffering and death of my precious savior.
That will have a stronger effect on me than merely a knowledge of the truth of all this.
And then the next verse.
Verse 11 And this is one step further for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake.
That the life also of Jesus might be.
Made manifest in our mortal flesh, what is it to be delivered unto death?
It is to have the Lord see something in me that I don't recognize.
Sometimes I can be some so taken up with things that there is that in my life which I don't even realize.
And the Lord has to deliver me unto death. Now don't get me wrong, you know very well that I am not suggesting that every trial in a believers life is the Lord seeking to bring before me some root of sin that I need to judge. But sometimes the Lord sees fit in His ways to deliver me unto death. And if he does so, and I honestly go to him about it and ask him what it's for, I can tell you from experience there will.
No question in your life and in your mind and in your heart as to what the Lord is speaking about. He will make it clear to you.
And so we ought not to resent the being delivered unto death, because the result of it is what?
That the Lord will deliver us unto death. To what end? Whoops, back to Romans 6.
Back to Romans 6.
What's the last verse of the chapter?
Verse 23 For the wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We often use that word in the gospel, that verse, but it's written to an assembly of believers, and I believe we can apply it to ourselves as believers in this way. That death in the sense of eternal death is definitely the wages of sin.
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But the wages of sin and a believers life are moral death.
And those who can remember our late brother Eric Smith will remember his saying to us.
And referring to believers that, as he called it, were dead on the battlefield of life, like Saul and Jonathan and others on Mount Gilboa in the Old Testament.
Moral death, a lack of power, a lack of going forward for Christ, a lack of real testimony for Him. Why? Oh, because of that which has been allowed, which we have been unwilling to deal with.
Oh, how much better to submit to being delivered unto death in that way.
In order that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal bodies or our mortal flesh, rather than finding out to our sorrow that the wages of sin is death.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, we get the gift of God when we are saved and the thank God for the present possession of eternal life. Beautiful.
We don't have time to go into it, but the expression eternal life is used in four different ways in scripture and one of them refers to the present enjoyment of it in our life down here. I suggest that that application is appropriate in this scripture.
The Garden and Cross
Gospel—Tim Roach
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Good evening. Maybe we can start our meeting tonight by seeing #1 almost persuaded. I know many of you have heard the gospel before, and you know how to be saved. You know how to pray. You know how to live like a Christian. You're almost saved. We pray that you will not only be almost persuaded, but altogether saved. Tonight, let's sing #1.
Almost persuade.
Now.
All day long I hear.
Come.
We give thanks for the Gospel meeting once again, so I want to speak tonight about the arrest and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. We know that is where he gave his life for us, and it may be that someone here has already heard the gospel many times and you've decided that this Christian stuff is just not for you. So you may want to use this hour to sleep or to catch up on your messaging, Twitter, Facebook, and if you do.
I won't be offended.
I just want everyone to turn off all your sounds to your phone so that there will be no distractions. However, if you don't mind, I suggest you do stay awake and you put away your phone and you listen, because there are eternal ramifications for everyone in this room in the gospel message tonight.
If you believe that Jesus is God.
And if you trust the work that Jesus did when he died on the cross for your sin, and if you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal savior, you will be eternally safe from the punishment of your sins, and you will be safe in the hands of the Lord Jesus. And God will remember your sins no more, and you have eternal access to the Father in heaven, to the Father Himself.
For the rest of you.
If you don't believe, if you neglect to take care of this matter between you and God tonight.
Or if you reject this opportunity to have your sins washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, let me tell you there is a miserable eternity that awaits you in the fires of hell, where you will suffer alone with your conscience, continuously, not continually, but continuously.
Tormenting you.
But enough of that for now, because there is hope. There is hope, There's a way of escape from your eternal misery. And I want to talk about the arrest and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which he was betrayed. And if we can go to Mark chapter 10.
You know, when Jesus came to this earth, he was holy.
He is God. He had no sin in him. And Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years without sin. And he preached and he healed, and he did so many kind things. And Jesus loved the Jewish people, and he came into this world to be their king. He came unto his own, but his own received him not. Jesus came to his his own people, but they did not believe him. In fact, the Jews hated him.
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And Jesus? He knew that the Jews despised him, and that he knew that they would crucify him. Well, the previous Jesus had previously tried to explain this to his 12 disciples, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. Let's look at Mark chapter 10, verse 33. And Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He says, saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief priests.
And unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him. And the third day he shall rise again.
Well, the 12 disciples, they believed Jesus was the Messiah and they were expecting Jesus to take over the world. And the disciples, they wanted to begin reigning with Jesus over this world in the Kingdom, they said. But they did not understand what Jesus had said to them. John chapter 13 and and we'll find here in this chapter that on the same night in which Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot before he was arrested.
By the officers in charge, Jesus ate one last Passover meal with his disciples. And in the preceding days and weeks we find that Judas Iscariot had somehow been dabbling in the occult, and we'll see how this affected him on the night in which Jesus was betrayed, and then after the feast of the Passover in John 13. After the feast, Jesus spoke to Judas Iscariot in verse 26.
We'll read part of the verse. When Jesus dipped the SOP, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon. And after the South, Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him that thou doest do quickly. After Judas left the upper room, the Lord Jesus talked to his disciples about his death, and he showed them how to remember him in his death in the breaking of bread.
But they did not realize. They did not realize that Jesus would be arrested that very same night to be crucified and to be put to death. Matthew chapter 26.
When the This is when the supper had ended, Jesus went outside the city to pray, and he went with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and Matthew 26 and verse 36.
Because then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane. And he said unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray Yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death, Tarry here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying.
My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Well, Jesus. He went into the garden full of sorrow and with a heavy heart. But he came out of the garden with a heart full of joy, knowing he was doing the will of the Father, as he went to the cross.
On the day that the Lord Jesus was arrested.
To be crucified, He could say in Psalm 118. He could say, This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. How could Jesus rejoice knowing he was going to be so cruelly treated and crucified?
How? How could he have joy knowing he was going to have our sin put on him? My sin put on him? He was the innocent one. He had no sin in him. He was the one who did no sin.
Because he could not sin. He is the righteous one who has made sin so that you, the Sinner could be made righteous. Well, let's look at Hebrews chapter 12.
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Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus did not let the shame of the cross turn him away. He did not worry about the curse and the shame of being crucified on a cross. His joy came from being obedient to do the will of the Father. And so when Jesus was done praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus found his disciples sleeping, says OK guys, it's time to wake up, let's get going. And as Jesus and the disciples were leaving the garden, they met Judas Iscariot.
And Jesus says to him, Hello, friend.
Why are you here?
Judah said. Hell, Master.
Hell, that means rejoice and be glad, master, as he gave him a kiss.
Of betrayal.
Immediately the officers and the soldiers, they arrested the Lord Jesus and they led him away to crucify him. Let's go to John Chapter 18.
John Chapter 18, The first few verses.
Starting in verse one.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook sedron where he was, where was a garden into which he entered, And his disciples and Judas also which betrayed him, knew the place. For Jesus often times resorted thither with his disciples. Verse 3. Judas then having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Whom Seek ye they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus said unto them, I am he.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon as he said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Jesus asked them, Who are you looking for? Well, they answered him, We're looking for Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus says, I am that name. I am. It's the same name of the eternal God. In the very presence of the eternal God controlled those men with the authority of God.
And they all stopped at that name and they stopped and they bowed down the Roman soldiers and the Jewish officials. They stepped backwards and they fell down before Jesus. This reminds me of Philippians chapter 2 and verse 10 and 11 where it says at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The Father was glorified at that moment when the Roman soldiers and the Jewish officials and Judas himself, they fell down to the ground before the G before Jesus of Nazareth. And I like to think that when they fell down they bowed their knee to Jesus when they heard that name, the name the Great.
I am at the name of Jesus. Every knee shall bow, and that includes you, you sitting here tonight. Every knee shall bow whether you are saved or not, whether you want to or not. You will both. You will bow both of your knees down before Jesus Christ.
While the soldiers, they got up off the ground and they took Jesus to the religious leaders and the soldiers. They beat Jesus and they tried to get him to confess a lie, but Jesus refused. He refused to lie and he and the leaders took him to Pilot. The governor, Well, pilot interrogated Jesus and Pilate came to this conclusion and Pilate says this man has done nothing wrong.
And and three times he said, I find no fault in this man. All the religious leaders they said crucify him. Why? Said Pilot. He said what? What evil has he done? Well the religious leaders, they wanted Jesus dead and when they heard Pilate defend Jesus they became very angry and they shouted, we don't want this man away with this man crucify him.
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Crucify him, Pilate, the governor. He was afraid of the gathering mob. And finally Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus. But first he had Jesus whipped 39 times with a scourge and Jesus with his back bleeding. He went to the cross. Let's look at Matthew chapter 27.
Matthew chapter 27 will begin at verse 26. When Pilate, when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band.
Of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put him in a scarlet robe. And when they had planted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a Reed or a stick in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him, and mopped him, saying, Hell, rejoice, and be glad, King of the Jews.
And they spit upon him.
And they took the Reed, and they smote him on the head. After that they had mocked him. They took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Jesus, the soldiers, they took Jesus outside the city and they laid him down on a cross. And I don't think they did it very gently. They didn't say, oh, they didn't say oh be careful Jesus don't get any splinters in your back. No, I'm sure they just threw him down on that that cross and and they, the soldiers put those big nails through his hands and his feet and then they dug a hole in the ground and they stood that cross up and dropped it into the into the hole.
And the Lord Jesus as the as the cross fell into that hole, he had horrible pain.
And he couldn't breathe very well.
Someone in an act of kindness, they offered Jesus a drink of medicine to take his mind off the pain. But Jesus refused any He refused to take any medicine that would reduce the pain.
He came to suffer and to die for sin, for my sin and he was going to endure all the pain and all the suffering and all the punishment. Jesus endured the cross and he experienced the shame and he would endure all the suffering of the cross. The physical pain, the suffering of the physical pain and and the suffering of his body was something that our minds we can picture.
In our minds, and we can understand a little bit about physical pain, but none of the physical sufferings that the Lord Jesus endured, none of the physical sufferings that man could inflict on the person of the Lord Jesus could ever take away sin. The worst of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus was yet to come, and when and that was when he would be stricken and smitten of God.
And afflicted. And we would not be able to understand this part of the suffering that Jesus endured. And so while Jesus hanged there on the cross, God turned off the sun and there was darkness. For three hours there is darkness over all the land from the six hour to the 9th hour. God could not allow anyone to see Jesus suffer for sin. He could not allow anyone to see my sin put on Jesus.
Jesus was that holy sinless 1 The spotless Lamb of God and God could not allow anyone see Jesus suffer for sin during that time of darkness. Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree, and it was too horrible for anyone to see the righteous judgment of God against sin when stroke upon stroke of God's wrath awoke and fell upon Jesus for me.
God, God is long-suffering and not willing at anyone here in this room tonight.
Should perish God. God had been patient with the wickedness and the sin of man for so long, but now now sin had reached its worst point. And the people he loved, the people he came to, they rejected him, they rejected his only begotten Son, and they crucified Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. God could not be quiet.
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Any longer.
When God saw the shame and the indignities that were inflicted on Jesus Christ.
It seems like the anger of an holy God woke up and exploded against the.
Of mankind.
All of God's holy anger fell in righteous judgment on Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God.
Nobody, nobody knows how much righteous anger, how much righteous judgment fell on Jesus Christ in that those three hours of darkness, all the punishment was more than we could endure, that we could imagine. But the Lord Jesus, He came into this world to save sinners. You are a Sinner. Jesus came to save you. He went to the cross for you. He suffered for you.
He allowed your sin to be put on him, and God punished him. For you, the Lord Jesus, He suffered. He suffered the anguish and the pain and the terror and the torment of hell upon the cross for you. Jesus suffered so much as he endured the darkness.
And the cross, and the shame and the humiliation of having my sin put on him.
As he suffered the punishment of sin against himself. Let's go to first Peter chapter 3.
First Peter chapter 3 and verse 18.
For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.
Jesus suffered so that he could bring you to God. You've been reconciled to God by the death of his Son. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, well, Jesus is here tonight. We don't see him, but he is here. He by his Spirit. He is here tonight waiting to bring you to God. And God and his sovereignty has done everything possible for you to be saved.
Now it is your turn. It is your responsibility. Now you have heard that Christ had to be crucified for your sins because you are a good Sinner.
Good Sinner. I say that you are a good Sinner because you were raised in a Christian home. You're listening here tonight looking like a good Christian, but you're a good Sinner because you are raised in a Christian environment. And sometimes you look like a Christian and you act like a Christian and you think you are pretty good and you don't need to worry about all this stuff we're talking about. You are a good Sinner, but you are a bad person. There's none righteous. No, not one. All have sinned.
And come short of the glory of God, Well, what must you do to be saved? Two things, you must have repentance towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus. That verse in Acts 16 says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. But if you reject Jesus once again, if you reject Jesus tonight, that's too bad. I know you are here tonight.
And you have heard the gospel many times, but you have never admitted that you are a Sinner. And then and you have never asked Jesus to save you. And here you sit, trying to ignore the gospel message, looking at your books, talking to your friends.
Do you believe on the Lord Jesus?
You have never asked Jesus to save you. Why? What are you waiting for? Pretty soon it's going to be too late. The Lord Jesus is coming anytime, he says. Surely I come quickly and you don't know when your last day on this earth is going to be if the Lord Jesus doesn't come and you drive home tonight and you have a car accident and you die just like that.
You won't have another chance. You will find yourself at heaven's throne of judgment, and you will hear Jesus say, I never knew you. Jesus will say you rejected me and my love while you were here on earth. Why are you standing at the door of Heaven's Gate trying to get in? Why do you want to come into the Father's house now? You never wanted me before. Get out of here. And you will bow your knee in that day. And you will say, Lord, Lord, let me come in.
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I was not so very bad. I went to the Bible meetings. I sat in the Sunday School. I learned the Bible verses Don't send me to hell. The Lord Jesus will have to say, get out of my sight. And Jesus will tell his angels to tie you up by the hands and the feet and and throw you into outer darkness, into the pit of hell. And the angels, they will, under the instruction, they will grab you and they will tie you up and they will throw you with force.
They will cast you into the lake of fire and down you will go down.
Down, down, screaming no as you enter into a loft, eternity, and you will fall into the suffering torments of the lake of fire alone.
Without Christ, without your mom and dad, without your friends, you'll be alone and we will never hear from you again.
But within your never dying soul, your anger and your hatred against God will increase every day, forever and ever and ever, where you're the worm of your conscience will never die and where the fire is not quenched.
But Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you, and he doesn't want any of these bad things to happen to you. And that is why he willingly came down from heaven, from the Father's house, to come into this world, to die that the shameful death on the cross, to take all of that horrible punishment for you.
At the cross, let's look at a verse in Isaiah chapter 52.
Isaiah Chapter 52.
And verse 14.
And it says many were astonished at Jesus.
His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.
The visual appearance of Jesus was so distorted more than any man's, but not because of the physical tortures that were put put upon him. But it was because of my sin that was put on him, and he endured the wrath of God because.
Of my sin. That's what distorted the face of the visual appearance of the Lord Jesus, as he felt the anguish and the pain and the suffering and the wrath of God in the darkness and out of the terror and the darkness. At about the 9th hour Jesus cried. He cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The Lord Jesus felt so alone there on the cross as he had our sins put on him, and he suffered there.
Alone. Why are you so far from helping me that that is what Jesus endured on the cross so that you could have a way of escape from the punishment of your sin? Jesus loves you that much. He loves you that much as he spread out his arms and allowed them to nail him to the cross. He loves you that much and after the suffering for sin in the darkness for three hours.
Jesus cried. It is finished. Then Jesus gave his spirit into the hand of the Father, and he died.
Jesus gave his life for us. The suffering was finished. Let's look at Hebrews 10.
Hebrews 10.
And verse 10.
We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. We only need to be made holy once with one sacrifice of sin for sins. Jesus is able to sit down on the right hand of God because the work was done forever, the payment for sins was completed and so Jesus has put away your sin forever and even the sin you have. This is for believers, even the sin you haven't done yet he has put away.
00:30:06
But if only if you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll just quote a verse from Psalm 103 says as far as the East is from the West so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Some believers, they get concerned about their salvation because if they do some sin and they think that if they die before they confess that sin to God or they die before they get reconciled with the person they have offended.
They wonder how could they possibly go to heaven if they die in that condition.
If you think this way, it's a problem because you are somehow putting yourself under law that you must be good in order for you to get to heaven. You are thinking that your security of going to heaven depends on your ability to be good all the time.
You're trusting your ability to remember all your sins. So you can confess all your sins that you have ever committed, but you can't possibly remember all of your sins to confess them. The unbelievers, the unsaved people, are not required to confess their sins.
But you can't possibly remember all your sins. You need to understand that when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved forever.
Well, I have a question.
If Jesus loves you so much.
And Jesus suffered the punishment, and he suffered so much.
And Jesus paid such a big price to save you. And you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you think that Jesus is going to let you get away from him? Do you think he could let you jump out of his hands and lose you?
Will Jesus allow you to be taken out of his hands and cast into the lake of fire? No. You are his child when you put your trust in the Lord Jesus.
Your sins are gone. They're gone forever. We used to sing a song. I think it was at the gospel tent. Something like my sins are gone. They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary, as far removed as darkness is from dawn. Praise God, my sins are gone. Jesus will never bring any of your sins to you on judgment day and say, hey, you forgot to confess this sin, so you must go to the lake of fire.
No, it can't happen like that in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 12.
Hebrews 8 and verse 12.
Lord Jesus says their sins and their iniquities. I will remember no more. Jesus took all your punishment for all of your sin and that is what he Jesus means when he says I'll remember them no more. Jesus won't bring any sin to you on judgment day and say hey you can't come into heaven. No, God doesn't work that way. Go. Jesus knows that he paid the price to cover all of your sins.
Whenever you commit them, and he still has the wounds in his hands and his side to prove that he's taken the punishment for that sin that you've committed.
His blood has already washed away your sins from off your record. God is not going to charge you again for that sin that Jesus paid for. However, if a believer does sin, you will need to. The believer needs to confess his sin in order to fix his fellowship with the Father while you're living here on earth.
But your eternal destiny with Christ in the Father's house is eternally secure, and it's all because of the blood. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. And so if you, if you refuse to believe that your sins are gone as far as the East is from the West, Are you sure you're going to go to heaven if you doubt the finished work of Christ?
That it is sufficient to cover all of your sin. Will you go to heaven?
If you believe that you must confess your sins to go to heaven, Are you sure you remembered to confess all of them?
If you are not trusting Jesus for your salvation, who?
Who are you trusting yourself? That's a joke. Are you more holy than Jesus? Are you wiser than God if you are not trusting Jesus 100%?
00:35:10
There's no other sacrifice to cover your sin. Romans 623.
We all know that verse the wages of sin is death.
The wages of sin is death. But there's good news. Jesus paid the price for you. Christ died for your sins and the end of that verse says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
At the last, after the Lord Jesus had given his spirit to the Father and he died, we find the soldier with the spear, and that soldier hated Jesus too, and one of the And with one more act of hatred against the Creator, that soldier took that spear and he speared Jesus into the side.
Well, people still hate the Creator today and they revolt against the idea of intelligent design and they prefer to believe in evolution and big bangs and man made global warming. Well, who do they think made the energy to make a Big Bang if that's what happened? God tells us in the Bible that this world will be here for at least 1000 more years, for the Millennium, for the reign of Christ, with a perfect climate for people to live and to grow crops in.
But we don't have a perfect climate yet. We get hot, we get cold, we get dry, we get wet. It's a natural cycle. While I was in Mozambique just a few days ago, there was a huge cyclone that hit hit Mozambique cyclone EDI, and that devastated the 4th largest city in Mozambique, the city of Beira. And they had a population between 500 and 600,000 people. And 90% of the city of Bayra was destroyed.
And it caused damages in Zimbabwe and Malawi as well. More than 700 people dead villages of people in the people in the villages from Zimbabwe were washed down the streams downstream in the raging rivers, and they were collecting their bodies and burying them down in Mozambique.
Houses, crops, roads, bridges gone. Women and babies climbing up trees and stranded there until they're rescued. Some people climbing on the roof tops and they're there for three days without food and water before they get before they get rescued. We do not have a perfect climate. God uses the weather to get people's attention, but they have no idea that God it is God who controls the weather. People today, they believe in the religion of man. Controlled climate can change.
And man thinks he's in control of his own destiny. And if the Creator were to come here today to visit again, you know what? They would spear him in the side again. And they don't want a God who controls creation. They don't want a God of love. They hate Jesus.
Why? Why do they hate him so much?
As a result of that act of hatred, when that soldier thrust the spear into the side of Jesus, immediately the blood flowed forth from the side of Jesus Christ, and it is that precious blood that cleanses us from every sin. When Judas Iscariot, he saw that Jesus was going to be crucified, he was actually going to be crucified.
Matthew 27 verse five tells us that Judas went and hanged himself.
He committed suicide.
And in his in suicide.
The last state of Judas was worse than his first, because now Judas is in hell and he's lifting up his eyes in torment, awaiting his turn to to be cast into the lake of fire. Judas was never saved, you know Judas had been communicating with Satan. We don't know exactly how he did it, but he was controlled and he was possessed by Satan and he quickly fell into a deep dark depression and he saw the only way out of his situation.
Was suicide.
That is what messing with the occult does to a person.
You begin to have doubts about the goodness of God. Maybe you don't think.
We have the occult here in this country, but we have Ouija boards and Harry Potter and we have. We have drugs. We have.
So many things that bring in the occult yoga.
Some of the martial arts.
00:40:00
There's connections there to the occult playing cards. They have connections to the occult.
And as we get involved in these things.
And we become controlled by them. You begin to have doubts about the goodness of God.
And you have no peace and you become depressed and obsessed and distressed.
And lonely. And Satan is pushing you to suicide in the darkness of your depression. But suicide is not the answer, because the darkness and the depression and the loneliness are all part of the existence in hell. And when the unbeliever commits suicide, instead of getting relief from the dark depression, you'll find yourself in outer darkness, utterly alone.
And you will fall into eternal hopelessness and despair. And Satan is trying to push you into the eternal dark depression of hell before you get saved.
Something similar happens to believers who get busy with the world and they try to live like a Christian at the same time. And when you have one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity, Satan controls you and he takes away your joy. He takes away your peace, and he replaces it with doubts about God. And slowly, as you have this struggle within your soul, you also can go into a dark, deep depression while you're looking, while you're trying to look like a good Christian.
It happens.
Let's look at a verse in Luke chapter 4.
Luke Chapter 4, verse 18.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. This is the heart and the person of the Lord Jesus in this verse. And he wants to set you free from your depression, but you need to 1St.
Confess the hidden sin in your life to get free from the control of Satan's demonic power, because it's Satan's demonic power that debilitates your joy and the usefulness of the believer.
I want. I want to sing.
Part of #4.
Christ is the Savior of sinners. Christ is the Savior for me. Let's sing #4. Christ is the Savior of sinners, Christ.
Savior for me.
Long I was chained in sins, darkness.
Now by his grace I am free.
Savior of sinners life.
Blood for my ransom. This is the savior for me.
I can say I am pardoned, happy and justified. Free singer for me.
Maybe you appreciate the love of Jesus and you really want to be saved tonight. If you want the blood of Jesus to start working for you right now, to wash all of your sins away, you must believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved. But you must trust Jesus. And you can tell the Lord Jesus in a prayer right now that you want to be saved and you can pray at the same time. I pray.
Let's pray.
Live Fearlessly and Joyfully
2 Timothy 2:1-12
Reading
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30.
What is the world?
War.
It's such a real church.
The story brought joy.
Oh God.
Thy Lord.
Could be.
Ruined, all of it will stop.
My 4:00.
Great.
Sores.
The Holy.
We see.
And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.
That he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that Laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding on all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds. But the word of God is not bound.
00:05:11
Therefore I endure all things for the elects sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself of these things. Put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no prophet, but to the subverting of the hearers study to show they self approved unto God. A Workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
Rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
And their word will eat, as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth shore having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts that follow righteousness, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace within the call in the Lord out of a pure heart, but.
Foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender stripes, and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men. Apartment to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God prevention will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
It's rather instructive to us how this second chapter begins.
In the first chapter, Paul is laying out, if we could say it, the state of things that had come about.
Culminating in the fact that All Day in Asia had turned away from him, and of course, ultimately turning away from what Paul stood for.
And here was Paul a prisoner and not able to go about and to seek to combat that.
I speak for myself. If I had been writing this, I would probably have written Thou. Therefore, my son, be strong in the truth that is in Christ Jesus.
But that's not the word Paul uses.
I believe Paul recognized that there's always the tendency in the human heart that when spirituality declines and there's a turning away from the truth, there's an attempt to try and maintain things in order with human energy.
And that does not work.
The energy may be well motivated and you might say directed in the right way, but.
The strongest force to keep us in the pathway of faith is a deep understanding of the grace of God. Yes, as we had when Brother Bob took up the House of God. There is discipline in the House of God and there is a need for order there and that needs to be maintained. But the strongest force to keep me to keep you.
Enjoying and going on in the truth of God.
Is a deep sense in my soul of the grace of God that has brought me there and given us that precious truth.
00:10:01
I think that's because we can never get away from the thought that we are receivers.
No matter what we have, what blessings, what knowledge, whatever it may be, we talk about being those who've been given the highest truth in the Bible, who understand the mystery of Christ. We never step away from the thought that we are receivers because God has chosen to give. If you look at those early verses in Proverbs chapter 2 where he talks, he, he exhorts them, his Son, you know, he uses words that are energy, words like striving the things that you long for that you search after.
Then how does he finish? He says for the Lord.
Gives wisdom.
He is asking us to strive for the things that He gives to us.
And in the 6th of John the Lord, he tells them, you know, don't labor.
For the things that perish, you want to labor. For that which is truly life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. And I remember reading that statement years ago, how our problems, so many of our problems stem from the fact that we lose sight that we are receivers of His grace. And so these things we're talking about here, they're based on that, aren't they? And we're receivers.
Not because of any merit of our own.
And so grace is unmerited favor.
And I love that verse in first Peter chapter 5 where it speaks of God as the God of all grace. He continues to give and give and give and give some more. And so if you need more grace, don't be ashamed to go and ask for more grace. But it's a totally different basis than the system of merit.
Remember when one time in the High Plains of Bolivia they had a time of very hyperinflation and there was need of food? And so we were able, with the help of our brethren up here, to take some foodstuffs up to them. And this lady looking on says, you people must gain a lot of favor with God by doing these things.
Say, lady, we're not doing it to gain any favor with God. I already have complete favor with God because of what Jesus did. But you know what? I feel so tremendously indebted through him for what he's done that I can't do enough to express my gratitude. And that's the sense of grace, isn't it? And that's what will empower us to go on in a day of ruin, like in the public testimony, like we are living in.
And so it is very appropriate that he begins with this.
The grace, be strong in the grace brethren, let's really meditate that that will keep us going on. Brother mentioned in the last meeting that verse in second Corinthians chapter 12. When I am weak, I am strong. And so how are we strong in grace? Well, it's the grace which is in Christ Jesus. That's where you get the grace when we run into situations that need.
Activity or or.
Action. What are we going to do? We go to the Lord, and how would He?
Act. How would he have us do things? And we'll have from him the grace that is needed.
An example isn't it if the Lord Jesus the grace that was in him and is in him because when he was faced with false accusation the stood before Pilate and even when he was on the cross and he was reviled by those thieves, yet the grace shone forth and all of that opposition. He could say Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He could heal the ear of the high priest servant Malcus.
And so in a time of ruin and a time of declension.
At the very end of the day of the Judaism, it didn't change the heart of the Lord at all. And so his heart went out in grace to those that he was ministering to. And so Timothy was going to find himself here and found himself at this time in the day of declension, a day of giving up of Paul's doctrine. And it was a dark day. And yet his spirit needed to be the same as what was found in the Lord Jesus in the day of declension that he had been in, and he was to minister the truth of God.
00:15:27
And the person of Christ with the same grace that the Lord did. And yet it says the grace which is in Christ Jesus, isn't it? That's so important because the word grace is so misused today, isn't it? It's the grace which is in that is in Christ Jesus. It's been mentioned that in the House of God there's two main themes. I think sometimes we forget that. But if we look at First Timothy, we can see that when is that God be displayed as a savior God to this world?
And that's a wonderful thing. And we've talked about that primarily, I think. But there's a second theme we get in First Timothy, and that is that God be displayed as the creator God. And that's being attacked on all sides today, isn't it? That the relationship, for instance, between the distinctions between genders, that's being completely destroyed today, the relationship of a man with a woman.
How important that is the foundation of the family and the family is being attacked on every side. And so if we read in this in second chapter of first Timothy, for instance, we see that and that's part of the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Some people would say, oh, you need to show grace and I want to live how I want to live, but that's not what it says here. It does it. It says the grace that is in Christ Jesus. That's true liberty, isn't it? The law of liberty.
I'd like to suggest that there are.
Seven figures of the believer in this chapter, and I trust we can get through this chapter today, but just to briefly mention them, in verse two we have faithful men. In verse three and four we have a soldier. In verse five we have an athlete. In verse six we have a husbandman or a farmer. In verse 15 we have a Workman.
In verse 20 we have a vessel, and in verse 24 we have a servant.
I suppose you could say it differently, but I think that helps to There are things that we know in natural life and Paul gives them so that we can understand the lesson in these different figures because he has a message to give in them. In fact, he says was mentioned yesterday, verse seven. Consider what I say. So in each of these figures there is a lesson to be learned.
The Lord will give the understanding in all things.
The verse 2 is a faithful man. What is a faithful man?
Mother Dave, what is a faithful man?
The man who walks as a Christian, isn't it?
Obedient man, isn't he?
It's interesting because he says and if you look at verse two closely, there's really 4 generations that are spoken of and it shows how the truth of God is maintained from one generation to another. The things that thou, Timothy hast heard of me Paul, Paul taught Timothy the same. Commit thou to faithful men.
That's the third generation who shall be able to teach others. Also, he doesn't say Timothy. Look for some good preachers or look for some eloquent men.
No. What kind of men will be able to carry on the Christian testimony?
Faithful men. Men who are simply obedient to the precious Word of God. How important it is to be faithful to God's Word.
00:20:04
It says there among many witnesses.
So if I was the only one that heard what Paul said.
What did he exactly say? You know, maybe I missed something what he said, but there were many witnesses to establish what he really said and what he has as witnesses today, every one of us, we are witnesses of what the Apostle Paul said. Where it has, we have it right here in our hands. Isn't that wonderful? We are the witnesses of that discourse. And So what did he exactly say? We have it here. We have it all the epistles. And that is what the faithful men would do. They would go on with what was committed by the Apostle Paul.
As witnesses of that's exactly what he said And so we have it in English and French, in different languages. We can go and check the original languages, all the tools today and establish this is what he said and go from there.
There's another thought in faithfulness and it's you could connect it. I believe in Galatians chapter 5. We could just quote it, verse 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Meekness, temperance against such there is no law. So faith there. I believe Mr. Darby's translation he translates at fidelity. So faithful men are those that are loyal and faithful to Christ, to the person of Christ, to the work of Christ, to the doctrine that honors and glorifies exalts that blessed one. And so I think it has that thought too, doesn't it? Loyalty to Christ, wonderful thing that goes right along with what is obedience to faithful man is is loyal, but he's obedient.
That's the way he shows it.
As I look around the room, I see four generations of faithful men. There's a lot of young men in the room that are faithful coming on. There's middle age and older ones. And as we have these meetings here, we're committing these things to those faithful men. Maybe that's you. Maybe you're one of the faithful men these things are being committed to. We have an example in the end of the chapter, one with Onessa for us. Here's all the in Asia, we're turning away from the Apostle Paul.
There is a lot of animosity towards him both in the, in the world and in the in the church. But yet this one man was from Asia. He didn't turn away from the Apostle Paul and he sought him out diligently. And Paul wants him to be remembered in that day when the rewards are given out. He was a faithful man. So he's a good example of a faithful man. And he needed grace to continue on. And I know especially for some of the young brothers who.
Want to be faithful and they want to take a step out and be a help in their assembly. And maybe they'll make a comment or two. But I know it's, it's unfortunate because some of the other young men will, will make fun of that man, that brother, if he gives out a him or if he reads some verses or makes a comment. And so it's very, very difficult for a young man to take that step to exercise his faithfulness. And so we need to encourage one another.
And it's going to take a lot of grace to go on in this day when people are giving up as they did here in this day, though they in Asia were giving up. And as people are giving up today. And we try to be faithful, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be difficult at times. And so we need that grace that is in Christ Jesus to, to go on as a faithful man.
So this is the succession that we see you. You hear about succession in the Catholics believe in Apostolic succession. This is the succession that we see for the truth being conveyed from one generation to another.
Our knowledge of how the early church.
Transmitted the truth from one generation to another is very scanty. There's not much that's known. That's why we come back to a scripture like this and we see.
It's the responsibility of those who are older, who take up the word to convey it to the others. We've mentioned before that the generations pass. There comes a time when those that we used to listen to, we used to appreciate their ministry, those who gave direction, they're home with the Lord now.
And justice, like Brother Tim says. We can look around the room here I can see young men who are 10 years old.
00:25:01
You're going to be sitting behind this microphone.
If the Lord leaves us here, 1520 year old men, I can look around and I can see your faces and the hope is is that there will be preparation on your part so that you will be able to do that.
So that maybe the Lord doesn't have to raise up somebody else to do it. When is the time to prepare for that? Right now.
Today.
Out.
Well, listening.
Taking an interest and I would say this also young people as you as you are growing up and and going through your early years.
Learn to identify things of value in life.
In in no other day.
Has there been such a plethora of worthless stuff to occupy your minds and to take you away from things of true value? And I'll tell you, all of us who are older, we know that for ourselves, too. We've had to ask ourselves, did I really need to know that maybe my time would have been better spent if I would have been studying Romans or the Gospels or whatever it might have been. We have a.
A deficit of attention among us today because everybody is vying for your attention, largely because they want you to buy their products.
Or to go to the movie that they produced or something like that. Learn to identify things of value in life.
Learn to listen. Listen carefully to what you are hearing. All of the things that are vying for your attention. Pay attention.
How does that apply to the young sisters also?
I think it applies in the same way your wife is sitting next to you who spent more time with your children.
She did.
You know, in business we had a little expression. It's a parasitic load and we need to get rid of the parasitic loads so that we can devote ourselves to a load, to an effort that is worth the effort. And so we find a lesson in Barnabas that says that he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost. And so he didn't have room for those parasitic loads that took his time, just 5 minutes at a time, 30 seconds. I, I don't know what the.
Frequency is, but some people check their emails, you know, 60 times an hour or something. It's, it's too much. There's a parasitic load. But we need to be filled with the spirit. How do we learn the truth? How do we become faithful? I think there's a little bit of a, a hint in Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
2nd Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions or the traditional teachings.
Which ye have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle. So we learn by the listening to the truth being taught at meetings like this, at addresses and so on. But we also need to read, we need the epistles. And Paul spoke the truth, and then he also wrote it down. And by inspiration we have it today. But we need both. And so I would just say that to become faithful men.
We need to be empowered by the Spirit of God. We are indwelled with the Spirit, but we need to give ourselves to the things of God and make it a priority. Not give the Lord the leftovers, give him the 1St place.
And Mark, we hear, we read that it says take heed how ye hear. And that requires faith and in addition to obedience, doesn't it? Faithful man obviously has to have faith. In reading recently about David, there was times when he had great faith when he went out against Goliath and when he went into Saul's camp at night. You can imagine right where he was in the middle of 3000 of his soldiers and the Lord kept them all quiet.
That was real faith. But what did he do next? He said, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I have to leave. He went over to the Philistines. So a faithful man needs faith, doesn't he? Believing what God says. So it says in end, Mark, take heed how you hear. But then a little bit later it says, take heed what ye hear. We have to do both, don't we? We have to hear in faith, believing what God says and know what God's purpose is and God's counsels are and have faith in that. That's a tremendous blessing and privilege.
00:30:20
And then also we have to filter things out. Take heed what she hear.
Value of verse seven. I encourage young brothers, you might not understand everything that is said in a meeting like this, but like Dave says, listen.
I have found that sometimes I didn't quite catch that. What was that?
And verse seven says, consider what I say. And the Lord give the understanding in all things. In other words, we understand as we grow. You don't understand a child of six years old to understand algebra. What's wrong with that child? Nothing wrong with him. Give him time to grow. And sometimes understanding comes in time with growth. But listen.
And those things I found in time, as time went on, it came clear what it was that was meant, and it clicks. And the Spirit of God is in us to give testimony to the truth of God. What a blessing to have the Spirit of God at liberty to use maybe human instruments, but one way or the other to learn it to consider.
And the Lord gives understanding.
So before we pass on to verse seven, you, you mentioned we have these images of, of the ones that we could say are faithful, the obedient man. And you listed off seven of those. And here we have the soldier and we have the athlete and we have the farmer. And there is a common denominator. And I think that helps us to go on all three of those. They're under some sort of discipline. We have farmers in the room here as they can tell you they're not out harvesting today.
There is something that has to be done before they reap the harvest and that involves a discipline, it involves watching the weather and when you do this process and when you do that process, you know an athlete, he doesn't just go out and win the gold medal.
We don't have to say what goes on before that.
And the soldier, he goes through a period of training and the thought is with a man like Timothy, there's a period of training before you reap the rewards that that training and skill would bring you into. And that is an image of the Christian life, the Christian life here in this world. We're, we're not at home yet. There's going to be a time when we will be at home, but we are not at home yet, so.
Now is the time to learn the discipline of the training and the tools that God has given us to use in order to walk the Christian life so that we can be in the reality of these things.
A soldier has to understand his priorities.
Good and the soldier have a business on the side. I suppose he could.
But he has to know that when his commander speaks, that is number one priority. There is nothing that can take the place of that. And so those are things that are established.
And young people, this book is number one priority when there's something I, I, I really feel we are, we are compromising, we are losing by.
May be taking up studies when there's the reading meeting.
And I must say, before I remember young men, I remember a young man that I lived with who is studying medicine, pretty hard course of study.
And the next day, he had a test.
Exam, but that night was the reading meeting.
He said I am going to be in the reading meeting first, then I will study after. Well, he knew what his priorities were and I think so. We so often leave. Well, everybody will understand. I got a test tomorrow. Come on.
00:35:13
Do you have your priorities right? And so the soldier knows he might have an other affairs, but he doesn't entangle himself.
He has to be at the command of his superior. And when he gives the command that is to be obeyed, I mean, he might not understand why he's been given that, understand that command. Maybe he's going into the face of direct fire. But when the commander says advance, he doesn't say I might get killed. He doesn't. I didn't think about that. He only thinks about the command.
I'm here to obey and so it's really an important command. In Luke Chapter 9 we have some that were had met with the Lord and I just want to point out that what was the problem?
The Lord Jesus in Luke Chapter 9 and verse 59, he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my Father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. And another also said unto him, I will follow thee, but let me first.
Go bid them farewell, which are at home at my Father's house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.
We live in a ME first generation and it's hard.
I recognize we live in, you know. It just seems to me, brethren, that we are being robbed by the humanism of our culture. Me first, my interests. If I don't look after my interest, nobody else will.
We're being robbed by that. Let's get our priorities straight.
Isn't it right, brother Bob, that if I say I, if I don't look after my own interests, nobody else will? I am wrong.
If you and I look after the Lords interest, won't he look after ours? Indeed he will. Your father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
So I would suggest the keyword in verse four is entangleth.
We all have to deal with the affairs of this life. We all have to deal with making a living. And it can be very complicated and very difficult Today. Often, for example, the job may be in a big city and yet the housing is out of reach and therefore certain things tend to be accommodated in order to make it work. And various things have to be sacrificed and maybe both husband and wife have to work. And I'm not going to sit here and say that that's always 100% wrong.
But I do say that if you and I as believers go to the Lord and say Lord, I want your things to be a priority in my life.
I believe we can count on him to make a way for it.
And how he does it, that's an individual thing. He does it differently for each one. But I can very much say that the Lord, the Lord will undertake.
Could I say something in connection with that verse in Luke and also?
You know, temporal responsibility. I remember a brother told me once he said I want the Lord to call me to forsake my wife and my children so I could go serve them. Well. There's ample scripture to say that's not what the Lord would want from him to take care of his family first. If anyone doesn't care for his own, he's worse than an infidel. And so when it's that verse also in Luke to bury your father, I I wouldn't understand that the man had just lost his father.
And I thought it wasn't sensitive to his grief, but rather that his father was still living.
And that like Abraham of old, he didn't enter into the land till his father passed away. So I think we need to balance that out because our religious spirit would be even fanatical to a point. We would use scripture, one scripture to pit it against another and give a dishonor to the Lord Jesus. You know, the Apostle Paul, we're talking about doctrine before and being faithful while he was not only teaching, he was living out what he was teaching. He didn't have the responsibilities of a wife and children to provide for.
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But his example was to be followed. And so with us, if we're going to be faithful in what the Lord has committed to us in revelation, it's going to be carried out in our behavior, and I believe it will be characterized by grace.
Before we get to four, I'd like to go back to the brother's question about about the women and their faithfulness. We look around and see a lot of faithful men. We also see a lot of faithful women too here. And how can they go on in faith? Well, let's look at First Timothy chapter 2.
And verse 11 and 12 let the woman learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Then we go in First Corinthians 14, the position of the woman in relation to the man. But yet if you look at verse 15, we see how the woman can overcome that position. If you want to use that term, the position in the church.
Says, notwithstanding she shall be saved, that's not her salvation of her soul, that's perhaps the salvation of her position in the Church. And notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing. If they continue in faith, there's the faith, charity and holiness with sobriety. So as the woman, she, as was mentioned, she, she's in the home, she's with the children more than the man.
In the way society works. And so the woman has a big influence on the children. There's a saying that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world well, as the as the as you see all the men in the faithful men and women in this world who raised these men and women while their mother did. Guess the father has influence too, but the woman has more influence. And so the woman has if she's remains faithful.
In charity and holiness with sobriety, she can raise those children.
To serve the Lord, to be faithful men and women that can be raised up to serve the Lord and to be faithful husbands and wives. But then you might say, but I'm not married, maybe I'll never be married. How can I be faithful to the Lord? And there's, there's instruction back in First Corinthians 7 for that.
And verse 34, First Corinthians 734.
There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord that she may be both, she may be holy both in body and in spirit. And so the the woman who is unmarried or the man, if you'll read verse 33, the man who is unmarried doesn't mean he's unfruitful. It doesn't mean he doesn't have any value in the church, doesn't mean he has any value for the Lord. The woman has much value for the Lord.
And she can serve him and she's much freer to serve him when she's not married to bring honor and glory to the Lord. But how? But as our brother said, they can be faithful. They can learn to be faithful in the same way as the men to, to, to read the word of God, to study it, to listen. And, and we all grow the same way. And, but God has given us different, different doors in which we can go through to serve him and to be faithful.
I think of that verse.
As you're speaking 1St Corinthians 11 verse 11, however, neither is woman without man nor man without woman.
That's a very important principle. And as an example, when we address young men and we talk about the future that they might have in the things of God, that future has to include the young women as well. You know, the young sisters. You can lead a man down one path or you can lead him down the opposite path. And every one of us has a responsibility this this thought of obedience, of walking as a Christian according to the word of God.
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Applies to both the man and the woman. Each has their place.
And The Walking by faith.
The young woman the young the man has to learn to walk by faith as Lord leads, even when he can't see clearly the.
Next step.
He has to walk in submission in many areas of life, even when it doesn't quite seem right. What does the woman have to do? Walk in submission, trusting that the Lord will guide.
Where she can't see clearly.
But it's still by faith we walk, everyone of us.
It's really verse 6, isn't it? We don't look for results here. It's the husbandman that laborers must be first partaker of the fruits. It's a clear translation in the new translation, the husbandman must labor before partaking of the fruits. So we're not going to be the Lord isn't looking for us to get results down here. He's looking for faithfulness. He's looking for devotedness to His cause.
And to do the planting he will do. He's the Lord of the harvest, and he will get the fruit, that the fruit belongs to him. But we are to be faithful. And so as the farmer plants and he waters the crops, the crops are watered, perhaps irrigated, or they're from the heaven itself, He waits for the results. He waits for the fruit. And so God is going to hold us. He's not holding us responsible for the results.
He's holding us responsible to be faithful. And so this is, I believe, the picture that's given to us in verse 6.
So don't get discouraged if you don't see results. Gospel preachers perhaps have that.
Perhaps that focus of wondering to see whether there are results, leave the results with Christ.
And the Lord does give us occasional results as an encouragement, doesn't He? We can be thankful for that.
But I I thoroughly agree with that and verse 8.
Perhaps we need to move along in the chapter a bit. Verse eight is also much clearer in the JND translation.
I believe that.
The word that the second word in the verse is left out in the Darby translation. It's not so much the thought that Timothy was to remember the fact of the Lord's resurrection, but he was to remember.
Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel. I would suggest that the thrust of that verse is that the reward for a life of faithfulness will be primarily in resurrection. Is that the thought, Bob? I think I heard you minister on that one time. Is that? Is that the thought? That's the way I understand it, yes. And at the end of his life, the Lord Jesus.
It really looked like complete failure.
Over a life of service to God, how many disciples did he have? 12 Is that all?
One was a traitor.
Another that vowed to be faithful to him to death denied him three times and the rest took off and fled.
And he was condemned as a criminal.
He didn't even open his mouth to defend himself.
And so his death looked like complete failure. But I think that's the point. God's answer to faithfulness is not necessarily here in this world. It is in the other side, in resurrection. Now Paul is talking to Timothy, and where is he in prison?
Timothy, are you following that guy in prison?
Come on, get with life.
And all and for in Asia forsaken him.
And is soon to be taken outside the city of Rome and have his head cut off.
00:50:04
Looks like complete failure again.
But God's answer us on the other side. And so I think that's the point. Yeah. What you say, Bill? Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel. Oh, brethren, let's get a glimpse of the other side.
Just let's say I've been challenged.
Dear brother Eric Smith.
Many of you remember him.
But he gave up a lot of opportunity in New Zealand as a young man and when he told his father I'm going to Bolivia to preach the gospel, his father at that time was not a believer. He said if that's your decision, get out of my house.
And he was able to make his way through two years of medical studies.
He was known in Bolivia as Doctor Smith the Doctor.
But I remember going one of the last times into the area where he began his work amongst the Indians. And there at the end of a long day in the back of a truck, Brother Eric Smith and Ramon Alarcon were up in the cab and they had a little window up into the cab. We could look through there and see them. We came to where the brethren were waiting for us and.
They were singing as we approached and the brother turned off the engine and we sat there and.
I looked through that window. There was Brother Smith with his head down.
The tears streaming down his face.
The fruit of his labor's, but not so much there. But in that coming day when we go on to the other side and see that which remains for all eternity, Are you laboring for what's going to stay here in this world and be burned up? Are you laboring for what's going to last for all eternity? And I remember just buying my head there and say Lord.
Please help me not to be deceived by the material things of this life. Please help me to live for that day.
And that's the point of this verse, I think, verse 8.
I did want to mention verse five. We kind of skipped over that brother and it's the athlete.
It does say if a man also strived for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. In other words, if an athlete is going to win, he has to pay attention to the rules of the game.
Maybe he's running the 440 round a circuit.
He has to make sure to keep in the track. He could cut off the through the middle and get to the goal first. He would be disqualified. He would not be crowned. And so, brethren, it's important to go by all of the scriptures because.
Because if a man strive for masteries, he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
Though can we say in these verses then to understand the structure a little bit, it's helpful I think to see the 1St 6 verses give us the principles. Don't they have Christian discipline and grace and truth? And then in verse seven through 10 we have two examples of that. The first being the Lord Jesus himself. So when we read about the Lord Jesus, we see that pathway that he walked as the perfect man. And then secondly, in verses 9:00 and 10:00 we have.
The Apostle Paul as an example.
A faithful man, he didn't give up. As we said, in the face of difficulties and challenges, he kept his eye on the goal and he's exhorting Timothy to do the same in a difficult day.
I've enjoyed it this way and I just want to suggest this.
If it holds water or not, but.
Remember I have it in French here and I did check it that it's in that order in in the Greek. Also remember Jesus Christ risen from among the dead.
Of the seed of David, according to.
My Gospel.
And So what? Really.
00:55:00
Got me in that thought processes was the mention that of the seed of David?
And so the Lord Jesus he had.
A mission on the Earth.
Connected with the people of Israel.
And what did he have? He had a cross and a rejection. We will not have this man to reign over us.
So he dies and he is risen again, and he goes up in the glory. And what the disciples ask him, is it at this time that you will establish the Kingdom of Israel?
And I believe the Lord Jesus presented to Israel again by the apostles after his resurrection, we have Jesus Christ risen from the dead of the seed of David. And so there is that that possibility that was there for the blessings, the fruit of the Lord to Israel to be established. And it was not what the apostle Paul had a special burden for the people of Israel, did he not?
And so, and that's why he was in prison also because of his desire that his brethren is Jewish brethren should be saved. And so I've, I've read it in this connection and I, I just suggest it to you that the Apostle Paul in his ministry.
Had this particular desire, was it his only one? But he had this particular desire for the blessing of his Jewish brethren. And so he says there in verse 10. This is why I endure all things for the love of the elect, that they may also obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
There was temporal glory for Israel associated with the reception of the Messiah, and it's going to happen.
When the little Jesus comes and he says all Israel will be saved, the Liberator will come from Zion, and you will establish that fruit for the Lord Jesus in that earthly people. But those that were Jews at that time who were part of that chosen people, it was also available for them to participate in the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. So I just enjoyed that in connection with the fact that the Spirit of God brings the seed of David into that thought there.
Perhaps they give us that.
Perspective.
He brings in resurrection here in connection with the Lord Jesus because really that it was God's answer, wasn't it, to the work of the Lord Jesus, to his service. And as it looked like a total loss, as you say, at the end of the life of the Lord Jesus, he had his 12 disciples. And then we know that when the church was formed on the day of Pentecost, there were about 120 in the room. It looked like a 3 1/2 years of service. There was hardly anything to show for it. But what did Paul teach?
It was my gospel.
Well, He had these revelations from God, and he presented to us in the Word the truth that Christ was going to have a church and that was going to be formed out of those that were Gentiles and Jews. And so Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. And so that was what he did. And the result of his laborers was that he was going to have a church.
And so there was a reward. So I'll just suggest too that in connection with ourselves, the Lord says here my inspiration, He says, remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
At the time of the judgment seat of Christ, we're going to have our rewards.
And so when it's not going to take place, it's very closely connected to the rapture. And so those of us that remain on the earth, we're going to be changed. We're going to be caught up to be with the Lord. We'll meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord? But very shortly thereafter, the judgment seat of Christ will take place. And I'm just suggesting Revelation chapter 22, the very last chapter of our Bibles, and we have the resurrection or the.
Rapture very closely connected with that judgment seat of Christ. Verse 12 And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.
Well, that is brought out, isn't it, in the next few verses, verse 11?
It is a faithful save. If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
01:00:07
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. What a prospect.
And so the pathway of the believer in this dispensation of grace is not one of trying to straighten out this world, nor is it one of taking a high position and being respected in this world. In fact, rather the attempt to gain that has been the bane of the Church.
And Satan, as we have sometimes said, has done a good job of bringing in Judaizing principles to the point where Christianity becomes respectable in the world. And in order to do that.
We have to give up, at least to some extent, our heavenly calling. I'm not talking about what is at the end of the journey, but rather living in this world as those who really belong to another world that is not popular.
And so.
We are called upon to suffer down here, and it may not be as we have often mentioned, as some of our brethren, even at this very moment in countries in the world are being imprisoned and.
Persecuted in some cases even under death.
At the moment we aren't called upon to do that. I'm not saying we won't be.
But our brother mentioned the principle of this school that lost his job, no doubt because of faithfulness to the Lord, and they found Ways and Means apparently to bring accusations against him and to dismiss him. That's the kind of thing we have to expect if there's faithfulness in this world. But again, where's the reward for faithfulness?
In resurrection in a coming day.
And some of us, if we might take a moment to just mention it.
It might be a little difficult to understand the last clause of verse 12.
If we deny him, he also will deny us.
I would make a suggestion that this is not the only place in the word of God. We get it in other places where there is a comment that followed to its logical conclusion applies to an unbeliever. Will the Lord ever in that sense deny you and me even if we are unfaithful? Christians know the next verse settles that he cannot deny himself if we are.
Connected with Christ if we are in Christ, as Paul teaches.
There is no possibility that you and I can be denied.
But.
I believe the moral sense of this exhortation can be applied to us who are believers.
If you and I are unfaithful to the Lord in the day of his rejection, I suggest this carries the force that there will be, and this is just been brought out about the judgment seat of Christ. There will be a loss in that day. There will be a sense of loss of having failed to carry out what we were given to do in the day of the Lord's rejection.
We get a bit of the same thought in Philippians chapter 3 where it talks about those.
Whose God is their belly? Who mind earthly things, and the last clause is whose end is destruction?
Well, that could only refer to an unbeliever. But can you and I have our belly, if I could say it this way, as our God? Yes, we can. Can we put me first, as Bob was bringing out? Yes, we can. Can we mind earthly things? Yes, we can. And so the exhortation perhaps ultimately is a warning to someone who masquerades as a Christian.
And isn't even a true believer. And that, of course, was going to be the condition of things in the great house that we get to later on in the chapter. There would be those who were vessels of wood and of earth, not true believers. But the moral instruction in this last clause of verse 12, I suggest, has an application to you and me as believers.
01:05:02
I was thinking of those in Matthew 7 who had prophesied in the Lord's name and cast out demons in His name and performed lyricals in His name. They were using His name but denying Him. They're coming to the Lord about what they are doing, not about what He has done. So individually, the Lord says, I never knew you away from me in a collective way. Laudicea Revelation, chapter 3. There's this testimony. We're rich. We have need of nothing.
And the Lord is outside. I will spew the out of my mouth. I never knew you. So I think we have examples there too of that kind of a denial of the Lord himself. And the Lord says that's not of me.
1St Corinthians 3, when it speaks about ministry, there is a danger at the judgment seat of suffering loss, isn't there? And so there is that danger here as well. I'd like to read to that verse. That really ends the paragraph. Verse 13 in the new translation I think is much, much clearer. If we are unfaithful, he abides faithful, for he cannot deny himself. That's really the thought, isn't it? It's otherwise kind of unclear in our translation, but.
And this really, I just want to make the comment this, we kind of skipped over it in verse 10, but this is what salvation is in verse 10, that they may also obtain the salvation. It's the present tense of salvation, isn't it? It's not having merely a saved soul. Of course, that's the foundation of everything, but it's having a saved life as well. That's what we're reading about.
The Lord would delight to give us each a full reward, an overabundance of reward. And but it will require suffering if we suffer for His namesake, if we endure all things. Paul said he endured all things for the elect's sake. He suffered because he wanted the people of God to benefit. He was willing to endure the reproach of men, the scorn of the Jews, imprisonments, beatings. He was willing to endure as long as the people of God got a blessing.
And so there's going to be fruit because of his life. But here he gives a little.
Instruction, as it were, He just encourages, Timothy says, you know it's worth suffering for the Lord, it's worth suffering for his cause. And if you suffer and you're faithful for him, you're, he's going to reward you. But if you don't suffer, if you escape the suffering, if you in some way are able to sidestep the suffering and suffering, the reproach for Christ.
You'll deny him the privilege of being able to give you a full reward for having lived for his glory in this scene, beautifully illustrated in Davidde life, isn't it? There was a time when he could no longer be in Saul's presence because Saul would have killed him if he could possibly have done it. And his dearest friend was Jonathan. But Jonathan never went with David to The Cave of Adalam and separated with him.
And so he lost the reward, didn't he? He died on the battlefield of Mount Gilboa with his brothers and his father. That's the sense we have here, isn't it? He lost the blessing. Jonathan said, David, you're going to reign. I know that, and I'm going to be next to you. It didn't happen. He was a man of faith. He was a vessel to honor in so many ways, wasn't he, as we'll see in the following verses. But he wasn't a vessel unto honor, sanctified. He didn't go with David to The Cave of Adon.
And in that last chapter, I think it's chapter 32 of.
Second Samuel, there's 37 men that are named. One of them isn't named, and so he's not on the honor roll by name. It's a solemn thought.
I find it very a bulwark really. Verse 13 brethren, if we are unbelieving.
Or we are unfaithful. Yet he abideth faithful. He is called in revelation the faithful and true witness. It's not a question of my faithfulness, my position. It is a question of his faithfulness. Thank God. Thank God in this day of ruin and so much departure.
He abideth faithful. What a bulwark for our hearts.
Might just mention in connection with that one man in first Peter chapter 5 and was already read to us at this conference, but it says by Sylvanus a faithful brother. Mr. Darby's translation, he translates it Sylvanus the faithful brother and so that's the last mention of his name in the word of God, Silas or Sylvanus and God had his summary of his life.
01:10:29
And he says Silas or Sylvanus, the faithful brother.
325.
We wait for thee, oh son of God.
We.
Shall.
Bring you.
And shall begin to be the evening of the day.
Surprise.
Shall be hurried, so don't believe me?
2 Timothy 2:14-26
Encouragement
Open—Aaron Deaver
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Let's turn back to Second Timothy 2.
Second Timothy 224 says in The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apartment to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God per adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.
You know, my dear, beloved brothers and sisters, there's two ways that we can face people that don't agree with us.
We can tell them you should.
Or we can tell them. Let us.
The apostle Paul is a wonderful example. In the book of Hebrews, 13 different times, he says let us, let us go together, let us do this. And brethren, when we tell people you should, a wall immediately goes up. This is what I see. You should do that immediately a wall goes up.
When we say this is what I've enjoyed.
This is what I've enjoyed. This is this has been winsome to me. Maybe you, you could consider this, maybe you should, you could try this. It sets them free to consider that. Well, maybe, maybe I could try that. Maybe I could consider that in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. Let's turn to Colossians chapter 4.
It says the apostle Paul here says to us, let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.
What's so winsome to other people is how we treat them. If we love them, if we care for their soul, people feel that what goes, what comes from the heart goes to the heart.
Condemnation doesn't work. Judgment doesn't work.
It's the work of the enemy.
When we love other people, I love you. Maybe I can't have to do with what you're doing, but I love you as a person. The other person hears that and Romans it says, know ye not. The goodness of God leads you to repentance. It's His goodness. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt. He needs us to have light and to have love.
They're both true, 100% true. One isn't even more true than the other one.
Turn to Hebrews.
Chapter.
6.
There's thirteen of these.
That the apostle Paul uses, let us, he'd found the pathway and he reaches back and he says, let us go this way. I found it. It's worked for me. And dear beloved brothers and sisters, what is so winsome to other people is something that we've enjoyed.
I enjoyed this, this verse made a difference to me. This helped me and my family. This helped me in my business. When we tell people you should do that, you should do that, it just drives people away. I just I just ask you to consider this. So in Hebrews 6 verse one, it says, therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Let's let's go, let's go on.
In chapter 12.
It says this, it says wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. We're going to run a race. We don't want our pockets full of keys and wallets and so on. They just slow us down. And the sin which just so easily beset us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Let us lay aside all these weights. Let us run. And as our dear beloved brother already encouraged us.
The hymn Looking unto Jesus.
Looking unto Jesus, not looking down at my feet, not looking at your path.
Looking at him.
That's a preservation.
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That's the sure way. We're not going to go astray. We're not going to get into this ditch. We're not going to get into that ditch. We may wiggle, waggle a little bit on the road.
We'll be safe, and I just want to share something my dear, beloved Walt Porter shared with me.
Turn to Ephesians 5 and I'm just going to share this one last thought so there's room for another.
Ephesians 5 verse 26. This is Speaking of the Lord Jesus, that he, the Lord Jesus might sanctify.
And cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word.
There's two different ways to make smaller stones from bigger stones.
The one way is you go to a quarry and you have a giant machine and it crushes the rock.
It crushes it, it breaks into smaller pieces, and it creates a lot of dust.
And it creates a lot of friction, it creates a lot of heat, and it's really noisy.
And if we try and press things on other people, it causes problems. It says right here the washing of water by the word. Another way to make smaller stones out of bigger stones is in a stream.
And the water's there, and the stones, they roll down the stream, but it's quiet.
It's not noisy.
And it's not dusty because the water is moving all those stones.
And there's no heat, there's no friction because the water is there moving the stone. So I would just encourage you, our dear brother at the end of the last meeting had such a sweet spirit to encourage us to consider things. And if if we could just have that spirit instead of saying you should say, let us and may the Lord Jesus be glorified.
Let Us instead of You Should
Open—Matt Richerzhagen
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The prospect Christ.
I.
Where God be my name?
Worry now her face.
I want to read a couple of verses.
Some of them we read over the course of this weekend.
Others are related.
First Chronicles.
First Chronicles, 28.
And David said to Solomon, verse 20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it.
You're not.
Or be dismayed.
Where the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee.
He will not fail thee nor forsake thee, until that has finished all the work.
For the service of the House of the Lord.
Second Timothy.
Chapter One.
And verse 2.
To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy and peace.
From God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse 7.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.
Well, those scriptures are similar and they are different.
They're similar because it's being written or being spoken.
From a father to a son, but different.
Because in the first one it was a biological father.
The second one, it was a spiritual father.
Very significant.
You know there was 2 words that were used.
During the first day in the reading meetings that cannot be found in the King James translation of the Bible.
One of them is timid and the other one is encouragement.
Now I like to look up the definition of words.
See what they mean and it's interesting when you look up the word timid it says showing the lack of courage or confidence. Easily frightened.
When you look at the word encouragement, it's the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.
When Paul writes, he always writes for a purpose. He never writes to simply write.
He always addresses an issue when he sees it.
I believe that when he wrote those words to Timothy, he wrote them because he saw something in Timothy that needed to be addressed.
And he addressed it.
He went straight to the heart.
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There was a question earlier.
In one of our meetings about what about the sisters? What about?
What about their place?
In in the four generations that we're talking about in in Chapter 2.
Well, it brought to mind my mind. Titus chapter 3.
And simple phrases here aged men.
And aged women.
And it talks about younger men and younger women.
The four generations that we have before us in the second chapter of Timothy are not generations related by blood, unless you consider that it's the blood of Christ.
The common bond in all four generations is a is a common bond through Christ, and the encouragement through generations occurs through Christians encouraging Christians.
Now having confidence.
Should not be confused with self-confidence.
Proverbs, chapter 3.
Verse 24.
Actually, let's start in verse 23.
And shall and shalt thou walk.
In thy way safely and thy foot.
Shall not stumble.
And they lie us down. I shall not be afraid.
Adele shall lie down and I sleep, shall be sleep.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
With the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep.
By foot.
From being taken.
There is a difference between confidence and self-confidence.
Self-confidence does not need God.
Confidence is the knowledge or the acknowledgement of the faithfulness of God.
There is a difference.
So confidence is self dependence.
What happens if you don't have?
Or Paul.
To write.
I.
First Samuel.
Chapter 30.
And verse 6.
And David was greatly distressed.
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Go to the end.
But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
There's another verse.
First Corinthians, chapter 4.
And verse 15.
For though ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ.
Yet have ye not many fathers?
Fathers.
Fathers of the assembly are important.
Mothers of the assembly are important, and it's not necessarily biological.
Aged men.
Teach the younger men.
Aged women.
He's the younger women.
Perhaps your children are all gone home, or gone and started their own families, but you're in the assembly.
Perhaps you're a father of the assembly?
Perhaps you're a sister that has never had children.
But you can still be a mother in the assembly.
The Danger of Separation without Humility
Open—Bill Prost
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If I said yesterday that I hesitate to get up, I say it doubly today.
But perhaps I may be allowed to make a few remarks that were based or are based on.
Some of the thoughts that were expressed in the last reading and also as a result of some conversation after that meeting.
Turn back to Second Timothy 2, please, for a moment or two.
In verse 21.
We have the need for separation.
And that was emphasized, and there is a need for it to be emphasized because we are living in the last days, which are described rather accurately in the next chapter, in Chapter 3.
And the conditions are serious. The bad doctrine, the bad practices, the ecclesiastical evil is all a very real thing, and the threat is not to be taken lightly.
However, someone has made the remark and it is important.
That.
To talk about separation.
Without being humbled.
Is to give rise to that most noxious weed that tends to grow in the human heart, and that is sectarianism and pride.
And if anyone got the impression in the last meeting that?
Simply to be gathered to the Lord's name is a guard against.
Moral evil is a guard against sectarianism is a guard against being a vessel to dishonor. Let us dispel that notion right here and now.
Outward position has never conferred inward reality, and I believe that is what our brother was bringing before us just before he closed the reading meeting in prayer.
God looks for inward reality in the soul and justice. Separation here begins as an individual. So godliness in the soul and the right outlook begins with the individual. Yes, it is a precious privilege to be gathered to the Lord's name. It is a precious privilege, and many of us have had that privilege of being brought up.
Under the sound of the precious truth of God, let us never, never throw away that precious privilege or disregard it.
But if we emphasize separation to an extreme, then things go wrong. And much in the Christian life consists of balancing truth.
And holding it in the right way. I believe we have it in these verses.
If I emphasize separation to an extreme.
It results in narrow mindedness, harshness, sectarianism.
And other adjectives could be added to that, because what happens is that we become instead of focused on Christ, we become focused on ourselves. And then pride sets in. And if I may say it bluntly, and we referred to it a little bit yesterday, the history of those gathered to the Lord's name has been.
An evidence of the pride that set in.
I've made this statement before, but I trust it's all right to repeat it and this goes back over 60 years.
Right here in the United States of America, there was a meeting over 60 years ago in which a brother gave a very straight and very.
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Pointed warning about a man who is now with the Lord Billy Graham. At that time he was a younger man and just beginning to make his presence felt in evangelization.
And the brother was warning, and it was a needed warning, about how that already the evidence of compromise was there in his ministry and how that he associated himself with those who taught and held bad doctrine, and yet he associated with them in the gospel because it enabled him to reach a broader audience and.
Have fellowship with and engage more Christians in that endeavor.
After he was finished, a dear brother long since with the Lord, whom I remember.
Spoke up this way and again, if you've heard me say this before, forgive me, but it bears repeating, he said. Brethren, that warning is needed, and I agree with it.
But then he started referring back to his father.
Who was an evangelist back in the 1800s? And he said how that his father had told him that in the early days of brethren, most of the gospel effort tended to be in the hands of those gathered to the Lord's name.
But then he said, and it was when brethren began to fail in their testimony, that God raised up those preachers in the camp to reach the masses. And he didn't spell out names, but he was talking about the Spurgeons and the Moodys and the Sankeys and later on the RA Tories and the Billy Sundays and eventually Billy Graham.
He said, Brethren, do not be depressed or discouraged in walking in the truth, but bear in mind that these men are doing what they are doing.
At least to some extent because of our failure.
Let us never focus on ourselves, because it is on Christ that we need to focus.
And if we are focused on him, what will happen? Two things there will be a shall I use the word a healthy humility at being thank God gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, where I firmly believe with all my heart that the full truth of God can be ministered.
Because of what we are.
Absolutely not because of what he is.
Are we capable of keeping the truth ourselves? We are not.
But in being in the place I trust, where the Lord is in the midst, we can depend on Him to keep it for us. Let's remember that.
And if we have in verse 21.
Separation a most needful thing.
We want to emphasize that in verse 22 we have the recognition of the whole body of Christ.
Now suppose we force that truth to an extreme and forget about separation. And there are those that would do that today and say, I don't worry too much about the doctrines people hold and the different things that they emphasize. I let all that go because I'm interested in reaching lost souls and I want to have fellowship with those dear Christians.
It sounds good on the surface, doesn't it? But again.
What is the reference point? Is it ourselves? Is it even the gospel?
Shall I say it? Is it even the truth of God? Is it even the assembly? Is it even my brethren?
Any object before your soul and mind that fall short of Christ himself will tend to take me off in a wrong direction.
Yes. If I have Christ before me, will I neglect the gospel? Indeed not. Will I neglect the truth of God? Indeed not. Will I neglect my family? I will not. Will I neglect the importance of gathering together collectively with believers? Indeed I will not. And on and on the list could go. But if anything is before me that has grabbed hold of my soul, that falls short of Christ himself.
00:10:07
To that extent extent I can go off the rails.
And so I would suggest verse 22, if carried to an extreme, will tend to make me focus on quote.
Those nice Christians, and it will put me into fellowship with much that is contrary to the word of God, and which is a dishonor to the Lord.
How do I balance the two?
I would suggest that I can go in either direction without much spiritual exercise or being before the Lord. I can go to the extreme of separation, so that for all practical purposes, the only Christians that exist are those in the company with which I am connected. But is everyone who is in that company necessarily a vessel to honor?
Unhappily not.
Unhappily not.
And I would say very openly that some of the most wonderful fellowship that I have enjoyed in my life has been with those who for some reason could not see the preciousness of being gathered to the Lord's name. I had to depend on the Lord to do the work in them. But did it stop me from enjoying fellowship with them? Oh, there are degrees of fellowship. I could not in that sense.
Have the most full fellowship that I would have liked to with them but all.
I certainly enjoyed the Lord with them.
How precious.
And so I can emphasize the truth of separation to an extreme without much exercise. I can emphasize the whole body of Christ without much exercise. But how do I balance the two?
I must walk in fellowship with the Lord and independence upon him.
It's not an easy path.
It's a blessed path, though. It's a wonderful path. I well remember in a meeting some years ago where a brother made a comment. He said, wouldn't it have been wonderful, brethren, to live in the early days of the church when everything was pristine and new, and when there was the freshness, the joy, the activity of the Spirit of God, when believers were all one and when there.
Expanding work where the gospel was being preached, and not only soul, but souls being brought into the knowledge of the truth.
And I can still remember an older brother sitting across the room with a smile on his face. Said brother.
That would have been a wonderful time.
But I wouldn't trade. I wouldn't trade. Why?
Oh, because the most wonderful blessing is there for the individual who at the end of the dispensation that outwardly is in ruins. And I emphasize outwardly the church, and I'm glad our brother Eric brought that out. The church is not in ruins. It's outward testimony is.
And we are part of that rule. And let's never get the idea, as I have almost heard expressed, that there is the great House, which is characterized by.
Doctrinal evil and ecclesiastical evil and moral evil. But by implication, thank God, there's one place, one corner of that great house where things are done right. And even though it may not be said explicitly, implicitly there is the thought, and that is where we are. No, no, 1000 times no. The failure will be most evident where the truth is sought to be maintained.
Is that any excuse to throw the truth overboard and say it's all up with us?
Absolutely not. But on the other hand, let us remember that the most blessed thing is to be able to give expression to what God gave at the beginning, at the end of a dispensation when there has been failure. And so you find, for example, in the time of Nehemiah that they did something and Ezra, Nehemiah's time that had not been done, as it says in there until you go way back to the days of.
00:15:02
Joshua and you find, and here's I'm going to end on this note in the book of Matthew and in the book of Mark, you get in both books the parable of the sower.
And it talks about the various kinds of bad soil which don't result in any fruit, but then it talks about the good ground.
We won't take time to turn to it, but you notice in Matthew's Gospel it says and brought forth fruit some one hundredfold, some 60 fold, some thirtyfold.
Why is that? Oh, I suggest that in Matthew you get a dispensational view of things and every dispensation has started off, we might say, with one hundredfold and has gone downhill so that at the end it's an evidence of failure in what man did with what God gave at the beginning.
But in Mark's Gospel.
It's reversed, some 30 fold, some 60 fold, some 100 fold.
Now there may be other thoughts on this, but I have enjoyed it this way. Mark of course, as we well know, portrays the Lord Jesus as the perfect servant. Mark is more individual.
And as the dispensation closes down, as things gradually come to an end, yes, the public testimony, the things that God gave at the beginning, tend to go downhill. But what happens under those conditions? All the individual.
The individual brightness comes out more and more.
Individual faithfulness shines out more and more. It is not easy to carry on in a day of difficulty. It is not easy to carry on when there tends to be a giving up. And the easy Rd. is to say it is not worth it.
That is the voice of Satan seeking to turn us aside. And our brother was talking about the fact that there is.
No mention of the word of encouragement in the New Testament.
That's true in our King James, but read the JND translation.
The word consolation in our King James is often translated encouragement and there is encouragement. I would suggest encouragement to do what?
To look beyond the failure and see a risen Christ in glory.
That way you and I will be encouraged to go on.
As individuals, first of all, but then what will we find? We will find that right till the end. There will be the with them of verse 22 until the Lord calls us home. But at the same time, let there be that guard against sectarianism and pride that is so easy to overtake.
When God has given blessing.
As a dear brother said many years ago, he said how incongruous, how inappropriate it is for us to say we have done great things. Just at a point when God has shined the light on the Christian testimony and showed how little we have done. It has been only the grace of God that we have been able to enjoy the precious truths that we have had before us.
These last few days I believe the Lord intended it to be enjoyed, but we need to hold it independence upon Him and in humility whenever we talk about separation.
Captain
Gospel—Mark Rogers
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And learn of the.
That we may rest on day.
To fill.
To come the sword.
Thy mind spell.
Earnest Games.
So only.
Lord only.
If I give you.
Occupy.
Elsewhere.
Amazing.
All right.
Clock stands right behind my head and.
Dinners in 30 minutes. So a short message is, you know, the brethren here have a test, have a concern.
Or a.
Particular soul we do not know that's in this room.
That may not have taken the offer of salvation and This is why a little time slot is given right now to again proclaim the Gospel one more time.
Because very soon this lovely three day weekend is going to wrap up. We've had a lovely time here.
And we are all going to experience something that we have experienced before. It's called separation. We will be separating one from another to depart to our several places.
It reminds me of a story.
Actually an experience I had three weeks ago. I was flying on a flight from Oakland, CA to Salt Lake City through a transfer.
By the way, you show of hands who's flown on an airplane, raise of hands, we got most in the room have flown on an airplane, very good. So we're going to talk about an airplane today. And as I came to the gate, I had bought a ticket.
And in buying the ticket, as we know, when you buy a ticket, you have a price to pay for that ticket. In this instance, I happen to have a manager that was buying part of my ticket. So the ticket didn't cost me everything. And as I'm sitting there at the gate, it's a Friday afternoon. I'm tired, and I'm separated from my family. Why? I'm watching the plane get ready. We've all done that. We've all sat at the window.
Looked out at the plane. The plane is getting prepared for takeoff. You know, inside. There's cleaning attendants going up and down the aisles, cleaning the plane. The gate agents are at the at the door, at the gate there, getting people final checking their responsibilities to check people to that plane. There's someone outside of the fuel tank feeling the plane.
And the pilot and the copilot perhaps are walking around the plane expecting it. That's what we see, is it not?
And then it's a Friday afternoon. I'm tired.
I thought it would sure be nice to be upgraded.
And all of a sudden, I hear this voice. Mr. Rogers, along with a few other names, come to the podium. I come to the podium.
And the gate agent hands me a ticket and it said three CI thought here we go, this is nice. 3C this means I'm up in first class.
00:05:09
So I get back smuggling into my chair and then of course when the boarding call comes, I'm one of the 1St through the gate, through the through the through the door and go and find my my seat on 3C. And as I'm there, of course first class boards first, then everybody's streaming by and a gentleman comes up and says.
3C.
And I hold up my ticket. I say 3C.
And then the attendant comes up and says, may I see your identification, my hand on my driver's license? And she compares it. Mark Rogers.
And then finally she says you have to go out to the gate agent and talk to them.
So I take out my stuff. I walk off the plane, back up the jet, way back to the gate agent.
And now I'd like to pray as we open the Word, our Father, our God, we now ask for help as we open thy precious word, living Word, and we just ask for the souls in this room. Father, they be convicted encouragement for all we love the Lord Jesus and thy name we pray, Amen. Shall we turn to Matthew chapter 25? It's been already.
It's already been given a portion of it in this three day weekend.
Matthew 25 has some of the essence of.
What was going on in verse one It says Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened into 10 virgins, which took their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them are wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them.
But the Wise took oil on their vessels with their lamps, while the bridegroom tarried. They all slumbered and slept, and at midnight there was a cry made. Behold, the bridegroom cometh, Go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trim their lamps. And the foolish said in the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the Wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you.
But go you rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.
And then while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other version, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore, for you know ye know neither the day nor the hour, when the Son of Man cometh.
Well, we know the story well. I look around the audience, we have seen this story before. We've heard this story. All the versions, the 10 virgins are sitting there and they all look identical and they all slumbered and slept, it says.
And we wouldn't be able to see exactly in their lamps, I don't think, as to whether they had oil or not.
But at the end of the day, while they went to go get their oil, the five foolish, the five were brought in, and the five that came crashing on the door saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
He says I never knew you.
You know, there is a list in some of the when you go to these big events. I've never been to these events, but these political events or big events that are by invitation only, there is a generally a list and then names are being checked off as to who's coming through the door. It's the same thing with an airplane.
And the gate agent is sitting there checking off names.
And here I am back at the gate, agent.
And I find out there are two Mark Rogers on this plane.
And it's not me in 3C after all, I'm back in 21 D or something.
And as I'm standing there.
I'm realizing that I did not deserve that ticket, did I? I paid a fair, cheap fare. This gentleman, the other Mark Rogers, he must be a frequent flyer. He got upgraded and with do do, right? But I, I don't fly enough to get that upgrade.
And so there is a flight manifest on the airlines and every single passenger has to be on the plane.
And they're being double checked and triple checked. Oftentimes you'll see the flight attendant come down on the smaller planes have seen this and they're counting seats to see which seats are open and who's, you know, if there's any seats. They've got 35 seats on a plane and 30 are filled. They know they're missing 5. That's why there's a gossip meeting tonight.
00:10:12
We can't physically count seats tonight. We cannot see inside each and every heart.
But the call goes out. But while I'm out there at the gate, agent, something interesting goes on out there which everybody on the plane doesn't hear.
And that is Mr. So and So, Mrs. So and so. Please come to the gate. This is a final call.
It's a final call.
That door, when that door shuts, that door shuts.
And there's a final call going out one more time.
Because there will be separation, I expect a separation to happen in a couple hours or maybe a day or so. Depends what it is. There is a separation that happens.
And when the plane door shuts, it shuts.
So I got my ticket and I went back on.
Now there's someone that meets me coming through the cabin as they come right through the door.
And you see generally they have three stripes or four stripes on their shoulders. That's going to be the pilot or the copilot.
And I don't remember if this is the pilot or the copilot says. In my 25 years of flying I've never seen this happen before.
So I I go back to my seat. But you know something interesting about about this?
There is a flight manifest with names written in there and it's secure. It knows exactly who the passengers are and knows exactly who the crew are.
But we have the same thing that you and I have not laid physical eyes on. And it happens. This term happens, I believe, six times in the Book of Revelation and one in Philippians. It's called the Book of Life.
And there is a book of life, and I'm not going to turn to all of them, but I'd like to turn to, let's turn to one of the latter parts here in a revelation into revelation here.
Let's do.
Chapter 20. Chapter 20 of Revelation. We'll read two of them here.
The book of life is mentioned like I said six times that I counted in the Book of Revelation in chapter 20 we see this in verse 12 it says 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 which were written in the books.
According to their works, verse 15 and whosoever was not found written in the book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
You know, this is the same thing at the airport is that 30 years ago, before we had all the security measures.
You would see a lot of people coming to the gate. We don't see this anymore because of the security measures. You can see it out there by the gates, by the where people. The curbs are dropping off is there's a mingling of people and you cannot tell who are passengers or who are not passengers.
Only the passengers will have a ticket.
And so it is tonight. We don't know who has a ticket and who doesn't have a ticket. And that's why the gospel message goes forth.
And that's why there's another call that goes out.
A price is paid for every ticket on the airline, right? Someone's got to pay the price. You may get a so-called free ticket, but someone's going to pay for that ticket. Whether it's the airlines going to foot the bill for your part of the gasoline on the OR the fuel on that plane and everything that it takes or someone else is going to pay for the ticket. But the ticket has a price to be paid and a ticket, your ticket for glory.
There's been a price paid for it. Now whether you're going to take the ticket up or take the OfferUp is your decision.
But there is a call coming out from the gate agent last call to board the plane.
Now when I'm on the plane.
It's nice to hear a lot of the announcements going on, but there is one announcement that happens ever so often. You'll hear an announcement. This is your captain speaking.
Everybody generally says want to hear what the captain says. If the captains at the top and he's maybe he's not, the plane isn't departed yet, maybe the captain speaking from the front, everybody wants to hear the captain.
00:15:08
Shall we turn back to the book of Hebrews?
The third chapter of Hebrews.
I'm sorry, the 2nd.
Yeah, second chapter of Hebrews chapter 10. Where became him whom all, whom are, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things? And bringing many sons into glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Now I understand this is an older English term, but if I have the liberty to use the word captain for a moment.
The captain is has the ultimate responsibility for this airplane.
And that's what's beautiful.
Do you hear the voice of the captain?
Because the captain is giving instructions about what the destination looks like, how we're going to get there, how long it's going to take there, what the weather is like, if we have a headwind, tailwind, The captain is generally making those announcements and everybody is listening.
And so I say for those that are already on the plane, if I could use that word, are we hearing the captain's voice?
It's a lovely voice. He's taken us all the way there.
Have you ever been on an airplane?
And the captain comes on and says we're staying at the gate a couple more minutes. We've got a couple passengers transferring from another flight. We're going to wait another minute or two.
And all of a sudden you see a couple people running on the airplane, haggard and frenzied as they've.
Ran across the airport airport to catch their flight on a connection.
And I heard passengers cheer them on as they come on the plane. Now we can go. Glad you can make the flight. You know what it says in Luke 15? There is joy in the presence of the angels for one Sinner that repents.
And so it is with a gospel meaning. So it is with an individual that takes that time to come before hump, before the Lord Jesus who paid the hit the price for that individual. There is joy in the presence of the angels over one Sinner that repents. I always enjoy hearing those clapping of those individuals that make it onto the airplane just before the door shuts.
You know, the interesting thing is too, for those that are out there in the lobby still, so to speak.
We've been talking about this term called separating 2 and separating from.
And there are those that you see out there.
Could be it's not going to be right out the gate. You see them out there beyond where they can't come in and they're hugging each other and they're clasping each other. They know they got to get to the plane, but they can't let go.
And it can make it for a layperson to come to the gate and the door is shut.
Is there somebody or something that you cannot separate from so that you can make the flight?
It's going to be a sad day in eternity to realize, to look back, to realize there was something keeping you from making the flight.
And at the same time if you're on the plane.
And you're listening to the captain ready to go to glory.
Are you peering out the windows wishing you could know about something or rather, or are you looking at the captain? Is all your attention on the captain?
Because we got everything we want right here on this plane with the captain of the airplane.
You know, I've I've looked at this too.
There's also, there's also some other individuals on the airplane. There are what we call flight attendants. And these ones are making our comfort necessary, making sure everything is arranged just right, right. They have a very, very important role. And I'd like to turn to the Gospel of John.
The 14th chapter.
Dear chapters here or the final words of our Lord Jesus are being given to us in John 14.
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131415 etc. But let's just look at the 14th chapter and the 16th verse.
John 1416 The Lord Jesus is speaking, and I pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Let's turn over the 16th chapter. There's more here, but let's just in light of time, the 16th chapter, verse 13. How be it when he the spirit of truth is calm, He will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. The flight attendants on the plane have a have a very important job because they are talking about the time that if there is a problem.
There's going to be, there's going to be, they're going to guide you and direct you to where you get, you know, get off the plane or they're there for your comfort, right? The the captain will say the flight attendants are here for your comfort.
How beautiful it is to have the Holy Spirit to give us the comfort.
It's a beautiful thing to have the privilege of the comforter that the Lord Jesus speaks about here in these chapters of John. We must recognize that.
So.
Let's turn to Revelation 22 for.
Our final verse, the 22nd chapter of Revelation.
In verse 17 it says.
And the Spirit and the Bride say come.
You know, the very, very end of the Scriptures were given this little statement right here. The Spirit who we talked about earlier, the comforter and the bride say come.
Have you ever been on an airplane where you're going to a destination that is, you know, spring break and there's families on board and they're heading to a particular destination that families go to and there's a buzz on there because they're all going on vacation?
There's a certain buzz and a lot of kids are on there and the flight attendants are making it fun because the families have a destination they want to go to.
Do we realize the destination we're going to?
The splendidness of the one that's taking us there.
It should be a reality. We shouldn't be looking out the windows on the tarmac wondering if I turn the iron off.
We shouldn't be in the lobby trying to ungrasp ourselves from somebody. We should be heading directly to the gate and getting on the plane and that's why we have a gospel meeting as the last call goes out.
So make sure you heed the last call.
If you don't, if you're not certain and look at, you can look it up for yourself. The book of life, you can do a little search for. It happens in Revelation. It's a term that pops up in Revelation. It's very important because God in his, in his ways, is pointing to a fact that there is a reference point that he's working from, not that he needs it, but there's a reference point called the Book of Life. Is your name in the Book of Life or not?
Is your name on the flight manifest?
Or not.
Do you gaze at the captain of your salvation?
And while we're here in this last chapter of Revelation, we cannot end with verse 7. When I was growing up in the meeting room, we had this in Gresham. We had this framed out. I think it's still there today across the top. Behold, I come quickly.
Or behold I am coming quickly verse 12 and behold, I come quickly. This flight is in its last phase for the door to be shut.
And he says he's going to make it happen quickly. And that beautiful.
It's beautiful. It should get everyone joy to know that our captain of our salvation is going to take us. And it says perhaps today.
Perhaps today.
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So that's why there is a gospel meeting.
For 20 minutes at the end of a conference, for our last call, for those that are waiting that have not heard, that have not heeded that last call, to make an opportunity to make your way to the gate and to see you, the captain of your salvation.
And for those of us that are already on the plane and have securely got a ticket.
To gaze at our captain of our salvation and not be concerned about if the iron is turned on it back at the house. If I could say it that way, the cares of this world.
It's beautiful to see the captain of our salvation.
So may we commend ourselves.
1 Timothy 1:1-5
Gospel 4
Live Fearlessly, Live Joyfully, Lives of Appreciation, Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart
2 Timothy 3:14-16