Open—T. Roach, A. Kinnaman, H. Brinkmann
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276, 276.
May make us pray to thy side.
Yeah, no way. I'm still in the heart.
Of our Father's Day for love.
We still bring on Earth.
And I waited before.
Oh, Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus.
Take my baby.
Oh.
Just a few thoughts on the 4th of John in connection with worship was read a little bit this morning.
John 4.
We will read from verse 22.
You worship, you know, not what we know. What we worship for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father and Spirit, and in truth.
For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit.
And they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit.
And in truth.
It was one of the hymns we saw this morning. I couldn't find it again.
But there was a line there to the effect that.
Our worship wasn't broad enough for long enough or long enough.
Somewhere it came short anyway, the thought of the hymn, and I was struck with a thought here in this.
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In this chapter that it says.
The Father seeketh such to worship Him. In other words, he's not looking.
For worship or even a special quality of worship.
But he's looking for worshippers.
He's looking for those whose hearts overflow with Thanksgiving and adoration.
And that is very simple and it has nothing to do with.
Quality. I don't want to be misunderstood. There certainly should be equality to that worship, but it's not in how we say it.
For how well we can.
Phrase it and bring it out. But if there is that.
Occupation.
That sense of what the Lord Himself is, who He is.
Of what He has done and our hearts have been touched.
Whale come from our hearts.
And I was thinking about this earlier during the meeting this morning.
It doesn't even have to come out loud.
Have you ever visited somebody? Maybe somebody is very ill in the hospital and they're not able to converse, but they appreciate the fact that you sit with them?
You're there.
To think the Lord appreciates the fact that we have full hearts.
When we come to remember him in his death.
Even before anything is said.
The meeting was quite busy this morning, but sometimes when there's just a few at home, there are pauses.
There were some young fellows a while back that were keeping track of the pauses and they said at the end of the meeting how many minutes we wasted.
I think they were way off. We didn't waste it if there's a pause.
Think of the words of the hymn You are just for singing.
Enjoy them and enjoy.
What they brought before us of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If someone has prayed, think of those expressions that were mentioned.
Or of scripture read. Ponder it. Ponder it because this is worship. It's just the overflow of a heart that's occupied with the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The woman here was having quite a discussion about where they should worship and how they should worship, and the Lord Jesus had to say, you don't even know what you worship. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But then he says, the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such.
To worship him.
Did you worship this morning?
Sometimes the meeting is referred to as a worship meeting.
And it ought to be, but you can't manufacture worship.
You can't make yourself worship, it has to come from a full heart.
How does your heart get full? Well throughout the week. Throughout the week, it should be building up. The basket should be getting filled up.
So that we have something to bring the next Lord's Day when we have that special privilege.
For coming into the very presence of the Lord Jesus.
And remembering him and his death. And as we do that, it just draws out from our hearts those things that we've gleaned through the week, maybe in our own reading, maybe listening, listening to what someone else said, maybe at the reading meeting or even the prayer meeting. We've accumulated some things that we can come and rejoice in when we sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
And that's part of it, I believe.
Think about the last four words of the book of Ezekiel.
Some of you may know what that is.
The Lord is there, the Lord is there, just to come and sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
Is a wonderful thing, the privilege that we have being gathered to the Lord's name.
Where he is in the midst and you know one of the common comments of folks that leave.
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Often is we miss the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
They may be so full of activities and lots of going on, things going on.
But they miss the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
Sometimes.
We don't miss something until we don't have it. If the power went off now, we'd sure miss it, but we're not even thinking of it. We weren't until I mentioned it.
But when someone does mention it, we begin to value it and I hope that.
We can appreciate and value the presence of the Lord Jesus in our midst.
And appreciate and value what we have in that very special meeting.
It's sometimes may just become a routine for us, and I hope it never does. It should be fresh every Lord's Day. It should be something that we look forward to. It should be something that as we are sitting there in the presence of the Lord, whether it's two or three hundred or whether it's two or three, that we know that the Lord is there.
And that the reason I'm there and just putting it in the singular because you can say that too.
The reason I'm there is because he is there and because he asked me to come.
And show his death, and remember him in his death till he come.
And again, I have to say, it isn't what we say or how we say it, but it's what comes from a full heart. The Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
So it's a wonderful privilege that we have to come simply as believers in the Lord Jesus.
Worship requires no gift.
Requires no gift because it's just that which overflows out of our hearts. We may love a person, have love for a person, and you can't make yourself love that person, but there's something about them, a quality there that draws out your heart to them and their heart to you. Well, God's heart is drawn out to us, certainly. And it'll be a shame if there was no, no return from us.
But I was thinking also, I didn't intend to speak on it, but John 12 might just look at it briefly because.
It's often remarked that this is a picture of worship.
Particularly with Mary.
First verse, then 6th Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with them with him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
If you notice, three people are mentioned there being with him, with the Lord.
And not a single word is reported of what any of them said Martha, Lazarus or Mary.
They said not a word, and the ointment was for the Lord.
We compare with the other gospels. She not only anointed his feet, but his head and his body. He was anointed for the burial.
It was for him, and we just had brought before us how that John mistakenly worshipped the Angel. Perhaps so overcome with the revelation that he got, he fell down to worship the Angel, something that was not for anyone but God. And he was told that see thou do it, not worship God.
And if you went to the 30th of Exodus, you would find the preparation of.
The incense and the way it was to be done, like amounts, no quantity, no amount given, but like amounts of balance. And none of it was to be used for anyone but the Lord. It was a holy incense.
And so when we come together to remember the Lord and our hearts are filled with worship.
An adoration for him.
Don't we go away feeling we've had a great blessing? We didn't come for a blessing. We didn't come to learn something like at the reading meeting or to ask for something like we do at the prayer meeting. We came to remember the Lord Jesus and He is the one that was before us. And we always come away with the blessing because without contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. And the house was filled with the odor.
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Of the ointment. You know, sometimes it's a shame that the meeting is over and you find yourself still here. You kind of wish that while you were standing to sing that last hymn that the Lord would come.
And he leaves us here a little longer.
But it's just wonderful, isn't it, to realize that it doesn't require?
A special gift. This is my main exercise of coming up here. It doesn't require any special gift. It doesn't require any special words. But worship is the overflow of a heart that's full of Christ, full of himself and his love and his work. And I trust that this might help us to enjoy.
The meeting even more if we realize that we don't have to put on a show. It's just a simple, the simpler the better. You know? It would be so nice if even some, maybe some young brother would stand up and pray haltingly or whatever, but just let his heart pour out. I'm sure we'd hear some loud amens to something like that. Well, I just trust that this is an encouragement and a help to us.
I'd like to read a few lines out of one of the hymns that we had sang this Lord's Day at the break. We should read.
I have to look it up here 136.
In relation to worship.
I was thinking somewhat.
On the lines of the thought of Occupy till I come, and of the Lords coming, What do we do till he comes?
But with worship.
An adoration of him.
This line fills my soul.
In the 1St 10.
The merits of the Lord appeared.
They fill.
And when, when we think on the Lord Jesus, when we remember him, that's what it is. The merits of the Lord appear. They fill the holy place, and they draw out of our hearts to Him.
Let's turn to 1St Thessalonians correction, First Corinthians Chapter 11.
When I was.
First saved, I went to a place to worship with a bunch of other people.
He was on a military base. It was a Navy Chapel. And the chaplain that conducted the service was a real believer and he loved the Lord Jesus. He looked for the coming of the Lord Jesus. I have a lot of respect for that dear brother. And he conducted as a the Lord's Supper that time, the first time I'd ever had it as a believer. And I said this thought in prayer to God. I said, where do we worship?
Where do we worship? We always come to hear men speak in a matter of time as I withdrawn the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus by the work of God.
God brought me to the place of the name for the Lord Jesus, which is in the minutes he answered that prayer. Now there's another prayer that took place on that naval base.
And the prayer was Lord, what is the truth about the Lord's coming?
And to him, there was a reverence in the request that one wouldn't get.
Not, not that I understood what bad doctrine was, but one that I wouldn't get opinions of the Lord's coming wrong. I just wanted to know the truth. I think this was on a large day, evening. I was by myself praying. Tuesday another man got brought into our cubicle. We didn't have rooms, it was open Bay. We had cubicles.
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And Roger jokes was his name. Jose is where he spelled it. Big blonde headed young man from Maine his labor. He loved the Lord Jesus.
And he told me the truth as we hold it today of the Lord's coming. How good of the Lord to bring us the truth.
I'd like to read with verse 23 here. First Corinthians Chapter 11. For I have received the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you with the Lord Jesus. The same night in which he was betrayed, took prayer, and when he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take thee. This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also He took the cup when he had subsidy. This cup is a New Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as you drink it.
In remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you to show the Lord's death till he come.
That's amazing. I was gathered for a number of years before I realized that the apostle Paul, in writing this portion, received this from that risen glorified man in the glory of the Lord Jesus. It was different than the than the other apostles receiving the truth what the Lord's Supper?
He received it from a risen Christ.
For the church which takes on Gentile characteristics and him being the apostle of the Gentiles to call out a heavenly people to the Lord for himself.
This is a heavenly truth, and it reflects back to heaven because it says.
In the last verse of 20 verse 26 here we read you do show the Lord's death.
Telecom.
Silly cough.
You shall the Lord's death till he comes.
What wouldn't we want to be doing?
If the Lord is coming, what influences wouldn't we want in our lives if the Lord is coming?
First Corinthians chapter 14, verse 12.
Electra agent verse. It's one of those things.
Leaving so ye for as much as you are zealous of spirits.
Seek that you may excel to the edifying of the Church. I I do have just a King James here.
It's a Cambridge Bible and the margins are pretty good. I usually check them with the new translation and the margin says of spirits and the word gifts is an Italian. Those are two helps for us in our King James Bible.
We wouldn't want to be in the influence.
Of other spirits in the Lord is coming.
If the Lord would come, we wouldn't want to be under the influence of another spirit, if another spirit.
Influences one to speak in tongues. We wouldn't want to do that.
There is another thought comes from spirits and scriptures and in first epistle John says try the spirits who comes up. And this is a word. I heard it from a brother in the camp, a man in the camp, and I trust he's a brother. And I heard that a man that was once gathered made a statement very similar to this. Now I'm not really quoting him very good, but they say that if you have a revelation.
From the Lord you have this revelation you'll be coming from.
A spirit that goes above and beyond the revealed Word of God that we have today.
That is an error and it comes from the enemy. That statement is a wrong statement. There is nothing that we have that goes beyond the revealed written word of God that God has given us today. That is another spirit. I'm surprised though, that that spirit is is so active today.
Let us turn to go look at verse.
26.
How is it then, brethren, when you come together, everyone of you hath a song.
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At the doctrine, at the tongue, at the revelation, hath an interpretation that all things be done unto edifying. Now here's another spirit, but it would be my spirit, and I don't, I trust, I hope that I don't want my in spirit, my spirit, because I have a spirit, soul and body to influence what we say and do in the assembly. It shouldn't be.
Of me other than experience walking on the path of faith in the power of the Spirit of God, Do I have an axe to grind? Do I find fault with my brethren? Do I have a doctrine that I want the brethren to adapt and I start bringing it into the assembly?
It says, how is it, brethren, when you come together, everyone you have see, It's telling us there that we shouldn't have.
Something we shouldn't have an axe to grind, we shouldn't have a doctor, shouldn't be something from self.
Other than a full heart, you know, this is the only time that we can really say to have an open mind.
It seems that way. You know, they tell you have an open mind. Well, you know, there's spirits and we worry about the evil spirits. But to have an open mind, we could come to where the Lord Jesus is in the midst and the Spirit of God is here and we can have an open mind.
That the Lord would be exalted in his people.
And glorified in them.
That his prayer in John 17 would somewhat come into effect too, where he says that they might know leave the only true God in Jesus Christ to God.
Let's turn to 1St Print to 1St Thessalonians, chapter 5.
This is what one had before himself.
Was the Lord's coming?
Let's read it. We will start with verse 15 verse Thessalonians chapter 4, verse Thessalonians chapter 4, 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.
Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
One's desire was that we be comforted with these words.
The Lord Himself.
It's an Angel would come and catch up the apostle John, and he would say he would hear these words come up, hit her, and they would have meaning to us, reminding us of that. But when it comes for this hope of the Church, it is our Lord Jesus Christ himself at the command of the Father would come and take his people apart.
He shall descend from heaven.
With a shell, it's an assembling shell.
To the voice of the trumpet, first sentence 15 trumpets your sound.
We will be caught up together.
In the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Well.
In the sense of the necessity of hearing the gospel the last night.
Young children during.
My brother, speak to them this morning. You know the Lord Jesus is your favor.
If that shout would take place, if we would be caught out of the scene, would you be left behind?
And if you're a believer, would you be left in shame or would you be taken in shameless?
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Would you be taken in shame in a sense of seeing the Lord and our eyes on Him and everything passing away? It wouldn't be really in shame because His coming will go over and exceed that. But if there is failure?
We wouldn't want to be in a position of failure at that moment.
Revelation chapter 3.
First part of verse eight. I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shudder, for no one can shudder.
Verse 10.
Because I was kept a word of my patience, I also keep them from the power of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Before.
Before the millennial day that we've been talking about.
Is that terrible day the hour of temptation cometh upon?
All the world, the Great Tribulation.
The terrible day of Jacob for the Jews during the tribulation period. If the Lord had come today and would be caught out of the same thing of tribulation period.
When the 10 tribes were caught back, taken back to Israel of the Jews, let's say Judah and Benjamin have tribe of Levi.
2/3 I think will die during tribulation.
Of the 10 tribes that come back.
It's either 80 or 90%, I forget.
80% I think in the judgment on the world that God being fair and just and all he does is going to be compared with figure and all the Gentile nations that will die during tribulation, a very terrible time.
And those that have not responded to the gospel, have heard it and have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior shall be left to go through the tribulation and will not accept the Lord as their Savior. They will never believe the gospel and they are lost, lost for eternity. He would have us, The Lord would have us.
To your desire to keep the word of his patients. He would want us to be Philadelphian in our spirit.
We are on Philadelphia ground. You judge ourselves on the judgment self often in that other church. The next month. Indifference, Laodicea.
Has to be judged.
But.
Verse 11. Behold, I come quickly.
Hold that fastest thou hast, that no man take thy crown He would have us occupy till he come. Blessed is that servant that is so found when the Lord comes watching.
Hold that fast.
Which thou hast that no man take thy crown. That's what the Lord has to do. It isn't much.
But if we do that, we're barely doing what we can do. We can work a little bit in the gospel, I suppose, but that's part of holding fast at which we have.
All that fast. Why? Because the Lord's coming quickly.
He's coming quickly.
I don't know what quickly is normally.
The Lord's coming is said to come in the twinkling of an eye. That's very fast. But he has given us this, that He is coming for us quickly.
If the Lord is coming quickly.
That does mean today. That puts today in perspective.
We have a tendency to think, well, maybe.
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Sometime after August 1996.
I know a young couple that's waiting for that day because they're hoping to get married in August of 1996.
And we have perspectives and things that we plan and we think that we're going to get those things done.
The Lord willing, if the Lord would tarry, those things transpire. But the Lord says I come quickly.
It does bring today into perspective has turned to Revelation 22.
These are the words of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is speaking in verse 20.
Revelation chapter 22, verse 10. He which testifieth these things save surely I come quickly.
And there is an Amen there.
Talk about saying Amen and the prayers Amen means, so let it be.
Can you say for the Lords coming so let it be when he says surely I come quickly. Can we saw you Amen.
Even so, in the nutrient it isn't in the new translation. But Brother Darby Even so isn't in the new translation. It's because the church is so weak. She just says come Lord Jesus.
She just says come Lord Jesus.
She doesn't say quickly come.
She doesn't say eating so with energy and excitement. She says come with you.
And so that's what we say in our state.
Come Lord Jesus.
But he has not only said, Do I come quickly? He has said, Surely when he says, Verily, verily I say unto you, I think this is the same sentence. Surely I come with you.
It's like fairly very great emphasis.
And he said quickly.
Let's turn to John chapter 3.
We read Somewheres 1.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and set up with him. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God. For no man can do those these things, miracles that do us, except God be with them. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus.
Him How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of spirit, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. I don't have the intention of.
Going into a lengthy discussion on new birth only to point out that this is one of the passages in John's Gospel that speaks of the activity of the Spirit of God.
And that this is so important for us.
To remember that this is where everything begins. Due to technical difficulties, the volume and the rest of this one side of the tape will be very low.
Will be some of the same on the next slide. I'm sorry for all this problem.
There has to be a work of God by the Spirit using the Word of God to communicate new life, and that's the beginning of blessing in our life. And it's a sovereign work that the Spirit of God accomplishes in each one. We cannot take credit for it. It's a sovereign work for God.
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Without it, we have no capacity for divine things that we cannot enter anything that God has for us, whether that be Kingdom, truth or any other truth that God has for us in His Word. The only way we can benefit from it is if the Spirit of God gives us first of all the capacity for it by communicating life.
This he has done, as we do well to remember. This is where everything begins.
And it is not anything connected with the old cell, with the flesh within us.
Now Brother Tom has been recurring to worship.
The spirits of worship.
You know, and he's worshipping the Father again. We have the Spirit of God brought before us in chapter 4.
And here now he is the power of worship. It's not the Lord Jesus that is the gift of which the Lord Jesus spoke. That is the Spirit of God.
Which will be in the believer and is in the believer. The power of coalition, The flesh doesn't profit anything.
In the old men, the Jewish order.
Had a good voice and you could be one of those that would sing in the choir. That would be your benefit. You know, it wasn't necessary under the old order of things that you would have to have new birth first of all, before you could be in the position of a worshiper.
In Christianity, before you can be a worshiper, you have to have first of all a new life and beyond new life.
You have to have the Spirit of God dwelling within you that spring that spreads into up into eternal life. Worship is.
The revelation that God has given of himself.
True worshippers today are those who know God.
That is my concern to the Father. And how much does he like the heart of the Father that sees in some of his creatures beyond her now that appreciates it from the sun. The one that has been the delight of his heart are all imperative is now our development. It enjoys his abortion and by the spirit.
Protected, at least to the comfortable issue of that person.
With the bottle she stayed on the road that we had something where I said the revenues in probably the bottle had an option like the bottle and the shed is done with us so that we can rejoice with him over his son and that you can bring that to him when you have found of the sun.
Appreciates in our own soul the works of himself.
What necessity?
We have in these days.
In order that we have something to do.
Northern is the problem, as much as I'm interested in a lot of time.
Maybe sometimes some things that fit the energy has to do only without coming together.
Every day of our life and people virtually environment so the person to us.
He is the object of.
Power of coercion is the Spirit of God and on me spirit.
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You know.
Who participated in each day on a good spiritual state?
It's important that everyone that comes together, good spiritual state, the sisters as well as the brothers. And if I come there and I'm an advanced spiritual thing, I'm a blame. I'm playing down.
The lifting up of the soul to worship the Spirit. Remember when we come together, Remember the Lord is dead to those who hold their mouths.
I will be holding the mountains of the assembly, and we cannot really rise to read by the Spirit above the state of all.
So we are all.
To the spirit of and we can get it takes place, but how wonderful we have spiritual sacrifices to bring each spirit that keeps our spiritual text that we bring and that is in the power of the spirit that we worship and that we can draw nigh.
Now sometimes.
Measurements look fun about this club. We find that there is more excessive observable, so we try to push out a new farmer into preaching the gospel and starting to serve the Lord. They hardly feel comfortable. One thing has been brought into what they expected to speak to the gospel. Well, that is not Broadway.
Remember in John chapter 10, because the statement in central all I think you're going in.
God will join us.
Then you go out the service and now 20%.
Again the Spirit of God, but this time now it is not worship.
Verse 37.
In the last day, that great day of the feast.
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man cursed, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this big He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Here we have again.
The Spirit of God spoken of as a river of waters which will flow out of the bellies of those who have drunk from that living water. How important, beloved brethren, to remember again any service that is done for the glory of God, for the glory of the Lord Jesus, for the blessing of man according to God's thoughts, is the activity of the Spirit of God.
In the believer.
It's the Spirit of God that alone can enable us to be a source of blessing when He moves us, when He uses us.
Then we can be a source of blessing for others.
I believe this is not limited to when we are together in the assembly. I believe the 4th chapter predominantly has the coming together in a collective way before us.
But here I believe that refers to our individual lives in our service in the gospel. You know, the evangelists service is predominantly outside with the purpose of bringing them in, but it has to be the Spirit of God that moves the servant in that activity.
And we have to remember again.
The flesh positive nothing. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
Isn't it sad to see so often the flesh entering into what is called the preaching of the gospel? You know there's arthritis, a deceptive way of how things are presented to the Sinner. An appeal is made to the flesh in the Sinner.
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Be it that beautiful choir singing, emotional.
Speeches.
And then we expect spiritual results.
The flesh prophets, not they, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and remains flesh and is to be kept in the place of death. If there is to be anything in our lives for God He had worshipped or be IT service, it's the Spirit of God that is the one that should control us and control our activities and direct us in our activities. And then there will be lesser.
And we do not.
Found the blessing believe that to the Lord, but we are responsible to serve him in the prescribed way. It is not left us up to us how we serve in labor for him. In second Timothy two we have this principle brought before us that if anyone contend in the game he has to strive lawfully, otherwise he is not crowned and certainly.
That has to do with how we carry on even in the preaching of the gospel or in ministry for the people of God.
You know there is such a danger that the flesh shows itself in these things and spoils that which could be used of the Spirit of God through us. Now let's turn.
To Peter first Peter.
First Peter 2.
Chapter 2, verse one.
Therefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and enemies, and all evil, speaking as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If so be ye hath tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming is unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.
He also is lively stones are built up in spiritual house and holy priesthood.
To OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion at chief cornerstone. Elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious, or is the preciousness. But unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallow, the same is made the head of the corner.
And the stone of stumbling, and the rock of offense, even to them which stumbled at the word, being disobedient, were unto also they were appointed. But ye are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should force. Show forth the praises of Him for the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness.
Into His marvelous life, which in time passed were not the people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Here again we have spiritual sacrifices mentioned acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, but how important the two?
First verses are.
Laying aside all malice, all kind and hypocrisies and enemies and all evil, speaking as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow that by. Don't you say that the first verse speaks of the manifestations of the flesh. It's still possible that the flesh manifests itself in this way in the believer, because the believer still has the flesh.
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But if this is so, and it has not been laid aside, then you can see that this is a tremendous hindrance in our.
Exercise of our holy priesthood, which is Godward. Worship Godward. But verse two is also important. You know, we are all newborn babes.
And the desire for the milk, the word of God should remain throughout our lives. Milk here is not used as it is in Hebrews where it is connected with babes who have not grown according to the time. They should be teachers, but they needed to be given milk. Again, they had not grown. They were stunted in their growth because they were clinging to the types and shadows. Here milk is mentioned as something that the believer threw out his life in this scene should be desiring.
And if he desires it, and if he feeds on it, then there will be something there that he can bring as a holy priest. But how important it is to see that it is broad and is made acceptable through the Lord Jesus.
You know who would be so bold as to say that there's never anything in that which we bring to God a desire to bring to God, even in worship, that is not according to God's will.
But how wonderful and comforting the truth is, that the Lord Jesus assists us in our feeble praise and worship, and that which we feebly present.
That goes through him to God, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews we have the Lord Jesus presented as a high priest.
In connection with our pilgrimage journey, now we're seeing in Hebrews on a pilgrimage home, we're seen in the wilderness, and the Lord Jesus as high priest is there to help us in our weaknesses, in our infirmities, but he's also presented as high priest, as the minister of the sanctuary.
And isn't that tremendous, beloved, to realize when we come together, gather to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that Himself is there, that He, as the minister of the sanctuary, assists us in our feeble worship, and that which we present feebly goes through his hands, as it were, and He presents it perfectly before God? It's a wonderful truth, beloved, and that we have this privilege of being holy Christ.
The universal priesthood of all believers. Is it true that is known beyond the circles of brethren?
Other believers speak of that, but beloved, the system where they are doesn't allow them to function as holy priests. You see, there is a puppet standing there in front, and he leads in the worship. I'm Speaking of what is generally true. I'm not saying that they are not some Christians who do not have a man standing there who leads in the worship, but I'm Speaking of what is generally true in the clergy systems that we have.
In Christendom he leads in the worship and.
He might graciously call on somebody to lead in prayer, but the Spirit is not free to lead and to guide. So what benefit do such questions have from their truth that every believer is a priest?
You know that truth is really of no value to such.
And how wonderful, beloved, this truth is still preserved for us today. And you have heard me say that before. And allow me to say that again.
Don't wait on your brethren who minister the Word when it comes to worship and prayer. We are setting up a clergy system of our own. If we do, we do not meet, as our brother has said, a gift to teach in order to worship and to pray.
01:00:05
Avail yourself of your priestly privilege. All you need to be is close to the law and that an ungrief spirit can lead you in worship. And it doesn't matter how well phrased the worship and prayer is. What does matter is whether it comes from a heart that is in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and that it is not just a learned thing that we bring, that it really flows from within.
The enjoyment of the Lord Jesus.
And his work is what is expressed and comes from these lips. That's the way it should be. So, dear brethren, don't wait on your brethren whom the Lord has raised up to teach and to instruct the Saints. You have the privilege to utter praise and worship and to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are all holy priests.
Now the sisters, I'm sure many times in their quiet way, sitting there on Lord's Day morning, will present worship to the Lord Jesus. I believe in the prayer meeting many times.
There is, there are prayers going up.
By then, in quietness, can't you see what it does to a meeting when the sisters sit there in this spirit and attitude?
By It's so important that we realize this, although we can't as sisters express anything out of plate. But the spirit of prayer can be there, the spirit of worship, and quietly worship can ascend to God.
And to the Lord Jesus, you know, we had in John four that the Father seeks such to worship him. And we must not conclude from that that the Lord Jesus is not an object of worship. The Lord Jesus is an object of worship. And the Lord Jesus is worshipped by His own. You know, he was even worshipped as a bake in Bethlehem's Manger. You know He is to be worshipped.
You know about how wonderful we also worship the Father. Sometimes we perhaps forget that and we correct all of our worship to the Lord Jesus. But remember, the Father seeketh touch to worship Him, you know, and to see an appreciation in the hearts of His own that we are before Him in a Son's place, that we are His children, sons of God.
And you know, as sons, we are LED into the holiest of all.
The Lord Jesus has opened the way, and now we enter and we worship.
I don't think anybody would discourage a young believer.
To pray in the meeting.
And to worship, I think it's a real thrill to my heart when I hear you hear a young believer to express worship and praise and to pray at the prayer meeting. Remember, we don't go to the prayer meeting to hear somebody pray. We go to the prayer meeting to pray.
And young brothers and prey. I even believe that they are members in the body of Christ, and that they might even have something to contribute even as young brethren in the readings.
The question was raised whether they should be permitted to ask questions. I would go further and say we would not forbid them to contribute to the edification of the Saints. That might not be as deep.
As one who is longer on the way. But remember, there might be lands in the audience that need exactly what these newly saved people have to contribute. Because they can take that in. You know, because it doesn't go over their head.
When we receive somebody to remember the Lord with us, we receive him as a member of the body of Christ. And that does not only mean that he can pray and praise, that also means that he can function as a member. When it comes to edification, of course, you can't expect that young, newly saved soul to be able to contribute much, and it would be out of place if you would give the impression that he speaks with authority and so on and so forth and takes a dominant place.
01:05:00
But beloved, he is a member in the body of Christ, and we have to remember that we have received him, recognizing that he is a member in the body of Christ. But then we also have the.
The royal priesthood.
And I like Mr. Darby's translation.
To show forth the excellencies of in that has called us out of darkness increased marvelous.
Light. I believe this is something that is displayed before men. I do not believe there is a sound accurate interpretation of these words to say that this is worship. Also, I believe the royal priesthood is man. Word.
You know that people see in us a feeble demonstration of what is true perfectly in the Lord Jesus. I like to relate the story that I have related before of these missionaries that came to Africa.
And we settled there by a river, and preached the gospel to these hidden natives.
And after he has preached for a while, one man says, I know that man, he lives up the river. You know, he was referring to another missionary that had settled there. And when this missionary had newly come there, helped them of the Lord Jesus, he recognized this was true of this man up there. You know, that man had succeeded to show forth the excellencies of him that has called us out of darkness.
Into his marvelous light.
Isn't that wonderful, brethren? No, Christianity is not just that.
The Lord has saved us from health and is going to lead us to heaven. Christianity also means that while we are on this earth, we are epistles of Christ and that Christ is our life or we would live Christ. That is the challenge. That is a privilege that we have as believers now, any honest Christian would say.
Oh, I lack far behind.
There is so little comparatively seen in my life of the Lord Jesus, but that is what God's purpose is for us. God's purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son, and that is a present work going on in our life.
You know, and the Lord Jesus is not here anymore, but we are here. And if we walk with Him and in the power of an ungrieved spirit, there will be in our lives that which will reflect that which is perfectly seen in the Lord Jesus. It's like the sun.
The supreme power and glory, it's the Lord Jesus. We are like moons, you see.
Where does the moon get his life? From The sun, you know. So we have to be, as it were, in the sunshine of his love, in his presence, and then it will be reflected in our lives.
You know it's true of the Jew, especially that.
In time past they were not a people, they were set aside lower my was pronounced upon them. But now that they had come to know the Lord Jesus, they were His people again. Not as the Jewish nation as such, but as the leaders on the Lord Jesus. And you and I, we certainly never had any part of God's blessings for man on earth.
You know, we were without hope, without God in the world. We were not a people. We were those beggars, you know, those had no home that are invited to the Gospel feast, to the wedding feast. And now we are a people. You know what a honor privileged position we have as Christians and the grace of God has given at us. But how important again to emphasize.
01:10:02
The.
Fact that is given in verse five to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Don't you see how important it is that we make sure that He is in the midst of His own, that we gather to His name, that He himself is there, and that we realize that by faith we are not looking at the building where we need as the sanctuary that we're entering into the sanctuary of His presence?
And that He is there to assist us in our worship. Now let's turn to Hebrews 13.
Brushed hand.
We have an author where they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacles.
For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is drawn into the sanctuary by the high priest, for sin a burnt without the can. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city.
But we seek one to come by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
We know that in the early days of Christianity.
The Jews.
Those who first were saved and brought to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and became the nucleus of that church on the day of Pentecost.
They for a long time continued in connection with the temple. It's true that they remembered the laws in their homes, but they still went to the temple. And when Paul.
To Jerusalem.
After Acts 15 were delivered to you of the Gentiles was established, he's told how many thousands believe and are jealous for the law. You see, the liberty was established in Acts 15 for the Gentiles, but the Jewish believers were still under circumcision.
And adhering to much of the Jewish system.
You know, if the liberty for human gentile would have been established in Acts 15, Paul would have done wrong in circumcising Timothy in chapter 16.
That he was doing that not going contrary to what was established in Acts 15, because the liberty for the Jew was not established their God at that time. Although Paul and Peter understood Christian liberty. That's why Peter when he withdrew in Galatians chapter two, he was rebuked by Paul. Peter had apparently lived according to Christian.
Principles delivered to your Christianity was understood by him.
But when those from James came, he withdrew from the Gentiles, and God bore with his people. But the Book of Hebrews is written to loosen them, and to wean them from these beggarly principles connected with Judaism, and after he had shown them that all that they had in Judaism was nothing but types and shadows.
And they had no more value that they had the real thing in the person of the Lord Jesus.
Now we here fall by the Holy Spirit, make this statement.
We have an altar, the Christian altar.
Where they have no right to eat, which serves the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the temple.
There were Tabernacle is used because the people of God have viewed on the pilgrimage journey. That's why the temple is not referred to which speak of permanent fixed conditions which would answer to the millennial day. But here we have the Tabernacle.
01:15:04
And Paul is saying now, if you're going to continue in connection with the Tabernacle, you have no right to eat of the Christian altar.
And he shows.
That the Lord Jesus suffered without the gate, outside of this Jewish system.
He was cast out by that system, and we who love him and belong to him, who go to where he is outside bearing his reproach.
You know, one of the Lord's servants was told in one of the assemblies out West that that was a subject He was not supposed to speak on the camp because apparently those in influential position at that time, they're no longer with us, those brethren that forbade him to speak on the camp.
Didn't like to hear about the camp because I believe the right application for us today about the camp is this. The principles of Judaism have been carried into Christianity.
You have a clergy system. Where did he get that idea from Judaism. They have an earthly sanctuary. They refer to a certain corner up there in front as the sanctuary. And they have ropes, they have choir singing, they have musical instruments. Where do they get these things from? Judaism?
So we have the principles of the camp in Christendom.
And we who want to be faithful to the Lord Jesus.
Ought to leave the camp. Christendom itself has taken on the character of a camp. Nowadays, too, not all the principles of Judaism are in all the systems of men, but in all the systems of men are the principles of Judas.
And if you want to be obedient to the instructions given to us here in Hebrews 13, we go unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. And again in that position we can by Him offer our spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. You know our brother Tom already mentioned.
Those some of those who have left.
The Lords Table have gone their own way. They realize in their own souls that they cannot do what they were privileged to do when they were at the Lords Table, where the Spirit of God was free to lead and worship and praise. Don't you see? The Lord Himself loses out. Not only the people will lose out that they no longer can function as holy priests. The Lord Himself is shortchanged.
Because they are not permitted to utter praise and worship and adoration to the Lord Jesus. Well, beloved.
We ought to have more of this in our individual lives, you know. I believe you ought to sing hymns in our own homes, and we should have times where we are over His word and where we enjoy the things that we have in Christ the Lord Jesus Himself as an object occupying our hearts. And that makes all the difference, you know.
And you can tell, can't you, whether there is a brother in the meeting.
That isn't just always making the same prayer every time he opens his mouth and the meeting unlocked the morning, you know, He has something different to bring, but it is all Christ that he brings. He isn't always repeating. Learn prayers, you know. And beloved, the Lord Jesus has done so much for us and the only thing that he has really asked us to do for him is to remember Him, you know?
To remember him and.
Think of it, there is something in the heart of God that can only be satisfied by His redeemed people and that is seeking worshippers. Well, what we bring is what we have come to see and appreciate of the Lord Jesus, His person and His work. So, beloved, especially brothers, remember you are a holy place.
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And the sisters.
I believe show the character of royalty without doing much talking. So we as others here, you know, we all can show forth the excellencies of him that has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
131.
Praise lead to the Father, give praise me to the first born. Brink raises for the Holy Ghost 131.