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312 Lead on, Almighty Lord, lead on to victory, encouraged by Thy blessed word joy. We follow the 312.
Sleep on all my.
Life.
Don't know. I'm going to raise a question.
What is Christianity?
What is Christianity? How does it differ from Judaism?
And from every other religion.
Our young people are faced many times in college by those that would challenge everything that's in the Bible.
With all kinds of questions.
Peter says we ought to be ready to give an answer of the reason of the hope that is in US.
What is Christianity?
Was it founded upon?
Founded upon his death.
His resurrection, His ascension, coming of the Holy Spirit.
These are truths that are very basic.
To the Christian faith.
Where were the people 1St called Christians, Chuck and Young? Yes.
The name was embedded then. I had a bit empty, you know, and evidently the public thought they were life crushed. Nothing could be more.
What you have said about you and to be like Christ.
I don't think they meant it as a flattering thing, though.
Well, I'd be glad if it's true of me.
Yeah, have people say that about you?
What cat are you thinking about, Chuck?
Well, I don't think we can cover it in one chapter.
No. Well, I suppose the best place to start with that subject would be John 1415 and 16. And we have a very foundation truth. John 13 too, because there you have his death.
00:05:12
We could, yeah. We can move groove around if we we've got 3 readings.
I don't need to go through each, each reading, each chapter in great detail, but to green the the foundational truths that we need to be established here.
There's so much out there in Christendom around about us that's they that's called Christian, but it's not Christian.
It has more the character of being Jewish, Judaism and paganism. It's not Christian. What is Christianity? What really is it? Could we give an answer if we were asked that question? How would we answer it?
Is it a religion?
Is Christianity a religion?
Judaism was a religion. All kinds of things to do, ordinances and regulations and all this. Everything was laid out, how they would approach God, and there was a priesthood in between the people and God and so on. But that's not Christianity at all.
Completely different.
Why don't we start in John 14 and?
I.
Do you want the whole champion? Yes.
John, Chapter 14.
Let not your heart be troubled you believe in God. Believe also in me and my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there and ye may be also. And whither I go, you know, and the way you know. Time to say something to him. Lord, we know not. Whither thou goest? And how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way of the truth, and the light don't make it almost under the Father, but by me. If he had known me, he should have known my Father also. And from him forth he know him, and have seen him still say unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have to not know me? So he could have seen me, have seen the Father? And how sayest out then to show us the Father?
Believe us thou not, that I am in the Father, and the Father and Me.
Words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the word, Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in need, or else you leave me for the very worst. Say, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Either believe it's on me, and the work that I do, shall he do also, and greater work than thee shall he do, because I go unto my Father, and whatsoever he shall ask you my name, that will I do, doesn't bother me, be glorified in the sun. If he shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, Even the truth of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him. Breathe close with you shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Get a little while, and the world will see if you know more. But you see me because I live, ye shall live also.
And that day you shall know that I am in the Father, and me and me, and I am you, he that has my commanders, and keep of them He is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas, faith unto him, not a period.
Lord, however, this thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world. Jesus answered and said unto him, If the man lonely, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and will will come unto him, and make our vote with him, He would love with me, not keep us not my sayings.
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And word which you hear is not mine, but the Father is which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, Not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard how I said unto you, And I go away and come again unto you. If you love me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father, for my father is greater than I. And now I have told you before come to pass, that when it has come to pass, he might be leave hereafter. I will not talk much with you.
For the Prince of this world cometh and has nothing in me but that the world may know that I love the Father. And as the Father has Father gave me commandment, Even so I do arise, let us go him.
Like to read to?
Versus lunch and John 12 and verse 31. The Lord says now is the judgment of this world.
Now shall the Prince of this world, that Satan be cast out, and I if I be lifted up from the earth, that's the cross.
Will draw all men unto me This he said, signifying what death he should die.
In the death that he died, having presented himself to the world, especially to his people, Israel.
He was in the world. The world was made by him. The world knew him not. He came unto his own. His own received him not to get that in the first chapter of John's Gospel. John's gospel gives us before the the establishment in history of the of the Church of the Christian testimony. It gives us the truth of it in John's Gospel and in in in the if you go through it, his death is required.
In order to put our sins away. That's not all brought out in John, but the fact of it. And it's the judgment of the world. The world was on trial for 1500 years with the perfect law, a perfect religion, that man, that God gave to man through Moses, and he failed.
And totally failed. The word was this do and thou shalt live that they didn't do it if they disobeyed it.
It brought a curse on them. It was condemnation to them. It was judgment.
Not blessing and not living, but death and the law was never given with the idea. I had a brother write to me once, and he said I understand that souls were saved in the Old Testament by keeping the Law of Moses, and in the New Testament by grace. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth than that man has always been saved by grace.
No matter what dispensation you can think of, man is always saved by grace. In other words, grace is God saving him because it comes from the heart of God. Man cannot save himself. He was given the law for 1500 years, but Jewish work was never given to the Gentiles and he was an utter failure. When they heard the law, they said all that the Lord has spoken we will do and obey.
The what it brings out is the confidence that man has it himself, and the total ignorance of God and of himself, and the total ignorance of who God is, and the majesty of God and the greatness of God and the righteousness of God.
Which would condemn everyone of us if it wasn't for the cross. So we can say that Christianity sort of takes to bring us to God, bring us to the Father. That's crazy. And the way, the truth and the life. It hadn't been made here to do that all before. She had to bring that to us and gives it to us in pure grace, unknown. And he can say in the 10th chapter of this book, Jesus, I and my father are one.
So that anybody who saw Jesus so God redeemed.
00:15:03
Manifest in the flesh for our Savior.
The question of what is Christianity? Is it a religion? The answer is no. A religion is something for man to do, to gain acceptance with God. That was the law and that was paganism. They had all kinds of things that they had to do to appease their gods that they had invented themselves, but God gave them a perfect law.
To see if man God knew he couldn't do it. God knew that man would fail when he man heard a lot. He said all that the Lord has said we will do and obey. And man is still trying to to get acceptable with God by by his works, by doing something, by keeping the law, whatever it is, whether it's the law of Moses or some the law of some Pagan religion, it doesn't matter. The principles are the same, isn't it? There's only two principles in which we can approach God and one is we do it.
Or we all we can't do it, and he does it for us, and that's Christianity.
And that's that's, that's really number one, to understand that that Christianity is the outflow of the love and the goodness and the grace and the heart of God in blessing man, when he doesn't deserve it at all, doesn't deserve any of it, and he can't get it by his own efforts and he has to come to the end of himself. I used to puzzle at that verse in Galatians 5. I want to read it to you because it's so important.
In Galatians 5 the whole Epistle to the Galatians was written.
To refute the legality of the Judaizers who are trying to put the Gentiles under law and Iglesias, Five, he says, Stand fast, therefore, in the Liberty where with Christ have made us free. Now Christianity is Liberty is setting us free from the ******* of the Law.
Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ is made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of *******. That's the law.
Put Behold, I fall, say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing, in other words.
Whether Christ did 50% and you do 50%, or whether He did 90% and you do 10%, or whether he did 99% and you do 1%, as long as you're in that equation that you have to do something to get acceptable with God, you are off the ground of grace.
That's why he says Christ profits you nothing if you do the least thing. Just circumcise these Gentiles. You commit them to the principle of law. Notice what he goes on to say. I testify again to every man that is circumcised. He's a debtor to do the whole law. He's put himself under law now and then it's up to him. Christ has become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are justified by the law. You're fallen from grace, I used to wonder.
What is really meant to be to be fallen from grace? It's just as simple as to put yourself under law. If you're under the law, you've fallen from grace. Christ must do everything altogether.
In order to bring about our salvation, we owe everything to Him. We can do nothing to save ourselves, he said in John 15 That's going on into this John's Gospel. But he said without me he can do nothing. Without him you can do nothing. That means man cannot get there, get into a place of favor and acceptance with God by any efforts of his own. It's Christ does everything for us.
His work, his death, his resurrection, his glorification, and then he's coming again to take us to be with himself. It's all flowing from him and from God, and that's Christianity. It's not a religion. It's not something for us to do. It's a relationship that he brings us into with himself, that we might know him who is the way, the truth and the life. And we brought into a relationship. That's Christianity.
It's not a religion and it's always been based on the work of Calvary. Whether it was salvation in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, everyone who is going to be in glory is going to be there as a result of the work of Calvary. It's interesting to note that when Moses and Elijah talked with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, what were they Speaking of? There were two Old Testament Saints that were going to see when we get to glory and they were Speaking of his deceased that he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
00:20:22
How could God clothe Adam and Eve in the garden after they had sinned and disobeyed and reached out and eaten up the forbidden fruit? Well, when those coats of skin were provided, it only spoke to God of what was ahead, the coming of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to give himself as that sacrifice at Calvary's Cross. How could Israel enjoy what they did as a special peculiar people? Well, those sacrifices that they were told to offer from day-to-day and year to year.
Where to the heart of God, just pale reflections and feeble foreshadows of that time when the Father and the Son would go to the altar and the Son would be offered up as a sweet smelling sacrifice and brethren, We need to realize this in our soul. This is what's going to give us a sense of grace.
The cross of Christ that separates us from this world. God forbid that I should glory and save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. And a brother Chuck has just said and rightly stole that Christianity brings us into association with Christ. But I want to take that just a step further. It brings us into association not with Christ in the way that the disciples here had been associated with him.
In His pathway. But it brings us into association with Christ in glory. That is what is unique, one of the things that is unique to Christianity. And just to go to our chapter for a moment, if you'll bear with me, because I believe it's beautiful to see this in the opening of this chapter. Maybe I could just make this statement too in a general way as to these chapters that we sometimes refer to as the upper room ministry. What the Lord Jesus.
Really doing here.
In preparation for his leaving, the disciples to go to the cross and then return to the Father. In fact, just go back and see what necessitated this discourse with his disciples in the 13th chapter in the first verse. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of the world under the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
His motive here is his love, his unchanging love for his own. But what necessitated this, this discourse, this time with the disciples, was the fact that he was going to depart out of the world under the Father. And as it was, where he says to the disciples, you're no longer going to be associated with me the way you have been during my public ministry. Paul later on said, henceforth know we know manna after the flood, so we knew Christ after the flesh. Henceforth know we him no more.
But he brings before them in these chapters there are what was going to be their association with him as having accomplished the work of redemption and return to the Father brother. And I say again, and we need to get ahold of this in our souls, that Christianity brings us into relationship with Christ, but Christ in glory. Now just notice in where we read in the 14th chapter, in these opening 3 verses, there are three things.
That the Lord Jesus immediately brings before the disciples to comfort their hearts and to instruct them as to their relationship and their hope in connection with what was to follow. The first thing he brings before them for their comfort and instruction is in verse one.
He says you believe in God. Now notice this. Believe also in me. In other words, he says, you're going to be associated with me now, not here on this earth, but you're going to have to buy fake look up and realize that you are associated and connected with me in glory. Peter says in his epistle of the Lord Jesus, who not having seen ye love, though now you see him not yet believing, you rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory. And so, brethren, we've never seen Christ with the physical eye, the way the disciples did when he was here, and many others.
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But he's no less real to the eye of faith. And to realize that the man in the glory is the one that we are intimately connected with and associated with, I believe will have a practical moral effect on our lives. And maybe we can hear some more of that. But just to notice these things quickly, in the second verse he speaks.
Going to prepare a place for them, and that place is the Father's house. This was something that was not enjoyed in this fullness. Up until this time, the Old Testament Saints looked for something after death. David said, I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever, and so on. But here was something now, the Father's house, if I can put it this way. The cross prepares his people for the place, but his presence in glory prepared the place for his people.
And the Lord Jesus is there now as a man. The place is now prepared, and we're just waiting for what? That moment when we're going to be there. And so the third thing he gives them now is the hope I will come again, the promise that he was going to come again. And if you just meditate on these three things in these glory, a new home, and the hope of his coming to receive us there, rather than we see very quickly that we're dissociated. Christianity dissociates us from this world.
As to our hopes, our goals, our aspirations dissociates us in every way except for the fact that we're not physically in the Father's house yet.
When he was here below, he took care of all their affairs. And then he tells them, I'm going away, I'm going back to the Father from whom I came. And they didn't like that. And that's why he starts out in chapter 14, verse one, but not your heart be troubled. It was troubled. He had just told them verse 33 of chapter 13, Little children, yet a little while I am with you.
Ye shall seek me. And as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, You cannot come, so now I say to you.
And Peter was thinking on that.
And.
His heart was troubled, very much so. They didn't like the idea that he was going away, but he tells them, I'm going away, but I'm going to send another comforter down here to care for all your affairs in my absence.
And he's going to unite you to me in heaven. Not a Messiah reigning on earth now, but a rejected Messiah now in glory, as Jim was saying, now in glory, but were united to that man in the glory by the coming of the Holy Spirit. That's we get that in John 14.
And that's developed and then you get fruit bearing in John 15. And at the end of John 15, you get the hatred of the world towards the Christian who is here to represent Christ. And we're not here to convert the world. We're not here to improve it. Although every soul that's saved that ought to be our business is, is presenting Christ. That's sold so that they get saved and are delivered from this world.
But the time to fix the world up hasn't come yet. The Lord Jesus will do that when he comes back with us, and then we'll have a part in that too. But right now, the true character of Christianity is to present to a world that is under the judgment of God now is the judgment of this world. And that was when they rejected him and sent him away with a message. We will not have this man to ring over us, I read just recently.
In a article I was reading, I'm not sure who the author was.
He said.
The world will never reject the Christ of Christmas.
Never will promotes it.
But the world doesn't want anything to do with the Christ that they hung on a cross and said we will not have this bad to reign over us. Do we realize who we are as Christians? We are not of the world, even as he is not of the world. We're not here for that purpose. We're here to witness to the world that that you're lost without Christ. It's not another religion.
Is a person who has come, and now he's gone, back, rejected, but he sent the Holy Spirit. And the coming of the Holy Spirit is the proof that this world is under judgment. Look at John 16 for that statement.
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He says in verse 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he has come, he will Darby translation says, he will bring demonstration to the world of three things, of sin, sin, of the world, and rejecting Christ of righteousness, the righteousness of God, and exalting him, and setting him in as a man in the glory.
And of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged when he has come, he will reprove or bring demonstration to the world of sin and of righteousness. And of judgment of sin, because they believe not on me of righteousness, because I go to my father. It's the righteousness of God that has set that man in the very presence of God on high. And you see me no more. And that's where he is right now of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.
The Prince of the world is judging. The whole world that's under his authority is judged, and we're going through a judge scene. But in the United States of America and in Canada, these are two countries that don't really understand what Christianity is all about. They think it's the world is smiling. At least they used to think smiling upon Christians.
Well.
When we really are true and faithful to Christ and walk as he walked, they will do to us exactly what they did to him. They don't want they didn't want him. They still don't want him. And if we're true to him and live for him and not for getting involved with joining with unbelievers to correct the world's ills, that's what Christians are doing when they join these different movements to try to correct the world's illness.
Abortion, that's evil. That's an evil. But is the Christian to join hands with unbelievers to correct that ill or homosexuality and on and on You can in drunkenness, drinking drugs, all these evil things. Is the Christian to join hands with an ungodly person or persons to get rid of these ills?
Without Christ, if you say to them and they want you to join them in some of these things, it sounds so good and you say, well, I'll do it. If you preach Christ to these people, it's Christ who they need. No, we don't want him. Don't mention him, leave him out. He's out of our plans totally. That's the attitude of the world. And for a Christian to join, that is to be traitorous to Christ, isn't it? So we don't want to ever give the impression that we're indifferent.
The abuses of humanity and the sin that we see all around us. And we don't ever even want to be callous to it, because sometimes we can get used to this, to the the things we see around us and here on every day. David said not take not the spirit of holiness from me. He never wanted to get used to sin.
But I think what Chuck says is very important for us to realize we're not a moral force to change the world. I saw a sign on a billboard outside the building where Christians meet regularly for.
Collective purposes. And it said this building better citizens to build a better world rather than that's not what we're here for, if Christians would take the energy they spend lobbying against the abuses of humanity.
And take that same energy and those resources and propagate the preaching of the gospel. What a difference it would make. What man needs is not moral, outward, moral reform or reformation. What man needs is the change of heart. You're never going to change this world without a change of heart. And the the root is inside. The problem comes from within. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, and so on. The Lord Jesus said in Mark's Gospel.
But I just say we never want to give the impression we're indifferent to it. Because sometimes I think even other believers who are involved in these movements, they get the impression, well, that group of people are those Christians. They're not concerned about the nation. They're not concerned about the rising tide of moral evil and thought, no, but we need to pray. We have the resource of prayer. Timothy in his day was not told to lobby against the abuses that were going on. One of the worst tyrants of this ever reigned in this world was in power.
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What was Timothy told to do? To pray for those in authority? Pray for our leaders. Get before the Lord in supplication on behalf of those who are in places of responsibility. Propagate the gospel. Use your resources to get the truth of the gospel that Christ might be presented to this world. Then I believe there will be great blessings.
The Lord has.
One more.
For his Kingdom, he said in this very gospel, John.
My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom are of this world, and would my servants fight? But I should not be delivered to the world. When Peter cut off the servant of a high priest here, the Lord said, put up the sword into the sheep. If I wanted, I could pray for thousands of angels and be delivered from this.
That's not the principle of my Kingdom. When the disciples, because his face was turned to go to Jerusalem and they wouldn't receive in Samaria, the disciples said like a Jew with shall we command that fire come down from God out of heaven like Elias did, because they won't receive you. And he said, I'm not the Son of man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save them. And he went to another city. That's the principle.
That's a principle that is Christian and it's so totally different than than the law principle. An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth. That's the principle that the Muslims operate under. Actually, the principle that the Muslims have is more scriptural than the the principle that we operate under in democracy.
Let me let me finish this. They say when they're wrong, but their principle is right. They say that Allah is the true God. That's where they're dead wrong. And that's the only religion. That's the right religion is Islam and that's wrong. But the principle is right.
In the Old Testament, the Jews were to bear testimony to the one true and moving God. His name is Jehovah, and that's what that nation was the witness to.
And that's one of our responsibilities, is to witness to the true God and also to the the the church which is his body, body of Christ, and to bear testimony to that. But the the principle that there's only one religion that's right is right. That's the right principle. That's like the principle. There's only one scriptural way to gather.
That's the right principle.
There's only one way of being saved, and that's through Christ. That's the right principle. But what have we done in the United States? We we have. We've left and Canada is worse. We've left every religion under the sun. Come in. Everyone has a right to his own religion. Go to the Church of your choice. That's the that's the the common saying.
That's just totally opposed to the truth.
Christ said, I am the way, the truth and the light. We just read that in John 14 no man comes to the Father, but by me you leave me out and you've got nothing. Now is that our testimony? Is that what Christians are trying to promote? If they were doing that, they would not be asked to take a part with those who are trying to correct the ills of society. They wouldn't leave him out. We don't want him.
They do not want our Savior and we are here to testify to Him and to be true to him. And no matter what good they're trying to do, they're a bunch of hypocrites is what they are, because they're promoting evil on every hand and justifying it, and then they're trying to get rid of it. But most of those that are trying to get rid of it are are godly Christians that really think that that's our place, That's our responsibility.
To correct the ills of the world. And they're they're sincere in what they're doing. Don't. I'm not judging any of their motives. But is that what we're here for? No, it really isn't. Do we really understand what Christianity is? It's to be true to the man that the world has cast out. How can we join hands with the world whose hands are dripping with the blood of Jesus?
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And yet outside the camp.
Because they're my savior died. It was the world that crashed in 4th and saw Him crucified. Can I take part with those who nailed him to a tree and where His name is never praised? Is that the place for me? May world I turn away. Though thou seeming fair and good, that friendly outstretched hand of thine is stained with Jesus blood. Within my least device I stoop to take apart all unawarers.
That influence steals God's presence.
From my heart, it's a beautiful poem, and that's just part of it. Beautiful poem that states what I'm trying to say.
As to the law, I'm lucky. It's a good law to get clear what it says in Rumors 10, verse 4.
And there was only one nation that was ever put under the law and that is only about 1500 years they were under it. And then finally enrollment it says Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every woman that believes.
God not certainly men under the law, because the world is too clear one man fulfilled it.
And he died under the curse of a broken wall for us to put away out of sin. Jesus was perfect. No man ever kept what all that could keep him to God. And grace gives us. A Savior has done everything for us, so he's away. The truth of the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me. That's Christianity.
And the law never brought gold to the Father Number One, nor was the law ever given as a passport to heaven.
Which I think is good to get ahold of, because if people could have kept the Law perfectly, it meant endless life on this earth, not the home that He's Speaking of. And presenting to the disciples for their comfort here, not a heavenly portion. And so it offered endless life on this earth. Well.
We look around, we have some elderly brethren with us today, but obviously nobody ever been able to perfectly keep the laws because we have none of those ones that were under the law with us today. And so it's a proof that the law never could bring blessing. And I say again, it's a we we see very clearly.
The law was not a passport to heaven, because people say, well, if we can keep the law, we can get to heaven us. Some people have said that over the centuries, Not so. I'd like to just say this too before we pass on. Yes, if we would keep the world.
Then we would be promised light that he promises. Yes. The the point is we can't keep it. That's it. If that's it. That's what you meant? Yeah, that's right. Thank you. I'd like to just say this too, in connection with what has been said. It's interesting that when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to marry Magdalene in the 20th chapter of this same book. In fact, let's let's just read it because I think it's instructive in this connection.
We won't read all of this, but verse 13 And when they And they said unto her, woman, why weepest thou? And he said unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she has thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus says unto her, woman, Why weepest thou whom seeketh thou? She's supposing him to be the gardener? Says unto him, Sir, if thou was born him hence, tell me where thou lay him.
And I will take him away. Jesus said unto her, Mary He turned herself, and said unto him, with all night, which is insane. Master Jesus says unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended unto to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father to my God, and your God. Now I think this is very instructive, because what the Lord Jesus was saying to Mary Magdalene here.
00:45:08
Was Mary, You're going to be associated with me now, not here in this world. Ascended not only to my Father and your and God, but to your Father and God as well. This is a new relationship, but it's not connected with this earth.
I don't want to go too far with applications in Scripture, but I pondered this little expression when Mary turned around and saw the Lord Jesus first, she supposed him to be the Gardener. And if you allow me just to say this, I believe there are many Christians today who suppose the Lord to be the Gardener. They think that this is the time for the betterment of this world, but it has already been brought before us. Rather, this world is under judgment.
They cast out the Prince of Peace. And not until the Prince of Peace and the Son of Righteousness rises with healing in his wings is there going to be better days down here. In fact, scripture prepares to show us that things as far as outward evil and moral wickedness and violence and corruption, they're just going to get worse and worse as this dispensation draws to a close. But what was the result when she supposed him to be the gardener she was weeping.
And Brother Knight, Week two. If I thought the Lord was the gardener, I had had opportunity one time in North Carolina.
To visit a couple, my wife and I and a couple that the brethren there in Fleetwood had had some.
Contact with, and I don't believe that they were the Lord's, but we went to visit them one afternoon and the lady said to me was just after the Gulf War or just during the Gulf War, she said. You know, I really believe that after this war it's going to put this world on a course that's going to lead to better and better things.
I shook my head in disbelief. How can we say that this world has is getting better and better all? There may be advancements in medicine and technology, and we have a lot of niceties of life and things we enjoy, but what about the moral and spiritual darkness that's deepening over this continent? Every moment and over this world, it's only getting worse and worse. And so I weep if I thought the Lord was the gardener. But the Lord is not the gardener now, but rather we have been brought into a relationship with Christ.
That is far, far greater than the relationship that was enjoyed here at this time, when the disciples were gathered around the Lord Jesus. We have far, far more than they had, and that's what he's bringing before them here. When I go away, yes, I'm going to leave you, but you're going to have a connection and a relationship with myself and resources and provisions in a glorified, ascended, glorified Christ.
You've never had, even with me here present and oh brethren, to just enjoy that in our souls now, and to see the world in the proper perspective, to present Christ, to enjoy Christ in our souls, and to know that we're going on to see Christ face to face, perhaps today.
It might be helpful just to say this too, in connection with what Brother Klein brought before us. And that is that if it was helpful to me, at least when I was younger, to see that this dispensation or this Church period which began really at the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Spirit of God, and will end when the Lord gives the shout.
And the church and the Spirit of God leave this world. It's sort of, if I can put it this way, a parenthesis in the history of man on the earth, in all previous dispensations and in that which is yet future after we're gone. It's really God dealing with man on the earth. Israel was an earthly people. It says that their Kingdom in Matthew was from the foundation of the world.
And though yet be blessed in that way in the coming day, it has to do with the earth. And God is going to take them up in that way in the coming day again. But this is a parenthesis where God is calling out a people from this world. Not a people whose relationships are hopes and aspirations are connected with this world, but a sanctified people who are set apart as a peculiar treasure for himself.
00:50:02
Israel was a peculiar treasure for himself, but an earthly people.
We are a peculiar treasure for himself, that is the Church of God, the body of Christ. But we are elect for heavenly blessings. And I believe the Spirit of God is very careful in the New Testament to disassociate us, disconnect us in every way from this this earth. It says that we were chosen in Christ not from the foundation of the world, but before the foundation of the world. In fact, so careful is the Spirit of God to guard this truth.
That when he speaks in Revelation 5 of that time when we will reign with Christ, if you notice a better rendering, it's not so much that we reign on the earth, but we reign over the earth. And I just appreciated that again, the Spirit of God, showing that while we'll have a part in that administration in the coming days, it's the city coming down from God. We don't read that it touches the earth. It has a heavenly character and brother. We are a heavenly people called out for a heavenly purpose.
It's unfortunate that our Bible renders the Word Church.
That doesn't convey at all what it means. The word that's rendered church is ecclesia, which means that you're in Greek and it means they're called out ones. That's what you were talking about one time in Acts 7, as Steven gives his discourse, it's applied to Israel because Israel was called out of the ******* of Egypt to God, to Jehovah.
Not the church though, like we are, but that's another example of called out ones. They were called out a picture of this being called out of the world to be a heavenly people associated with the Lord, the man and the glory. Just just think if you would ask if you would ask just about anyone on the street, you stop and say you're a Christian. Yes, I'm a Christian.
Do you believe in in Christmas? Yes, I believe in Christmas. Jesus was born.
To believe in Easter? Yes, I believe in Easter. Jesus was raised from the dead.
Do you know that there is a, there's a man in the glory right now. We look at you. Most of them would give a kind of a blank stare. They, they they they know the bird. They know his life, But he lived here and that he died here. And then he rose again. But that's as far as they go.
Most of them.
There are many others that know more than that. Thank God they do. But our our Christianity begins after he ascended and sent down the Holy Spirit to unite us. To him, where he is and he's no longer on earth, He's in heaven. I heard. I heard a radio, A preacher.
That's always doesn't matter who who it was.
Say that the.
The the Mary Shepherd of the Lamb was going to take place on earth, and I don't know where he got that idea, but it's going to take place in heaven. The church is heavenly and that's going to take place there, not on earth. But they always, they always, they always seems as though they want to bring the church down to the earth. And we're called out of the earth, we're called out of this world to be associated with the heavenly man and Our Calling is heavenly.
Partakers of the heavenly calling. Our blessings are heavenly. We're blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. He's there. We're we're there.
Our, our, our conflict is in the heavenlies.
All of this is, is, is what? That's why I raised the question at the beginning. Do we understand what Christianity really is? Because much that passes for it in Christendom is not Christianity at all. These marvelous buildings, stained glass windows.
Great architecture and a priesthood and all this and the robes that the the clergy wear and all this. That's all patterned after Judaism. It's not just not Christian.
He said. He said. I'm. I've come to to serve, not to be served, and the greatest among you will be the servant of all.
Just the opposite to to what you see in the in the church world where where it's so patterned after Judaism.
00:55:09
Anyway, what we get in John's Gospel gives a beautiful outline. And the first the first part of John 14 is that he's gone to heaven. To prepare us a place. In John 13 he washes their feet, the disciples preparing them for the place. John 14 prepares the place for them. It's already now, as soon as at any time he could come take step. Nothing more has to happen. It's ready right now.
As soon as that man entered the glory, it was regular to take a step. So they're very first generation of Christians, those that live in the 1St century. They were looking for the sun from heaven. They expected him to come at any moment and that's the normal that they weren't wrong to expect the Lord to come at any moment. They were not wrong. Just because he hasn't come for 2000 years doesn't mean they were wrong. We should. We should be living that way right now, expecting him to come today.
Just.
Little aside, but I think one thing that has confused some is that in the Old Testament I noticed their brother read from a brother Doug read from Isaiah 40 during the prayer meeting. And if you notice the headings, which are of course are not inspired at the top of your page that run along the top of your page. Those headings can be very, very confusing because I noticed when we read from Isaiah 40 this morning, this afternoon that it says something to the effect God's promises to the church.
Well, you don't get the church in the Old Testament. Now we enjoy those promises. We we I enjoy when Isaiah 40 was read to us and we apply them to ourselves. But I think it's important to see that those things there, that they that is not the church. God was giving promises to Israel there. That comfort was for God's earthly people at that time comfortably comfort. You my people. We enjoy that applied to ourselves, but it wasn't about us. It was about Israel.
And so I just say that when you look, if you ever, if you notice it's headings on the top page of the page of your Bible, just something be very careful. The translators who added those didn't really understand the heavenly position of the church or the distinction between the church and Israel. They did not understand dispensational truth. And if you don't understand dispensational truth, we're not living under the dispensation of law. We're living under the dispensation of grace and the mystery.
And there's another dispensation coming sharply, and that will be the righteousness for Millennium for the dispensation of the fullness of times when the Lord will reign here on earth. Actually we call this sometimes we call it a dispensation of grace, as the Scripture says in Ephesians 3, and the dispensation of the mystery.
But it's really not a dispensation of something here, but of something that's up there.
And.
In John Two you have the father's house mentioned and the Lord overturns the the money changers tables and he says make not my father's house the House of merchandise he was calling Herod's temple my father's house, he said. But here when he says in my father's house are many mansions, he's not talking about Eric Seppel, he's talking about the heavenly house. Isn't he use the same term? But they mean completely different things, don't they?
Remarkable, isn't it, that he doesn't say he's going to come again and.
Take them to heaven, that's true. Or to glory that's true. Going to take them to himself. And it's again not heaven or glory, but the Father's house. This world is not our home. We don't belong to this world, as we've been saying, but rather we do have a home where we belong. We're not there yet. Physically, we're still here in this world. Isn't it wonderful to think that while the Lord Jesus found no home here, and in the measure in which we reflect Christ during our faithful to Him, we will find the same?
Yet there is a home to which we are going and when we get there, we've had some of the trials and difficulties brought before us in the prayer meeting that the Saints are going through and so on. But imagine what it will be when we get there to sit down in the Father's house.
Sometimes said that there's no place on earth that I find where I can relax and be as comfortable as is possible to be the sight of glory than in my own home. I'm comfortable in the homes of many of the Saints of God and so on. But when I get home to Smith Falls and I sit down in my own home with my wife and children, I say I'm as comfortable as is possible to be this side of glory. And brethren, may we not find our comfort here. May we not try to just to fit in or make Christianity that which is popular here. But may we realize that we're going on to the Father's house. And what is it that's going to make the Father's house?
01:00:29
It's the presence of the Lord Jesus, and I suggest that when we get one look at his lovely face, we're not going to take what our eyes off him for eternity. Whatever else we speak of and see and so on, we're going to gaze on him. He's going to captivate our gaze and our hearts. Well, brother, the realization of this in our souls ought to wean our hearts from this poor world.
One of the precious truths you learn in John 14 is the truth of the Trinity. Notice verse 16.
I, Lord Jesus second person, will pray the Father first person, and he shall give you another comforter, third person, and he may abide with you forever. And he says again in verse 26, But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father.
Will send in my name. There again. You have the three persons of the Trinity. That's Christianity. You don't have the Trinity revealed in the Old Testament. It's there. It's referred to not as such, but it's there. But it's right out in the New Testament. The Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the very baptismal formula is baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
So there you have the three persons, and. And this is what Christianity is all about. He's gone to the Father, and he sent down the Holy Spirit to abide with us forever and to to be our our teacher, the one who handles all our affairs in his absence, and to attract this to him, to attract this to him. Religion makes you look within and see, to see how how well you're fulfilling the requirements.
Of the religion that you might be identified with. But the Spirit of God never causes us to look within. He causes us to look up and to look at Christ and see where he is and realize He's the one I'm going to be with for all eternity. It's like the picture in Genesis 24 where the Abraham sends the servant to get a bride for his son Isaac the servant, The type of the Holy Spirit. You have beautiful type of the church there.
And what's the spirit? What was that servant to do? To present these precious things to Rebecca and to take her to see Isaac, and to be united to Isaac? That's what the spirits here for is to attract this to our Isaac, our blessed north, and to bring us back there where the father is. That's Christianity. And it's it's so wonderful and precious.
If we let me get a hold of our souls, what Christianity really is, it's an out of the world association with the one who came into this world, went to the cross, died for our sins to put them away. And now it's gone back and it's bringing us there and and since the Holy Spirit to attract this to him there and say this is where your hope is. This is where your blessings are. This is where I am not here.
Well, you're going through an enemies land. Do we feel that? Do we feel that?
I think the first place in the Bible where we clearly see the Trinity is so beautiful. If we turn to Matthew 317.
They are clearly seen and it's a special occasion.
So much to know that the heavens were open to look down.
What was happening? Let's just read it. Matthew degree.
And really 16 and 17 and Jesus.
The man on the earth, when he was baptized with a great way out of the water, and low the heavens, were open unto him. Here's one man on the earth at the heavens, who looked down. Well, please, the heavens are open unto him.
01:05:01
And he saw the Spirit of God. He sent me like a dove, and lighting upon him.
Now here's the Father in the last verse. I'm an old boy from heaven, say this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. God has never been able to open the heavens from another man. Say anything like that. Never has anything.
But it's so beautiful that the Spirit of God comes and this man is living in the gospel to finish the work of salvation so that he can bring us up there. But it didn't blow. It think the heavens grow and the spirit of government descending upon a man.
And well pleased.
Let's notice, Brother Buchanan, another incident where the heavens are opened in Acts Chapter 7. Because as you say in the incident we've just noticed in Matthew the heavens were open so that the heaven could be occupied with that perfect object who was here in this world. The poet CalPERS said there was finally an object in this world that might commend the place, but now it is gone. Jesus is with the Father and so notice to follow up because I think it.
Acts Chapter 7.
This has been connection with Stephen.
And I'll read 1St, 5th from verse 54. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God. And Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, behold, I see heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. What a vision this was. And so here the heavens are open.
So that this man in the power of the Spirit who was full of the Holy Ghost, he could look up now. Heaven looked down in Matthew. Now here's one who can look up and in the power of the Holy Ghost, what is he occupied with? He's occupied with the man who has gone to the glory. Very shortly his spirit departed to be with Christ because they didn't receive his testimony and they stoned him. But brethren, we can while we're waiting for that moment when we're going to see him face to face.
We can, in the power of the spirit of God, look up. And as I said before, I don't think there's anything can wean our hearts from this sad world and encourage us more than occupation with the man in the glory. And it's a very, very real thing. It's not something mystical that we're Speaking of. Christ is real to the eye of faith. And it says in Hebrews too, we see Jesus. What does that mean? Something mystical or something that's hard to do or graphs, no, by faith.
We see Jesus on earth, no crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should take death for every man. And looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith, rather than we sing a little prayer. And I'm only going to point the finger at myself, because that's all I can do. But I sing this little prayer so often that sometimes I don't consider the import that it ought to have on my life. And this is the little prayer all fix our earnest gaze, so holy Lord on thee, that with thy beauty occupied we elsewhere none may see. Is that really the desire, the earnest desire of your heart and mind?
When we were young people, we used to sing another hymn. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in this wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Let's look at this again. I think what you're doing in Acts 7.
And verse.
55 About Steven They pulled the Holy Ghost.
The scriptures say the report is he looks up steadfast into heaven and saw the glory of God.
One thing, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, but you go on the next verse, he does say one word about the Lord and talk about the first. I think that's so lovely, he said. The whole I see the heaven open and the Son of man standing right-handed.
He's everything that's got a friend.
And when he testifies to that, what do they do? What do these Jews do?
01:10:00
They cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city and stone him. Witnesses laid down their clothes of the young man's feet. His name was Saul, the first Christian martyr. As he points out the man in the glory that will in heaven they won't have it. And the world is no different today. It is not improved one bit. They don't want the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'd like to go back to what was mentioned in Ashley and Genesis 24 about the bride, about the servant fetching the bride. And it seems to fit beautifully with our chapter. The the servant goes to get a bride for Icy, and it says in there for a bit of the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this man must I need bring thy son again into this land.
From whence thou camest neighbors, Him said unto him, Beware that thou bring not my Son. Thither again seems to me it fits beautifully with the thoughts in our chapter of the heavenly portion, where Christ is entered into the Father's house, and that the bride is gathered here on earth by the Holy Spirit. But not to bring the sun down again here to this land, and make it an earthly thing. That is the very thing that they were warned of. Here the servant was.
And so that is the occupation of the Spirit of God today in our chapter here, where he comes to be with us. And what does he speak of? He speaks of Christ, and his glory is there, but he had a little bit of it there. And Stephen, what he saw there, that is enough to wean us away from the world, isn't it? That's what the servants spoke of to Rebecca when he was bringing her back. And she said I will go. He showed her.
The glory so.
The riches of her right room. And so that's the.
It seems to me it fits beautifully with our the Gospel of John. Christianity begins there, and that's what weans us away from the world.
Seeing what Christ has in glory.
I wonder if I might take us back to the beginning of the meeting for a minute, because I feel as though there's a point that could be made that should be helpful, especially to the young, and that is we what we started out by presenting the cross as the foundation of Christianity and.
The work of Christ as what the Christianity is based upon. I know we've been speaking a lot about where Christianity takes us, and that's into the heavenly. But if we don't have a clear understanding of the foundation of Christianity, have a little difficulty entering into the heavenly side of it. I say this too, that this is this has been a difficulty, I believe well with us, with our brethren with whom we're not gathered with, there's not a clear understanding.
How far the Gospel takes us. So often when we hear the gospel preached, we hear it preached to Romans chapter 3 or Romans chapter 5. And that is the work of Christ. As as as it has to do with the with the the question of the penalty of our sin, the question of God dealing with our sins. We don't often have to have the gospel presented in such a way.
That it goes farther on in the book of Romans, where we see what the work of Christ has done to the first man, where the first man has met his end. The first man has met his end in the cross. That's the foundation of Christianity. The cross. The first man, as much as in at the cross. Why this man turned back to Judaism? Because he doesn't understand.
Judaism.
Was directed to the first man. God dealt with the first man at the cross, and there the first man had his end. Now, once we understand that the first man has completely been dealt with at the cross, then we see it's in. We see it has been condemned. We no longer want to take it up in any way in connection with meriting God's favor. Then once we see the end of the first man, we can enter in.
01:15:01
To what? God has passed for us in Christ, the 2nd man. And so I just interjected. I know that I've kind of interrupted our train of thought, but I feel it's important to have a strong foundation as to what the gospel means. And that is, the gospel didn't just take care of the question of our sins. The gospel took care of the question of the first man. It's been dealt with. It has been condemned.
We go from there. In Christianity, first man's gone as as it were in God's eyes. He dealt with it when he judged the Lord Jesus on the cross. And so we have been set free from all that we once were. Now we've been brought out into the liberty of a new life in Christ, and now we can enjoy heavenly things because there's there's there's no record of the first thing.
Isn't that part of the thought now as the judgment of this world and and back in chapter 12 where where the Lord speaks about that that?
The world, as far as the system was found useless, as far as approaching God until God sets it aside. And anytime we go back to veterans man, veteran himself, we're failing to recognize that that trial is already over. God has pronounced judgment upon it. I think if I might just mention one one phase where I believe this this is not seen in the world today is in the.
The attempt to not necessarily the religious world, but in nature itself and the things of nature, Greenpeace and so on, to try to make this world better and to undo a lot of the things that man has done wrong. It's true we've spoiled our world, but but to think that we can go back and make put it back together, fix it up somewhat in nature even, is a failure to see where Christianity is that we're not.
So failure to see that this, this system, the world has been judged. We don't want to go back and try to prove that there's any good in it, even in nature. I think sometimes we recognize that religiously, yeah, things are a mess, but do we recognize that even as far as the things of nature, we have ruined it, but we can't put it back together, The Lord's going to do it. We have to wait till that time.
The whole world is under the ******* of corruption.
Verse 21 of Romans 8 says because.
The creature itself also shall be delivered from the ******* of Corruption into the.
Glorious Liberty Arm should be read, should read The liberty of the glory of the children of God all. We know that the whole creation grown us and travail us in pain together until now and swine. And when we come back with him, the liberty of the glory is going to affect this whole scene. The desert will blossom as the Rose of the handfuls of corn on the top of the mountains. They won't hurt or destroy all my holy mountains.
The line of the land will dwell together. The sucking child would plan the whole of the ***. What a day that will be. He'll do it. That's called the regeneration to regenerate this whole world. But there it's under the curse now. The thorns and thistles are still around and because of Adam's sin, the whole creation feels that, doesn't it? It's amazing the the marvelous things that God has allowed man to do in the medical field and.
Some of the fields that man is getting into, I think I said stay out, but.
He has done some marvelous things.
I said to a man once I was down in Cape Kennedy watching the the liftoffs and that and I turned to the fellow next to me. I've been talking to him about the Lord. And as we walked out, I said think of what the God is like. Who gave man the capacity to do that? And he just said yeah.
Police says I will come again. When are you going to look for it?
01:20:02
OK.
Chuck mentioned earlier about the early brethren we're looking for the Lord to come, and I was thinking of that expression when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and explained to them very carefully how this was going to take place. He uses the little expression. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It says we which are alive and remain now. Who was he talking about? He was talking about himself in the Thessalonian brethren. He was looking for the Lord to come at that time. The Thessalonians were to have it as a present hope.
I know I've told this before, but one time I pulled an old volume off the shelf of the young Christian, which was the periodical that was edited by a brother, JC Armond, beginning of the century. And I believe it was the 1913 edition of the young Christian. And I read the New Year's editorial 1913 and brother Armand was saying, with the condition of things in the world and amongst the Lord people, how could the Lord delay much beyond 1913? Surely the Lord was going to come in 1913.
Smile at that. But those brothers, they had it before their souls as a reality. My grandfather wasn't looking to go through the article of death. My father's been with the Lord two years now, but he taught us all his life that the Lord was coming at any moment and that we ought to be looking. He never expected that he would be laid in the tomb to await the Rapture. And so, brother, we need to have this. And again, what's going to have a practical purifying effect on our lives? Just talk to people who are busy lobbying for the betterment of society in this world and trying to save the planet, and so on.
Talk to the real believers. Are they looking for the Lord Jesus this afternoon? Not usually. Usually they have lost sight or even lost the real understanding of the Lords coming. And often it leads to confusing the Lords coming for his Saints with the Lords coming with his Saints and all this kind of thing. But if you and I can keep the hope of the Lord's coming before us as a living reality, it will adjust all our perspective as to.
Whether it's cleaning up the world, Whether it's our relationships one to another, whether it's family relationships, whatever it is and these things will be kept in their proper perspective. If we're looking upward and onward every day. Heard of a young man? Had a little motto on his bathroom mirror. Just said Perhaps today, I thought that was very nice. He wanted to be reminded every morning when he looked in the mirror that perhaps today.
That used to be the greeting of the early brethren as they greeted one of them. Perhaps today.
234.
234 We're not alone.
Our way.