Catford Lectures 2009-2010

… Good evening everyone. Can we begin this meeting by singing hymn 267? All fullness resides in Jesus our head, and ever abides to answer all need. The Father's good pleasure has laid up a store, a plentiful treasure to give to the poor. Number 267. The Father's good pleasure has laid up a store, a plentiful treasure to give to the poor. Whatever distress awaits us below, such plentiful grace the Lord will bestow, and still shall support us, and silence our fear, and nothing can hurt us while Jesus is near. When sorrows assail us, or terrors draw nigh, His love will not fail us, He'll guide with His eye, and when we are fainting and ready to fail, He'll give what is wanted and make us prevail. We trust His protection, we'll lean on His might, we'll show His direction, He'll guide us aright. We know who surrounds us, almighty to save, and no one confounds us, the Savior who hath. Jesus. Amen. I would like to turn to a number of scriptures this evening, but I would like to read them as we come to them. So the first passage is from John's Gospel. Now, Paul told me some time ago that he was exercised to speak about Psalm 133 and Ephesians 4. But as I was listening to him, he referred so many times to John's Gospel that I began to be a little concerned because all my scriptures are from John's Gospel. But I'm sure the Lord has His hand in all these things. We can trust Him to direct according to His mind and will. So John's Gospel, chapter 2, verses 1 to 5. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. My exercise this evening is to speak about the Lord's encounters with His people in this Gospel. There are seven I would like to draw attention to, and they all concern sisters, women, who met with the Lord Jesus in their lives. And it's fitting perhaps that the first one we start with is the mother of Jesus. And what's presented to us here in these verses is the all-sufficiency of the Lord Jesus. He had been invited to this marriage, but they wanted wine. There was a deficiency of wine. And Mary, she said to the Lord Jesus, They have no wine. Perhaps it seemed to her natural to do this. It was indeed natural in one sense for her to do this, to speak to the Lord Jesus about it. To imply in what she said to Him that He should do something to make up this deficiency, to make up this need. She knew that He could do this. But sometimes we've been surprised by the reply the Lord Jesus gives her. Woman, what have I to do with thee? To our ears in this day and age, that sounds a little disrespectful. But of course it can't be, because these are words from the Lord Jesus Himself. Now what the Lord Jesus is saying to Mary here is that He was about to embark upon His three, three and a half years of public ministry. And supremely in those three and three and a half years, He would display what we learnt about this afternoon, that He would be doing that which His Father showed to Him. He would be working with His Father. He would not be directed by those who had a natural link with Him. Remember, in the other Gospels, we get instances when His mother and His brethren, those who were the offspring of Joseph and Mary, sought to intervene. They were concerned about what He was doing. But He was taking His direction entirely from His God and from His Father. And this reminds us of a verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him. No more. We've been learning about those wonderful spiritual links which we have with the Lord Jesus. Each one of us has that link with Him and with each other. We're members of His body. Now, as we had explained to us, that originated, that came into being on the day of Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down, when we were baptised into one body by that Spirit. That doesn't mean we forget about our natural relationships. That doesn't mean that we discard them, that we ignore them. It's made quite clear to us, particularly in the writings of Paul, but also Peter, that we have responsibilities that relate to the fact that we have mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children. We're responsible to the government. All those things should be exemplified in our lives as believers on the Lord Jesus perfectly. We should be the true exponents of those relationships in our lives. But the most important thing when it comes to serving the Lord is to be directed by Him and Him alone. When we think of ourselves individually, He is our Lord. When we think of ourselves as members of His body, He is our head. We can't really know all the preciousness that relates to Him as the head of the church until we really work out what it is individually to live our Christian lives owning Him practically, not just with the lips, as our Lord. His mother accepted what He said. She said, whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. We haven't got enough time to go into the detail of what's happened, but really this scene at Cana of Galilee looks forward to that day of which Paul was speaking, when the Lord Jesus will be King of kings and Lord of lords, when He will be acknowledged in this world, when He will rule over this world, and there will be joy in this world in a way there's never been joy in it before. We look around us today, we see the very antithesis of joy today. There's conflict everywhere. There's no certainty. There's no peace. Men believe that they are making a better world, but every step they take, well, as we say, one step forward, proverbially two steps back. That's the state of things today. Man is making more and more problems for himself. Why? Because he's refused the one in whom all fullness resides, Jesus, our head, and it's when we practice that truth, as Paul exhorted us to do earlier today in the meeting, that we are a witness to those around us, that we are in touch with the one who can bring real blessing in their lives. May it be that we show this out day by day. It says here it was the third day. If you look back into the previous chapter, you can see the second day, which seems to speak of a future day still for us, when the remnant of Israel will be exercised to be true to the Lord before he comes in his power and his glory. And if you go back to the day before that, and you see those who wanted to follow the Lord Jesus, and he said to them, come and see, when they asked him where he abode, that seems to speak of our day, the day when we can gather to the name of the Lord Jesus. We can have him at the center. We can behold him. Remember how it says John the Baptist looked upon the Lord Jesus as he walked and he said, behold the Lamb of God. But of course, we can only really do that if we've realized that we're sinners and we've realized that he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And each one of us has to put, as it were, by faith our sin upon him and say, yes, I believe that when he suffered and died upon Calvary's cross, he bore my sin and I'm trusting him that the work he did there deals with my sin for the glory of God, for my eternal salvation. But here in this story, we need to recognize, and that's one of the reasons why the Lord Jesus says woman to Mary, not mother, woman. He disowns that relationship for the purposes of the service of God, not in his normal life. We'll see that later on before we get to the end of the address. We have to see that, first of all, the Lord comes first in our lives. For him it was the will of his Father, for us it's the will of the Lord. And then joy can flow, there can be blessing as there will be in this world, there can be joy individually in our lives, in our lives as families, in our lives too as companies of God's people. The next encounter is in John's Gospel chapter 4 verse 21. It doesn't actually name Mary. In that passage we've just read, it just speaks of her as the mother of Jesus. And here we have a woman who's not named, not identified at all for us. We know this story very well, don't we? She was a Samaritan woman. She knew her place. The Samaritans have no dealings. The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, she says in verse 9. But let's just read on later in the story. Verse 21. 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. If in that first story we've seen there's a deficiency, there's no real joy, the Lord Jesus needs to supply that joy. Here we see that the Lord Jesus and the Father in particular are looking for a response from us. They're looking for something from us. How can that be? When we need so much, how can we give anything to God? Here was this woman, as we've said, she wasn't part of the people of Israel. The Lord Jesus had come to the lost sheep of Israel. But here was one he met, he encountered on his way. He must needs go through Samaria, it says. And his love is flowing out and he would make this one, who seemingly had nothing to give, whose life seemed to be a life that was full of disappointed hopes. He was going to make her one who could be a witness of him and a worshipper of the Father. We're told elsewhere, aren't we, in the Gospels that the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. God is seeking lost ones, not just to be saved, but here we learn in these verses to be worshippers. We're not to be left in a situation where we're constantly receiving and never giving. We're to give out as well. And this woman did give out. In verse 25, it tells us that she said to the Lord Jesus, I know that Messiah's cometh, which is called Christ. When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he? And that seems to have really spoken to our heart. She seems to have believed what the Lord Jesus said. And it says in verse 28, the woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men, come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ. Here's her witness. But in the earlier verses, she is brought to know that there's an hour coming. In fact, it now is. They were right on the tips of it. That's what that expression means. When it says the hour cometh and now is. When they that worship the father wouldn't do it in a particular place such as Jerusalem, certainly not there in Samaria, but it will be those who worshiped in spirit and in truth. The whole of what the Lord Jesus speaks about to this woman in this chapter is to do with the gift of the Holy Spirit, that which meets our innermost needs. But the idea is that it springs up to the source from which it came in worship and response to the Lord. It doesn't just refresh us, but it enables us to give something back to God from our lives. God is a spirit, the Lord Jesus says, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Have we got that exercise in our hearts to respond to the father who gave his son to be our saviour? The Lord looked for it, indeed revealed it to this Samaritan woman. We could say humanly speaking she was the least likely candidate to be told a truth like this, but the Lord told her. The Lord looks for those who will worship the father in spirit and in truth. Once we've trusted the saviour, we're no longer those who are simply needy ones, who need to be saved. We're transformed into those who can then respond to the father, who can worship him in spirit and in truth. The spirit shows us it's no longer a physical thing like it was for the people of Israel. They had to observe all kinds of rules and procedures. We might call it ritual in their worship of God. Of course it had value, it taught them certain things, it still teaches us certain things, but now the worship is spiritual and is aided by the Holy Spirit of God. We're able to worship him in spirit. Paul speaks about this in Philippians chapter 3 and of course it's worship which is in truth as well. It's no longer the thoughts that the people in Samaria may have had or the people in Jerusalem may have had. It's in truth. It's in a completely right setting with regard to God. It's what is in accord with his mind and will. But this woman was given this wonderful truth here. Maybe it's a surprise to us why the Lord did it to her, but he did. And for me it illustrates very much the teaching we get in Ephesians chapter 2 that we Gentiles who were once without hope and without God in this world have now been brought nigh. We've been enabled to be worshippers of the Father. Jew and Gentile together. One new man. No longer separated by that middle wall of partition, but peace being made with God are brought nigh by his blood and are enabled by the Spirit of God to worship him in the way that he's always desired to be worshipped. We move on. John's Gospel chapter 8. Verse 7. This is one of those stories which seems to me to often be misused. It's the story of the woman who was caught apparently in the act of adultery. We'll break into it at verse 11. This refers of course to the people that had caught her. So when they continued asking him and what they were asking him was in verse 5. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayest thou? He lifted up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast the stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. They which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one beginning at the eldest even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman he said unto her woman where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said no man Lord. Jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. We often find in the gospels these religious people trying to catch the Lord Jesus out. It's important for us particularly when we're younger we're brought up in a Christian family never to allow this kind of attitude to get into our hearts and minds. Of course we should ask questions when we don't know the answers. And our older brethren will not always know the answers. Sometimes we have to search the scriptures. Sometimes we have to wait for some time before the Lord gives us the answer to a particular problem we have. But he will always give us an answer from his word. But of course it's important to ask in faith. It's important to ask trustingly. We started off our meeting all fullness resides in Jesus our head. He desires to give. He's the giver of every good and perfect gift. And therefore we should always ask in a way which has confidence that he will bless us. We're never to distrust the Lord. And this shows the true state of heart of these people. These people they wanted to catch the Lord Jesus out. They had no real relationship with him. But here they thought they had him reverently speaking we could say they thought they had him in a bind. They thought that they would show that what he was saying would be in complete contradiction of what Moses has said in the law. But instead the Lord Jesus turns the spotlight of the law on them. And they find that they're the ones in the bind instead. And they continued asking often in men and women today there's no sense of reverence about the things of God. They will go on arguing about things regardless of what said to them from the scripture. So it was here they went on questioning him. And there we get these words he lifted up himself in his majesty in his dignity in his personal glory and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone. And then he stooped down and wrote on the ground as he had done before. Contrast indeed with the finger of God on the stone tables when the law was given to Israel in the first place. Here it is on the ground. And as they see the Lord Jesus tracing on the ground. His words sink down into their hearts. Convicted by their own conscience they went out the eldest first. He had more in his life to accuse him than the younger one. And in the end Jesus was left alone. But you know the woman was still there. The woman was still there. This is the love of God to the sinner. He is holy. He is righteous. But he never repels the one who comes to him in faith. She was bruised. She didn't come. But now she was there. She didn't want to go away from him. She waited upon what he had to say. He lifted up himself and saw none but the woman. And said to her, woman where are those thine accusers? Have no man condemned thee? Now the reason I said this story seems to be often misapplied is it seems to be used as an excuse to allow, to permit sin. And to say we can't deal with it because who of us can cast a stone at another person. But that's not what the story means. What it brings before us is that there's no condemnation in Christ to the one who will acknowledge their sinnership and come to him in obedience. The obedience of faith. And we get something of that in her words. She says to him, no man Lord. She acknowledges him as Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. She wasn't to commit sin. The sin that she had been caught in or they knew to be characteristic of her life. Whether they actually caught her in it or not is another matter. But the point is she wasn't to be marked by that anymore. And neither as we, as believers who know the Lord Jesus, it's important that we're not characterized by the sin that's all around us in the world today, which is thrust at us in many different ways in our lives, particularly when we're younger. It's important that we're not characterized by this sin. It's a wonderful thing to be saved. And as Paul was explaining to us, it's not just a question of salvation from the penalty of sin. It's salvation in a practical ongoing way in our lives, knowing his power to enable us to overcome sin in our lives day by day for the glory of the Lord. And also, of course, it's in the end, salvation from the very presence of sin in his presence for ever more. No condemnation. We stand in liberty, Paul says in Galatians, but we're not to make any provision for the flesh. We're not to allow our liberty to be used for the flesh to have its way in our lives, but rather we're to show forth the righteousness of God in our lives in a practical way day by day. John chapter 11. The story of the raising of Lazarus. We'll start to read at verse 20. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever thou would ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She said unto him, yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the son of God, which shall come into the world. And then we just dropped down to verse 32. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping, which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled and said, where hath he laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, behold how he loved him. And some of them said, could not this man have opened the eyes of the blind, which open the eyes of the blind have caused? Even this man should not have died. Jesus therefore, groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee, if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. When he had thus, when he had thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth, bound head and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, loose him and let him go. Well, there's much that we could say about this passage, and we haven't got enough time to say much. But what we can say about it is that the Lord loved this family at Bethany. It says in verse five, now Jesus loved Mary. No, it says Martha. We might have expected it to say Mary, because after all, she was the one who in Luke chapter 10 sat at his feet and listened to his word. And the Lord Jesus had had to reprove Martha in that incident when she had said, Lord, bitter, come and help me. But no, we see here in these words, the love of the Lord Jesus flows out to all his people. Even when we make mistakes, even when we act in a way which isn't becoming of a believer, we're loved by him and he would draw us back to himself. He loved this family. He saw in Martha one who loved to entertain him, loved to have him in her home. And that's a wonderful example that Martha has for us. And we see in the next chapter, she is serving. She's serving at table, no longer cumbered about. But here in the verses we've read, we've seen that Martha, she needed to realize that belief isn't a theoretical thing. It's a vital thing. Yes, she believed, as she said to the Lord Jesus. I believe, she said in verse 27, that thou art the Christ, the son of God, which should come into the world. But she hadn't really taken hold of the words that he had said in that previous verse for herself right at that very moment. She hadn't made them her own. And that's why when the Lord Jesus said in verse 39, take ye away the stone, Martha interposes, impetuous as ever, she says, by this time he stinketh, Lord, for he's been dead four days. And indeed, four days was at the point it was recognized a body would start to corrupt. But she hadn't taken on board those words of the Lord Jesus, when he said, I am the resurrection and the life. These are beautiful words. One of the several I am's we have in John's gospel, which bring before us the deity of the Lord Jesus. He is God. The one who said I am in the Old Testament, still says I am in the New Testament. Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. And here in these words, he showed that he was able to deal with this situation which had arisen among them. This would mark him out, son of God, as we're told by Paul in his first few verses of his letter to the Romans. Marked out son of God. By the resurrection of dead persons. And the Lord Jesus, he is able to raise Lazarus from the dead. These are beautiful words in verse 25. I am the resurrection and the life. Resurrection comes first because if you're dead, you're in the grave. You need to be raised. But then you're given life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. That's certainly true of those who've believed on the Lord Jesus and who have passed through the article of death, they shall live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. That is, we can say, each one of us who've believed on the Lord Jesus, death has no power over us. Yes, we may die physically, but it will be but a doorway into the presence of the Lord. But you know, there's another fulfillment of these verses, which is going to happen very soon. At the rapture, when the Lord Jesus comes, when he speaks the word and he names all his redeemed, then yes, those who have already passed through the article of death, yes, their bodies will be raised because he is the resurrection. And yes, those who are living at that time and are believers on him, they will hear their names and they will never die. And this verse will then have its most wonderful fruition, its most wonderful answer. You can check out what I'm saying by looking at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Yes, the Lord Jesus showed and demonstrated his power. Of course, it's been said, if he hadn't said, Lazarus, come forth, all the dead would have come forth. But he says, Lazarus, come forth. Only one came forth. He had to. He couldn't resist. At the command of the Lord, he came forth. But what a difference from the resurrection of the Lord, as we shall see in a moment. What an answer to these sisters' grief and sorrow. The Lord loved them. He met them in their need. He gave them what they couldn't have imagined possible. We might say, well, why didn't he just go there and heal Lazarus? Because he was teaching them a lesson. It was for the glory of God. It was that they would learn something from it. This comes out in the words of this scripture. Very often, we do have to go through difficult experiences, but the Lord is teaching us for our blessing and his glory. The difference between Mary and Martha is very interested in these verses. You know, when Mary speaks to the Lord Jesus, she says exactly what Martha said. There's no difference at all. But there is one difference in the way in which she approached the Lord. She fell at his feet. And you know, this is a wonderful characteristic of Mary. She's always at the feet of the Lord Jesus. She's listening to him in Luke chapter 10 at his feet. Here, when she says the same words as her sister Martha, she's fallen at his feet. And in the next chapter, which we're now going to read, she's at his feet again. And perhaps this is a lesson to us. Perhaps this is why Mary is so particularly a wonderful example to the Christian. And where we fall so far short, why we don't put into practice what Paul was speaking about this afternoon, is because we're not enough at the feet of the Lord Jesus. It's good to be at his feet. If he's the head, we need to be at his feet. And sadly, so often we're not. We're trying, reverently I say this, to do the thinking for him sometimes. We're trying to plan things out so that they will occur in the way we think they should. But if we were more at his feet, we would be more like Mary, committing everything into his hands and resting on what he was going to do. Just let's read those first seven verses of chapter 12. Then 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. And Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and bear what was put therein. Then said Jesus, let her alone. Against the day of my burying has she kept this. This is one of the most beautiful portrayals of worship we have in the scriptures. We thought about worshipping the Father, that wonderful truth of Christianity, that we know God as our Father, and we can respond to him in worship. And it's wonderful. It's a cardinal truth of Christianity. Do we do it individually, as families, as gatherings of his people? We've got plenty of hymns in our hymn book to the Father. And of course, we can pray to the Father. But here we have a verse which illustrates the importance, too, of worshipping the Lord Jesus, the Son. It's important to remember in John's Gospel, chapter five, that we cannot honor the Father if we do not honor the Son. It's been said by some that's only in the context of him as judge, but it's not. If you read the verse carefully, you'll see it's there as a principle. Worship of the Son and worship of the Father. And here was one who knew that right at this moment, the thing to do was to respond, to demonstrate, to express her love for the Lord Jesus. And there in the presence of all, she did it. Quietly, she didn't say anything. She took what was most precious to her and she broke it upon him. In some Gospels, it says she anointed his head. In others, it says his ear. In this one, it says she anointed his feet. As we've so often heard, we've learned, haven't we, that in Matthew and Mark, she anoints his head because he is the king. He is the one who was the servant here, but is really Lord of all. And he should be anointed upon his head. But when we contemplate him as the Son of God, which we do in John's Gospel, we can only bow at his feet and anoint his feet. Of course, she anointed him completely. She, as it were, bathed him, we could say, in this ointment. She loved him so much, the whole house was filled with the odor of the ointment. And she wiped his feet with her hair, expressing to us her submission to him. She, in her life, would walk in service and subjection to him because this is what the long hair of the woman represents. And it's a glory to her. And it's a glory to Mary here. Judas, the son of perdition, he couldn't see any value in what was done. He would use it to attack the worship of the Lord Jesus. And people all around us will tell us that what we're doing is of no value. Far better to do something good with it, to give to the poor. I expect today someone would say we could have used it to reduce carbon emissions. All sorts of things could be said today about the good we could do with what we've got. But the first call on our lives is the one who loved us and gave himself for us. And Mary, it seems, knew that he was going to do this. At Plumstead this week, at the Bible reading, we were considering the sisters who went to the grave of the Lord Jesus on that resurrection day. But Mary isn't named among them. She wasn't there. She had already anointed his body. When he was alive, she had taken the opportunity to do so. She had sat at his feet. She had heard his word. She had realized, perhaps not fully, perhaps only partly, but she had realized what he was going to do. He was going to suffer and die for her. And so it was now, before he rose from the dead and the opportunity was no longer there to do this, that she anointed his feet with this ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. And he said, let her alone. He defended her. He'll defend us. We don't have to defend ourselves. He'll defend us. He said, let her alone. The words of authority put these accusations out of court against the day of my burying as she kept this. Wonderful tribute to one whose heart was in line with the heart of the Lord Jesus himself. Chapter 19. Verse 25. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciples standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. When perhaps we're taken aback as we mentioned earlier on by his words to his mother at the marriage at Cana, we perhaps should think about this verse here. He uses exactly the same address, Woman, behold thy son. We wouldn't think it was disrespectful here, would we? No, he's caring for his mother. He's making sure that there's someone to look after her. Humanly speaking, he is the elder son. Of course, we know that his brethren were the offspring of Joseph and Mary, but he was the first child of that family and he takes up the responsibilities connected with that. We believe Joseph had probably passed away already. Mary would now be bereft of him. It appeared. And so he shows us a wonderful example of care. And this is why we were saying earlier on that when we become Christians, it doesn't mean we can dispense with our natural relationships and just forget them. That's not right. We should demonstrate the fact that we're believers by the fact that we honor such God-given relationships. And therefore, he makes provision for his mother. He makes them from the cross. This is the second cry from the cross or the second set of words from the cross. At this point, the hours of darkness have not descended. The Lord Jesus is still speaking to those who were in this scene. In a short while, he would speak to the thief who said to him, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. The Lord Jesus said today, shalt thou be with me in paradise. That thief left it to the last possible moment to be saved just before the three hours of darkness began. Don't leave your salvation if you haven't trusted the Savior so long as that. But he is not the subject. Mary is here, the mother of the Lord. She seems to have come back to the Lord as the one who had come to do the Father's will here because the Lord can provide for her to be looked after by the disciple whom he loved. John takes responsibility, not one of the other children of Mary. And it's wonderful to see that the Lord had one to whom he could commit his mother. And the disciple was one who could answer to these beautiful words from the Lord when he said when he said to him, behold thy mother. From that hour, that disciple took her into his own home. And we know that later on, Mary was found among the disciples gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem. So although in that first instance, she had seemed to take the initiative and had to be reproved for it, now she seems to be submitted to the will of the Lord for her life. And that's a good practical lesson for us. What wonderful love and care is shown by the Lord. What human sympathy is demonstrated by the Lord. We had it this afternoon when Paul was speaking about the Lord Jesus as our high priest. He cares for us. He sympathizes for us. Here from the cross, we see his care, his love for his mother and the way he provides for her. He knows our frame. He knows our needs. He knows our concerns. Simeon of old had said, a sword will pierce your heart. When the Lord Jesus had been presented as a little baby in the temple, and it came true here, but that one who Simeon had held in his arms was holding Mary this time in the arms of his disciple. And this is how the Lord works out his love today. It's through his own here in this world. We as his body express his love, express his care to one another, but also to others outside. John did this. I know the Holy Spirit hadn't yet come. The body hadn't yet been formed. But here we see little aspects, little glimpses about what was to be worked out in the heart and lives of the people of God when the Holy Spirit had come. We close then with chapter 20. I should perhaps just say something about Mary, the wife of Cleopas, just to say that she's only mentioned very briefly. She's, if you like, a little footnote. But the fact she's mentioned there shows that she was being faithful in being with the other women. And the Holy Spirit records her name. Her name is forever recorded in the scriptures of God. Whenever the Lord saw his people speaking about him and about his name, he made a book of remembrance and put their names in that book. And we should always remember that the Lord knows that every little act of faith and obedience for him is never forgotten. Chapter 20, verse 11. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the garter, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith unto him, which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I'm not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my father and your father and to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. They had spoken these things unto her. I can only really say a few words about this because of the time. But Mary Magdalene had also been at the cross. Now she was at the tomb. She was the first one there. While it was almost just still the night time, she had come there. So much did she love the Lord. But unlike Mary of Bethany, she hadn't understood that he was going to suffer and die and rise again. But does the Lord hold that against her? Well, she has to learn a lesson, but of course he doesn't hold it against her because he sees her heart. He sees her love for him, her ardor for him. You know, in Paul's life, he's sometimes been criticized for insisting on going to Jerusalem where he was told that he would suffer and be put in bonds. But does the Lord hold that against the apostle? No, I don't think so. The Lord saw in the apostle's heart the great love he had for the Jewish people. And the Lord turns what did happen in terms of his imprisonment to our benefit because the epistle that we read this afternoon, Ephesians, was written from prison, expanding to us all the wonderful things that God has accomplished for us in Christ. And here the Lord saw in the heart of Mary, she saw his love. But sometimes it's when we are tearful, when we're perhaps not thinking the way the Lord wants us to think, that we don't see clearly. And Mary didn't see clearly here, she thought, when the Lord spoke to her, he was the garden. But the Lord Jesus just had to say her name, Mary. There was that link with him. She heard him say her name as he had said it so often in her life, no doubt, to her. And she realized it was the Lord. Have we got that kind of link with the Lord practically in our lives? She responded to him, Rabboni, which is to say master. He had to show her that the relationship that they had had before, an earthly relationship, was no longer to apply because she was going to ascend to his father. It was going to be a spiritual relationship here. Takes us back to that verse we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 earlier on. But Mary here, we might say, well, she didn't show that intelligence she should have done but she was given a wonderful intelligence to take back to the disciples. And it's a wonderful intelligence. Go to my brethren, say unto them I ascend unto my father and your father and to my God your God. And here begins the wonderful opportunity to worship the father in spirit and in truth. Of course, the Holy Spirit was yet to be given. But here, instead of the Lord speaking about the father or my father, he now says as well as my father, your father. And we can now respond to God and say our father. Not in heaven. We don't have to say heavenly father or our father in heaven. That denotes the distance that you read about in Matthew's gospel. When often we read the expressions, the father which is in heaven, your father which is in heaven, or your heavenly father, we don't have to say that anymore. We can simply say father because we're no longer at a distance from him. We are brought nigh to him in Christ. And we can simply call him father, or we can call him Abba father, a term of endearment. This is what the Lord Jesus has accomplished for us. And this truth he put in the possession of this sister, Mary of Magdala, to tell his disciples. His disciples weren't there. They had forsaken him and fled. But these women have remained faithful to him. They demonstrated their love. They were fearless for the Lord because they loved him so much. And Mary in particular here in these verses is given the privilege of taking this wonderful message, this wonderful bit of intelligence to the disciples and through the words of scripture to us too. Go tell my brethren that I ascend unto my father and your father, my God and your God. May we respond to those words that Mary gave and respond to our father in worship and praise in our lives in this world. Can we close with hymn 418. As I said, there's lots of good hymns to the father in this hymn book. So we're particularly blessed to have a hymn book like this. Father, thine own unbounded love has reached us through thy son. We now behold him crowned above, eternity's begun. This hymn's a great hymn because it expresses the distance from which we've been brought, the nearness which we've been brought into. 418. of eternity's begun. Once far from thee, and dead in sin, in him who lives we live. The spirit rise to bless thy name, and holy worship give. The praises led by thy beloved, divine and holy name. And with hearts divinely moved, rejoice that praise to share. Father, thy love a portion gives, thou giv'st to thy son. For thine own glory, and for his, made like the blessed one. In that bright sea of cloudless light, where sons at home shall be. With him we'll share thy glory bright, and all his beauty see. …

… Hello, it's nice to be with you again. Perhaps we could sing together hymn number 383. 383. Verse 2. Sweet bonds that unite all the children of peace with thee, blessed Saviour, whose love cannot cease. Though oft amid trials and dangers we roam, with thine we're united and hastening toward home. 383. In times of confusion and critical need, how sweet to the soul is communion with Saint. To find in the banquet of mercy there's room to feel in communion a foretaste of hope. Sweet bonds that unite all the children of peace with thee, blessed Saviour, whose love cannot cease. Though oft amid trials and dangers we roam, with thine we're united and hastening toward home. While here in the valley of God's wind we stay, O give us submission and strength as the day. Set free from the nations, to thee we shall come. Forever we'll live in that glorious home. We wake, blessed Lord, in thy beauties to shine. To see thee in glory, the glory divine. With hope I weep from the earth, from the tomb, to join in thy praise, blessed Saviour, at home. Precious and worthy name. Amen. Could we turn to Psalm 133. A song of degrees of David. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. That went down to the skirts of his garments. As the Jew of Hermon, and as the Jew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life evermore. I'd like to talk about this unity that we have a lovely illustration of in this psalm. A unity that we know will be seen in Israel as a nation in a future day. But also morally we can apply this psalm to ourselves. Because the Lord would see in us also a unity which is of himself. A unity which we read of in Ephesians chapter 4 and is spoken of as the unity of the spirit. God delights to see this unity in his people, a unity which is of himself. How good, he says, how pleasant it is. It delights his heart because it is a testimony of himself, of what he has done. And it bears witness to him, of who he is, of his character, of his nature as God. Because we find within the very Godhead itself, there is unity. It's impossible for the created mind to know God or to fathom out. If God is to be known, then it is because he reveals himself. And he has revealed himself in the Lord Jesus. We read in John chapter 1 verse 18. I've written these scriptures down but feel free to turn to them because it's always good to see them in their context. John 1 verse 18. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. And so if we are to know God, it is in Christ that we know him. And in the scriptures we learn that within the Godhead there are three persons. There is the Father, there is the Son, and there is the Holy Spirit. Each person within the Godhead is aware of himself. He can speak of himself as I. And yet there are not three Gods. There is only one God. For they are united in their being. They are one in being. Three persons, one being. And so when the Lord Jesus spoke of himself here upon earth, he could speak of himself and the Father as being one. If we turn to John chapter 10, we read, I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to kill him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of these works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God. And so the Jews well understood that when the Lord Jesus said these words, I and my Father are one, he wasn't simply saying that they were of one mind. Because no doubt the Pharisees would have said that of themselves, that they were of one mind with God. No, they understood well what he was saying, that he was one in being with his Father. They were one God. I and my Father are one. And yet he could speak of himself personally, a person within the Godhead. So they are one in being. There is unity in being within the Godhead. But also from that flows unity of purpose, and unity of action. And again we see in the words of the Lord Jesus, if we turn to John chapter 5. But Jesus answered them, my Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only broken the Sabbath, or unloosed the Sabbath, set it aside, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do. For what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. And so we find here, firstly, the Lord's claim to be equal with God, in claiming to be his Son, claiming that relationship with him. But then he says, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do. For what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise, in like manner. This is not an omission of inferiority. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doeth. But rather, a statement of truth, that the persons within the Godhead do not act independently of one another. The Son cannot act independently of the Father. He can do nothing of himself. But then he says, whatever the Father doeth, the Son doth likewise. What mere man could claim to do things in the same way as God does them? No, only one who in himself is God could make such a claim. And so we see here unity of purpose and unity of action. And the Lord, in his prayer to his Father, he says in John 17.11, Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. Speaking of his disciples, that little band of apostles, And I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one. As we. And then John 17.20, he speaks of those who will believe on him through the testimony of the apostles. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. That the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. And so when the Lord Jesus brings something into being, it bears the character, a divine character. And he would see this divine unity in his people. A unity of purpose. A unity of action. A unity of mind. A unity of soul and of heart. This unity is a result of what happened on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent down by the Lord himself. And through that spirit, the disciples, his disciples, his own, they were baptized by that one spirit into one body. And they were united with him, their glorified head in heaven. He had ascended up and taken the place which his God had appointed him at his right hand higher even than the heavens themselves. And upon earth was formed his body by his spirit. And we are all baptized, we read, in 1 Corinthians 12, all those who have believed upon him, who have put their trust in him, we read in 1 Corinthians 12, for as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is the Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. So this is true of every believer. We can all say who have trusted in the Lord that we have been baptized by one spirit into that one body. We are part, we are members of the body of Christ. And there is that unity which has been brought about through the Holy Spirit. It is not the spirit who is the baptizer. It is the Lord himself who is the one who baptized us into his body. He says in Acts chapter 1 to his disciples, for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence. He uses a comparison with John's baptism. John was the baptizer. He baptized with water. And John said of the Lord, didn't he, that one cometh who is mightier than I. He says he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Mark chapter 1 verse 7, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the lachet of whose shoe I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And so the Lord is the baptizer is the one who baptizes and it's with the Holy Spirit, it is by the Holy Spirit that we are baptized into one body. And there is that union with him in heaven, a union that was never seen in this earth before. And a unity between every member of the body united together in one body. Now that unity cannot be affected or touched in any way. Nothing can spoil it or mar it. It is something which the Lord has brought about. It is fact. But the Lord would have a testimony of that unity in this world. The world can't see the unity within the body of Christ. It is an invisible thing. But what they can take account of is the unity that flows from that and which is brought about by the Spirit of God. A unity that we read of in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. When the Lord prayed to his father regarding this unity that he desired so he so longed for in his own he would say that because of that unity the world may believe that thou hast sent me. There was something which could be taken account of by the world. They would see something which was not of the world. They would see a unity that was of God. And this wonderful unity would be a evidence that the one to whom these believers belonged to was indeed the sent one of God. All that he said of himself was true. And here was this testimony to him this united testimony to him in this earth. And so at the beginning of our psalm we get that little word behold. It's something which can be seen something which can be taken account of. Behold. How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Now we might ask how is this unity brought about? And the answer comes in verse 2. It is compared to something. It is like the precious ointment upon the head. This is the first comparison that is made. The unity of the spirit it is like the precious ointment upon the head. This is how the Holy Spirit would bring about this practical unity amongst the people of God. It is of himself. It is his unity. He brings it about. And it is through the anointing of the head that the Holy Spirit he has a ministry and it is to glorify the Lord Jesus. We read of that again in John chapter 16 verse 13 when he the spirit of truth has come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. He will glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. So the Holy Spirit would bring about this unity by magnifying the Lord Jesus in the heart of every believer by by every believer giving the Lord that rightful place in his heart that attraction towards Christ following him. There's a verse in the song of Solomon it says draw me and we will run after thee. Draw me that's individual in the heart of each one but when every heart is attracted to Christ when every heart has given the Lord his rightful place then there is that unity we will run after thee. There is that one heart that one soul that one mind that was seen in the early church in the days of Acts because they had given the Lord his rightful place amongst them and therefore they had their ordered place in unity bearing witness to him. We're told to keep this unity we need not keep the unity of the body because as we have said it's something which cannot be touched or affected but we can we can move away from this unity of the spirit we can embrace another kind of unity perhaps a unity of our own making we can make rules and commandments and say or we can take commandments of scripture and say we will obey these and in obeying these if we all agree to obey a certain set of laws then there should be that unity amongst us or if we elect men to instruct us what we should do how we should serve the Lord who should serve the Lord and if we obey them without question then we will move forward in unity but this is not the unity of the spirit the unity of the spirit would set the eyes upon the Lord and in following him in obedience to him in giving him his rightful place unity his unity is brought about amongst the members of the body in a practical way if we turn to Acts in chapter 13 we see this unity in action now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Menaion which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul as they ministered to the Lord and fasted the Holy Spirit said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away or let them go we have here a unity of action they hadn't decided amongst themselves who would do what and what they would do but their occupation was in ministering upon the Lord and fasting we have there self set aside and the Lord given his rightful place and them subject to him and then it is then that the Holy Spirit can bring about this wonderful unity amongst them and with one heart and one soul they follow the Lord and therefore there is this unity amongst them this unity of purpose and unity of action we can't really read Psalm 133 or enjoy the blessing of Psalm 133 if we haven't first been through the exercise of Psalm 132 and here we read of the longing in the heart of David he says in verse 3 surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house nor go up into my bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids until I find out a place for the Lord and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob lo! we heard of it at Ephrata we found it in the fields of the woods we will go into his tabernacles we will worship at his footstool arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the ark of thy strength let thy priests be clothed with righteousness let thy saints shout for joy there was a longing in the heart of David a longing that the Lord should have his rightful place in Israel that he should have his habitation the place of his rest Jehovah and the ark of his strength and he would say we heard of it in Ephrata that was where he was brought up with his father and his mother in that godly family in that godly home it was there that he heard of these things but there was formed in his own heart a conviction of them and so he sought them out we heard of it in Ephrata we found it that's the ark of God we found it in the field of the wood he sought out that ark he desired that the Lord should have his rightful place in the midst of them that was the place he longed for for his God for Jehovah and the ark of his strength and for us too we cannot as it were have the blessing of Ephesians 4 this lovely unity which is of the spirit we cannot keep that unity unless we have been through the exercise of the previous chapters there the Lord has his place his appointed place the purpose of God as it were is revealed to our hearts concerning him he has his place and therefore like the priests in Psalm 133 they have their place they are clothed with righteousness they shout with joy it's a united shout one shout there's a unity there because the ark has its place amongst them and with us if the Lord has his rightful place in our hearts and therefore as a result of that in our homes and as a result of that in our gatherings there will be that unity seen which is not a unity of our making a unity that the world would recognize if it was and would approve of a unity which was seen in Babel go to let us do this let us do that let us do the other this was a unity of their making the world can understand this no this is a divine unity a unity which comes through the Lord himself having the place of his rest which is in the midst of his own and we are falling in that place and so let's move on in our psalm the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard the anointing of the Lord Jesus our glorious head in heaven and the oil now it runs down flows down upon the beard it flows down to us his people and we to us his people from the head where we read don't we in Colossians that from him every joint is supplied all our resources are in him and so it is in his strength that we can maintain this testimony it is in his strength this unity that we can keep this unity in the spirit because the beard it would speak in scripture of the vitality and power the strength of a man man's strength man's vitality that's what it would speak of and if we turn to Isaiah chapter 7 verse 20 we get an illustration of that with Israel God will deal with Israel he will bring them under judgment and he will show them that they have nothing in themselves of which they can boast they will be brought low their strength will be taken away that which they trusted in that which they boasted in it will go it will be taken from them by the Assyrian and the Lord says of the Assyrian in that same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired namely by them beyond the river by the king of Assyria the head and the hair of the feet and it shall also consume the beard it speaks of man's vitality his strength but here it is specific in our psalm it is the beard it's even Aaron's beard it is speaking of the strength that we find in this glorified man the Lord Jesus Christ our Aaron our great high priest the one in whom strength we can stand the early church they knew immediately what it was to be is set on every side with hostility and enmity in acts I think it's chapter 4 yes Acts chapter 4 verse 26 the kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for of a truth against thy holy child against thy holy servant Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done and now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy servant Jesus and when they prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spake the word of God with boldness and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all and so we see this power given to them from the risen Christ by his spirit to these believers his body upon earth in order they might testify of him in this world perhaps we could look at two scriptures in Hebrews which speak of the power of our great high priest to maintain and to keep us in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 17 we read wherefore it behoved him in all things we made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himself has suffered being tempted he is able to help them that are tempted these are wonderful words aren't they he is able we find them occurring throughout the scriptures concerning God concerning Christ that he is able power and strength lie with him without him we cannot do anything but with him we can do all things in the strength that he himself gives and here he is able to help he is able to help when we are brought into circumstances where we would fail whatever it might be whether it's an enemy within the flesh or an enemy without Satan the world we can find help with our great high priest in heaven he is able to succor he is able to help because he knows every circumstance that we could be in he knows what it was like himself to be in that position in manhood and he overcame and he sat down at his father's right hand having overcome and therefore he is able to help us to overcome that help that resource is available in him our great high priest our Aaron and too in Hebrews we read in chapter 7 but this man because he continues ever has an unchangeable priesthood where for he is able also to save them to the uttermost who come unto God who come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them this salvation is a salvation which we experience daily we we know what it is to be saved from our sins through the death of the Lord Jesus because of that death but here the deliverance is a daily deliverance on account of his intercession in heaven as our great high priest he is able to save us to the uttermost completely there is no circumstance in which we cannot know deliverance if we turn to him and if we lean upon him and put our trust in him he is our strength and this strength is given to us through his spirit and so the oil flows down it flows down we read even unto the hem that went down to the skirts of his garment the hem of the high priest garment and the high priest would have been in the holy place and the hem of his garment would have brushed along the earth of the wilderness floor and the hem of the garment we read of it in Exodus chapter 28 verse 33 and beneath upon the hem of it that's this priestly coat this priestly tunic thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof and bells of gold between them round about and it shall be upon Aaron to minister and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord and when he cometh out that he die not the hem would speak of testimony in this earth a testimony which is a result of this unity a bell speaking of the divine witness the divine sound that goes out and whose sound is it we read of that in our verse his sound shall be heard the sound of the Lord himself in his people it's his voice that is heard in this world through his body that which is of himself that which is so wonderfully united with him that it can be spoken of by the apostle Paul when he compares the assembly to a human body he will say he will speak of the unity of the human body and he will say so also is the Christ so also is the church he's saying so also is the assembly but he says so also is the Christ because the assembly presents Christ in this world it is the testimony of him testimony of him it is his sound as it were that goes out and as those bells were heard they said those bells gave testimony that he dieth not in other words that he is alive he does not die he is alive in that holy place in his ministry in his going in in his coming out in his ministry toward God in his ministry toward men the church would bear witness in this earth of a living and a glorified saviour and his ministry would be known in this world and every time we read of a bell we have a pomegranate that which speaks of fruitfulness and the pomegranates we read they were of blue of purple of scarlet these colours setting forth the glories of Christ every time as it were the testimony is sounded out it bears fruit it bears fruit in his people all the glories of Christ are brought out this is another this is part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit we read of that in in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 chapter 3 chapter 3 verse 18 but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord the golden bell divine the divine testimony the voice of the Lord Jesus sounding out producing fruit in his people glorifying him and this is what is seen in this world and in the last verse of our psalm it is compared to the Jew of Hermon as the Jew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life forevermore perhaps in this final verse we get something of the character of this testimony it is compared to the Jew of Hermon in numbers 11 we read of the Jew that it falls during the night but it anticipates the day it anticipates a morning without clouds and the Jew it refreshes the soul it refreshes the heart the Jew perhaps will speak of that blessed hope that we have in Christ that hope that we read of in Titus chapter 2 looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and the testimony that is a result of that hope because believing and looking for that coming of the Lord for us this will influence the way we live if that hope if that as it were that day star has arisen in our hearts the hope of his return to take us to be with himself to be with him and to be like him if that hope is truly in our hearts then there will be a testimony to it in our lives our lives will be commensurate with that hope the hope of his coming is true and a certain hope, a reality anticipation of something that has been promised by the Lord himself he has gone away, yes but he says if I go away I shall come again and receive you unto myself this is the desire of his own heart this is the longing of his heart and it delights him to know that this is the hope of those whom he has died to bring to himself those whom he has redeemed with his own precious blood so the Jew would anticipate the day the day of his appearing the apostle Paul would speak of a crown of righteousness that had been reserved for him and the same he says is true of all those who love his appearing that time when he will be glorified in this world when he will have his rightful place in this world and everything will be ordered after himself when that which is spoken of in Ephesians will be seen by every eye verse 10 verse 9 of chapter 1 of Ephesians having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are in earth even in him and at the end of the day all things in heaven and which are in earth even in him and at the end of the chapter we read of the Lord Jesus in verse 21 being far above all principality and power and might and dominion every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all in all that which will be true that which will be seen by every eye in the coming day and every heart will be subject to him in that day but now at this present time as far as the church is concerned already he is owned as head over all things he is head over all things to the church it may not be accepted in the world it is not accepted in the world the world is still at enmity against him but to the church he is head over all things this wonderful truth is seen in the lives in the corporate testimony of his people upon earth if we keep that precious unity of the spirit and then we read of the Jew descending upon the mountains of Zion well Zion does speak doesn't it of that time when Israel will come into that which has been promised her when her Messiah takes his place in the midst of them as we have it that he thy God it says is in the midst of thee he rests in his love he rejoices over thee with singing this is a future day for Israel but we read in Hebrews that we are come unto mount Zion we are come unto mount Zion unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem these things will have an earthly fulfillment in Israel but morally we are brought to them now not in an earthly way but in a heavenly in heavenly things the heavenly Jerusalem that's the church mount Zion you are come unto mount Zion that is where the Lord is given his rightful place we are come to that now morally and this should be worked out in our testimony this should mark the way we live the purpose of God God has a purpose both for the heaven and for the earth but it is one purpose we don't read do we in the scriptures of the purposes of God we only ever read of one purpose we only ever read of one purpose we don't even read of the councils of God in the plural we read of one council and so both that which is earthly and that which is heavenly it all has its place in that one purpose of God and we we have our part with Christ in heaven all our hopes all our inheritance everything is bound up with him in heaven it's a heavenly hope our portion is a heavenly one Israel's is an earthly one but it's all part of that same glorious purpose that we read of in Ephesians when all things will be headed up in Christ in heaven and upon earth and then finally where the Lord commandeth the blessing even life evermore eternal life that which again can be seen in the amongst the people of God that life which we read of in John chapter 17 verse 3 and this is life eternal that they may know thee the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent this is what eternal life is knowing the true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent not just knowing of them but knowing them to be brought into a relationship with the true God, the Father and with Jesus Christ his son this is what eternal life is but this is what this is why eternal life was given this is life eternal it doesn't say that you do know, though that is true it says that they might know this is why eternal life is given to bring us into this blessed relationship with the Father and with the Son to be brought into that that for want of a better word that circle of love of divine love to know the Father and the Son to be brought near to them to be together brought into that place and so eternal life is born witness to in this earth the world can take account of it they may not understand it no, but they can see it in the lives of the people of God bearing that divine witness and testimony to him I think when we consider these things together, this unity of the spirit no doubt each one of us would within our own hearts feel that we have in many ways failed in this but the only answer that the Lord gives in the scriptures to departure is to return in Isaiah chapter 30 Isaiah 30 Isaiah 30 verse 21 Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left if we have in any measure or degree not kept the unity of the spirit and we are walking in another way perhaps we have set up another kind of unity a unity of our own making then we will hear that voice as it were behind us and we will have to turn around we will have to admit that we have not been obedient to the truth, we have not kept the unity of the spirit and we must obey that voice and the way is there this is the way, how clear it is how plain it is in the scriptures this is the way, there is not another way that we can take if we are to walk in faithfulness then the Lord would say to us, this is the way and he would say walk ye in it and that voice will be heard whenever we turn away either to the right or to the left and it will bring us back to the truth if we are obedient and it will bring us back into that blessed way and that unity will be once more marked by it and we can walk in it and that testimony can go out because of it perhaps we can finish our meeting by singing hymn number 17 May the grace of Christ our Saviour and the Father's boundless love with the Holy Spirit's favour rest upon us from above thus may we abide in union with each other and the Lord and possess in sweet communion joys which earth can ne'er afford May the grace of Christ our Saviour and the Father's boundless love with the Holy Spirit's favour rest upon us from above thus may we abide in union with each other and the Lord and possess in sweet communion joys which earth can ne'er afford May the grace of Christ our Saviour and the Father's boundless love with the Holy Spirit's favour rest upon us from above thus may we abide in union with each other and the Lord and possess in sweet communion joys which earth can ne'er afford …

… Well, I'd like us to start with hymn number 423, 4-2-3. God and Father, we thy children would in meekness hear thy voice, undistracted, hearts responsive as thy spirit strikes the chord. All thy mind we would be learning, as the desert path we trace. Thine we are, and would be leaning ever on thy boundless grace. 4-2-3 God and Father, we thy children would in meekness hear thy word, undistracted, hearts responsive as thy spirit strikes the chord. All thy mind we would be learning, as the desert path we trace. Thine we are, and would be leaning ever on thy boundless grace. Till the Spirit's revealing lights the glory thou hast giv'n, and our eyes, by faith, are seeing Christ at thy right hand in hand. As on earth this Lamb was trodden, ever subject to thy will, as the bed of all thy counsels, whom the universe will fill. May our hearts this place accord him, when, as Isaac, he has come, as the loam, spake out and grew in, as the Lord upon his throne. May our hearts, Father, before him this world's glory worship thee, every hindrance let not vanish, for we're subject unto thee. God and Father, thee we worship, praise thee evermore, for that thou leadest us in triumph telling, O thy boundless love be known. May we therefore still be learning in thy word thy counsels trace, till the day that thou display'st all the glory of thy grace. Christ, Amen. Well, to introduce what I want to talk about, I'd like us to read one verse. Now, as we go on, I will point to other scriptures which we will read. But at this point, I just want us to read the first verse of 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 1. Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. I'd like us to sing another hymn now. I'd like us to sing number 200. Number 200. Father, how precious unto thee is thy beloved Son, in whom there does perfection see, thy holy, blessed One. When he in flesh the desert passed, he loved to do thy will. His food it was, through to the last, thy pleasure to fulfil. Number 200. Father, how precious unto thee is thy beloved Son, in whom there does perfection see, thy holy, blessed One. When he in flesh the desert passed, he loved to do thy will. His food it was, through to the last, thy pleasure to fulfil. Only begotten he revealed thyself unto thy praise. The Father, until then concealed, was seen in all his ways. As in his life, so in his death, he was devoted still. For us in love preside his breath, obedient to thy will. He glorified thee on the earth, thy work by him was done. And thou who knewest, for his worth is glorified thy Son. Now crowned and seated on thy throne, he is thy joy and rest. And we who are through grace thine own, in him are fully blessed. Ye preciousness itself to thee, to us is precious too. With every beauty in him see, thy light of glory view. Amen. It should always be true that those who speak from the platform should consider the application of their remarks to themselves. I feel the Lord would have me speak on the particular subject that I'm about to speak about, but I have in mind that I'm very conscious that what I say has to apply to myself as well as those that are in the audience. How do we please God? How do we please our Lord? Now that's a question that interests all of us, isn't it? And I suppose there's some obvious answers to this. I'm sure if asked, one thing that we'd say would be that obedience pleases him. And that's certainly true. Of course, it covers a multitude of practical matters. But what I want to do this afternoon is not give an overview of the topic, really, but rather to note some of the things that are specifically stated in Scripture as pleasing him. Now, at the time available, I certainly won't refer to every Scripture that mentions pleasing God. This is not a complete overview of the topic, nothing like, but just some points that I've noted from Scripture, and I'm sure that you'll think of others that I haven't included and perhaps should have done. It's interesting to consider why certain things are mentioned specifically as pleasing the Lord, whereas others aren't mentioned directly in this way. And I think perhaps sometimes some of these are referred to as pleasing him because we might not naturally think of them as being that important, perhaps. But clearly to the Lord they are. And for the Holy Spirit to note that such, specifically, please the Lord, leaves us in no doubt about the matter. Now, I want to give this talk a structure, because lectures, I find, are easier to follow, and the content's more memorable if I have some idea of the structure. So this is what I intend doing. First of all, I'm going to make some preliminary points about the Lord Jesus. Then I want to mention children as a distinct and important group. And then I want to mention, very briefly, some general principles. And then I want to give some examples of specific behavior that are stated in the Scripture as pleasing God. They may seem to be somewhat miscellaneous examples, but they're ones that I've noted and that I want to bring before us. Again, I'd like to stress this isn't intended as a complete overview of the topic, but a description of some things that I notice in God's Word. So firstly, the Lord Jesus himself. The Lord Jesus is our perfect example, of course. If anyone was completely entitled to please himself, it was him. But the Scriptures note that he pleased not himself. All he did pleased the Father. He always pleased the Father. And as we look at the Scriptures and think about this, we understand that it must be so, and that it's important. For one thing, it proves who the Lord Jesus is. That should be crystal clear to us all. A mere man could not always possibly please God. It also proves the unity in the Godhead. The three persons in the Godhead are one. The Lord Jesus pleased the Father. And it's interesting to see how the Scriptures record this. Now, I've written down here some of the Scriptures, which I'll read to you. I'm not expecting you to turn to these. Firstly, we find the Father himself testified that the Lord Jesus pleased him. And all three of the Synoptic Gospels record the baptism of the Lord Jesus by John in the Jordan. And we read from Matthew, it says, And thou, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In Mark we read, And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And in Luke 3 we read, And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. At the Transfiguration, later on, the Father reaffirmed that the Lord Jesus pleased him. As recorded in Matthew 17, we read, Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. The Lord Jesus himself confirmed it when speaking to the Jews about who he was, who he is, in John 8. I'd just like us to read those. So if we turn over to John chapter 8 and verse 25. John 8, 25. We'll start from 25 just to pick up the context. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus said unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you, but he that sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I've heard of him. They understood not, but he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself. As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. I do always those things that please him. Now this, of course, is what the prophets tell us. And I'd like us to turn over to Matthew 12. In Matthew 12, the Holy Spirit records the words of God as noted in Isaiah chapter 42. And tells us that they refer to the Lord Jesus. Matthew chapter 12, we pick it up at verse 17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. He is the one in whom my soul is well pleased. And the Apostle Peter confirms it in his first letter when writing about transfiguration. He writes, For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. The Apostle Paul confirms in Romans 15 that Christ pleased not himself, with the obvious implication as shown by the context, that he pleased the Father. So the scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit give confirmation from the words of God himself, the words of the Lord Jesus, the words of the prophets, the words of the apostles, that the Lord Jesus pleased the Father. More than ample testimony. It's so important it's repeated again and again. So when we think about pleasing God, we have our perfect example. I want to move on to children now. When I was young, all those years ago, the speakers would often address their remarks to the young. I want to address the young people this evening, they'd say, and look at my sisters and my brother and myself, which make me wonder sometimes why they never address their remarks to the old. I've got something to say to young, briefly, and then I'll address those who are older. So those of you who are children, if you could concentrate just for a second on what I have to say. Okay? Do you want to please the Lord? Well, I'm sure you do. It's not difficult to understand what's needed. There's a verse in Colossians which says, Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing in the Lord. At least it isn't complicated. At least it's easy to understand. And that's the standard that God has set for children. This is what he's looking for from you. Of course, there may be times when you don't like what you're told to do by your parents. But unless there's an issue of being told to do something which goes against God, obedience is what God expects and that's what will please him. Just obedience to parents. In practice, of course, this may not always be that easy. You might consider that your parents run reasonable at times. But always remember, this is what pleases God. Obedience to your parents. And God can be depended on to give strength when it's difficult. Just ask him. Right, now I'm going to address my remarks to the older ones. But of course, you youngsters can listen in if you wish. I want to consider now some underlying principles that scripture gives us. Romans chapter 8 and verse 8 says, They that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit. If so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. So there's a clear distinction here between those in the flesh and those in the spirit. The one who does not have God's spirit is none of him. Now we know that all who trust in the Lord Jesus are given the spirit to live in them. But sadly we can act as though we're still in the flesh. Behaviour based on this cannot please God. Okay, that's all I want to say on that. Now I want to move on to a second principle. And that's found at the beginning of Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 5. In Hebrews 11 verse 5 we read, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it's impossible to please him. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Without faith it's impossible to please him. The disciples said to the Lord on one occasion, increase our faith. And the Lord refers to faith as small as a grain of mustard seed. This is in Matthew 17. A tiny object. Yet though very small it has life in it. And the Lord refers to what can be accomplished with faith even as small as that. Clearly there are degrees of faith. And clearly too the Lord honours even small faith. And one thing these verses in Hebrews 11 are telling us is that if there's no faith, then pleasing God is impossible. Those who have no faith in him, those who refuse God's offer of mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ and do not put their trust in him, such are not in a state to please him. However pleasant they may be, however much charitable work they may do, however good they may look in the eyes of man, what they do does not have the effect of pleasing God. So I suggest we see two underlying principles here. It's impossible for those in the flesh and it's impossible for those without faith to please God. Now before we come to look at some specific examples, I want to put out a couple of matters that could be classified perhaps as to do with attitude. Okay? Attitude. First one, Psalm 147. Psalm 147 verse 10. Let's read the following. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse. He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him. In those that hope in his mercy. God takes pleasure in, God is pleased with those who fear him. Of course when we talk about fear, for those who are believers and who are walking close to him, we're not talking about being frightened of God, but of thinking of him and speaking of him in the right way, with reverence, with deep respect, remembering who he is, remembering the greatness and wonder of his person, remembering that he is the almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing God. The last two verses of Hebrews 12 refer to serving God acceptably. The word actually means pleasingly. Serving God pleasingly. Serving God in a way that pleases him. And then it says with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. So God is pleased with an attitude of reverence and he specifically tells us this. And our understanding of who God is and what he's done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ leads us to praise and thanksgiving. And that's the second matter that I'm considering here really as an attitude, if you like, an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. An attitude that's expressed in words, of course. God looks for praise. The grateful praise of our hearts pleases him. Thinking of what he's done leads us to thanksgiving. Let's read some verses from Psalm 69. Psalm 69. Psalm 69 verse 30 says, Saul was told by Samuel to obey is better than sacrifice. To hearken than the fat of rams. Obedience is better than sacrifice. And here in Psalm 69 we also learn that praise and thanksgiving please the Lord more than sacrifice. And I know from experience it's so easy to get caught up with our own concerns that prayer times can become like a long list of requests. Of course, we can and should tell God our needs. And we can and should tell God our concerns for others. But let's be sure that we focus on him and praise him and thank him. Praising God's name and magnifying him with thanksgiving please him. So we've seen our perfect example in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've seen how children may please the Lord. We've seen a couple of general principles that those in the flesh can't please God. And without faith, it's impossible to please God. And we've also seen attitudes, as I've called them, that please God. Firstly, reverence and godly fear. And secondly, praise and thanksgiving. Now I want to turn to some particular behaviors that are specifically mentioned in Scripture as pleasing God. And I want us to turn back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 where we started. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man but God, which hath also given us his Holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you. For ye yourselves have taught of God to love one another, and indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more, and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you, that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. Paul and his companions had taught the Thessalonians how they ought to walk and to please God, the first verse says. And he wants them to abound more and more. Now I take these next verses as expounding on this. And he's telling us, I think, particular behaviors that please God. And I'd split what he says into three. The first primarily concerns our relationship with God. The second, our relationship with each other. And the third, our relationship with outsiders. So first of all, we have sanctification. And then secondly, we have brotherly love. Verses 9 and 10. And finally, there are two verses on leading a quiet, orderly life. So let's just look at these briefly. Sanctification. This issue primarily concerns our relationship with the Lord. Being holy. This message comes through time and again in scripture. Be holy as I am holy, he says. To be holy is to be separate from wrongdoing. Another scripture in Hebrews tells us that without holiness, it's impossible to see the Lord. Now the particular issue mentioned here in these verses is sexual sins. God didn't call us to uncleanness, but to holiness. And we should note what Paul writes here, that if we sin in this matter, we're not just sinning against our fellow man, but against God. That's why I say this issue primarily concerns our relationship with the Lord. And we must all remember that as far as the Lord Jesus is concerned, holiness applies to our thoughts as well as our actions. Secondly then, we see in verse 9, brotherly love. As Paul writes, the Thessalonians themselves didn't need to be exhorted to exercise brotherly love. But these two verses are included in scripture. And I think the history of the church shows why it's necessary that brotherly love be stressed. In both John 13 and John 15, the Lord tells his disciples that they should love one another. As I have loved you, he says. This is the highest possible standard, of course. As I have loved you, as the Lord Jesus has loved us. It's difficult for us to understand the depth of the love of the Lord Jesus for us. We think about it, don't we? We meditate on it. It forms a key thought in our times together of remembering the Lord, but we can never get to the depth of it. And yet the Lord's standards for our love for each other is his love for us. A selfless, self-sacrificing, giving love. Such love pleases him. And finally here, verses 10 and 11. Leading a quiet, orderly life. This concerns how we are seen by outsiders. Verse 12 says that you may walk honestly toward them that are without. How we're seen by outsiders is very important. It's part of our witness to the world. So what behavior is noted by Paul as pleasing the Lord here? Well, first of all, we have study to be quiet. We're not in this world to make a fuss. We need to get on with what we're responsible to do, without hullabaloo, without a fanfare of trumpets. And then we get that we are to do your own business or mind your own affairs. It's not our responsibility to know other people's affairs, whether I'm believers, and that's the emphasis of this passage, I think, or even other Christians. And there are other scriptures that warn us against being busybodies and gossips. Of course, as far as other Christians are concerned, being members of the same body, we're not isolated, we're not independent of each other, and we should bear one another's burdens, as well as taking a prayer for interest in each other. But let's make sure this doesn't go beyond this exhortation. And then to work with your own hands. As Christians, laziness is not an option. These issues of leading a quiet life, minding one's own affairs, and working do seem to have been a problem for some at Thessalonica, which is presumably why he mentions them. It's interesting to note that in spite of what he writes here, the problem remains. And it has to be addressed again in his second letter. In 2 Thessalonians 3 he writes, For even when we were with you, we commanded you this, that if anyone would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk disorderly among you, not working at all, but being busybodies. Now we command and exhort those who are such by our Lord Jesus Christ that they work with quietness and eat their own bread. So we see what the Thessalonians are told that would please the Lord. Sanctification, brotherly love, and being quiet, minding one's own affairs, and working. I want to move on to something else that pleases God. The Christians in Jerusalem were in great need. Paul had spent a long time in Corinth, and the believers at Corinth had agreed to send a gift to support their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. And if we look at the end of 1 Corinthians, we see how Paul advises the Corinthians to collect the gifts. Now earlier, Paul had presented the Gospel in Macedonia at Philippi and Thessalonica. And those who met together as Christians in Macedonia were as far as human wealth goes poor. In contrast, those who formed the assembly at Corinth seemed to have been comparatively well off. Yet by the time Paul comes to write his second letters to the Corinthians, those at Corinth still hadn't got their gift together, whereas those in Macedonia already had. They'd given. So in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul writes of the generosity of the Macedonian believers, and he has to use them as an example to persuade the Corinthians to give as they had previously promised to do. He writes of the Macedonians. Let's just read it from 2 Corinthians 8. 2 Corinthians 8, verse 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves, praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. This was a real sacrifice for them. They had little, but they gave freely and willingly. I assume the Corinthians did give because Romans 15 refers to the gift from Macedonia and Achaia, the region including Corinth, for the poor in Jerusalem. But the Philippians didn't leave it at that. This is what Paul writes to them. If we turn over to Philippians chapter 4. He wrote Philippians chapter 4. Philippians 4 and verse 15, he writes, Now ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. For I have all and abound. I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Their sacrifice pleased God. Verse 18, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. It's noted by Paul as pleasing God, and linked with this is the comment in verse 19, that my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. They wouldn't go short. That this pleases God is also emphasized in Hebrews 13, where it says, to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well-pleased. Let's take one more example. Let's turn over to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy 2 verse 3. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier. A soldier on active duty shouldn't be meddling in affairs that are not his own. Another translation refers to civilian pursuits here. It's the soldier's responsibility to be focused on the job he's been given. And to me the military picture emphasizes both the fact that we're fighting an enemy and the importance of unquestioning obedience. A soldier doesn't question his officer. He just does what he's ordered to do, whatever the risk, whatever the consequences. And the 11 and Stephen and Paul, Paul's companions, each standing up under great opposition to speak for the Lord Jesus, provide us with examples here. And other scriptures show that we are servants. But it's not just that we're servants. True though that is, we're soldiers. And in fighting the enemy, complete obedience to our commanding officer is vital. And the avoidance of hindering irrelevancies, shall we say, is essential. This is sometimes used as an argument for Christians not to be involved in politics. And undoubtedly its application is wider. Anything that would divert us from our objective of serving him, anything that would get in the way of pleasing our commanding officer, should be avoided. Now, of course, we can find other thoughts from scripture on this topic of pleasing him. And I hope that some of those that we've noted here are good reminders to us as we seek to please the Lord. I think repetition is often helpful. So let's just remind ourselves of what we talked about. We saw how the Father, the Lord Jesus himself, the Holy Spirit through the words of scripture, the apostles and the prophets, all note that the Lord Jesus pleased the Father. We saw him as our perfect example. We saw how children can please the Lord. We noted that those in the flesh and those without faith cannot please God. We saw that an attitude of reverence pleases God, as do praise and thanksgiving. We looked at some particular issues as expressed by Paul to the Thessalonians, sanctification in relation to God, brotherly love in relation to each other, minding one's own affairs in relation to those outside, how these please him. We noted that giving pleases him. Now, I want to turn over to Colossians chapter 1. We have Paul's prayer for the Colossians. Colossians chapter 1, verse 9. He writes, For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that she might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that she might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Unto all pleasing, that they would please the Lord. Something that Paul specifically mentions here in his prayer for the Colossians, that they would please the Lord. And it's so important that our lives are pleasing the Lord that let's remember to pray for each other in this way too. One final scripture in Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13, verse 20. By the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Now, I find this verse very encouraging. It would be impossible to do it on our own, wouldn't it? We just couldn't do it. We couldn't please him. But he works in us. He works in us. Let's be encouraged by this. When we see failure in our lives, we need to get back to him and allow him to work in us. I'd like us to close with hymn number 207, which is based on these verses we just read. Hymn number 207. Now, may the God of peace and love, who from the silent grave brought back the shepherd of the sheep, omnipotent to save. Verse three. Perfect our souls in every grace to do his blessed will for all that's pleasing in his sight, inspire us to fulfil. 207. O may the God of peace and love, who from the silent grave brought back the shepherd of the sheep, omnipotent to save. Through the rich merits of our blood, which he uncountably spent, to make a gracious work secure on which our hopes are built. Perfect our souls in every grace to do his blessed will for all that's pleasing in his sight, inspire us to fulfil. For his the risen shepherd save, we every blessing pray. With glory let his name be crowned through heaven's eternal play. …

… Well, good evening. I wonder if we could begin by singing the hymn number 252, 2-5-2. Sweet the moments, rich in blessing, Musing o'er the cross we spend, Life and health and peace possessing, From the dying sinner's friend. Here we rest in wonder viewing, All our guilt, all our chastisement bearing, Here we rest in wonder viewing, All our guilt, all our chastisement bearing, And the full redemption flowing, From the sacrifice he made. Here we find the dawn of heaven, While on earth the heav'nly days, See our trespasses forgiven, And the songs of high embrace. All that's strong in faith abiding, We make to our Saviour pleading, Not with Him our hearts dividing, All for Him content to be. May we stand on high listening, To the word for which the Lord, The new wonders daily learning, All the dance of mercy Lord. In Jesus' worthy name, Amen. I wonder if we could sing another short hymn, two verses, number 62. Number 62. In the Lord we have redemption, Full remission in His blood, From the curse, entire exemption, From the curse pronounced by God. What a Saviour Jesus is, O what grace, What love is His. Number 62. In the Lord we have redemption, Full remission in His blood, From the curse, entire exemption, From the curse pronounced by God. What a Saviour Jesus is, O what grace, What love is His. Sweet His name, a claim transcending, Every name on earth in heaven. Grace through ages never ending, To the Son of God be given. In our Lord the Saviour is, Everlasting praise be His. Anyone passing the door think the carol services have begun? First I've ever heard it sung to that tune, but very nice. It's in the book. I want first of all to read from the epistle to the Galatians in chapter 6. I just want to read or concentrate on one verse in this little portion, but we'll read from verse 1 just to get the connection. Galatians 6 and verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. But if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Now some verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And we'll read from verse 20. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And last of all, in Romans chapter 5. First of all, we'll read the last verse of chapter 4. And it's obviously speaking about the Lord Jesus. So chapter 4 and verse 25. Now verse 1 of chapter 5. And glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh not a shame, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also join God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement, or the reconciliation it may be. That should be enough. If you were to read through all Paul's epistles, I'm sure you would be taken up with the thought what a thankful person the Apostle Paul is. He thanks God for the saints. He thanks God for the prayers of the saints. And he thanks God and he mentioned of the saints. Whether it's individuals or companies, Paul was very thankful. And you'll read this through his epistles. Yet, in the epistle to the Galatians, there's no mention of thanksgiving. There's another epistle, I'll let you find out for yourself, maybe another two if we take Hebrews as one of Paul's epistles. But Hebrews would be a different thing because there the Apostle starts off by the greatness of Christ. So in the light of that, thanksgiving about us may be out of place. But, that's only my thoughts on it, but in the epistle to the Galatians, there's no mention from the Apostle of any thanksgiving. And I've often wondered why. And I've come to the conclusion it is because of the state that the Galatians found themselves in. A company that did run well, but were obviously hindered by others. A company that the Apostle said that he marveled that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ and to another gospel, which is not another gospel, but some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. And so they were in such a state that the work of Christ and the cross was diminished, the effects of it in their lives. And Paul was rather saddened by this. And I feel, and it's my own thoughts on it, is because of that state they were in, where Christ and his finished work was set aside for the ideas of men that Paul had to remonstrate with them and found no cause of any thanksgiving. And as I say, that's my thoughts on the matter. But what I want to concentrate on tonight, our brother this afternoon was speaking about pleasing the Lord. I want to concentrate on the thought of boasting. Now if it was boasting in ourselves and in our achievements and what we plan to do, then that's pride. And we know what God thinks of pride. But when we speak about the boasting that the apostle refers to in chapter 6 and verse 14 where he says, but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, that glory could be translated boasting. And I believe in the new translation, the Darby translation, he mentions boasting. Paul would boast in the cross of Christ because that puts emphasis on the greatness of the person. And that's the one that we should really seek to promote in our lives and never, ever water down the gospel and the cross of Christ. And so Paul says, well, no matter what others are saying, and these evil men that were obviously leading the Galatians astray, no matter what they're saying or doing, this is what my boast is. And he said, God forbid that I should glory or boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, from being a young brother, and again, the gray hair tells you that's a long time ago, but we're really instructed by older brethren. And they would say, when preaching the cross or preaching the gospel, never wander from the cross because it's the work of the cross that will land men and women in glory. It's not man's idea. It's not what men think. It's what the scripture says. And the effect of the cross is the only thing that will make a man and woman or boy and girl fit for heaven. And Paul says, well, despite what others are saying, I'll glory in the cross. I'll boast in the cross. And so the three portions that we've read, we have the same word mentioned in different ways in our authorized version. But it's the same word, and it can be translated boasting. It can be translated, as we have it here, in glorying. And it can also be translated in rejoicing. But we'll go on to these if the Lord will. But how it must have affected the apostle to have to write this letter to these people and say of them they were foolish. You did run well. You started off right. You begun in the spirit, but now are you being made perfect in the flesh? Has the cross of Christ become so diminished in your sight that you're easily led by others? And you know it's a challenge to us all never to wander from the cross. Keep the cross ever before us. And in looking at the three portions, we might say that in relation to the cross, in a sense it's something that's in the past. The work is complete. And never again will Christ have to suffer on account of our sins. He did it once and for all. When we come to 1 Corinthians 1, it's an ongoing work going on in the Lord today of the Father being made unto us these various things. It's ongoing in the sense it should be seen in a practical response to what puts us into a very blessed position. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. It's what we have in mind. And of course, when we come to Romans 5, it speaks about rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. And that's yet to be the hope to be realized, but we'll go on to these things. Paul to the Galatians. Saddened by what had happened. Influenced by those who had absolutely no love for Christ. And the danger in, as we see it in Christendom today, the danger is mixing things up. Mixing up the cross with the law. And in this case, they were bringing in circumcision. But it could be other things today. I remember going back many years now, speaking to a young girl who told us that she was going to be baptized in two weeks time. Because she says, you need to be baptized to get to heaven. And I said, no. One work will get you to heaven. Baptism will never take anyone to heaven. Because that would be diminishing the work of the cross. These men were bringing in false doctrine and saying you must be circumcised. Paul said, no, that's the law. You're free from that. Hang on to the cross. But they allowed these things to come in, come to a point where Paul says, foolish. Foolish. Who's bewitched you? Who's done it? Don't listen to these men. View the cross of Christ. And today we need definite statements as to these things. Not to be mixed up with other things. We used to sing in a hymn. It's an evangelist hymnal. What think ye of Christ is the test. To try both your state and your scheme. You cannot be right in the rest unless you think rightly of Him. As Jesus appears in your view, as He is beloved or not, then God is disposed to you and mercy or wrath is your lot. And that's obviously to the sinner. But you know, Christendom today has gone in the way of, we may say what happened in the Old Testament when the Ark was being brought back. Instead of following the instructions of Scripture, they put it on a new cart. Totally wrong. God gave instructions how the Ark was to be carried. On the shoulder. Using the staves. Presenting the Ark the way God wants it presented. And to present Christ, it's not in the ideas of men, but we're living in the days of new cart Christianity. Where the fleshly mind goes any way it wants. Mixing up everything. Especially the work of the cross. And mixing it with baptism. Paul differentiates. Baptism for a believer is necessary. And it is in a way a salvation. But it only saves if we live true to it for down here. But baptism will never take you to heaven. Because Paul says to these people, that if righteousness comes by law, Christ died for nothing. I would add, if righteousness comes by baptism, or life comes by baptism, life in heaven, eternal life in heaven, then again the Lord has died for nothing. Therefore we have to preserve the work of the cross. And point to the cross. And say this, as the hymn writer again said, this made my peace with God. This set me on the right course. And no doubt there were many of these Galatians on the right course. But then they were influenced by that which was contrary to the gospel. But Paul says, foolish to go that way. Foolish to go that way. As there was the right instructions as to the ark, according to the Jew order. Now David should have known it. The priests should have known it. You could imagine them arguing. David saying to the priests, you should have known this, we're doing it the wrong way. They could have turned around and said to David, you should have known it. And so when they did, eventually carried the ark in the way God had instructed, there was blessing. There was blessing. And if we have wandered from the cross, if we have mixed everything up, there is a way back. There's restoration. But it's only when we realize the value of the finished work of Christ and to think of how he has suffered. Looking at the cross in one way, we can see the effects of the hatred of man. And we can understand these things in a way because we know what's in our own heart and what maybe we were capable of. And so we can understand the sufferings at the hands of sinful men. But you know, when it came to the hours of darkness, that was sufferings that we dare not enter into with a haphazard sort of way of thinking. We cannot speculate in these things. But the Lord Jesus Christ suffered so much at the hands of a holy God. Think of it. I was speaking to a brother just on Thursday night. And we were speaking about the sufferings of the Lord. And we both agreed that the sufferings in the hours of darkness is something that we cannot enter into. We'll never understand how the one who could cry when he was here, thou hearest me always. And yet from the cross, he cried, why art thou so very far from the words of my roaring? Ever in contact with heaven. And yet, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The darkness, the distance, the abandonment, the Lord passed through. We dare not wander from the cross to realize the depth of suffering that Christ passed through in order that you and I should be brought into blessing. And again we rejoice, and I'm sure we all rejoice in the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ has suffered. He's once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust to bring us to God. Propitiation, God's righteous claims met. Substitution, Christ for us. Reconciliation, brought back to God. These are the effects of the cross. Anyone who wanders and mixes it with other things is on dangerous ground. Keep near the cross. And if you're a preacher, if you have the opportunity in preaching, and I suppose this can be for sisters as well, if you're preaching to a friend or whatever, stay with the cross. You start mixing things up, and there's dangers. And Paul, in 1 Corinthians, he says he wasn't going to preach the gospel with wisdom of words. He wasn't going to confuse the issue. He'll give them the straight gospel. Christ died for our sins. He suffered so much for our sins. And again, that's why we say, and that's why the brethren used to say years ago, keep ever near the cross. And so Paul boasted in the work of the cross. They said if we boast in our own selves, then well, it's just pride. Again, we used to hear when we were younger that sometimes we've got very humble ways of exalting ourselves by telling others what we're doing and so on and going on. It's better to tell others what Christ has done. Ours is not a gospel of do. It's a gospel of done. The work is finished. We have blessings of it now. Many are coming to know Christ as Savior. I've had to think that in this country, so-called Christian country, so-called the land of Bibles, and yet it seems to be set aside as just something that's, well, foolish. But Paul says, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me. Paul was concerned the world was dead. Crucified. Again, we used to hear that way back in the Roman times if you saw someone was seen bearing a cross, no doubt the word would go out, well, that man or woman is finished for this life. And Paul says, well, as far as this world is concerned, it's crucified to me. But I think he's also saying it, I to the world, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. So as far as Paul was concerned, the world was dead to him. And as far as the world was concerned, Paul was dead to it. They were finished with Paul. And how many give up the teachings of Paul. Paul's doctrine. Paul's teachings. But Paul here as a man was determined that despite what others were saying about the cross, he would maintain it himself. And it's striking, as we go into 1 Corinthians, but it's striking that Paul eventually in Galatians, he spoke in a personal way. Now, when writing to companies, he would bring in others. Being in the same ground, in the same blessing. But then, in chapter 2 he speaks, the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. And again, in Galatians 6 where we read, he says that God forbid, that I should boast, I should glory, saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It was a personal thing he was taking up. So again, despite what others are doing and saying, this is my ground. This is what I'm doing. And I'll continue on. And the Apostle indeed was a mighty servant for the Lord. As we all know. As we all know. We read in 1 Corinthians 1, and again it's just really the end of the chapter that came before me. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, we had it this afternoon, and redemption. And again, this is the verse, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And it's the same word as we have in Galatians 6. Again, it could be translated, I believe the Darby says it as well, he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord. And that again is a quotation from the Old Testament from Isaiah 45, I think it is, in Jeremiah chapter 9. Quotation there. We have enough to be boasting about when we think about the Lord. Don't boast in ourselves, we shouldn't boast in ourselves. We have enough to be going on with when we have Christ before us. Begin now in contemplation of what He's done, and it should affect our response to Him. We spoke about thankfulness, we should really be thankful to the Lord for what He's accomplished. And we should never cease thanking Him. Because if our thanksgiving, or praise, or worship, whatever it might be, ceases, if it stops, as individuals, it might be that we grow cold in heart, it might be the effects of our salvation is maybe lost, not the salvation itself. Once saved, saved forever. But the joy of it might diminish through various things, things coming in life. But we should always be found in a spirit of thanksgiving. The Apostle writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy, he reminds us of the last days, and one of the things that stands out, the spirit of the last days will be a spirit of unthankfulness. We're living in the midst of an unthankful world. We see floods, earthquakes, whatever. The minute it happens, God's blamed. But when it comes to the love of God supplying, or giving His well-beloved Son to die on our account, then it's just foolishness as far as the world's concerned. Just foolishness. But I think I've learned enough in my years amongst believers to say that thankfulness is a necessary part of a Christian's makeup to be ever thankful to what has been done for us. And here we have it says, but of Him that's of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Well, we think the wisdom has come about because of what has been said earlier. The Jews require a sign, the Greeks seek after wisdom. And when that which has come from God in relation to our Lord Jesus Christ, then it's just set aside as foolish. Foolish. But you know, these are blessings that we can say it brings us into a wonderful position. But that which is true of us positionally should be also true of us practically. And a brother this afternoon spoke about sanctification. The practical implications of it. Now we have again in Thessalonians, in the practical sense it says, sanctify the Lord God in your heart. So that's a practical outcome of being in a position where we've been blessed in such a way. Christ has been made unto us these things. And just simply that the recognition of these different things, like wisdom, will keep us from being over-occupied with the so-called wisdom of men. With the Dawkins of this world, who would set aside anything regarding God. Who would put into people's minds, whether it's adverts or whatever it is, no God. Do what you like, do what you please, nothing to give account for. But Dawkins, along with Hawkins, and others who take the line of the Darwinian theory, evolution, they'll have their day. Their day will come. One thing that Dawkins has never experienced, Dawkins has never experienced a deathbed. Because men who boasted of their atheism, when it came to their deathbed, they were gibbering wrecks. And one man was Voltaire, French novelist, writer, and a hater of God. A hater of the Lord Jesus Christ. But on his deathbed, it's reported that he cried out in prayer and cursing the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ, oh Jesus Christ. But he passed from this scene into eternity, not knowing the Savior. He not knowing the Savior. He found no place of repentance. He may have sought it, but it didn't come to him. And as far as the testimony goes, he died as he lived, an unbeliever. But their day will come, and don't be taken up with the wisdom of men. Think of Christ as our wisdom. Righteousness, well, we've been set right by that finished work upon the cross, and we'll never be more right than what we are under the righteousness that has come to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctification, we had it this afternoon, but there's a positional sanctification, but it should also be seen in that practical sense, because Christ has been made unto us sanctification. And recognizing this, it might affect our associations, or what we're involved with, or what we may be inclined to be involved with, just to realize what Christ has been made unto us. But also in his prayer to the Father, John 17, he says, and I sanctify myself. In other words, I'm going back to the glory. But these are left here to be guided by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and to be guided by the truth. That was his desire for him. But before the Spirit could come down, he had to go up. And so he would sanctify and separate himself and be presented in the glory above. And redemption, well, we've been purchased at such a price. But the full aspect of redemption is still to be redemption of the body, and that will take place when the Lord Jesus Christ comes. And we're presented above his church, his bride, there because of what Christ has suffered. No wonder we have no desire to wander from the cross. And because of this, Paul is saying, well, according to what is written, he that glorieth, and surely we boast in these different things, because it's come from God through Christ, let him glory in the Lord. Let him boast in the Lord. Because this is what he has done. And this is what we are to him. We're connected with a man in the glory because it tells us, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Only used of the Lord after he went back to heaven. It's a Pauline expression. Peter uses it twice if you read the Authorized, once if you read the Derby. This expression, Christ Jesus. But again, it was only used ever of the Lord when he went back to the glory. And that's where he is. And that's where we're going to be because of what he has done at the cross. No wonder Paul says, well, this is what you should be occupied with. Never mind the wisdom of men. Think of the wisdom of God. Even the foolishness of God, it says, is wiser than men. We're under the power of a greater effect, a greater power, the Lord Jesus Christ. A power to live right here for God. A power to please him. To be a pleasure to him. Take on the features of Christ. We know he was a unique man. But then there is that which can be seen in our own lives. It can bring pleasure to the Father. The more we present Christ, the more we live Christ, and the more we speak about Christ, I'm sure must bring much pleasure to the Father. He's the one, as we heard this afternoon, who could say, and the only one who could ever say, I do always those things that please him. Everything brought pleasure to the Father. Last of all, again we have the word in our authorized verse 2 of chapter 5, it speaks about, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope. And again it can be translated, we boast in hope. Or we glory in hope. We rejoice in hope. This is what the Apostle has brought to us. And the best is yet to be. We're waiting that summoning shout. Surely it cannot be far off. The signs of the time tell us that the coming of the Lord is drawing nigh. How many times have we heard that? How many times have we heard men saying to us, you've been preaching this for years, it's never happened. An old sister and I were just talking about the coming of the Lord. I was telling her about the heavy traffic that we came through last night, stuck out an hour on a bridge trying to cross the Thames. And she says, never mind, when we go up to glory, there'll be no traffic jams. And that's something to realize. Wonderful. Be no hindrance in that day to the outflow of praise. For that would be found praising today. For what he has accomplished, what he's done, and what he is to us now in this present world. But the hope is still there before us when again, when I was a lot younger, first time I came amongst brethren, I used to hear a saying, it was attributed to a man called James McBroom. Maybe I've heard of him. And he used to say, what have you got that death cannot touch? And if you sat down and say, well, I think death touches everything. Anything that I've accomplished, when I die, it's history, isn't it? What have I got? Well, you know, Christians are distinct. Christians are distinct from the man and woman of the world. They might say, I've got nothing. But for a Christian, the scripture says, he that hath the son hath life, something we possess, that death cannot touch. It says here, Romans chapter 5, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God. The thought of death cannot rob us of that peace. That's something else that we possess. And if we read in relation to the hope, Hebrews 6, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Now if death should come along, and we should pass through the article of death, the hope that we have in life won't be needed when we're with the Lord, because we're with the Lord. The hope is in anticipation of being with the Lord. But the fear of death cannot rob us of the anticipation of the coming of the Lord. And so there are three things, there may be more that you can think of, it's a good gospel line, you can borrow it if you like, because I borrowed it from Mr. McBroom, although he died five years before I was saved. And I've spoken of it a few times. But it's something that death cannot touch. And so this blessed peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, everything points back to Him and to the work of His cross. And the cross has been mentioned, or the work of the cross, the cross has been spoken about when we speak about God's commendation, about Christ dying for us, about His precious blood being shed and about being justified, reconciled. But you know there are so many other things that these things should be seen in our lives, and there's a little list of them about tribulation and patience and so on. And we're living in the time when these things should be worked into our lives. Again, the old brethren were always good at telling stories. And they told us about a brother who was so concerned because he was very impatient. And he asked the brother if he would pray for him that he might show more patience. And so when they bent their knees in prayer, the brother asked the Lord to give him more tribulation. And when they got off their knees, he says, more or less, whose side are you on? He says, well, tribulation works patience. So he asked for some tribulation for the brother. He didn't have to ask it for someone else. But these things should have an effect in our lives. The tribulation might come along, but it's to work patience. And now we're in the day of the patience of Christ. He is patiently waiting to have that summoning shout cried out. And we are patiently waiting for Him to come. And so we have this wonderful hope, this boast that we have in hope and boast in hope of the glory of God. And that's what we're going on to. So despite what others may say, despite what others may think about what we believe, it doesn't really matter. We accept what the scripture says and we cling closely to the cross because that's the pivot on which all turns. The cross of Christ. And that's what will land us in the glory. And in the very last verse in Romans 5 where we read, and not only so, but we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the reconciliation. Joy in God. And again that word joy can be translated boast. We boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Or rejoice in God. Or glory in God. It's all the same word in the Greek. But that's a boasting that we can be engaged with. And it's a boasting that has the permissive, if that's the word, the permission from God to boast in. Not boast in our own selves. To boast in what Christ has done and what we are to God in Christ and what Christ is to us as down here the day of testimony and opportunity to be marked by these things we read in 1 Corinthians 15 and also to rejoice in the blessed hope of the glory of God because that's what we're going on to. Now we have these things in our hearts and in our lives no matter who comes along or with what they might try and confound us with. They cannot rob us of these wonderful things. And very soon I'm sure we're going to hear that shout. The very voice that could cry, it is finished, will be the voice that will be heard when the Lord descends from heaven with a shout. And that's what we're going on to. May we keep looking to Him and may we ever be a testimony to what He has done because we're going to spend eternity praising Him again for the value of the cross. May ways well start today and found in the spirit of thankfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if we could close by singing Time's away there. 283 When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my riches gain I count but loss and poor content and all my pride. Verse 2 says, Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast saving the cross of Christ my God. All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to His blood. At very searching words, with trust in the power of the Spirit, I could do it. 283 When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my riches gain I count but loss and poor content and all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast saving the cross of Christ my God. All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to His blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flowing out. In exultation and sorrow me all thoughts compose so rich a crown. Well done, O realm of nature, that thou, my hope, bring far to us all. Love so amazing, so holy, Lord, beyond thy soul my life, my hope. …

… Could we start this evening, please, by singing a hymn together, number 256. Hail to the Lord's anointed, Great David's greatest son. When to the time appointed, the rolling years have run, he comes to break oppression, to set the captive free, to take away transgression and rule in equity. Kings shall fall down before him, and gold and incense bring. All nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing. The whole hymn, 256. Hail to the Lord's anointed, Great David's greatest son. When to the time appointed, the rolling years have run, he comes to break oppression, to set the captive free, to take away transgression and rule in equity. The heavens which shall conceal him, in clouds shall speak and white. In glory shall reveal him to our rejoicing eyes. He who with hands uplifted, went from this earth below, shall come again, O gifted, his blessing to bestow. We shall come down like showers upon the hillock grass, and joy and hope like flowers, spring up where he loves us. Before him on the mountains shall feast the fable through. And gloriousness in fountains from hill to valley flow. Kings shall fall down before him, and gold and incense bring. All nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing. Outstretched is thy dominion, O river, sea, and shore. Around thee, Lord, we go, all earth, life, wind, and soul. We ask it in his name, Amen. Perhaps we could sing another hymn, it's only a short one, 108. We'll sing just the first and last verses, 108, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. King of kings and Lord of lords, O how rich this glorious wealth! Titus, high and honest fame, now in us the Savior's name. Soon will he appear again, then his saints with hymns shall ring. Echo for the glorious rest, King of kings and Lord of lords. Would you turn please, first of all, to the prophecy of Isaiah. I'm going to read a verse from chapter 33 and it's verse 17. Isaiah 33, verse 17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty. They shall behold the land that is very far off. The King in his beauty. That is the thought that I have this evening and which I want to share with you. And we'll turn to various scriptures, mostly in the Psalms or in Isaiah, with perhaps one or two in the New Testament, which we've had a hint of, more than a hint, this afternoon. The King in his beauty. And you may say, why are you taking up this subject? We shan't see the King in this way that's indicated here. This is a word to the upright, the person who walks uprightly in Israel. It's a promise to them. So you say, why are you occupying us with that this evening? Well, the answer is that we still can get a glimpse of the King in his beauty. Think of that scene upon the mountain of Transfiguration when the Lord appeared in the presence of Moses and Elijah and also in the presence of Peter, James, and John. You'll all be familiar, I trust, with the fact that that scene on the mountain of Transfiguration is a kind of a foretaste. It's a glimpse ahead of time of the millennium when the Lord Jesus shall be supreme and he will reign and there'll be a heavenly company and there'll be an earthly company. And we see Moses and Elijah as typifying the heavenly company and Peter, James, and John as typifying the earthly company, in fact, Israel, who will behold his glory and his beauty from the perspective of this earth. And as we heard again this afternoon, we shall, when the Lord Jesus comes, we shall come with him and we shall see his glory from a different perspective. So there is no conflict between this afternoon's message, I trust, and this evening's. It's just we're looking from different angles. You see a friend coming towards you, you see him going away. The two views you get are completely different, but they're both of one person. We're going to look at the Lord Jesus this evening as the king in all his beauty. And we shall see him. You know, there's one of the hymns that Mr. Darby wrote I'm very fond of, With thee in garments white, Lord Jesus, we shall walk. And spotless in that heavenly light of all thy sufferings talk. And we shall get a wonderful appreciation of the fullness, of the glories and the beauties of his person. And the more we can lay hold of these things now, the more our affections will be drawn out towards him. I was touched this afternoon in the prayer meeting upstairs the number of brothers who prayed that our hearts might be drawn to the Lord Jesus. I'm sure they already have been by the contemplation of him coming for his own and that wonderful promise that he himself is going to descend from heaven. He's not going to send an angel. He's not going to send anybody else. He himself is coming to take his own, his beloved, to be forever with himself. Well, the eternal ages will show to us something of the glories of the Lord Jesus and these things that will be increasingly precious to us, I'm sure, in eternity. But they should already be precious to us now. And this is our starting point. And from here we must look into the Psalms first before we come back to the prophets. But here it is, this wonderful promise that he that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppression thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty they shall behold the land that is very far off and I would just add before we leave this verse that it's not that the land is far off but in that land we shall behold or the Israelite will behold that which is far off. And so it is to the eye of faith. Now, for a glimpse of the king in his beauty we should turn, I think, first to Psalm 45. I'll read verses 1 to 11. The other scriptures we're going to read are much shorter. This is the longest. And I'm going to read the superscription which I firmly believe is part of the text. Psalm 45. To the chief musician upon Shoshanim for the sons of Korah, Maskil, a song of loves. My heart is bubbling over with a good matter. I speak of the things which I have made, touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under them. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made thee glad. King's daughters were among thy honorable women. Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear. Forget also thine own people and thy father's house. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy lord, and worship thou him. Recently at home, we've been making a little bit of a study of the psalms that are for the sons of Korah. There are 12 of them. If you count Psalm 43 as a psalm in itself, which I firmly believe it is, although it follows on from Psalm 42, there are 12 of them, of which all but two are addressed to the chief musician. The two that are not are Psalms 48 and 87, which are concerned with Zion. That is their subject, Zion, the city of God. But the others are all addressed to the chief musician. And it's not just the psalms. They're all addressed to the chief musician. And it's not too much of a stretch of our spiritual judgment, is it, to see in that musician the one whom we know now as the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who the Israelite would know as the Messiah. And these psalms that are written for the sons of Korah, they have a variety of themes. There is a great longing for the Lord's house. There is a sense of the wilderness pathway. There is a sense of Zion ahead. And there is a sense of the sufferings of the Messiah. Now, that is not so apparent. But there is a verse in the first of the psalms for the sons of Korah, Psalm 42, verse 7, which speaks of the deep calleth unto deep that the noise of thy water spouts. All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. And that thought you won't find, I think, in the intervening psalms until you come to the very last one, Psalm 88, which is like a great opening up of that one verse, speaking of the suffering of the Messiah. It's a psalm of unrelieved suffering. And it ends with, Lover and friend, far from me. And these psalms, undoubtedly indicted by spiritual men, are there for our learning and for our profit. They don't present to us the fullness that we get in the New Testament. But if you want to understand something of the sufferings of Christ, sufferings to bring about redemption, something to make a reconciliation for sinful men and women with God, then study the psalms. Make a study of Psalm 88. I know that sometimes we shy away from these things, but Psalms 22, 69, 88, 102 will help us to understand the sufferings of Christ. They bring to us the thoughts that he may have had as he made his way to the cross. In a way that the Gospels do not, because they concentrate mainly on presenting to us what happened. But these men, the sons of Korah, they were only men, and they were objects of grace. And they seem to have been particularly impressed with the grace that had been shown to them. They were servants in the tabernacle and later in the temple, servants concerned with dealing with the holy things, the holy things of the temple. They were not destroyed when their father Korah was destroyed. It says specifically in Numbers, the sons of Korah perish not. When those who had rebelled against God went down into the pit, the sons of Korah perish not. And these here have these psalms addressed. They are psalms for them, and they are spiritual expressions of something of the ways of God and help us to a better understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this Psalm 45 that we've read together perhaps strikes a high note among the psalms for the sons of Korah because it deals with the things touching the king. Not only so, not only does it set these things out in an objective way, but it sets them out in a poetic way. But it sets them out as an expression of something that the writer had taken in and was in the good of. Speak of the things which I have made touching the king. The writer had made these precious things their own. And can I impress on you from the youngest to the oldest, please, don't think it presumptuous, make these things your own. You see, it's the easiest thing in the world, isn't it, to present things that others have dug out as objective truth, and it may be completely true, but we need to take it down into the heart and really to feel it before we can be used to give these things out and help others to share in them. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. It took a spiritual man to write that. It took a man who had really taken into his soul something of the glories and the beauties of the one of whom he was writing. Of course it was inspired. Of course it was inspired. The Holy Spirit caused it to be written, but he used the pen of a man to write it, and that is what we have here. If we look at the verses, the first one introduces the subject, bubbling over with a good matter. Do you bubble over when you praise the Lord? When you gather around him, you've remembered him in his death, and you go on to worship the Lord and the Father. Do you bubble over with the good matter? Does it pour out of you? Or are you sometimes forcing it a bit? We need to be so impressed with these things that we cannot refrain from uttering what is in our hearts. Bubbling over with a good matter, I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. And verse 2 mentions how the one of whom he is writing is quite beyond compare. And then he goes in the verses below to detail some of the attributes of this one. He speaks of, in verse 4, In thy majesty rise prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness. These three things, characteristic of the Messiah, characteristic of the king. His title is this righteousness. Do you see those three things? Truth, meekness, righteousness. We'll come back to the meekness in a later scripture. But righteousness, again in verse 6, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. The title of the one who occupies that throne is righteousness. His own personal righteousness. Take note of that because there's a contrast lower down the verses we read. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. The glimpses we have of the life of the Lord Jesus as man here below bear out these verses, do they not, to each one of us. His love of righteousness, his hatred of wickedness, his abhorrence of all that detracted from the glory of God's house. His righteousness and wickedness cannot exist side by side. In the mixture in the world in which we live, they do. But that is not according to God's order. Righteousness and wickedness, I say again, cannot exist side by side. That is why for us as Christians, there are things from which we must separate. For Christ it ever is so. It's unthinkable that the two should ever come together. Thy throne, thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. We have evidences, don't we, in the life of the Lord Jesus here below of the Father's delight in the Son. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Twice those words are used. Once as he came up out of the waters of baptism and again upon the mountain of transfiguration of which we have been speaking. This is my beloved Son anointed with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Anointed. Christ, of course, means the anointed. And here it is, confirmation of his position and place. And it speaks of his garments. Now what do we understand by garments? Well garments, I think we may call them his personal excellences. But garments really are what are seen, aren't they? You perhaps recognize a friend by the kind of clothes he wears, perhaps. But whether you do or not, his garments or her garments are what you actually see. And I believe that very often they form a large part in your impression of somebody. And certainly here, the garments of the king are what appear before men and what can be appreciated. Obviously the odor of those garments, you have to get quite close to pick it up. So the closer you are to the Lord Jesus, the more you will appreciate these things. But there are three things here mentioned specifically. Myrrh, aloes, and cassia. I think we ought to talk about those for a minute. Now I am no botanical expert. I'll be the first to admit it. And I'm indebted very much to Mr. Tom Ratcliffe who in times past I believe has spoken from this platform for his book, for these thoughts on these particular plants. The myrrh is first. And I expect we would all agree that that must refer to suffering. You see, the captain of our salvation and the one who's going to appear as king of kings and lord of lords in a coming day, he's been made perfect through sufferings. And in this picture which depicts his glory, we cannot leave out the suffering. And this is, I believe, that of which the myrrh speaks. And the aloes, now I had a bit more trouble with that. I believe that it's death, burial, and resurrection, that which he went through as man. I'm encouraged to say that by the very fact that to get the best aloes, I understand, when you cut the branches of the tree that you get aloe from, I understand that if you put different branches into water, the dross will float, and that which is impregnated with the good resin will sink to the bottom. And then what you do, you bring out the heavy branches that are impregnated with resin, and you bury them. And the action of the earth on the surrounding wood causes the wood to fall away until only the valuable resin is left. If that is so, I believe that that can clearly describe to us the process of death, burial, and resurrection. Certainly, of course, if we speak of the Lord, certainly, of course, we must say at once there was no dross to be removed. But for ourselves, it is a different matter. But I believe that figuratively, the myrrh speaks of his suffering, the aloe of the fact that he went through death, burial, and resurrection, and now he's a risen Lord. And what of the cassia? The cassia must be different. You remember in John's Gospel where Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea came to take down the body of the Lord. They wrapped it in myrrh and aloes. But there it says nothing about cassia. Why? I believe the cassia was then finished. And I believe that the cassia speaks of humility because the cassia, the name, means shriveled, and so it's used to indicate a bowing in submission, a stripping away, and a bowing of the head. And we can see that in the Lord Jesus in his life in submission to the Father's will. It was ever the Father's will, not what men might do. It was to the Father's will. But when we come to the putting away of the body in the grave, the submission is over. But the memory of the suffering and the memory of the death, burial, and resurrection must always remain. To the hearts of his own in every age and dispensation, those things must be precious. And I believe that they are some of the beauties of the king which we have listed here. Then before we leave this passage, we have mention of the queen. So he has a queen. He has a companion fitted to himself. Now we must say and be quite clear on this that this is Jerusalem. It's not the assembly. It's the bride of Revelation 19. It is the Jewish bride. But she is here fitted for him. But what a difference. What's her title to be there? We said just now, didn't we, that the Lord's title to the position that he has is his righteousness. Here, her title is not her righteousness. She may have righteousness given her, these garments that she's brought in, but her title to be there, if you read verses 10 and 11, it's pure grace. She's there through grace. And we see her, Jerusalem, coming back as from a distant country. And that's how it's going to be when the kingdom is set up and God's ancient people, Israel, are taken up into their place once again. We heard this afternoon, did we not, and don't let us forget it, that all Israel shall be saved. Why is that? Well, the remnant will become the nation and all Israel will be saved. And there's another verse there too in that chapter in Romans that says, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. And what God has said, he will carry out. And so that's another reason, on top of what we had explained to us this afternoon, and I'm very thankful we did, because it makes my job this evening very much easier, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. If God has said something, he will do it. And we cannot imagine, as was explained to us, that these things concerning Israel are going to be sort of taken away from Israel and given to the church. That impoverishes both and leaves nothing behind. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. So here is this one, this companion for the king, but she's brought back through sheer grace. The language makes it quite clear. She has been away and she's brought back in grace. The language is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 21, and that is quite surprising when you consider that we're speaking of Jerusalem, where it speaks in Deuteronomy 21 of when you go to war against your enemy and you see a beautiful woman and have a desire unto her that thou wouldst have her to thy wife, and thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and so on. And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. And after that thou shalt go in unto her and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. And here it is, you see, and also thine own people and thy father's house. Don't let's spoil these things by trying to interpret them as referring to ourselves. This is God in Christ receiving back to himself Jerusalem, which has gone so desperately astray. She's going to be received back in full grace and she's going to set aside the things that were hers before. And the king will greatly desire her beauty, for he is thy Lord and worship thou him. And he will have worship from Israel in that coming day. Let us go back now to the prophecy of Isaiah. Chapter 32. Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covet from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. A king shall reign in righteousness. We've already said that his title to reign is indeed his righteousness, so we don't need to spend too much time on this chapter except to point out that it comes after a most mixed series of messages in the earlier chapters of Isaiah. If you read Isaiah through, you may, if you're like me, be a little bit bewildered by the changes of direction. But if you think about it and pray about it, you can see a pattern beginning to emerge. A sign is given in chapter 7, verse 14. Again in chapter 9, verses 6 to 7, that a child is going to be born, a son is going to be given, and the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. In chapter 26, there is an invitation to the faithful to hide while God punishes the inhabitants of the earth. Now, those verses there at the end of chapter 26, they will mean a great deal to the suffering remnant in a coming day. I'm not going to go into them in detail at this moment, but they are, I commend them to you because although you can't interpret them as referring to yourself, you can apply them. There may be times when you want to take advantage of this. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation be overpassed. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. There is the indication of God's love for his people and his provision for them in the time of Jacob's trouble. There are also in these earlier chapters nine or ten burdens and five or six woes. And after tracing the course of man's failure and the absolute futility in chapter 31 of relying on Egypt, in other words, of relying on man and man's strength, then God here in 32 verse 1 reveals his man, the king who's going to reign in righteousness. And the book will go on. We can't go through it all, obviously, but the book will go on to make more and more of this king who's going to reign in righteousness. And in contrast to man in whose hands rule has been placed or may yet be placed, here is one who's going to reign whose title and whose claim is based on righteousness. And perhaps the princes who shall rule in judgment, perhaps they are the twelve who will sit on thrones with him, the twelve tribes of Israel. Now let's go to chapter 40. Sorry, before we go there, let's go to Zechariah. Zechariah. Chapter 9 and verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Here's our king. Here's the king of Israel. He's not coming with pomp and ceremony. This verse, of course, I suppose, was fulfilled already in his lifetime. And this was the manner of his entering into Jerusalem when he commanded for a mount, he commanded a colt, the foal of an ass. He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass. This was a sign given here by Zechariah that should surely have appealed to the hearts of those who saw it fulfilled in Jerusalem that day. That has been fulfilled. But when he comes again, the scene will be different. He will not, when he comes again, ride upon the foal of an ass. His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives. The mount itself will divide. But the meek and gentle character, the one of whom it speaks here, will never leave him. Prophecy is without perspective. And we're coming now to Isaiah 40, but I mention it here first in connection with Zechariah 9-9 because the two things are connected. If you turn to Isaiah 40, please, you will see there things that have been fulfilled and things that are yet to be fulfilled. And we're just going to read the first few verses. But why is prophecy without perspective? Well, one reason, of course, is the fact that God only reveals what man is able to bear at each new revelation. So his revelation never gets ahead of itself. And that is why, as we have heard already today, the church is not named in the Old Testament. There may be shadows. There may be things that now we know about the church. We can look back and say, yes, that illustrates it. That gives me a picture. But prophecy never anticipates that which is not yet to be revealed. That's one reason. The other reason is that the prophecy sets out God's plan. Now, if you look at a plan, if an architect shows you a plan of a building, you'll see it all laid out there and everything's there, isn't it? But the plan won't tell you whether you have to build the foundation before you put on the superstructure, whether you have to have the walls up before you put in the electrics. That's detail which follows in a different form. But the plan enables you to see and to understand what the finished house is going to be like. And I think if we think of prophecy like that, it may help us. The other thing, the third thing, of course, is, and this is something we may all have experienced, if you look at a range of mountains or hills in the distance. I can certainly remember doing this, but I can't remember where it was now. It doesn't matter. You see two or three mountains and they look quite close together and they all look about the same. But as you get near to the first one, you see that it's actually not very big and the one that you thought was just next to it is a long way away. And it's huge. And it's all quite different when you get there. So although what you saw was what was really so, the closer you get, the better your understanding becomes. That may be another reason that prophecy to us appears to have no perspective. Let's read the first five verses. "'Comfort ye my people, saith your God. "'Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her "'that her warfare is accomplished, "'that her iniquity is pardoned. "'For she hath received of the Lord's hand "'double for all her sins.' "'The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, "'Prepare ye the way of the Lord. "'Make straight in the desert a highway for our guard. "'Every valley shall be exalted, "'and every mountain and hill shall be made low, "'and the crooked shall be made straight, "'and the rough places plain. "'And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, "'and all flesh shall see it together. "'For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.'" What a wonderful panorama those verses are, aren't they? Verse 3, of course, has already been fulfilled. The other verses are yet to be fulfilled. But here is comfort coming to the nation of Israel. At this point, we're looking at it from the perspective that the Assyrian and the Babylonian have been set aside. They've been dealt with. The present times, the times of the Gentiles, are over. And Messiah is coming now to comfort his people. And he will do that once the times of the Gentiles are over. He's coming to comfort his people, to speak to them and tell them that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. That is a touching expression of God's love and concern for his people, isn't it? They've received double at her hand for all their sins. I believe it must include those things that not only God has done himself but that he has permitted to happen to his people Israel and the Jews. When you think how they have been persecuted, thrown out of countries, made homeless, and treated like the offscourings of the earth for centuries. Well, God, the righteous judge, is going to say one day, he's going to say enough is enough. You've received double for all your sins. Now I'm coming in, in comfort. And he's going to send this one of whom we're reading. First of all, he has a forerunner. And that forerunner has already been seen in this world, hasn't he? It's obviously John the Baptist, isn't it? The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John the Baptist himself used those words to describe himself and to explain his mission. That's already gone forth. And the rest is waiting its moment when God is going to come back and comfort his people. But things have got to be changed. The mystery of iniquity is working. And the man of sin is going to be revealed as we've heard this afternoon. What a trail of devastation is going to be left behind. And things have got to be made straight by the one who is coming. Every valley exalted and every mountain and hill made low. Are we talking about geographical things, do you suppose? There may be an element of that, but I'm sure it means what is regarded as high and what is regarded as low in this world. And there are those powers and authorities that have got to be made low. And there are lowly ones to be brought out into the light. And the crooked shall be made straight. We heard about Jacob, didn't we, this afternoon? All the Jacob-like ways have got to be given away. We've been going through the story of Jacob recently in our Bible readings in Hounslow. And we've seen something of what was said to us this afternoon of Jacob's constant striving on his own behalf, almost as though he didn't trust that God would do for him what God had promised. Even after God had appeared to him at Bethel at the end of Chapter 28 of Genesis and made specific promises to him to keep him in all the ways that he went and to bring him back safely to this place again. What do we see? We see he spends 20 years in Haran and he's arguing and bargaining with Laban. It's hard to tell one from t'other at times, isn't it? But all the time, God's hand was over him and God's eye was upon him. And Jacob, the name means supplanted, isn't it? Those ways of Jacob have got to be given up and they will be given up. He's brought back, of course, at last to Bethel. God asks him more than once to come back to Bethel, the house of God, and he does. And that story, the story of Jacob, it has its own moral meaning but it's also a wonderful illustration, if you like, of God's ways with Israel and how he's going to bring it back to himself. And Jacob's ways are going to be given up and they'll be lost in Israel as it gathers itself together at Bethel, the house of God. The glory of the Lord is going to be revealed. It's going to be seen. All flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. What a change from what goes on, what has gone on in this world so far. What was the cry when he was here before? We have no king but Caesar. And in a parable that the Lord Jesus told himself, which doubtless expresses the thought of the people, we will not have this man to reign over us. Well, we know that eternity is coming when God will be all in all. But before that, here in this world, in this very place where the Lord Jesus was rejected and cast out, no place found for him, his glory is going to be seen. Aren't you thankful that it is so? This is part of the plan of God that before this world is burned up, as Peter tells us, that all flesh is going to see his glory and they're all going to have to bow before it. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him, Lord, to the glory of God the Father. There is a commentary, too, if we go back to Zechariah. The time's gone. Wait a minute. I'll try and be quick. Zechariah chapter 8, verses 21 to 23. And the inhabitants of the city shall go to one another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. I will go also. Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all the languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. What a change from present attitudes and circumstances. The Lord is going to have his place even here on this world. We could go on. Chapter 6 speaks of him reigning as king and priest upon his throne, the true Melchizedek. Psalm 72. We will end with this because time has gone away. Psalm 72. I am just going to read a few verses and indicate some characteristics of the coming kingdom. Give the king thy judgment, so God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgment. The king is going to rule. There will be an end to this thing that men are so proud of called democracy. It may be something that works under present circumstances but I think it's going to come to an end with the times of the Gentiles. And the king is going to rule in righteousness. Verse 16. There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the tops of the mountains. The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. Men talk today about ending poverty. For some years we've had a slogan, Make Poverty History, and I think I've said from this platform before but I'm going to say it again, that is nonsense. The Lord will achieve what he will achieve in his own time. While we are here in this present dispensation, the poor are always with us, and they will be. But here we see a reign of plenty, complete prosperity, and an end to poverty. And finally, verses 17 to 20. His name shall endure forever. His name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever. And let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. Yes, one name only. An end to the gods that men set up, an end to their striving and objectives. The Lord God is going to be adored and his name is going to continue as long as the sun and his name is going to be blessed forever. And this concludes the prayers of David. This is as far as David goes. We know that we have spiritual blessings and a heavenly future to look forward to, and we must never confuse the two things. But while we rightly dwell, and we love to dwell, on the mystery of the assembly of Christ and his church, and I wouldn't have it any other way, don't let us forget while we enjoy our own blessings that the Lord does have a portion and he does have a place, both with Israel and in this world, and that is going to be displayed in a coming day when we shall see him reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Could we sing in closing? 134. Lord of glory, we adore thee. Christ of God, ascended high. Heart and soul, we love thee fully. Glorious is thy name. Christ of God, ascended high. Heart and soul, we love thee fully. Glorious now beyond the sky. Here we worship thee always. Excellency of thine is. Mighty King with glory crowned. Rightful heir and Lord of all. Once rejected, stood disheartened. In idols and caves to go. Here we all have thee adored. Glorious now and evermore. Lord of life, to them exalted. Lesser yet a curse was made. All thy fathers loved thee, O death. Yet in death's calm anguished lay. Live with peace now, live with hope. Ne'er in fear of sorrow told. Royal oaths shall soon embed thee. Royal spandrels crown thy brow. Christ of God, our souls confess thee. King and sovereign, even now. Here we reverence thee always. Only Lord and Christ always. …

… May we sing together the hymn 160. 160. O bright and blessed hope, when shall it be that we his face, long loved, revealed shall see, O when without a cloud his features trace, whose faithful love so long we've known in grace. The whole hymn 160. O bright and blessed hope, when shall it be that we his face, long loved, revealed shall see, O when without a cloud his features trace, whose faithful love so long we've known in grace. That love itself enjoy, which ever true, did in the fable of Bethlehem assume. O Jesus, not unknown, thy self shall build, the heart in which thou dwells, and shall dwell still. Still, Lord, to see thy face, thy voice to hear, to know thy present love forever live, to gaze upon thy self, so faithful love, love proved in secret held with thee alone. To see that love content on us flow forth, forever thy delight glow with thy reward. Know what is next thy heart can we forget, thy saints, O Lord, with thee in glory met. Perfect in comeliness before thy face, the eternal witness all of thine own grace. Together their songs of endless praise, with one harmonious voice in joy they'll raise. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen. I'd like us to read together just three very small portions. There'll be others to look at as we go through, but by way of introduction, may we first turn to first epistle of Corinthians and chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Behold, I show you a mystery. And then over in verse 25, as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. Verse 30, for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. And then in Genesis chapter 2, Genesis chapter 2 and verse 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. I've had on my heart over these last few months a very real impression that I should take up a subject which is not unknown to us. Indeed, it's a subject with which we're very familiar. It's a subject that's often taken up, often referred to. But I feel, especially for the younger ones, especially in view of the fact that nowadays one can so readily find opinions and views expressed, particularly on the internet, but also in printed literature. Many opinions and views are available, and I feel it's a very good thing to be thoroughly grounded in what is true. And so I make no apologies for taking up something with which we're familiar, because all the while there are different views promulgated, all the while the error is still spoken of, it's vital that we rehearse together the truth. And I propose in some introductory remarks to show why I feel the truth of our subject, and I'll state now that of course it relates to the coming of the Lord Jesus for his own, and in particular the importance of looking for him. That's the truth that I want to speak about. About 180 years ago or so, some Christians were able to come together and were exercised to look into the Scriptures to discuss between themselves, to help one another as to their understanding of prophecy. And as they did so, as they devoted themselves to the study of the Scriptures, there began to emerge a very clear understanding of what the Bible taught. And it was something which perhaps had been lost sight of for many hundreds of years previously. Of course, many today use this historical fact as an argument against the truth. They say, well of course these things are relatively new. They say these teachings didn't exist before this one or that one wrote about them. They refer to certain brothers as having been the source of new teaching, which they say is not true because historically the church never believed these things. Well, the reason I read together the verse in Corinthians and in Ephesians is to draw our attention to this idea of a mystery. And I should like to say at the outset that what I believe our subject this afternoon is not something that's a novelty. It's not something that's new, but that it was something that the Scriptures have taught from the very beginning. I'm persuaded that the first believers, the early church, they spoke about, they understood and they lived in the good of the truth that the Lord Jesus is coming at any moment for his own. I believe also that this is a truth that was very early on lost sight of, very early on. I think if we turn to the writings of John, if we turn to the later epistles, we can see already that the Spirit of God of necessity has had to speak of error that's come in, of things being given up, being lost sight of. And so we can see how quickly in the hands of man, when anything is given to man in responsibility, how quickly failure sets in. And I believe that the truth that the Scriptures taught was very, very early lost sight of in the church's history. And that alone is the reason why you find nothing of it in the church fathers and in the very early writings. Now, many church historians, they approach it from another angle. They say, well, if we want to know what the early church taught, let's look back in the church fathers and see what their writings contain. And they look there in vain for these things. And then they say, well, these truths, they weren't taught by the fathers and therefore the truth that was brought out in the early 1800s is a novelty and not to be trusted. And I believe this is a very dangerous way of looking at it. The reason these things are not found in the earliest writings is that they had already been lost sight of. And I believe there's a good reason why that's the case. But firstly, to go back to our scene in the early 1800s. Here, believers on the Lord Jesus, they, because of the circumstances around them, the darkness of the day, the activities of Napoleon and others, they began to ask themselves, was Napoleon the fulfillment of biblical prophecy? And so the circumstances caused men to inquire into these things. And as they did so, I believe the work of the spirit was that their eyes were opened and they began to see things. Not that they were a novelty. They had always been there, but simply they had been lost sight of. And the reason they had been lost sight of is that they relate to the person of the Lord Jesus. And Satan first attacks that which is most precious to God. He attacks that which is most vital first. And if he's successful in getting believers to lose sight of the most important truth, then other truths can wait. And sure enough, they did wait. There was decline and there was departure throughout the years. To the extent that the very nature of salvation was lost sight of. And it required the reformation for the truth of, the simple truth of the gospel to be recovered. Now, no well-taught Christian questions the truth of what was brought out in the reformation, simply because it had been unheard of prior to that. They accept readily that biblical truth had been forgotten, lost sight of, had been replaced with works, with the Catholic church system, and with many things of man's origin. But the grace of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, in the time of the reformation, these truths were recovered. But they fell short of going back to all that the scriptures had. And it was left to men later on for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. Now, the thing about these early conferences, the first in Albury and Surrey and later in Powerscourt in Ireland, was that as men looked at the scriptures, there were various things that they were enlightened as to. It wasn't one subject only, it wasn't the emphasis of only one thing, but many things became apparent. And it's as if when they saw the importance of these things that everything else fell into place. And I've put it to you that when we see the distinct place that the Lord Jesus has, and we put him in his rightful place, then everything else falls in line. And so it was that as they began to have a clearer understanding of the truth of the Lord's coming for his saints, they began to realise that there was a distinction between the church and Israel. They began to see exactly what it was that the church was, what its hopes were, what its purpose was, how it should function. Everything began to fall in line. And, dear brethren, we are the beneficiaries, the recipients of a very rich heritage of truth. And we should be very grateful that we are able, like I think it was Sir Isaac Newton said, he stood on the shoulders of giants. Now none of these things which we take up today, they're not new to us, we've not discovered them for ourselves. We have the benefit of godly brothers who've gone before, who've brought these things out, and they're readily available. And it's a very good thing if we rehearse them, if we remind ourselves of them, if we go over them again and again, so that we're grounded and rooted in these vital truths. So the movement of the Spirit, as I believe it was, brought things into a proper perspective. Believers, they realized that the Lord Jesus had given himself for the church, in those verses we read in Ephesians. They realized that what the church was, was a company of those for whom the Lord died to be united to himself. It wasn't an organization, it wasn't anything that should be linked with the state, it wasn't something one should go into for a career. These things had been practiced for hundreds of years, but they realized that it had a unique place in God's mind. And more than that, they realized that actually it was distinct from Israel, and that Israel had its own purpose and future. And as they realized these things, over time they found that everything else settled into place. And the Holy Spirit was given liberty. They realized that the practice of having a distinction between clergy and laity, the practice of giving all responsibility in the hands of one man, wasn't according to Scripture. And so they began to open their Bibles and to find their instruction for their path and for their practice. And I trust we've learned something of these things. But what I want to be occupied with, with the remainder of our time together, is to say something about what the Bible teaches us about the Lord coming for his own. About the truth that the Church does not go through the tribulation. That we have a hope that is based on the coming of the Lord Jesus. That it's he that we look for, not for anything else. And I believe that if we're occupied with the Lord Jesus, everything else will fall into place. There are other opportunities to speak about various other truths and we're often occupied with them. But first and foremost, let's get the truth of those things which relate to the Lord Jesus. We get that right and everything will fall into place. The Bible opens with pictures and types which with, we might say, with the benefit of spiritual hindsight, we can see that they very clearly teach us things which we only learn of in the New Testament. And we read two verses that speak of a mystery. Behold, I show you a mystery. I hope we're all clear what a mystery is when we read it in the Bible. In the world, we speak about a mystery. It's something that's unknown. Nobody knows about it. It's hidden. But when the Bible speaks about a mystery, it's trying to convey a completely different picture. When the Bible uses the word mystery, it's not to us any longer a mystery. It was once, and that's the point, it was once unknown. It was once hidden, but is now revealed. And when the Apostle Paul says, behold, I show you a mystery, we can say to ourselves, it's no longer hidden. He's shown it to us, and the mystery is to us a mystery no longer. And so, the Apostle, he spoke of two mysteries in the verses that we've looked at. The first mystery is this wonderful matter of Christ and the Assembly, Christ and the Church. If we read our Old Testaments, we find nothing explicitly about the Church. It wasn't taught. It wasn't known. It wasn't understood. It was hidden. And it's not until the Apostle Paul comes on the scene as speaking the word of the Lord, the Holy Spirit inspired him to reveal these wonderful truths, and he is able to show us the mystery of Christ and the Assembly. And so, if we want to learn objective truth about these things, we can only turn to the New Testament. If we look in the Old Testament, we won't find direct objective truth relating to the Church. But, on the other hand, the truth of the Church, of Christ and the Church, is not an afterthought. It's not something that God thought up when everything else was going wrong. No. In fact, we're told that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. And we learn that actually the Church was ever in the mind of God. And so, we're not surprised when we open our Bibles and the very first book, in the very earliest chapters, we find not teaching about the Church, but we find a picture of it. We find it in time. And we find that in regard to Adam and Eve. Adam was put into a sleep, and this is a picture of the Lord Jesus having to go into death. One of Adam's ribs, Eve, was formed. And the scriptures we read in Genesis 2. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And the Apostle quotes those very verses in Ephesians. He quotes them as being relevant to this mystery, this wonderful truth of Christ and his Church. Christ, who loved the Church and gave himself for her. And so, I use this to establish the principle that what God had ever in his heart, though for many centuries it was hidden, until in his own time it was revealed, he has put in his word types, pictures, that with the benefit of spiritual hindsight, we might say, we can read it and profit by it. Another mystery of which Paul spoke, we shall not all sleep. And in Corinthians and elsewhere, Paul was bringing out truths which, by virtue of the fact that he describes them as a mystery, we do not, we will not find them in the Old Testament. And I suggest to each one of you that unless we grasp this, unless we fully realise the way in which God has inspired the writers of his Holy Word, we're never going to fully understand the truth that he desires to unfold to us. If you read writers on various subjects, you find that they go into the Old Testament and the New, and without realising this distinction that the Spirit has placed in his word, they go off on a tangent and they seek to establish their own ideas on the basis of what they find, not dividing, not rightly dividing the Word of God. If we stay in Genesis, chapter 5 of Genesis, we have a genealogy starting from Adam. I believe that this is a true history. It's not intended to be a myth. It's a true record of the creatorial order that God established, and we have a full account of the first characters. And chapter 5 of Genesis, in verse 21, we're introduced to a character called Enoch. And we're told there, Enoch lived 65 years and begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were 300, 60, and 5 years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Now, it's a very interesting little chapter. And if you, for a bit of homework, you go home and you write out the ages that are given, and if you add them up in your head, or if you have to use a calculator, you'll find that we start with Adam, and after so many years, we're told 130 years, he begat a son called Seth. And then after that, we're told how much further, how much more Adam lived. And in all, we're told that Adam lived for 930 years. But if you follow the sequence through and compare the years given, you'll discover that when Enoch lived, Adam was still alive, still very much alive. And you'll discover that when Methuselah was born, I think if my math is correct, Adam was about 622 years old. In other words, he had over 300 years more to live. And I find that very instructive. And I find it so for this reason. We're all familiar, I trust, with the account of the fall, when sin came in. And as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience, a curse was pronounced. One of the consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve was that God said to Adam, you shall die. Now, of course, the first murder, Cain and Abel, the account of that is brought in. But putting that for a moment aside, I want us to think of the effect of Adam's death on Enoch and Methuselah. Now, it's a very interesting thing, the meaning of the name Methuselah. It means something along the lines of, it shall come when he dies. It shall come when he dies. And I suggest that that was an intelligent name given by Enoch. I believe that Enoch named his son Methuselah intelligently. In other words, he named it in view of what he had learned. Can you imagine Enoch growing up in the lifetime of Adam, in the presence of Adam, and not learning something of God's ways? Can you imagine that there was no communication between Adam and these other characters? I'm persuaded that Enoch learned many truths from Adam and from others. Adam, he had a relationship with God. God provided Adam and Eve with skins. And again, we have another picture of truth that wasn't revealed until later on, but there already, in picture form, God is teaching us something. The covering of Adam and Eve was brought about by the provision of skins. An animal had to die in order to provide skins, and the truth of substitution. A covering for what is offensive before God can only be provided by the death of another. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. And we get this, we might say, New Testament teaching given to us very early on in type, right at the beginning. And so, I'm sure Enoch, he grew up in the good of certain wonderful godly truth. And he called his son Methuselah, it shall come when he dies. And he called him that because he understood something of the truth of God. Now, you don't need to take my word for it, because we can turn to Jude, and we can read there, in Jude 14, And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all. Enoch prophesied about the coming of the Lord, of the coming of the Lord with myriads of his own to execute judgment. Where do we read in the early chapters of Genesis about the Lord's coming? We don't. But the very fact that by inspiration, in Jude, we read that Enoch prophesied, it shows that Enoch was intelligent as to these wonderful truths of God. So, Enoch, he obviously knew many, many godly truths. And he named his son intelligently. And there was Adam. And we read, Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years. And that 300 years is more or less, though not exactly, coincides with the last 300 years of Adam's life. Then Adam died. Can you imagine what an effect that had on those that lived at that time? Here, indisputably, was the judgment of God in regard to sin. God had said, you shall die. And there came a moment, there came a day when Adam did die. And so, it must have had a tremendous effect on Enoch and those around him, particularly Enoch. Here was proof positive that when God said something, he meant it. Judgment was brought in. But then, you know, God came in in wonderful grace. As if to say, yes, the judgment in regard to sin has taken place. As if to say, yes, in this scene of judgment, in this scene of sin, and all the sorrows and consequences of it. In amidst such a scene, God comes in in grace. And we read, and Enoch was not, for God took him. Wonderful grace. God came in. And Enoch was translated. He lived, at that time, he'd only lived 365 years. Relatively short time compared to those of the others. And God took him. And then, Methuselah lived on. And if you go on to read the rest of Genesis 5 and Genesis 6, and you look at the timing of it, you will notice that the very year in which Methuselah died, the flood came. The very year. It will come when he dies. Enoch, he understood the truth about the flood. The judgment that God would execute upon this earth. Before then, Enoch was taken up to be with God. And I believe we have in this scene a type, a picture of the truth, which remained hidden for hundreds and hundreds of years, all through the Old Testament, and it wasn't until Paul could say, behold, I show you a mystery. Then, and only then, was the truth brought out. But it was ever in God's mind. It was ever in God's heart. And I believe that Enoch is a picture of the truth, that the church, before the tribulation comes, will be caught up, taken up to be with Christ. Further, we can read on Noah and the ark, eight souls. And I think it's in Peter, it says, a few, that is eight. And I believe that Noah is a picture of the godly remnants of Israel that will be saved through the tribulation period. Just a few, just eight, a remnant representative of those of Israel that God will preserve through all that time of sorrow. Well, we must move on because I desire just to take up a few scriptures, and we need to turn to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 13. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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 precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and of the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Turn over to 2 Thessalonians 2. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is present, which is what it should read, not at hand as in the authorized, but that the day of Christ is present. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself in the temple of God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Here, the apostle is taking up truth which had not previously been revealed. He says, as from the Lord. He's speaking as an apostle. Now, notice a few key points in these verses. We must get a firm grasp of these things if we are to remain unshaken by the contrary views and opinions that are often too readily available. Firstly, Paul says, he doesn't want us to be ignorant. And then he says, we, and twice he says, we, the living who remain. Now, when Paul says we, he includes himself. He says, effectively, when the Lord comes, I shall be here, I and you, the living who remain when the Lord comes. In other words, he had in view the possibility or the reality that he would be alive when the Lord came for his own. Now, many have used this against him and said, you see, Paul was wrong to teach that the Lord could come at any moment because Paul's died and the Lord hasn't yet come. But I say to you, no. It doesn't show that Paul was wrong, but it shows that Paul was putting forward the truth that we should live in the expectation that the Lord will come at any moment. And we should say, we, the living who remain. If Paul had said, those who are alive at the coming of the Lord, it would have, of necessity, put it back. But no, he keeps it in the present. He keeps it in his own lifetime. And he says twice, we, the living who remain. And that teaches us that we, like Paul, should have this in our hearts, the prospect, the bright and bested hope that the Lord will come at any moment. Having spoken to the Thessalonians of the Lord coming for his own, being caught up with him, he says, let's comfort one another, therefore comfort one another with these words. And I suggest that if it were true that before the Lord comes, we must pass through the great tribulation, how could we possibly have the coming of the Lord as a means of comfort? How could it be a comfort to know that before we go to be with the Lord, we have to pass through the great tribulation? Impossible. No, the coming of the Lord is before the tribulation. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. And then he goes on, chapter five, there's no chapter distinctions in the original. He goes on and says, but at the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief. The day of the Lord and the coming of the Lord for his own are different occasions. Get a grasp of that, dear young believer. Get a grasp of the fact that the day of the Lord and the rapture are two distinct occasions. And if you have that clear, you won't be led astray. Because the day of the Lord, when he comes as he not prophesied, he comes in judgment. He comes with his saints. And for those who are not his own, it will come as a surprise. And not something to be looked forward to either. And so, he then had to write to the Thessalonians. They had evidently had some letter purporting to be from the apostles to say that the day of the Lord was already here, and they had missed out, therefore, on the rapture. And he had to write this corrective letter in 2 Thessalonians. He says, don't take any notice of it, even if it purports to have come from us. Because until the day of the Lord, before the day of the Lord comes, the man of sin must be revealed. Before the man of sin can be revealed, something and someone must be removed. And he says, there's something that's withholding this tide of evil. And there's someone that's withholding the tide of evil. And when that which withholds is removed, then the enemy will come in like a flood. The man of sin will be revealed, and then the period of judgment, of tribulation will be brought in. And very briefly, because we haven't got any time to go into detail, the thing that restrains, I believe, is the church. Its presence here, indwelt as it is by the Holy Spirit, has a restraining effect on the wickedness, a tide of wickedness that's waiting. And secondly, the he who restrains is the Holy Spirit himself. Now, when the Lord comes for his own, for the whole church, and the whole church is taken up to be with Christ, no more it, the church is gone, the it that restrains is removed, and the Holy Spirit dwelling every true believer is also gone. If there's a true believer in the church left here, then it's not true to say that the Holy Spirit has been removed. So, 2 Thessalonians 2 teaches us very clearly that the church and the Holy Spirit must be removed before the man of sin can be revealed and before the time of tribulation is brought in. Very briefly then, Matthew 24, and verse 21, verse 20, Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day, for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Notice it says, pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day. Quite clearly, the context of that is Jewish. The context of Matthew 24 with its reference to the Sabbath day is to Israel. The Sabbath day is of no relevance to the believer in the church. Jeremiah chapter 30 and verse 7 Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. Very briefly, those two verses are all we have time for to establish that the great tribulation applies to Israel. It's Jewish in character. It's not for the church to go through. It has nothing to do with the church. It's the time of Jacob's trouble. It relates to those for whom the Sabbath is a matter of importance in Matthew 24. Indeed, the whole of Matthew's gospel, when we read it, we can see it's Jewish in character. Not that it's irrelevant for the believer to read. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying there's nothing in Matthew for the Christian. Of course, it would be a very wrong thing to say. But in character, it's entirely Jewish. Jacob, you know, that deceiver, what was he characterized by for most of his life? He tried to do everything his own way. He was the beneficiary, the recipient of God's promise. Like Abraham, God promised Abraham. And Abraham is spoken of, really, as representing the life of faith. And I suggest that when it comes to Jacob, rather than his name that he was given later of Israel, Jacob is characteristic of one who's been promised certain things by God, but seeks to bring them out, bring them about in his own strength by way of the flesh. And I think it's significant when Jeremiah 30 says the time of Jacob's trouble, it relates to Israel, but in its character as Jacob. Israel in the flesh. And Israel, insofar as they've rejected their Messiah, they're seeking to obtain their blessing in the flesh. And the stipulation, I believe, these verses show us that it relates to Israel in its disobedience to God. One last comment before we close. There may be, there are many, and I trust there aren't any here tonight, but there may be some today that have this view that, well, doesn't the church just simply replace Israel in prophecy? So before we decide whether or not these prophecies relate to Israel or not, we need to dispense with this, we need to deal with this idea of whether the church has replaced Israel in the mind of God. And for that, we need only to turn to Romans 11, where in verse 1, the apostle says, has God cast away his people? Has God cast away his people? Verse 25. I would not brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. So clearly Romans teaches us that no, God hasn't finished with Israel, but their disobedience is an opportunity for God to come out in grace to the Gentiles. And when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, verse 25, God is able once again to take up Israel. For many years, the majority of Christians believed that the church had replaced Israel. And in many ways, they would have had nothing to dispel them of that notion. But I believe there was one event, a very significant event, that must surely put paid to that view, and that was in 1948. 1948, when Israel once again became a nation. Prior to that, one can well understand how people thought, well, the nation of the Jews is finished. But for decades, believers were predicting, because they understood what the word of God taught, that Israel would return to its land. And it would return to its land in unbelief. And in 1897 or thereabouts, Mr. Savage, he wrote a very helpful book, Signs of the Watchman, I think it was called. And he asked this question, how will it be possible for Turkey, who then occupied Palestine, how will Turkey be persuaded to give up control of Palestine in order that Israel will be restored to its own land? He didn't know. Nobody knew in 1897 how it would be possible. But God knew. And it was within 20 years, after the First World War, Turkey, it backed the wrong side. It backed those who lost the war. And as a result, its stranglehold on that area was broken up. And so it was not a question of who will persuade Turkey to give up Palestine. It had no choice. God was in control. And in 1948, the scriptures were fulfilled. So we have evidence in our own history that no, God has not given up his earthly people, Israel. But my desire this evening, this afternoon, was to, I know it's been a very feeble attempt, but I trust we may be exercised to dig further into the scriptures. Because as Paul said to the Thessalonians, we, the living, who remain. I want us to finish on this note, that the exercise of Paul, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, was to impress upon his readers that there was an expectation that the Lord would come in their lifetime. And that's what we, as believers, should be looking for. We should be looking for the Lord Jesus, not looking at the signs around us, at politics, at the world news, to see whether or not we're about to enter a period of tribulation. That's not what the Spirit would have us be occupied with. Sure, there are signs these things are happening. Things are moving towards these things. But it goes to show, only the more clearly, that the Lord Jesus is coming very soon. Maybe tonight. Maybe our dear brother Hugh will never get up on this platform, because the Lord may have come in the interval. It's a truth, I believe, the Bible teaches very clearly. And it's a truth that's designed to give us in our hearts a longing and a looking for the person of the Lord Jesus. He is preeminent. He gave himself. He loved us. He gave himself for his church. And I believe we should be, at the beginning of another year, encouraged and exercised to have before us the Lord Jesus. And then everything else will fall into place. Church order, prophecy, all these things, they take second place. But they'll fall into their rightful place if, and only if, we put the Lord Jesus and give him the preeminence. Perhaps we can close with a hymn which speaks of this wonderful expectation. 208. Dear Mr. Deck, one of the early brethren, he had a grasp of this truth, and it worked out in a practical way. He was able to write these lines. May we sing together 208 in hope. We lift our wishful longing eyes, to see the morning star arise. Verse 4. If here on earth the thoughts of Jesus' love lift our poor hearts, this weary world above, if even here the taste of heavenly spring so cheers the spirit that the pilgrim sings, what will the sunshine of his glory prove? What the unmingled fullness of his love? What hallelujahs will his presence raise? What but one loud, eternal burst of praise. The whole hymn 208. In hope we lift our wishful longing eyes, waiting to see the morning star arise. How bright, how gladsome will his advent be before the sunshine, forth in majesty. How will our eyes to see his face delight? Whose love has cheered us through the darks of night? How will our ears drink in his well-known voice? Whose faintest whisper make our soul rejoice? No stain within, no falseness around, no jarring note shall let his golden sound. Hope you without, hope you within the breast, no thorns to burn, no toil tomorrow rest. If here on earth the thoughts of Jesus' love Lift up, all hearts, their weary world above, If ever, never, taste all heav'nly springs, Suggest the spirit that the pilgrim sings, On will the sunshine of his glory prove. All the unnamed God, the mess of his love, All hallelujah, will his presence raise. O come, O come, eternal birth of grace. …

… It would be good if we could commence our time this evening by singing the words of hymn 415, 4-1-5. Father, spring and source of blessing, grateful praise to Thee we bring, objects of Thy sovereign favour, gladly of Thy love we sing, might rise to sing the whole hymn. Objects of Thy sovereign favour, gladly of Thy love we sing, love that found its full expression, in Thy gift unspeakable, in whom dwelling in Thy bosom, whom Thou with secrets tell, by eternal gracious pass, now to us in Christ be shown, ever strong with gracious blessing, for the sons Thou hast foreknown, brought to rest within the circle, where God's treasures are displayed, where we drink the living water, taste the joys that never came, brought to know Thy well-beloved, drawn to Him in boundless grace, Thy effulgence, love and glory, shining in His blessed face, we adore Thee, God and Father, may Thy name exalted be, praise and worship we would render, now as in eternity. His precious name, Amen. Those who have Bibles with them, and I do trust that we seek to bring our Bibles to the meetings, even the boys and girls, because how can we learn? How can we learn anything? We can learn to do many things, and I'm not going to mention some of the things that people sometimes do in meetings, but if we want to learn about God, and surely everyone here would desire to learn about God, we must turn to the Bible. So, if you have your Bible, turn please to Matthew chapter 28, and if you do not have your Bible, please bring it next time. In fact, please take it with you tomorrow on the Lord's Day. Matthew 28 and verse 19. And it was the Lord's word to the eleven disciples. And just for the connection, we could read verse 18. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach, or make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. I wonder how many here have enjoyed a nice cup of tea. Tea connoisseurs will know that there's a delightful, refreshing blend of tea called Darjeeling. I want you to come with me to a place that I have been, the district of Darjeeling in West Bengal in Northeast India. Sometimes I fly into an airport there called Baghdadra. And from Baghdadra, then, often we make the journey west into Eastern Nepal, where there are Christian believers and Christian assemblies in refugee camps. And we need to pray for them, and to pray and visit the refugees who now are dispersed throughout the world in the USA, in Canada, in New Zealand, and in Denmark, if not in other places. But on more than one occasion, as we've been driving along the road, and the driving there is a bit special, I can tell you, I've seen a sign. And it says, Trinity. Trinity English Language Medium School. Now, what does that tell you? What does that tell you? Trinity English Language Medium School. Well, I think it tells you it's very important to learn English. In today's world, English medium. It's good if you can speak Polish, or Spanish, or German, or French, or any of these other languages, we don't discount that in the slightest. But English is useful in today's world. And that's what that sign is saying to the people, it's good to be able to pursue educational advantages in English. But that sign, Trinity English Language Medium School, tells us something else. It tells us that it is a Christian school. Because Trinity is the Christian name for the Christian God. We speak about the Holy Trinity. We speak about persons in the Godhead, persons who are God, but they are a Trinity. And that, for us, and for Christianity, is a most important statement. It comes from a Latin word, Trinitas. And that simply means, threeness. Threeness. God is as truly three as he is one. And he is as truly one as he is three. The converse also being true as to the being of God. And essentially, that was my starting point tonight. What's important about Christian baptism? Some of you have been baptised. Well, I would submit to you that it's not the amount of the water that's important. And it's not whether it's being done in the baptistry in this hall, which is very convenient and with the fellowship of the Brethren, or whether it's done in a lake, or by whatever mode or in private. Christian baptism is the baptism in water, no doubt. But surely the important thing is that the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is called over a person. And thereby, that person is associated with God. And we know in another aspect, he's associated with the death of Christ, planted together in the likeness of his death. But in this verse, in Matthew 28, it's in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. There you have the three, and there you have the one. And that's very important. And it's profound, and perhaps sometimes difficult to grasp, and is not believed, I need say, by everybody. Some years ago, I had a lady from the Jehovah Witnesses came to my door. Knock, knock, knock. And she told me, you know, this idea, the Trinity, when people start saying that something is an idea, you're going to be pretty sure that they're discounting it. And she said, this idea of the Trinity, you know, it was invented by a church council in the fourth century, that is in the year 300 and something. And I said, well, that's very strange. I'm not saying, I'm not giving you my exact words, nor her exact words. I'm giving you the substance of the conversation. I said, well, that's very strange, because it's in my Bible. And I took her to the baptism formula, and I pointed out, it's the name, singular, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, plural, and Trinity, threeness, three, one in three, or three in one. The name, but of the three. I can still see her as she walked down our driveway. She didn't stay very long after that, because evidently that was a scripture that someone had not pointed out to her before. And of course, generally in false systems like Jehovah Witnesses, you're not learning from the Bible, from the whole truth, like we seek to do here. You've got a handbook, and there are proof texts, and they're taken out of their context, and you're blinkered in your approach, and you're only showed and taught certain things. And you're on a certain, shall we say, railway track. And of course, I managed to get her off that track and onto another track, and then she didn't know where she was. So there it is, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament gives more a witness to the unity of God, in contrast to the idolatry of the nations around with their gods many and lords many. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, and throughout the Old Testament it's more the thought of unity of the divine being of God in his absoluteness. But there are suggestions here and there scattered through the Scriptures that God is more than solitary. And I think we have it perhaps in Genesis chapter 1. You remember what it says there, Genesis chapter 1, someone? In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. God is singular. Even in the Hebrew word, it's singular. And then it says, God said, he speaks, he spoke the world into creation. He can be thankful for that. He speaks life into us, he speaks into our hearts, and we can be thankful for that. But God singular said, let us. There's an us, that's a plurality. And I believe in the Hebrew, it's more than two. Hebrew has a word for singular, dual, and plural. Let us, plurality, more than two. And there you have it. God said, let us. So let's think about this a little bit more. God is love. Who does he love? We're not talking about creation now, because God always existed. Who does he love? God is love, has no real meaning unless God contains at least two persons. Isn't that right? I think so. It's not my words, it's C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity. Some of you study the English language and English literature, there's a book, Mere Christianity. Perhaps I should go and read it myself. But anyway, this is the words of an apologist for the Christian faith. God is love, has no real meaning unless God contains at least two persons. Because if you love, you have to have someone to love. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, he was not love. That seems simple. If he was a single person and before the world was made, before there was anybody else, how could he be love? That's a simple statement that we think of. We say God is love, but think of the significance, think of the deduction, the conclusion that we can bring from it. That in God, in the nature of God, in the Godhead, what we've said so far is that there were and are at least two persons. Now come with me to John's Gospel, chapter one. When I was relatively young, younger than some of those here, if I can just approximate your age, I was taught by my Sunday school teacher to learn John's Gospel, chapter one. Well worth doing. If you're in the meeting and you're not really bothered or interested in what the preacher has to say, and you're casting about in your mind and your imagination for something to occupy yourself with, why not learn a few verses of scripture? John 1, verse 1 says, much better of course, much prefer if you were to listen to me, but John 1, chapter 1 says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. That's two persons. The Word was with God. We have God and we have the Word whom we know from what is subsequently told to us is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. And we know from the subsequent scriptures that God is the Father. So when we are thinking of the Word being with God, and it goes on to say the Word was God. So there is God, there's the Father, and there is the person who is described as the Word, whom we know as the Son, who was with God, and yet he was God. And you might say to me, if God is God, how can the person that was with him be also God? And he never was anything else, because verse 2 goes on to say the same was in the beginning with God, and that's the same person unchanged and unchangeable. That's two persons already in the infinite Godhead. God and the Word, the Father and the Son. So God is love now has a meaning because the Godhead, the Trinity, contains two persons, but we say that there are three. Well, we say that the Holy Spirit is God. Young man, how do you know that? How do you know that the Holy Spirit is God? You say, the Holy Spirit, we've heard, we sing about the Holy Spirit, and we know he indwells believers and things like that. And we know he moved upon the face of the waters at the creation. Now, there's an indication before anything was created, God said, God created the world. We know from other scriptures that it was through the Son by whom also he made the worlds. But at that same time, the Spirit of God was moving upon the face of the waters. That's an indication, is it not? That the Spirit of God is God. Are there any others? I wonder, have you seized the force of Acts chapter 5? You young sisters know what Acts 5 is all about, don't you? Older ones too, otherwise you'd be turning to the passage, wouldn't you? Acts chapter 5 is where Ananias and Sapphira cheat it a little bit. It's easy to cheat. It's easy to cheat at school. It's easy to cheat mommy and daddy. It's easy to cheat on brothers and sisters. Some of us older ones know how easy it is to cheat in life. And we may be very thankful that God doesn't deal with us today, the way in which he dealt with Ananias and Sapphira. Because they sold their possessions and they brought it and they said, here, this is what we've got. Please take it. We're going to give a good offering. It's going to be a good collection today. We've given everything. Here it is. But they kept back something. Maybe we are keeping something back from God. Maybe there's some little compartment of our life and we've turned the key and we've locked the door and we've said, no God, you're not going to have that. I want to keep that. God would work in your heart. He would work in my heart in order that we might be open and complete and devoted and fully committed and consecrated. But that's the subject for another message. They kept something back. And you've turned to the passage, haven't you? And Peter says, you've lied to the Holy Ghost or to the Holy Spirit in verse three. And then he describes their action again in the following verse. And he says that has not lied onto men, but onto God. Now, some of you younger ones will be able to see the connection. Maybe the older people, their minds won't quite move so fast, but at least you younger ones will be able to make the connection that if someone lies to the Holy Ghost or Geist, it's an old world word for Holy Spirit. If someone lies to the Holy Spirit and in the very next verse, it says you've lied to God. Surely there is only one deduction and one conclusion that we can draw from that. And that is that the Holy Spirit is also God. So we could spend a very considerable time to give scripture facts and scripture proofs that the Father is God, which is fairly obvious. And that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, because Thomas fell down to worship him and said, my Lord and my God. And even God addressed him. In Hebrews chapter one, where the language is quoted, it says, thy throne, O God, speaking to the son, he says, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. He's spoken of in Romans as God over all blessed forever. He's our God and Jesus Christ. He's no less God than the Father and no less God than the Holy Spirit. The divinity of Christ, the deity of Christ, his Godhead is shown in many passages of scripture. And we could do the same for the Holy Spirit. And we could fill up quite a bit of time. But I take it tonight that you have accepted what I've said so far. That God is a spirit, but that God is also Father. God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And that is something which is beyond our comprehension. That there should be three persons in one God. And here, human language is inadequate. I'm trying to explain and make simple that which is profound and that which is infinitely beyond us. Man's thoughts are finite. They are limited. God's thoughts, the concept, the idea of God, particularly in this way in which we desire to present him, is infinite. So it's impossible in the nature of things that I or anyone else can give a just expression of what God is or use adequate language. But we're trying to point out these certain things that there is a Trinity. That God is as truly three. There is a threeness and he is as truly three as he is one. The Athanasian Creed, so-called Athanasian Creed. It takes, I think, about five minutes to recite, but on certain occasions in the Anglican Church, at least in the Church of England, it used to be recited. And one part of it says, the Father incomprehensible and the Son incomprehensible and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. And one of the choristers that was sitting in the choir, he's whispered to someone and he said, and the whole thing incomprehensible. The whole thing to our finite minds is incomprehensible and it's beyond us, but nevertheless, we have to try to apply our minds to it and understand something of what is involved. That God in the unity of his being is tri-personal. Three persons. That the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal. They are co-eternal. They are uncreated. They are inseparable. They are undivided. The Lord Jesus said, I'm in the Father. The Father's in me. So they're undivided and they're inseparable and yet they're distinct. So there is a distinction of personality, but there is a oneness of being. Co-equal, co-eternal, uncreated, inseparable, undivided, but distinguishable. And I know you'll say the word Trinity is not in the Bible, so why use it? But sometimes there are concepts for which we need to use extra biblical language and that are many terms that we use to seek to explain things that are not found in the Bible. We speak about substitution and the substitutionary death of Christ and that's not a word. That's found in the Bible. We often speak about the eternal sonship of Christ. So much so, sometimes that almost becomes a hackneyed expression and a meaningless expression. We talk about dispensationalism and you don't find that word in the Bible. We talk about divine persons and we don't have that phrase, person, divine person. We don't have that word used in the Bible. But nevertheless, the reality and the substance of these things are found in the Bible and sometimes we need to go behind the Bible words, particularly when they've been attacked. And we need to explain what the concepts mean. And in order to explain the truth of the scripture, sometimes we find that we use words which are not actually found in the Bible because the deepest questions which face Christianity, they cannot sometimes be answered by purely biblical language because the questions are about the meaning of the biblical language itself. Now, I'll seek to explain that. You know, you speak to a Jehovah Witness, you say, do you believe the Bible? They say, yes, we believe the Bible. You say to them, do you believe Jesus is the son of God? And they will say, yes, we believe Jesus is the son of God. They're using the same language, but they're attaching a different meaning completely and entirely to it, to that which we mean. And therefore we have to go behind and we have to explain and we have to define and we have to safeguard the meaning of the word. And in doing so, we're reduced to using words that are not found in the Bible. And one that is used to speak of the distinction of persons in the Godhead is the Trinity, the triunity, the threeness. Others have used this expression and I would suggest that if you cannot find a better one, well then, don't hesitate to use it. I certainly do not know of another expression that conveys the meaning in such a full way. So we have this unity and diversity and this threeness and oneness. And very important consequences follow in terms of relationships. I've already spoken of one, that God is love, that there's love between the persons, that there's a relationship between the persons, that there is a diversity, a plurality. I think that's seen in the creation. I do. We're told that in what God has created in Romans 1, we're told that it's an expression that we see his eternal power and divinity. The creation takes character from God. The creation mirrors the creator. And so as there is this diversity in God, so there's this diversity in the creation. If God was just a God in himself, this would be something that's very different and it's something really which is seen particularly in Islam, where there's absolutely, where everything is, there's a sameness, a lack of diversity. And as I said, Trinity is the Christian name for the God because it is a concept, a biblical concept or a biblical reality that's not found in any other religion. In pantheism, they talked about a triad. God's in a triad. But for instance, in the way in which it's explained, it's something entirely different. For instance, in Hinduism, you've got Brahm, that's undeveloped primal being. You go back to primal being, whatever that might be. And then in Vishnu, you have the unfolding of it. It comes in this primal, whatever it is, comes into expression in the actual physical world. And then with Shiva, you return into the abyss of unconscious being, the whole circle of incarnation and reincarnation, and you're seeking to reach nirvana, you're seeking to reach oblivion. And that's, you've come from primeval nothingness into that which finds expression in the actual world, and then you're lost in nothingness again. That's their triad, and that's what you find in Platonism and Neoplatonism and in pantheism. What I'm saying is out there in the world with all these various conceptions of God, there is nothing that answers to the name and the being of God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is distinctive, and this is characteristic of Christianity. Why do we not think about it more? And about the relationships in the Godhead? Because I don't think it's a subject that's taken up very often in ministry or in Bible readings. I can't think of someone giving an address in the Trinity. Perhaps people might be wise to steer clear of such an exalted, such a wonderful, such an exhilarating topic, of that which is so infinite. But the fact that we don't necessarily take it up doesn't mean that we refuse it, doesn't mean that we reject it, doesn't mean that we're indifferent to it, because actually it underpins everything. It underpins salvation, it underpins revelation. It's there. Underpinning the whole of the world, it's there. Underpinning the whole of divine revelation. For instance, in John's Gospel chapter 3, with God, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And further down, we have God's love to the world, finding its expression in the gift of his only begotten Son. But we've also got the Holy Spirit. It speaks about being born of God, and it speaks about being born of water and of the Spirit. To be born of God is to be born of the Spirit. To be born of the Spirit is to be born of God. And that's something we cannot do of ourselves. We're not called upon to born ourselves again. We can't. In a spiritual birth, we can do no more when it comes to the question of spiritual birth than we can do when it comes to the question of our natural birth. It's God's work in the soul. It's something which he does. It's divine workmanship. We are called to believe. There's no question that we're called to believe in the Son of Man lifted up, and in the only begotten Son, and in believing we have everlasting life. And we can deduce, if we have done that, that we've also been born again. But born of the Spirit is God's work. So here we have the Trinity at work. There's a certain order there. There's God's gift of his Son. There's the Son of Man lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, who is also the only begotten Son of God. That's the work done outside of ourselves. And then there's the work of the Holy Spirit of God, and that's the work which is done in us. So we have the gracious activities of God, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And there are many scriptures that we could turn to. I turn now to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, where in verse 6 it says to us, there is one God the Father. Here we see God as the source. One God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him. And one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. And we know, of course, from other scriptures, there's the Holy Spirit also. And there is a subordination of order here. We speak of the first person, and of the second person, and of the third person of the Trinity. It's not mere enumeration, because there is an order. There's the Father, and his activities. And there's the Son, and his activities. And there's the gracious activities of the Holy Spirit. And I think something of this came out in the hymn we sang at the start of our meeting, where the Father is the source of all. Father, source, springing source of blessing. Ephesians chapter 1, it's the foreknowledge of God. It's the God, it's the Father who plans and counsels. And then it's the Son who brings these counsels into effect. And the hymn that we sang then spoke about Christ accomplishing the work. And then when it speaks about brought to know thy well-beloved, that's the gracious activity of the Holy Spirit in opening out and making these things known to us. So there is a certain order there. And it's reflected in this verse 6 of chapter 8. There's one God, the Father, the Father of whom are all things. And then one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things. And we know that this subordination of order, it's something that's predated the incarnation, because the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Some have questions about the Lord's Sonship. When did it begin? Well, I think it's, I think it's, these truths are profound, but I think in another sense, they're simple. I have a son in Her Majesty's forces in Afghanistan at the present time. He was sent there, but he was sent from Cyprus where he was based to Afghanistan. If he had not been in Cyprus, he could not have been sent to somewhere else. And if it says the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, the Son had to be there in order to have been sent. That's natural enough. But if I send my son, if my son's in Belfast and I send him across to Liverpool or London, he has to be in Belfast before I send him. When the fullness of the time, God sent forth his Son, he sent him from Godhead, he sent him from glory. And the Lord Jesus, in coming and being found in this world, he speaks of himself. He says, I came forth from the Father. In fact, it means I came forth from alongside the Father and I came into the world. Again, I leave the world and I go onto the Father. So the sending there, and he dates the incarnation, the sending of the Son, he dates the incarnation. The sending was not as a man on earth. The sending was already he was sent when he was in the form of God. So it's important to see these distinctions. It would not be feasible that the Son would send the Father or that the Spirit would send the Son. It's not according to revelation. It's not according to the relationships in which these persons in the Godhead, these divine persons in the Augustus Trinity stand to each other. Each has a certain place in the Godhead. And traditionally, the traditional formulation of it has been, and we're not going to have time to go into it tonight, but the traditional formulation has been that the Son is begotten and that the Spirit proceeds from the Father. And wrapped up in that, there are many, many important truths. And I'll just, in wrapping up, to underline the importance of it for us, to underline the importance of the truth of the Trinity in the divine revelation, in God's scheme of things. Think of the upper room discourse. Think of the Lord Jesus with his disciples on the night of his betrayal. And what was he seeking to bring before them? God and his majesty. God and his tri-unity. God and the relationships. God and his essential being in essence. It's just all about the Father, the Son, the Father's house. But the Father being in the Son and the Son being in the Father. About life eternal and knowingly, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And about the Holy Spirit. And here's the remarkable thing. It says, talks about the Holy Spirit proceeding in those chapters, in John chapter 14 through to chapter 17, particularly 14 to 16. Says that the Father would send him. We can understand that. But then the Lord Jesus says of him, whom I will send. The Father sends the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus, the Son, sends the Holy Spirit. But in a sense, he comes himself. Because it also says, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will do certain things. One sense he's sent of the Father. In another sense, he's sent of the Son. In another sense, he comes of himself. So that the action of one person in the Trinity is the action of the other. And yet they have a separate identity. It's true in other respects too. Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it again. The Lord spoke about raising himself. We're told that he was raised again by the glory of the Father. We're told that he was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. So the action of the Father, the action of the Son, and the action of the Holy Spirit. It's an action, it's an activity that is postulated to each of them and to all of them, showing their unity in essence and eminence and interaction. And the same, my Father worketh hitherto and I work, working as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son of Man quickens whom he will. And yet in regard to the believer, it's said that we are quickened by the Holy Spirit, made alive by the Father, made alive by the Son, made alive by the Holy Spirit. So there are mysteries here. And it's well that we should worship and adore and learn how finite our thoughts are, and yet wonder at the majesty of God, seen in creation. Diversity and unity, and unity in diverseness, that's why everybody's different fingerprints, different DNA, and the iris is different. When you go for these security measures, or each snowflake, the particular under the microscope, the particular makeup of each is different. One star differs from another in glory. There's no sameness. Our God is a God of infinite variety because he's a God while existing in unity is in a plurality of persons. And I'll just say this in closing. I've been closing a few times now, so I better just get to the end, hadn't I? In the very last verse of 2 Corinthians, it says, it says, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Three persons again, and there's the thought of communion, and it says this communion be with you all. God is never lonely, or isolated, because there are personalities. There's communion in the Godhead. It speaks about communion between the Father and the Son. It's that we might enjoy it. The Son speaking to the Father says, thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. There's this security of love, and security, and intimacy, and relationship. And it says that we can be brought to enjoy this. If we know God as he's been revealed in this way, we'll never be lonely. Maybe some widows here. There may be some widowers going home to an empty house. There may be some young people, or older ones, who are not enjoying singlehood. There may be some who are in stable relationships, and yet they feel terribly isolated, and terribly alone. If you come to know God, and what he is, in his triunity, in the personality, in the personality, in his communications, you cannot be alone. You're brought into this wonderful communion. Love. That's something in Islam that Allah is not. Muhammad condemned. He said Allah has no son. The Quran teaches that the trinity is a blasphemy. They don't understand it. But there's no concept of love. So many names for Allah, the merciful. I don't know them all, but the one that is missing is love. Because that presentation of God is as a monad, as solitary, as a figure in itself. But we're introduced into the wonder of a God of love, and of a God of relationships, and relational characteristics. And that is seen also in human relationships, and in human personality. Now, when God said to Abraham, take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, we can think of what it must have felt like to that father's heart. And yet, surely that is a faint representation of what is true of God the Father. When it says, God sent forth his own son. God spared not his own son, but freely delivered him up for us all. Man is made in the image of God. And the manner in which we've been put together, the fact that the stamp of God is upon us, the fact that we're made in the image of God, gives us an insight into what God is in these relationships, Father, Son. There's a difference in measure. There's an infinite distance in measure, but surely the thing is there. So, this is our God. Our God. This is the Christian God. So, next time you remember about Trinity, English language medium school, each time you remember that story, just think, Trinity, the Christian name of the Christian God. And I trust that as you meditate on these things, as we meditate on these things, we might have an enhanced appreciation of God in his infiniteness, and in his greatness, and in his glory. And as we think of these things, we find that these are most exhilarating and most exalting thoughts of God. We can't, Jeff talked about the Holy of Holies as illustrating the Trinity 20 by 20 by 20, but it falls far short. St. Patrick in Ireland, he used the shamrock leaf with three leaves on the one stem. When he converted to Ireland, he sought to teach the Trinity by using that. Some use a sugar cube and set six sides, three sides, three aspects of God, and then the other three sides, the way in which God reveals himself in these aspects. Some of the older divines, I think it was Augustine said, well, it's like, it's like the sunbeam. It's like the sun and the sunbeam and the energy of the sun. And we have a picture of some, you know, if we think, if we have a thought, a mental picture comes into our mind. But all these so-called illustrations fall far short of the reality of our Trinitarian God, the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Could we sing 401? Thou art the everlasting word, the father's only son. Take time to sing the whole hymn 401, 401. Thou art the everlasting word, the father's only son. Lord, where'er ye live, from sea and land, to earth, to heav'n and home, in the earth's heav'nliest rest, where'er comest thou shine, fullest of love, yet true comest, eternally divine, with thee behold the Father's face, we celebrate his boundless grace, we celebrate his boundless grace. In each of thee I find and see good, mean, kind, and low, brightness of light, though I can't see, God's love revealed below, where light of love has shone in thee, and in the cross our souls are free, and in that love our souls are free. The higher mysteries of thy fame the preacher's cross transcends, the Father's only heart blest name all son can comprehend, blest in their song the name of God, the Father gives thus now to prove, the Father gives thus now to prove, yet loving thee on whom his love in e'er cold outpressed, our hearts are led to him above, and thee with thee are blest, the Father's name thou hast declared, the Father's love with thee is shared, the Father's love with thee is shared, Over vast universes of bliss, blest enter thou and son, the eternal theme of praise his name, gracious beloved son, his own resting where God alone, in his own rest his holy glory, in his own rest his holy glory. Lord Jesus …

… Good afternoon, shall we begin by singing hymn number 136, the veil is rent, our souls draw near unto the throne of grace, the merits of the Lord appear, they fill the holy place, his precious blood avails us there as we approach the throne and his own wounds in heaven declare, the atoning work is done. Hymn number 136. The merits of the Lord appear, they fill the holy place, his precious blood avails us there as we approach the throne and his own wounds in heaven declare, the atoning work is done. Sacrifice appraised with us within the veil. Within the holiest throne, entwined his precious blood, before the throne we prostrate fall and worship him, O God. Boldly the heart and voice we raise, his voice, his name, our plea, have shown our breast as arms of grace, ascend by Christ to thee. Amen. Could we turn to the scriptures and read from the second book of Chronicles chapter three. My thoughts this afternoon have been largely constrained by the thoughts of Solomon's temple and by looking at some of the intricacies of that temple that Solomon built and to compare Solomon's temple with the previous tabernacle and to look in practical ways at how that encourages and enlightens us while living today. So obviously a number of scriptures pertain to this point but if we can just read from chapter three and we'll go into chapter four as well. Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah where the Lord appeared unto David his father in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite and he began to build in the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was three score cubits and the breadth 20 cubits and the porch that was in the front of the house the length of it was according to the breadth of the house 20 cubits and the height was 120 and he overlaid it within with pure gold and the greater house he sealed with the fir tree which he overlaid with fine gold and set thereon palm trees and chains and he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty and the gold was gold of parvium he overlaid all to the house the beams the posts and the walls thereof and the doors thereof with gold and grave cherubims on the walls and he made the most holy house the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house 20 cubits and the breadth thereof 20 cubits and he overlaid it with fine gold amounting to 600 talents and the weight of the nails was 50 shekels of gold and he overlaid the upper chambers with gold and in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work and overlaid them with gold and the wings of the cherubims were 20 cubits long one wing of one cherub was five cubits reaching to the wall of the house and the other wing was likewise five cubits reaching to the wing of the other cherub and one wing of the other cherub was five cubits reaching to the wall of the house and the other wing was five cubits also joining to the wing of the other cherub the wings of these cherubims themselves spread forth 20 cubits and they stood on their feet and their faces were inward and he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen and wrought cherubims thereon also he made before the house two pillars of 30 and five cubits high and the chapter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits and he made chains as in the oracle and he put them on the heads of the pillars and made 100 pomegranates and put them on the chains and he reared up the pillars before the temple one on the right hand and the other on the left and called the name of that on the right hand jakin and the name of the one on the left boaz moreover he made an altar of brass 20 cubits the length thereof and 20 cubits the breadth thereof and 10 cubits the height thereof also he made a molten sea of 10 cubits from brim to brim round in compass and five cubits the height thereof and a line of 30 cubits did compass it around about and under it was the similitude of oxen which did compass it round about 10 in a cubit composed compassing the sea round about two rows of oxen were cast when it was cast it stood upon 12 oxen three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west and three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east and the sea was set above upon them and all their hinder parts were inward and the thickness of it was an hand breath and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies and it received and held 3 000 baths he made also 10 lavers and put five on the right hand and five on the left to wash in them such things as if they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them but the sea was for the priests to wash in and he made 10 candlesticks of gold according to their form and set them in the temple five on the right and five on the left he made also 10 tables and placed them in the temple five on the right side and five on the left and he made 100 basins of gold furthermore he made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid the doors of them with brass and he set the sea on the right side of the east end over against the south and hurum made the pots and the shovels and the basins and hurum finished the work that he was to make for king solomon for the house of god as we read through that passage there's obviously there a great deal of detail and i wonder it was to ask the sort of question and say how much do you know and appreciate of this great temple that was built by solomon do you know how large it was do you know how it compares with the tabernacle what was in the tabernacle what was in the temple what was the difference in between the significance of one of the most important buildings that has ever been built in the history of this earth is obviously great and the lessons for us are indeed many because we remember that the main purpose of this temple was that god wanted to dwell in the midst of his people now that surely is a wonderful thought god the creator god wanted to dwell in the midst of his people but god delights to dwell with mankind truly a wonderful thought in exodus chapter 25 he said let them make me a sanctuary that i may dwell among them and why i think in particular that it's necessary for us to look at solomon's temple because it is a picture of the father's house in heaven it's a picture it tells us something of what the father's house is going to be like in heaven we're obviously going to spend eternity there but if we view and think about the father's house surely that will encourage us surely that will help us in the times in which we walk here upon this earth i'd be interested in other people's thoughts but i seem to remember that has been a number of times that i have listened to lectures and accounts and been to bible readings and looked at the tabernacle many many times i hardly remember spending much time looking at solomon's temple i'm not sure where why that is we know that certainly most of the furnishings were taken from the tabernacle and were put into the temple when it was dedicated by solomon so we have all the many lessons that were found in the tabernacle that they are incorporated into the teachings of the temple we've got all the lessons of the tabernacle and we've got added extra because of what the temple also teaches us we know that the temple was the dwelling place of god in the midst of his people it was the center of worship and could only be approached through sacrifices made by the priests we thought that the temple also represents the father's house the dwelling place which we will spend eternity in that the temple as a whole is a figure of the christian assembly the church and no doubt we can recollect that verse that tells us when the lord jesus was here upon this earth that the lord jesus could say destroy this temple and in three days i will raise it up that he was the temple the temple really portrays for us four important features features of grace of truth of fruitfulness and of beauty and as we go through and look at some of the features that we find in the temple we can see that these features come to the fore solomon's temple was not one of the greatest buildings that was ever around at that particular time it certainly wasn't one of the biggest but they obviously it's not the size but the holiness the order the glory and the righteousness that characterizes that house there was nothing like it on earth the glory of this temple as it was built and god dwelling in it the design of the house was from god himself directly from god and the temple couldn't be built until peace had been established and at the end of david's reign we know solomon was on the throne and peace was established and the temple was built and of course in our day peace has been proclaimed peace because of what our lord jesus christ has accomplished on the cross and so the temple so to speak can be built in the lives of individual believers the presence of god on the earth in solomon's time was conditional a covenant was entered into the children of israel had to obey the law if they didn't obey then god would depart and of course we know that that is what happened that the temple was ultimately destroyed but today there is the contrast that the church of god has been established as a habitation in the spirit ephesians 2 tells us and it's based on the permanent value of the work of christ a difference the temple disappeared but a permanent habitation because of what christ has done if we briefly trace how god dwelt with men throughout history we can see can't we write at the very beginning that in the garden of eden that it was god's desire to dwell with adam and eve that is what is desired to walk with them in the cool of the garden we know that the tabernacle was built in the desert that as the children of israel wandered around for those 40 years god wanted to dwell with them he wanted to be in the midst of them despite their sins despite their disobedience and rebellion he wanted to dwell in the midst of them that as the tabernacle uh finished and the temple that we've briefly thought about already was built that that tabernacle system lasted for about a thousand years it was nearly a thousand years after the tabernacle was built that solomon's temple was built and solomon's temple of course was a permanent place where god could dwell in the midst of his people in jerusalem the ark and the cherubim were brought from the tabernacle and placed in that temple with much rejoicing at that time we know that the temple the solomon's temple was destroyed by the babylonians the chaldeans and that it was rebuilt in the time of ezra and nehemiah that that temple sometimes called zerubbabel's temple lasted for 500 years no doubt it had to be repaired but that it was replaced by herod's temple herod of course lived at the time the lord jesus was built in 20 bc we believe and herod was a usurper to the throne the lord jesus never went into the temple itself of herod's temple he referred to it as your temple when speaking to the jews but that temple of herod herod's temple was destroyed in 70 a.d and in fact we were thinking just this week looking at hebrews chapter 2 in the bible reading on on thursday evening and struck again with the importance of that time when the lord jesus had come down into this world he'd lived in this world he'd shown himself to be a perfect man he'd done the wonderful miracles god had shown by signs and wonders that here was the messiah and the nation of jews collectively rejected him they stoned stephen the lord jesus was still standing at the right hand of god ready to come ready to return but the jews rejected him and a few years later in a.d 70 then the judgment upon the jews was acted out and their temple was destroyed proving that there were no more sacrifices that the sacrifice the death of the lord jesus christ has paid the penalty for our sins it must have been a terrible time for the jews living in that land at that time we know it was we know that the destruction and the annihilation uh of the people was absolutely it was almost total there was very few left we also get some hints that many of the christians had left before that had happened and moved away before the romans sieged that city and we know the temple has never been rebuilt since but we get indications that the temple will be built in unbelief before the messiah's return that mustn't be confused with ezekiel's temple which we're told will be built at the millennium and when the 12 tribes return to the land we know that it's similar to solomon's temple with perhaps additional rooms on the side that it will cover that area of 25 000 square cubits and then of course we get that future time when we're told about the new jerusalem is a great most holy place where god can dwell for the lord god almighty and the lamb are the temple of it that god sanctuaries the church in glory that the city had no need for sun for the glory of god did lighten it and the lamb revelation 21 and also it tells us that the tabernacle of god is with men so as we see god's thoughts for dwelling with mankind we can see how important it is for god to dwell in the midst of his people and as we look more particularly at the differences between the tabernacle and the temple we realize that it was under the same dispensation of law that the law was still active and the children of israel had to obey the law but the religious and civil system that was enacted by david was different from that of moses that the priests the levi's the singers the doorkeepers the army were all organized differently the first chronicles tells us that the priests served the lord himself that was the role of the priests serving the lord himself we know that we are priests today that the role that the priests had in these economies is the role that is ours today of approaching and worshiping god himself so we can learn there that any service that we offer must be to the lord himself that as we seek to serve the lord jesus then we should be serving him and him alone the priests were divided by a lot and when we read of dividing by a lot we know that it was god's direct direction it was god telling them what to do and the priests when they were divided up were directly told and commanded from the lord himself so our service as priests must be directed by the lord we can go hither and thither we can do all sorts of things and seek to for the lord but we know that to be fruitful we must be directed by the lord himself there were in fact 24 classes of these priests and we read of 24 elders in revelation chapter 5 there's a number of points that is reading around about this topic that i must admit puzzled me and i'd be glad of any thoughts from anybody here but one interesting point just a little aside really was that when moses ordered the levites they began their role from when they were age 30 we have that in numbers chapter 4 but in one chronicles chapter 23 david numbered them from 30 age 30 but later on in the chapter it was from 20 years old why that changed from 30 to 20 the only help i managed to get upon the subject was that as the levites were carrying the tabernacle throughout the desert that it was obviously a heavy burdensome job they had to be strong men so to speak and the suggestion i read was that when the levites didn't have to do basically all this carrying that the age was reduced to 20. now i don't know whether we've got any young men aged 20 to 30 who feel that they're perhaps not as strong until they get to 30 but that was the only thoughts that i gleaned upon that topic but we know that moses saw this model that was given to him directly from the lord on the mount david we're told received his plans by inspiration from god directly from god and king solomon established everything by lot so divine communications telling us and telling them what should be in these two different buildings the vessels were different in the buildings most were generally the same but many were different in number and weight new vessels were added and new musical instruments were added the ark of the covenant which is so important precious that we read and hear a lot about today was the same it contained the law and the law didn't change but perhaps the most dominant feature of this new temple were the two cherubims that were in the holy of holies try to do a little bit of a calculation and i hope that i'm right but in fact here the the hall at catford is quite similar i think to the size of the temple the temple was 60 cubits long which i think if you think of a cubit has been 18 inches approximately then that would be about 90 feet the temple was probably just a little bit longer than the whole of this building to the wall behind me the holy of holies was 20 cubits by 20 cubits by 20 cubits it was a cube the width of the temple was 20 cubits wide 30 feet i think this is probably about 30 feet wide so as we think of the temple we can think of this building here with the holy of holies at the the front as that cube at the back of the temple and the place which was indeed most holy and as we move on and think about how the temple was built we know that day it was very very precious and important to david that david gave of his own brass his silver and his gold he gave of the booty that he'd won from his enemies and out of his own affection david gave his own riches to the building of this temple after he died and we also know don't we that christ indeed loved the church and gave himself for it that our lord jesus christ gave him his very self for the building of the church we know that there was many riches came voluntarily from the nations that the cedars came from lebanon that iron came from canaan and that other materials were brought in from afar and we know that during the millennium when christ reigns over this earth that there would be the gentile nations voluntarily giving of their tributes and their gifts to the lord himself so we have david in his time of affliction when he was uh around running about from saul when he was being persecuted by saul and others that the booty the precious minerals metals that he'd gained he was keeping for the lord and he prepares materials for the time when his son solomon was going to build the temple and we know likewise that the lord jesus that as the suffering lord jesus prepares for the rights to the kingdom that david and solemn are almost seen as a continuum and almost as one thing that david in his affliction prepared the materials for the building of the temple in the millennium the lord jesus suffered in this world and went all the way to calvary's cross so that he has the right to reign during the millennium psalm 132 speaks of that temple and the earthly throne found on the afflictions of david we have revelation five where we uh brought to the center of the heavenly throne and what is at the center there but the slain lamb so we get that uh juxtaposition of the sufferings of christ and the glory that will come up david commanded all the princes of the people to help his son and the lord associates us with his kingdom and the administration of his house and how that should weigh heavily upon us the disciples that were acquired by the lord jesus during his rejection we're told we'll sit on the 12 thrones judging the tribes of israel solomon added more riches to the house and christ will add more glories to his millennial temple when he reigns we know that when the temple was dedicated that there was 22 000 bulls and 120 000 sheep which were offered which clearly reflect and show us the value of the sacrifice of the lord jesus and when the temple was dedicated then god's glory filled the house but it was in a thick cloud it was in darkness israel was still under the law god dwelt in darkness but in the new testament times we're told in one john that he is light and that god was revealed by none other than his son so if we look at the temple itself and try and picture perhaps using this room to help us what the temple would be like there are a number of pictures i even found in fact on i very rarely go on youtube but i thought i'd give it a whirl and put in solomon's temple and there was uh i thought anyway right quite an interesting little video graphically designed showing you what somebody had produced inside the temple and moving through and showing you their idea of what the temple is like and there are many other pictures and models i remember being fortunate enough many years ago now to go to jerusalem and in the new part of jerusalem it was next to a hotel incredibly we found it incredibly difficult to find there is a model of solomon's temple and jerusalem at that time interesting to have a look at but if we think of the temple itself and think the difference between the floor of the tabernacle and the floor of the temple when we think of the floor of the tabernacle there was nothing there it was built upon the sand because the people were journeying round about and the tabernacle obviously could be put up and brought down and you could be carried about with the children of israel during their wanderings the floor of the temple was made of cypress wood and we told that the that particular wood was hard and durable as we would expect but it emitted that fragrant smell and in the temple tabernacle also we read of the the smells the fragrance that were emitted with the lord the foundations and the construction solomon's temple the stones were constructed before they arrived they were carried out from near jerusalem we believe and that there were great costly hewn stones and that they were fashioned to be fitted in exactly in the building of the temple that there was no noise allowed there was no talking allowed where the temple was being constructed and that clearly tells us doesn't it that the church's foundation is christ he's the chief cornerstone in ephesians 2 and that the church is formed of living stones you and me that the new testament tells us in whom all the building fitly framed together grows into a holy temple in the lord that you and i are these stones being brought together to form this spiritual building we've said of the holy of holies being 20 cubits cube someone suggested that that symbolizes the trinity father son and holy ghost in perfect measurement one of the questions for you to think about and decide that in this cube that was 20 by 20 by 20 the height of the tabernacle was 30 cubits high so there's a discrepancy of 10 cubits was the holy of holies lifted up or was there some other construction any thoughts but the floor was and the was wainscoted with cedar one king six tells us that the walls and floor were overlaid with gold and we know that gold speaks to us of the divinity of the lord jesus we know don't we that the lord jesus by his own blood has entered once for all into the holy of holies and most importantly these cherubim as we read through the verses you'll notice that there were a number of references to cherubim what a cherubim speak of they speak of the government of god the judicial power and intelligence of god himself we know that there was cherubim on the mercy seat looking at the blood overshadowing it but here in the holy of holies at this end of the temple there were two huge cherubim two side by side really touching each other in the middle touching the wall huge golden cherubims made of olive wood that spoke of the lord jesus 10 cubits high and wide here we obviously indicated that the justice and grace of god in equal importance we have in the holy of holies the ark of the covenant that's wooden box made out of the acacia wood covered with gold the mercy seat on the top two and a half cubits by one and a half cubits with the gold and smaller golden cherubim sitting on the top of it in the tabernacle that arbok of the covenant contained the law aaron's rod that budded and the golden pot of manna when we read of solomon's temple the ark being brought into that holy of holies then we no longer read of the golden pot of manna we no longer read of aaron's rod that's budded but importantly the law was still there the people were still under the law and we know that all the law was kept by the lord jesus we know that the throne of god and judgment has become a throne of grace as hebrew 4 tells us and then perhaps surprisingly as the ark was brought into the holy of holies then the staves the poles that were used to carry the ark so the ark itself wasn't touched you perhaps expect that they should be taken away but the staves were left in so that they could be seen and no doubt they reminded the children of israel of their desert wanderings as the staves were left in so as we move away from the holy of holies and look at the holy place sometimes referred to as the the greater house what marked off the holy of holies from that holy place we know that the veil was there but in the in the tabernacle but in the temple it seems to be that the there were doors doors and door posts of olive woods that there was also there golden chains marking it off from the holy of holies why these extra parts the doors were made of this of olive wood and they seem to fold certainly to some degree in the walls of the temple then they were made in the tabernacle of acacia wood which was a wood hardwood found in the desert but in the temple it was of cedar wood and cedar wood as we know is very strong it endures as a wood and that wood which was overlaid with gold and on the the paneling the wood itself was the palms and the cherubims and the half open flowers so there would be these most like engravings down the side of the hall and all around the hall in fact and these would reflect the glory of christ for eternity we've said that the temple speaks to us of the father's house and as we think of spending eternity in the father's house then the we can think of believers clothed with gold reflecting the glory of christ for eternity the palms that were engraved would speak of peace we think of the lord jesus coming into jerusalem speaking of peace the half open flowers would speak of life perpetual flowering representing the renewal and beauty of the rest with god in the eternal state that these walls overlaid with gold would obviously speak of christ to us as we think of one corinthians 2 it tells us that god hath revealed these things unto us by his spirit and the temple would speak to us and show us something of god's thoughts and god's ways so in the temple itself in that holy place we know in the tabernacle that there was one candlestick famous candlestick forged out of gold from one piece of gold one talent of gold and the seven uh branches from that candlestick in the temple there were in fact 10 candlesticks five on the left and five on the right again everything in this temple speaks of christ speaking of the fact that god is light christ is the light of the world and perhaps we can think of these 10 in the temple that light has been multiplied and we understand the ways of god we know christ he's been revealed to us the golden altar of incense is there burning the sweet smelling savor speaking of christ to the father the table of showbread christ is the sustainer of communion with his people there were it was a gold table in the tabernacle with 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of israel in the temple there was again 10 of them 10 speaks of responsibility five again on the left five on the right and we know that christ fulfilled all the demands of the law we know also don't we that the table of showbread remind us that christ is carrying the people of god today that he's carrying us through that he's helping us in our daily issues and that that table is seen in the light of the candlestick if we move out of the the main part of the temple we find this extra feature i always think the entrance to catford fall here's quite grand compared to some of the meeting rooms that we frequent but here we had a porch on the front of the building it was 20 cubits wide the width of the temple and 10 cubits from front to back the access to the temple was big was wide they obviously speaks to us of the fact that christ has opened up the access into god's presence i am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and then from the outside perhaps the two most dominant features that could be seen from the front from the east side there were two huge pillars two pillars that were 18 cubits high so we're talking there about 27 30 feet high two huge pillars made of copper or bronze and they were given particular names one was called jakin and the other was called boaz now we're told that jakin will means he will establish so there in that time solomon's time that pillar spoke to the jews that he will establish referring perhaps to the millennial kingdom and then boaz boaz means in him is strength that the strength of the lord jesus was able to carry his work through and on these two pillars there were was a capital each and that was crowned with lily work and the lilies would speak of the beauty of christ and the beauty of the rain though there were brazen pomegranates there and pomegranates as we know would always speak of fruit there are many many seeds in a pomegranate speaking of the fruit that was born for god in particular we're told that these two pillars were broken up by the calended chaldeans in jeremiah chapter 52 and then we we're told of the chambers and the priest's rooms a little bit of a difference opinion exactly what was meant here but on the sides of the temples there were rooms built storage rooms and rooms for the priests and some have suggested it mentions five cubits and six cubits and seven cubits something they refer to the width of the stories some to the width of these rooms as you move towards the back of the temple but there was obviously room for the priests in solomon's temple that was different from the tabernacle and how that could wonderfully speak to us of the fact that the lord jesus himself told us that in my father's house there are many mansions that there is place for the priests there's places for us there is and he's going to prepare that place for us and then in the court of the priests outside we have the brazen altar that place which was used for the sacrifice of the animals that were brought to god himself the old brazen altar was five cubits by five and three cubits high it was made of acacia wood and covered with brass and we know brass would typify a power that could withstand judgment and everything in this outer court was made of brass or bronze copy of exact mixture was but the brazen altar in the temple was much bigger that was 20 cubits by 20 cubits and 10 cubits high that it was made by hero and it's likewise stood before the temple it obviously speaks to us of the atoning work of christ but it was much bigger and could obviously cope with the sacrifice of far more animals we're told of the brazen laver and here can get a little confused because in the temple it speaks of these 10 lavers and that they were on carts with wheels again five on the left and five on the right and these 10 lavers were used for the washing of the animal sacrifices clearly they needed to be washed because we know that the lord jesus is perfect that he is righteous and these 10 lavers would be used for the washing of the animals we don't seem to have got that mentioned in the tabernacle it seems to be uh an extra and as we move on we can think of the brazen sea the brazen sea was again one of the more remarkable objects in the front of the temple there that it was where the priests would wash their hands and their feet before they offered sacrifices to god that that would speak of the laver as it's mentioned in the tabernacle but in the tabernacle no size was given for the laver we know that that laver was made of the women who were humbled who gave of their um ornaments and mirrors so they could no longer look at themselves and it was used to make the laver but here we have the front of solomon's temple this huge brazen sea it was about five cubits high seven and a half feet high taller than any one of us 10 cubits in diameter around was 30 cubits and it had these 12 oxen underneath three facing each side it says again but it could fill the 200 baths was the unit that was used and 3 000 baths i think if my memory serves me correctly somebody suggested that was about 12 and a half thousand gallons of water i think i remember even reading a suggestion that obviously so much water was involved in this huge object that they might even have cut aqueducts uh bringing water continually to feed into this brazen sea and it's speaking isn't it of the priests having to wash their hands and feet before they offered the sacrifice speaking of our walk the laver here as we know as christians is the word of god which searches us tells us smites our conscience when we're doing things wrong there's certainly we know that the disciples could have no part with christ unless their feet were washed and as we walk and live here as christians we know that as reading the word of god will bring things to our attention will strike us will stop us perhaps from doing things that we shouldn't and cause us to be faithful and serve him we know the animals that were represented here with the ox representing the firmness and patience of god so we come to the great court around the outside surrounding the whole temple three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams and it was there that the people worshipped god so we can see that there are certainly many similarities between the temple and the tabernacle but there are differences and we can learn things from those differences that the temple gives us some idea and some thoughts as to what it will be like in eternity living in the father's house but the temple represented the glory of god and there it showed out the grace of god the huge porch that meant that there was access only when sin had been dealt with truth that god obviously deals with truth and it's important that we're not swayed by other opinions that we do search out the things of god and that we do listen to what god has to say for us that there was fruitfulness fruitfulness for god in the worship that happened in that temple and there was obviously that beauty that beauty that we can see there in the lord jesus christ who gave himself for us and in all the objects that were in the temple as goals speaks of the divinity of god and speaks of our lord jesus christ and the wonder of who he is and the work that he has accomplished for us so may it be that as we think about these things we get a greater idea of how god delights to dwell amongst his people and that how we as christians as the holiness of that temple was so important that we remain holy and so that we can serve him so perhaps we can close by singing hymn number 439 how blessed a home the father's house their love divine doth rest what else could satisfy the hearts of those in jesus blessed his home made ours his father's love our hearts full portion given the portion of the firstborn son the full delight of heaven 439 which is ah oh oh and brings out dwells us is flow slow is to fill with joy the heart. No cloud is there to dim the sea, nor shadows to impart. O what a home of such is love that he must bring us there to fill that home, to be with him and in his glory shine. The Father's house, the Father's house, all that the Son is given, made us the objects of his love and he our joy in heaven. …

… Good evening, everyone. Perhaps we could begin with singing the hymn number nine. Father, we, thy children, bless thee for thy love on us bestowed. As our Father, we address thee, called to be the sons of God. Wondrous was thy loving giving, Jesus for our sins to die. Wondrous was his grace in leaving for our sakes the heavens on high. Hymn number nine. As our Father, we, thy children, bless thee for thy love on us bestowed. As our Father, we, thy children, bless thee for thy love on us bestowed. As our Father, we, thy children, bless thee for thy love on us bestowed. As our Father, we, thy children, favor bless, by thy fruit and spirit guiding, earnestly on wars to come. And with daily strength providing, round us lead thy children home. Though our pilgrimage be dreary, this is not our resting place. Shall we of the way be weary when we see the monster's face? Knowing no anticipation, when this hope of souls rejoiced, and his promise hath been waited, soon shall hear his welcome voice. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, amen. Shall we just sing another hymn to 462? O gracious God, our Father, we thank thee for thy word. To every saint so precious that speaks of Christ the Lord, we thank thee for thy spirit that moved those men of old, who in the holy record thy truth and love unfold. 462. O gracious God, our Father, we thank thee for thy word. To every saint so precious that speaks of Christ thy word, we thank thee for thy spirit that moved those men of old, who in the holy record thy truth and love unfold. For thy name, Lord, we thank thee, the earth and the sea, who doth to thine own children thy judgment will reveal. As none of thee who knew it, thy truth could ever import, so none but those who eat it should receive it in the heart. O may we then, blessed Father, thy gracious word believe, that we may by thy Spirit the truth in love receive. For we would thus be good to serve our faithful Lord, and in this day of conflict, cleave to his name and word. A brother who spoke here beginning of this year or the beginning of this season said to me, make sure they've all got their Bibles. Tell them to open their Bibles and to follow the passage. And so I'm glad to see that everyone who I can see have got their Bibles and it's good to follow along. And I would like to read, to begin with, a verse in the first letter to Timothy, chapter 6 and verse 11. But thou, chapter 6, verse 11, but thou, O man of God, follow these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. If we turn over into the second letter to Timothy, to Timothy chapter 3, and we read in verse 14. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto good works. I'm going to refer to other Scriptures in a moment. But I would like to speak a little bit tonight about men of God. Where we've read together in the New Testament is the two occasions in which the words are in our English language, where we read about men of God. And it is, of course, Timothy, the person who was called a man of God. There's another reference that you might look up in 2 Peter, where the Apostle is speaking about the Old Testament Scriptures, and he could say, men of God wrote those Old Testament Scriptures. But here we find that Timothy is designated as a man of God. And when we speak of men of God, we are not just speaking of a gender, just the males amongst us. This is a possibility for every one of us to be in this scene as men of God, as women of God, to be here for God. Because when we come to the epistle written to Timothy, we find that we're in difficult days. Indeed, in the second epistle, we read the expression, in the last days. And there are certain conditions that were relevant when the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, which are relevant today. When the Apostle wrote, in chapter 1 verse 15 of this second epistle, he could say, all they that are in Asia have turned away from me. They had given up the teaching that the Apostle Paul brought. And when we come to the last chapter, chapter 4, he could say, they have turned their ears away from the truth. And so there is a direct connection between the ministry that the Apostle Paul brought and the truth. And we know, as we were reminded this afternoon, that the truth of the church came through the pen of the Apostle Paul. And in a day when men were turning away from the teaching of Paul, there was a need for men of God. There is a need for individuals who are going to stand up for God. And the day in which we live in, I'm sure that we can each associate with it, that we're living in a day when the teaching of the Apostle Paul is thrown overboard. When the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, as being the complete Word of God, is being thrown overboard. Where the teachings concerning the person and the work of the Lord Jesus is being done away with. And in a day like that, that we're living in, we need people who are going to stand for God. We need to have men of God. We need to have women of God. It is not an optional extra, I may add, before we go any further. There may be some who says, well, that's all very well, but I'm not really fitted to be a man of God. I'm young, and I have my life before me, and I would like to enjoy something that this world has to offer. We will see in a moment. This world has nothing good to offer. But you know, if you're a Christian, and I trust that everybody here is a believer that knows the Lord Jesus as their own Saviour. Because if you don't, you'll be lost for all eternity. If you're a believer, you are duty-bound to live here for the Lord Jesus. You are duty-bound to be a man of God, or a woman of God. And the reason is given in 2 Corinthians. We have many reasons, but I'll go to this one. This one is in 1 Corinthians 6. The Scripture says, you're bought with a price. You don't belong to yourself. You can't do as you like. Before you were converted, before you became a Christian, you could do what you like. But now the Lord Jesus has bought you. He's redeemed you. He's bought you to himself. And we can't do as we like. We are here to serve Him. Now when we look at this subject of the men of God, and one of the wonderful things in our present day is that we can find out how many times it's mentioned by looking in a concordance. I'm not as modern as some of the people here that would go to their laptops or their iPhones. I have to go to a concordance, and I have to count one by one through all the references to men in the Scriptures. And I find that in the Old Testament, there are about 75 references to men of God. The first one is Moses. I want to speak a little bit about Moses. The second one is Samuel. Shemaniah. Two very familiar men come next. Elijah and Elisha. And then David. And finally, and an obscure one, Agdala. Or Igdala. And each of these men, as I've read through them and as I've thought about them and indeed prayed about them, I've found one thing that seems to stand out in their lives. And I want to suggest very simply that this thing that I've picked out ought to be true of every one of us here tonight. Because I'm taking that all of us here desire to be here for the Lord and to be men of God. In relation to Moses, the subject that I picked out from him was separation. In relation to Samuel, I want to talk about worship. Shemaniah, obedience. Elijah, prayer. Elisha, grace. David, order. And Agdala, we've got nothing to say about him because the scripture says very little about him. But what a wonderful thing it is that you can be a man of God without anything to write up about. Just simply be in you. We will see that when we come to him. He is, of course, mentioned in the book of Jeremiah. So we come to the man Moses. And the reference for Moses is in the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 33. Deuteronomy 33 verse 1. And this is the first mention of men of God in scriptures. And this is the blessing wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death. If I was to ask you here to write a short essay on the life of Moses, a few words that would sum up his life. Where would you start? Where would you go? Perhaps some of you here would mention the fact that he was placed in the bulrushes. And that would be, as far as you are concerned, the important thing about Moses. Perhaps you would look at him as the one who led the children of Israel through the rivers of the Red Sea. Perhaps you would look at him as the one who received the Ten Commandments. Indeed, there are many things about Moses that we could talk about. And there is a great deal that the person Moses did. When the Spirit of God draws the Hebrew believers' attention to this man Moses, he could say, by faith Moses, I'm reading from chapter 11, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And that's where I get the idea of separation. And I want to suggest that if we are going to be men of God or women of God, if we're going to live in this scene, we have to be separated. Separated from the evil that is all around us. And Moses here, there came a time in his life, and I want you to notice this, particularly the young ones. I'm reading from Hebrews 11, 24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years. There come a time in your life when you're going to have to stand on your own two feet. Up to now, perhaps Moses had been able to go along with the crowd. And perhaps you have always had the privilege and a great privilege it is to have Christian parents that has brought you along to the meetings. But there will come a time in your life when you've got to stand on your own two feet. When you have to make your own decisions. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, he could say, As you obeyed when I'm with you, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians chapter 2. And so young people, there will come a time in your life when you will have to make decisions. You have to make a decision, is am I going to be here to serve the Lord? Or am I going to please myself? Particularly as you get to college or to university. Away from your parents, perhaps for the first time. The decisions have to be made and you have to make those decisions. Am I going to be here for Christ? Am I going to live for the one who is coming again and he's going to reign? Or am I going to live for myself and try and please myself? Well, Moses here, he looked at things and there are four things that Moses did. In Hebrews 11, the first thing he refused, he choose, he esteemed and he forsook. And I want to suggest that each one of us have got to look intelligently at what this world has to offer. And we have to look and see what there is outside. What is there that we can enjoy? What pleasures are there? And we've got to be prepared to refuse because we have something far greater. Moses could refuse all the riches in Egypt. Why? Because he looked beyond them and he saw that riches which were in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we get a glimpse at the greatness of the person of the Lord Jesus, a greatness of that which is his and that we are going to be part of that, we will be able to refuse what this world has to offer. And so the challenge is to each one of us here. Are we prepared to say no to this world and to refuse as Moses did the people of God? Now, some of you may look round and you may say to yourself, it's all very well for old people, but as young ones, we like life. What life is there at the little assembly that we go to? There's no life. Moses choose the people of God. And dear friends, it's far better to be associated with God's people, the people that love the Lord Jesus, than it is to be associated with a world which is fast coming under the judgment of God. And so Moses, he chose, he esteemed and he forsook Egypt. It was a very difficult thing as we look at Egypt, as we see all that which Egypt had for Moses to forsake. But you know, dear friends, if he didn't forsook Egypt, he would never have been a man of God. And if we don't say no to this world and all that it is showing to us, we don't need to go far outside of these two walls, four walls, and we will see the world pulling us, seeking us to go with them and to do what they do. But Moses refused it because he looked and he saw Christ. And you know, when we come to, if we were to have read further on in the chapter in Deuteronomy, God speaks of Israel and he says, Israel shall dwell alone. It is ever God's intention that Israel as a nation should be completely separated from all the other nations around him. And indeed, when Balaam in Numbers 23 could look down at Israel, he could say, the people shall dwell alone. This was God's order for the children of Israel. And we see that this, too, is God's order for you and me, that we are separated from a world which stands guilty of the death of his beloved son. Now, there may be somebody who says. If I'm separated from the world, if I don't go where they go, if I don't do what they do, I won't be able to witness to them. A very popular suggestion. And I have a good answer. I want to ask you the question, who had the greatest witness? Was it Abraham or was it Lot? Can you think of it? Abraham was the old man up in the mountains. The old man that had no doubt herds and cattle, the old man that looked after his household. Lot, on the other hand, he had moved away and he was right down amongst the people in Sodom. Who had the greatest witness? Abraham was able, according to the 14th chapter of Genesis, to rescue Lot and all those in Sodom. And what a witness Abraham had, because he was a separated man. But as far as Lot, he not only pitched his tent towards Sodom, the next time we read of him, he was living in Sodom. And the next time we read of him, he was seeking to judge Sodom and to make it a better place to live in. What witness did he give? When he went and told his own family that judgment was coming, they laughed at him. There is no witness if there is not separation. The world will laugh at people that tell them that God is going to judge the world and still seek to enjoy what this world has to offer. And so I would suggest that firstly, we see in Moses a man who was separated from the evil that was going on in the world. Now we come to Samuel, and again we would read that verse which mentions him. It's in 1 Samuel chapter 9. In 1 Samuel chapter 9, we could read verse 6. And he, that Saul's servant, said unto him, that is Saul, Behold, now there is in this city a man of God. He is an honourable man, and all that he says surely comes to pass. Let us now go thither, perhaps he can show us our way that we should go. Then said Saul unto his servants, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God, what have we? Here we have that this man Samuel is called a man of God. And my suggestion, having looked at Samuel and having thought about him, is that the thing which seems to come out very forcibly to me, and no doubt to others there are other points that will come out forcibly when you read the story of Samuel, is worship. If we go right the way back to the very beginning of the life of Samuel, to the last verse of chapter 2, it says, And he worshipped the Lord there. Now I'm not suggesting that that was Samuel, because if you look at the context, you will find that it could have been Eli, Hannah and Elkanah were together. And I want to suggest very simply that perhaps in amongst them, on that day when they took Samuel to the temple, to give him to the Lord, as they were about to leave the temple, there was mum, there was dad, and there was Samuel, and there was Eli, and together they could worship the Lord. And Samuel was in the atmosphere where there were those that were worshipping God, giving God the correct place. And you know, when we think of the condition that prevailed when Samuel comes onto the scene, it is a very dark day. At the end of the book of Judges, we read, Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. They weren't acting according to the word of God. We find that the very priests that were there, Hothnai and Phinehas, were sons of Belial. That means they were wicked, that God designated them as being evil. And we can read some of the wicked things that they'd done, not only in relation to the offering, but also morally in the way in which they lived. And it was in a day like that, that God was going to raise up a priest that could turn the people back to him. And you know, we live in the same sort of day. If the day that we saw in the end of the 1st Timothy and 2nd Timothy was a day of departure from the teaching of the Apostle Paul, I'm sure that we can all identify with the day in which Samuel was living in. A day when there is a wholesale giving up of God's rights in this world, where there is a moral decline in the standards in which we live. And in that day, we find that we are introduced to a priest, Samuel. What a grand thing it is as we come out of the book of Judges. A book where several occasions we read, every man did that which was right in his own eyes. We come into the book of Ruth and we find there that God has a man. And God has a man in the book of Ruth. The last word in the book of Ruth is David, God is a king. And in the book of Samuel, God has a priest and that priest is here as Samuel. But what I want to draw attention to is in chapter 7. Chapter 7 and verse 9. And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a burnt offering, holy unto the Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. And the last verse. And his return was to Ramah. We should have said he went from year to year in a circle. And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the Lord. You see what is absolutely vital in the life of Samuel is that here was a man who was the leader of worship for the nation of Israel. Here was a man who brought that which typically would speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he offered it, and he offered it for the nation of Israel. And that is absolutely vital that we as a company of the Lord's people get together where we can worship God. And perhaps we should ask ourselves the question, what is worship? What does it mean when we say we've been to a worship meeting? We all know, I think, what a prayer meeting is. When we go to a prayer meeting, we ask God for things that we need. But when we go to a praise meeting, we thank God for what he's given us. But when we go to a worship meeting, do we not thank God for what he is? And the wonderful thing, and if we want a definition of worship, I think that we can see it in one of our hymns, hymn number 53. The glories of his work we bring, the glorified we see, his deep perfections gladly sing, and tell them forth to thee. And so not only do we see that Samuel was the leader of worship for the company of the children of Israel, but when we come to the last verse, we find that when he went back to his house, he there built an altar unto the Lord. And I believe that one of the sad things is that when we get together as saints of God, and particularly when we gather on the morrow to remember the Lord in our death, there is a great opportunity that we can worship, we can give him, give the Lord Jesus and give God that which is due to him. We can worship him. Yes, we can praise him for what he has done. But you know, do we also in our private home lives, do we have that opportunity when we as individuals can give God the right place? And do we just leave worship for the older brothers in the morning meeting? Or is it something that each one of us, sisters and young people alike, that we can get a time, we often used to hear, of the quiet time when we get before the Lord and when we can pour out our hearts to him in prayer, but also when we can thank him and worship him for what he is. And I think we see that in Samuel, a person who put God first. The next one is in 1 Kings 12.22. And verse 1 Kings 12.22. When we speak of this man, and this is the only reference that we get apart from the corresponding verses in Chronicles. The point that I want to emphasize here is that he was a man who was obedient to the word of God. In the next chapter, we read of a man of God, and it could indeed be the same person, but he's not named. And he went, and he disobeyed the word of God, and we have the sorrowful state of his death. But here, he is in total obedience to what the word of God says. The scriptures tells us in relation to Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. And if we had time, we could go back into 1 Samuel 15. And there we see that God told Saul. So Saul, the king, the one that he had been raised up. He said, I want you to go, and I want you to smite the Amaleks. I want you to get rid of them as a nation. Because what they did to the children of Israel, and Saul goes along. And when he went there, he smote some, but the good, the king, and all the best sheep, and all the best cattle, he kept. And to him, Samuel could say, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. And I want to stress that if we are going to be men of God, and women of God in this day, we have to be obedient to the word of God. And the word of God has to be the prime thing in our lives. Now, how can you obey something if you've never read it? How many people here are drivers and have never read the highway code? Certainly, I would be amongst those that in the last 10 years have never read the highway code. For some reason, we haven't got time and we think we know. How many of us here are seeking to serve the Lord and seeking to do what he wants us to do, and have never read the scriptures through in the last 10 years? This is a challenge to each one of us. I don't want you to go home tonight and say, well, what he said was all very good and nice. I want you to go home tonight and say, I'm going to have to do something about it. Because if I'm going to be obedient to the word of God, I'm going to have to read it. I'm going to have to get to know what the word of God is all about. And we need to read the Bible. We need not only to read it in our Bible readings and in our meetings, that's not sufficient. We need to read it in our homes. We need to read it more than any other piece of literature that we have. And it always saddens me when I see people with books, novels that are about that thick and their Bible is never read. If we are Christians at all, and if we want to stand for God, we have to put the reading of the word of God, the number one thing in our lives. Because there are many things in the Bible that we know. But sad to say, we don't keep them. I could tell you things that we all know and we all like to obey. And the first one that I'm sure that we're pretty, pretty acquainted with is the New Testament teaching in relation to marriage, where it says, don't be unequally yoked. And how often do you hear the preachers stand up here and we can preach that very clearly because it's scriptural. And we can say you shouldn't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. And then we can turn and very often the brothers can turn and we can say the sisters shouldn't speak in the assembly because we have New Testament scriptures, which says, let your women keep silent in the assemblies and we can press that. But, you know, when we were reading through Ephesians here not so long ago at the Bible basics in chapter three, we read there things which start to hit and start to affect us, because when we read in the word of God and in Ephesians chapter four, it says, let no lying. Scripture says we shouldn't lie. Do we obey what the scripture says? Or do we say it doesn't really matter because it's only a small lie? Scripture says in 28 of the same chapter, we shouldn't steal. Do we take something from our employer because we think he doesn't see us? Scripture says, let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth. Do we say things which are wrong, which are evil? Are we being obedient to the word of God? And the scripture says we should love one another. And I think this is perhaps the greatest challenge, that do we obey the word of God and love one another? Those people that we don't like, those people that naturally we don't get on with, but the scriptures tell us that we should love them. And I believe if we're going to be men of God for the Lord down here, well, then we have to be those that love one another. We have to be those that know the scriptures and obey them. Good thing it is to be obedient to God's word. In 1 Kings 17 verse 18. And she said unto Elijah, what have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sins to remembrance and to slay my son? Again, when we are thinking of Elijah, what is the topic that comes to one's mind as we read about him? The thing that always comes to my mind when we talk about Elijah is the words from the Apostle James in the New Testament. You could speak about Elijah as a man of like passions as we. In other words, Elijah was just like you and me. He had the same feelings. He had the same thoughts. He liked the same things as we did, but he said he prayed. What a great thing it was that Elijah could pray. And it's the greatest privilege or one of the greatest privileges that we have as Christians is that we can pray. In Hebrews 4 we read there of three things that are left for us in this wilderness journey. First of all, there is the word of God. Then there is the high priest. And then in the last verse, we have the throne of grace. We have that place where we can go to to receive mercy and to receive help as we pass through this scene. And in the story of Elijah, we see a man who was prepared to pray. And what a good thing it is and what a vital thing it is for us as a Lord's people, for us as men of God, for women of God, to be marked by prayer. And very opening words that we have in chapter 17, we are immediately introduced to Elijah. But before we come to him in 1 Kings 17, we find that he had already been praying. And he had been praying that it might not rain. And you know, why did he pray that it might not rain? Because he had already read the word of God. He had already read what it says in Deuteronomy. And there it says, if the nation turns away from me, God says, if the nation turns away from me, I'll stop the rain. I'll stop the weather. And here we find that Elijah, having read those Old Testament scriptures, is praying according to the word of God. And it is absolutely vital that we know the scriptures as we've already said. And that we obey them and we pray according to the word of God. You know, there are men in the Bible who made prayers which were never answered. This very man that we're talking about, he prayed that his life may depart from him. He said, I'm no better than my father's. Take my life from me. But you know, God never answered his prayer. And as a matter of fact, Elijah never died. Chapter 2 of the 2nd Kings, he goes straight to heaven. And there's another man who prayed. And that prayer wasn't answered. I'm thinking of Peter, Luke 5. When he saw the Lord and the multitude of fishes that he had got, he fell down at Jesus' knee and he says, depart from me. But the Lord never departed from him. And I believe that Peter was eternally thankful that he didn't depart from him. And it says in the book of James, again, we ask for things, but we ask amiss that we might consume it on our own lusts. And you know, dear friends, prayer is absolutely vital, but it's got to be according to the mind and the will of God. What a wonderful example we see of this in the life of the Lord Jesus. That when he was here, he was a man that was marked by prayer. If you read in Luke's gospel, seven times we read of the Lord actually praying. It actually says the word in the text. But there are perhaps other times, 14 times when he is seen speaking to his father. What a testimony. The Lord Jesus is seen in Luke as the son of man. And if it was needed, we can say reverently for the Lord Jesus to speak to his father. How much more for us in this day in which we live to be marked by prayer. So Elijah is a man that is marked by prayer. And now in 2 Kings 4, 7. 2 Kings 4, 7 says, Then she came and told the man of God, and he said, Go sell the oil and pay the debt. As for Elijah, all our commentaries will tell us that Elijah is the prophet of grace. And I believe, you know, they are absolutely true. And as we read through the story of Elijah, we see a man that brought something different to Elijah. Elijah came on the scene as we've seen him with judgment. And Elijah goes off the scene, well off what we have recorded in the second Kings chapter 1. He brings down fire from heaven. He goes off with judgment. But Elijah, Elisha, he begins with blessing. What a wonderful thing it is that as men of God and as women of God, we should bring that grace, that wonderful blessing that the Lord Jesus brought when he was here. And, you know, as I read through this, and we've just got time just to look at one in 2 Kings 2 and verse 19. Elijah, in the beginning of 2 Kings 2, he has gone across the river Jordan. He has gone up to heaven and Elisha is left. And Elisha crosses over the Jordan and the first place that he comes to, as did Joshua, was the city of Jericho. And in verse 19, the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, but the water is nought and the ground is barren. And he said, Bring me a new cause and put salt therein. And he went forth unto the spring of water and cast the salt therein and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. Here we see the first act of Elisha, an act of absolute blessing. Jericho, as we know, was the city of the curse. It was in Joshua's day that they said, He that buildeth the city, there was a curse put upon it. And it wasn't until in the days of Ahab that that city was built. And here it is still a city where the waters were barren. It was a city which was pleasant to look around. And, you know, here is a picture of this world, a world when God created it in Genesis 1 was very good. A world in which there are wonderful sights and pleasure to look to our eyes in relation to nature. But what had happened? Sin had entered into this world. And as far as this world was concerned, it was barren. There was nothing there. And along comes Elisha. And what is he going to do and what are we going to do in a world which is marred by sin? What can we do? He brought this new curse and he put salt therein and he cast it into the water. What a wonderful picture this is of that new life which the Lord Jesus has brought. The old days, the old idea and the law, keeping of the law, didn't satisfy. It didn't meet anybody's need. When the Lord Jesus came, he could meet men's need. And I believe one of the things that should mark us as men of God is that we have a desire. And that we have a concern for those that are lost. And that we want to speak the gospel. And we want to tell them about the Lord Jesus Christ. And using every opportunity to speak about him. I was only hearing yesterday of a young man. I say he's young because he's younger than me. And he knows he's dying with cancer. And he's a doctor. And he knows all about what's going to happen to him. But he's full of Christ. And he wants to tell others about him. What a grand thing it is to have that grace. To be wanting to bless other people. And if we're going to be men of God, we need to tell others of the gospel. Not only in the gospel meetings. But in our private lives with our family and with our friends and with those that we mix with. Let us be those that will speak about the gospel. Well, I want to finish on time. And as we come to the last two. Simply in relation to David. There's so much that could be said of David. But I'll read the verse in 2 Chronicles 8.14. 2 Chronicles 8.14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and to minister before the priests. As the duty of every day required, the porters also by their course at every gate. For so had David, the man of God, commanded. The reference to David as the man of God occurs in three places. Here is the first time we read about David as a man of God. And the next two are in the book of Nehemiah chapter 12. And if you read those verses, it is always in connection with order. And you know what I like about this? Is that David told the people what to do. And it was according to what God had already said. When we think of Moses in the tabernacle, how many times is it recorded that it was according to the pattern shown him in the mount? And we know that Moses, when he built that tabernacle, it wasn't something haphazard. It wasn't something that he dreamed up. It was something that God gave him. And God told him exactly what to do and how to build it. And Moses was faithful in all his house, Hebrews 3. And he built the tabernacle according to what God showed him in the mount. And here we find that David, he's the man of God. And he's sticking to the order that God had told him. He's sticking to that particular way in which God had said there should be this actions in the temple. You know, when we bring it up to the present day, we don't have to wonder how are we going to run? How are we going to run our assemblies? How are we going to act in our meetings? Because we have it in the Word of God. It is there. It is clearly laid down. We mentioned this afternoon the truth, what the Apostle Paul brought out in 1 Corinthians 12. And you know, if we want to know the order that we should act in relation to the remembrance of the Lord and the supper, we know exactly where to look. It's in 1 Corinthians 11. There we have laid down the facts of the supper. And as we read through Paul's letters to those churches, do we not see there is a definite order given? And if we are to be men of God, and if we are to be here for him in a scene of his rejection, I would like to suggest that there should be order in the way in which we gather, in the way in which we meet together as Christians. That order has to come from the Word of God. How sad it is when we look around us and we see many of the established churches and their order doesn't come from the Word of God, but it comes from the prayer book, which they have, some men, maybe godly men in the past, have written. And yet the Word of God is laid to one aside. If we are going to be here in this scene of his rejection for him, as men of God, we need to take heed to the order that is given to us in the New Testament epistles in relation to the church. And then I come to our final character. He is in Jeremiah 35. I'm sure he's one that we wouldn't have turned to. An immediately thinking of men of God. Indeed, I had to look up the reference that I had written to find it, to read it today. And it is in 35 verse 4. And there we read, I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the son of Hanun, the son of Agdala, a man of God. That's all that we read about him. But, you know, I like that because here was somebody who was simply doing what he could do for God. You know, that is what we want to happen today. We want you as individuals to simply be here, doing what you're doing for God. Simply to live a life of Christianity. To live as Christ lived down here. And so, I finished what I was going to say. My time is up, but I trust that each one of us, as we think about these men of God, I trust that each one of us here will realise that it is our responsibility to be here for the Lord Jesus. To live for him. And I want to suggest that these seven features should be true of each one of us. First of all, we should be separated from this world, which is coming under judgement. Secondly, we should have that spirit of worship, of giving God what is his due. From our hearts, we should give him praise. Thirdly, we should be those that are obedient to the word of God. That we read the word of God, and we know it. That we spend time in prayer. And that as a result of that, there will be the going out of the gospel, the grace that will go out to others, in a saving grace. There will also be an order, not only in our lives as individuals, but in the assemblies to which we gather. And finally, we will just be there as Christians, as those that are living for the Lord. We're going to close with singing that hymn that we quoted, number 53. Bless God and Father in thy sight. We bow and own thy grace. We worship in thy glorious light, which shines in Jesus' face. The glories of his work we bring, thee glorified we see, his deep perfections gladly sing, and tell them forth to thee. Number 53. Bless God and Father in thy sight. We bow and own thy grace. We worship in thy glorious light, which shines in Jesus' face. The glories of his work we bring, thee glorified we see, his deep perfections gladly sing, and tell them forth to thee. He fills thy presence, fully known to thee, alone his worth. But in our hearts thy light has shone as suns of heavenly birth. Lord Jesus Christ, we praise thy name, in God the Father's name, and worship thee, the Holy Lamb, whose blood has brought us near. …

… Good afternoon, everyone. It's good to see so many of you here. Could we start with hymn number 275, please? Our God is light, and though we go across a trackless wild, Our Saviour's footsteps ever show the path for every child. The whole hymn, please, number 275. Our God is light, and though we go across a trackless wild, Our Saviour's footsteps ever show the path for every child. At ev'ry step, how freshly blue, The shore of heav'n we guide, The faithful and forbearing Lamb, That never turns aside. Thou weariest not, most gracious Lord, Thou quivering, weary crow, And seizing the sustaining word, Thou giv'st our hearts to love. This bitter water's meadow first Thy cross has laid ensleep, When all our glad and visionless Lost shade could retreat. The manna canter's springing well Suffice for every need. And nature's grace, her stories tell How well thy path does lead. In the name of the Lord Jesus, amen. We also sing hymn number 101, please. It is not with uncertain step we tread our desert way. A well-known voice has called us up to everlasting day. The whole hymn, please, number 101. It is not with uncertain step we tread our desert way. A well-known voice has called us up to everlasting day. The voice of him who here has trod Along the trackless way And on the road which leads to God Where once we've lost its way. He leads us not alone to trace A path across the ways But leads us still with living grace Homeward bound to emace. See how fast stands the heavenly door When glory shines below. To light the way he's gone before The coming bliss to show. In patience then we tread the road Of faith and courage tried. And just the law which bears its load Thou must draw with due piety. Could we turn, please, to Peter's first epistle and read the last chapter. First epistle of Peter, chapter 5, from verse 1. 1 Peter 5, verse 1. The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly, nor for filthy lucre but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage but being ensembles to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you, be subject one to another and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he might devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother, unto you, as I suppose I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. To the church that is at Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you, and so does Marcus my son. Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Peter, of course, is much remembered for the fact that although he loved the Lord much, he also failed. And yet the Lord was able to give him a task, and he was able to say to him even before Peter had fallen, and once thou art returned, strengthen thy brethren. And I suppose this epistle here is part of that work which the Lord had confided to Peter. He writes to his brethren. Now, primarily, of course, these were Christians who were Jews before, and therefore they were in the care of Peter especially. But I dare say Peter also wrote this epistle to strengthen us. And there is a good deal of very practical guidance in this epistle and also in this chapter we have read. Now, in the first verse, Peter addresses himself to the elders which are among you, and he gives them an exhortation which we will come to, I hope, in verse 2, which is, feed the flock of God. But first of all, the question arises, who exactly was Peter addressing here? And there are two ways of understanding this because the word elder is used in two different ways. The obvious meaning is that it refers to elder persons, elder men in particular. But secondly, the word is also used for those brothers who had the office of an elder. Now, this raises a little question here right in the beginning. Well, what actually is meant? Is it experience or is it office? Now, when we say office, not talking about an office with a desk and a computer where you go to do your work. We are talking about a charge which is not exactly the same thing as a gift. It is something that is exercised in a locality, in a town. And you read in the Acts of the Apostles already that the apostles appointed men who had certain qualifications as elders. There is one verse that is very important there which we might just read in Acts 14 because sadly it is sometimes misrepresented a little bit. But this is Acts 14.23 where it speaks about Paul and those with him and it says, And when they, that's Paul and his companions, had ordained them elders in every church. Now, some have tried to make this verse mean that the believers in those assemblies voted in order to choose elders. But this is not what it says. It says the apostles chose for them elders in every church. And that's what they did, especially in newly formed assemblies where you had Christians who had been converted out of Hesonism, Gentiles. And in order to make sure that there was oversight, the apostles appointed such elders. And by the way, it was only apostles and those who had received a specific command and authority from the apostles who could do this. You all know that Titus is one example. Now, when I just a minute ago used the word oversight, it might just be good to explain this as well briefly. There are two words that are used for the same people. One is elders. The other is overseers. The first talks about the, you might say, the experience and the dignity. The second talks more about the actual work they had to do. And you find that both words are used of the same people in Acts 20 where it says Paul called the elders from Ephesus and then he speaks to them and he says, take heed of yourselves and of the flock in whom the Lord has set you as overseers. So he tells the elders that they are overseers. Now, that's what we mean by official elders. Now, in this verse here, there are several reasons why it might not actually be the official elders that are meant. In the first place, there is no article before the word, so it just means elder ones, not a specific group of the elders. You also find that in verse 5 it says, likewise ye younger. So it seems that there is a correspondence. There is something for the elder ones. Nobody needs to be disappointed. There will also be something for the younger ones. But it just is another argument for showing that it might not be the office in view here. Also that Peter calls himself a fellow elder as opposed to an apostle as he might have done if it was a matter of authority. However, Peter does use the word oversight in verse 2 and he tells them how they should not go about having this oversight. Peter, as I mentioned, writes to Christians who were Jews before and official elders, and that's another argument, were normally appointed in assemblies where you had predominantly heathens that had been converted. Now, given that that is the case, you might actually argue that it doesn't make such a big difference because as in the assemblies in heathen territory you had at the time appointed elders, so you had in the assemblies where there were predominantly those who had been Jews before, you had elder brothers who also took responsibility. And in one sense, this is very much like our situation today where we haven't got apostles, we haven't got apostolic delegates, and we cannot appoint elders. But we do hope that there are, and we give thanks for those that are there, that there are brothers who meet the qualifications that are outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. And in this passage, then, we have an exhortation to such who are privileged in this way to look after something that is very precious to God, namely his flock. But before Peter comes to this, he gives three titles, or he mentions three characteristics of himself, and these three are important for this particular exhortation. He says, first of all, I am writing to you as a fellow elder. I know something about the challenges of your position. I know something about the difficulties and the possible frustrations connected with this work. But, he says, I am secondly a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Now, there are witnesses and witnesses. You can either, I would call this witness passively, like, for example, the women in the Gospels. They witnessed how the Lord was crucified, and then they witnessed how he was put into the grave. That means they observed. But then you also have active witness, and this is what is meant here, which is really the same word as martyr. It is somebody who testifies, somebody who speaks publicly and who bears witness to a certain thing. Now, that's important here because Peter says, I am bearing testimony to the sufferings of Christ. And, you know, that's a good basis for exhorting someone in a difficult position. He says, part of my ministry is to speak about how much Christ suffers. And if you have that before you, you won't be that disappointed if you bear some sufferings in your responsibility as elders. But, thirdly, and that's beautiful as well, he says, I'm also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. You may find things difficult. You may find that, you know, the sheep are running all over the place. It's really not easy to look after that flock. You may find it's a real challenge. But he says, you know what? I am already a partaker of the glory. Now, you've got something that's of typical Peter here. Peter is very down-to-earth. It's kind of, you might say, the wilderness perspective. He doesn't see the believers like Paul as joined together in one body, united to Christ, their head in heaven. He doesn't talk about the mystery. With Peter, it's very basic. He says, you are individuals. You are in the wilderness. You are on a journey. But at the end of that journey, there is the glory. And here, in order to encourage those he writes to, he says, I'm already a partaker of that glory that shall be revealed. It's beautiful how Peter presents this. If you just look at Chapter 1, and these are four references now in this epistle. In Chapter 1, it says, in verse 5, he speaks about the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Then, the next thing that is being revealed, in verse 13, he says, and hope to the end for the grace that is brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, thirdly, in Chapter 4 and verse 13, but rejoice in so much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed, he may be glad also with exceeding joy. Did you get that? Four items that are being revealed at that great revelation. Number one, their salvation. And when Peter talks about salvation, with one exception, which is 1 verse 9, where it says salvation of your souls, he talks of full salvation of body, soul, and spirit. And he points us to the moment when Christ will be revealed in glory, and he says, at that moment in time, your salvation will be revealed. Second point was the grace. When Christ appears in glory, and we appear with him, then something that we appreciate now already will then be revealed, and that is his grace. And the third aspect was this unspeakable joy. The revelation of Christ will be an occasion of joy for us. And here in 5 verse 1, we have the fourth point. It is the revelation of the glory of Christ. And for Peter, this was so real. He says, you know, I'm a partaker of this now. And if I write these practical things to you, some exhortations, I really do this as a partaker of that future glory. Now, then the exhortation itself is feed the flock of God. Now, feeding is perhaps not exactly right or enough. You may find a literal translation that uses the word shepherd. Shepherd the flock of God. Now, feeding is certainly part of this. If the shepherd wants to keep a flock together in one place, and if the flock is in a barren place where there is no food, no pasture, he will have a lot of trouble keeping the sheep there. So the first thing is feeding. But then shepherding comprises more. It also means to have an eye on the flock. It means to be observant when a sheep distances itself from the flock. That's normally a sign of danger. There may be a sheep that doesn't walk like the other sheep walk, and that is a sign where the shepherd would say, look what is going on here. So shepherding would be caring, observing, and looking after this flock. Now, when I say this flock, it says here, and that's very important, the flock of God. You ever heard people talking about their flock? Somebody who says, I'm a pastor. I'm looking after a flock of 200. My flock is 250. Well, it shouldn't be his flock at all. It is the flock of God. And that is exactly the point made a little later here in the next verse. We should not regard those who are Christ's as our possession. They are the possession of Christ. They are the flock of God. And whatever we can do for their benefit, we should do in this perspective that actually we want to help along those who belong to that flock of God. Now, sometimes we learn best by negatives. And if we're told how not to do it, it sheds some light on how it should be done. Taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. There are two dangers here. One danger is that somebody wants to do a spiritual work. He wants to be involved with the flock of God, but it is for the wrong incentives. It is for financial gain. And that is, again, sadly, it is a principle that has become very widespread in Christendom where Christian service is carried out for financial benefit. And Peter says very clearly this is not how it should be done, but nor should it be done by constraint. This would be someone who feels a responsibility, who says, I've got to do it, but I really don't like it very much. And he says neither of these would be the right perspective. The right perspective would be willingly and of a ready mind. Neither, verse 3, as being the Lord's, I just say here over God's heritage, but in my Bible and probably in yours, God is in italics. And that means it's not there in the original. And generally it's a good idea when it's not there in the original then not to put it there. Now, I read another translation for you where it says, not as lording over your possessions. Now, that is the point. Those who have a responsibility in relation to believers should not regard them as their possession. They should not regard themselves as lords, but they should do this as a service. Well, you might say, how can they do it then? If they don't act as lords, if they don't command, how can they then make the flock move in a certain direction? How can they make sure that the sheep go the right way and that they get the right food? Well, just read on. It says, but being ensembles to the flock, being models for the flock. Sometimes we're not conscious of this, but being a model or giving an example is a very powerful thing indeed. Just remember our youngest son a few days ago. He came downstairs in the morning. He was wearing my shoes. He also had found himself a tie and put it on. He had a bag in his hand. He looked at us, showed us his bag, and he said, computer, computer. Then he looked and said, I'm dead. I'm going to work. He was already with the big shoes and the tie in the bag. Now, I never particularly tried to teach him how you would go about going to work, but he must have been looking. I suppose that's how it works with this matter of being models. Sometimes we may not be conscious of this. Peter says, I go fishing, and then the others say, well, we go fishing as well. Another occasion is a child comes running. Mom, mom, my little brother or sister, whatever, has done a really stupid thing, something really bad. The mother says, well, what have you done? Well, I did the same. I did it first. Well, that's the power of imitation. Peter says, if we want to give positive guidance, and one almost feels reluctant to speak about this, because one feels that one has done so many things which one rather wouldn't be imitated. It's just so much more important to think about this, being examples to the flock. Whatever we do, we must be ready for it to be imitated by others. And when the chief shepherd, verse 4, shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Sheep are not well known for being particularly grateful. Sheep wouldn't run after the shepherd and give him a reward. And perhaps some of the elders might say, well, it's a real burden, Peter, what you're asking of us here. It's quite hard work. And sometimes, you know, when you tell someone you're not really going the right way, they don't really like it. And it's not a rewarding thing. And Peter says it is a rewarding thing. Just look in the right direction, the chief shepherd. Now, first of all, you know, even those who have some responsibility, Peter says we are only under shepherds. And we need to look at the chief shepherd, the Lord Jesus. And it's a very beautiful title. We know him well as the good shepherd. The character of the good shepherd, based on John 10, is that he lays down his life for the sheep. At the cross, on the cross, you see the good shepherd. But Hebrews 13 talks about the great shepherd. And the great shepherd is the one whom God brought again from among the dead. So in resurrection, you see the Lord as the great shepherd. But you can also see the Lord as the chief, the first or highest shepherd. And this is where? This is again at his appearing, when the chief shepherd shall appear. So death, resurrection, appearing, good, great, and chief shepherd. And Peter says, if you have your eye on that, which, by the way, is a good perspective to be encouraged, to think of the day which is no longer the day of small things, but a day when, as it says, Christ will come in glory with might and power. And then it says, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. You know the martyrs, they get the crown of life. Paul, at the end of his life, having lived righteously, having fought the good fight, he says, what I get is the crown of righteousness and those who love his appearing. But here, for the shepherds who do this, or elders who do this sometimes not so glorious work, Peter says, at the appearing, you will receive the crown of glory. And that is one that lasts. It's not like one of those crowns made of twigs for somebody who's won the race, the Olympic game, which shortly afterwards would be fading away, but it will be lasting. Likewise, verse 5, ye younger. Now, I know that we always have trouble fitting ourselves into categories. And I'm sure many have been thinking about, well, who actually in this room here, who is this, the younger, and who are the elders? Well, perhaps I can make a simple suggestion. I would suggest that most of us are younger than some others. And most of us are older than some others. And that makes it very easy. We then have guidance as to how we should act, what our attitude should be towards those who are younger, where we should be trying to help them along in their Christian pathway. And then secondly, what should our attitude be towards those who are older? And that's what we come to here. And the attitude should be, submit yourselves to those who are elder. Now, you might say that's not something I like. It's not something I was taught at school either. I was told I need to use my elbows and I need to get to the top and I need to do this and that, but not submit. Well, that's the divine guidance. And I believe it's something very healthy. It's something that would do away with a great deal of difficulties we have locally if we were better at submitting. First of all, towards those who are elder, and then to one another. I remember a time, actually, where I was quite worked up about something that, in my view, was just going completely wrong. And I went to some brothers' meetings and I tried to make it so plain how wrong it all was. And I told an older brother about it at one time, and he said to me, look, your responsibility is to give your view. Tell your brethren what you believe and tell them why you believe it, and then why don't you leave the decision for them? And just say, look, I've told you what my conviction is, and now I would like to leave you to decide. This first sounded very strange to me. And then I thought, well, actually, I'll try that out. And today I do think it was a very good piece of advice. And it's actually very much in line with what we find here. Submit yourselves to the elder and all of you be subject to one another. I actually find that if something is presented in a way, in the spirit of this verse, that you find more open ears and others will listen better to what is being suggested. Now, it says here, clothed with humility. It's the picture of a garment that you are clothed with. It surrounds you and it's almost inseparably connected with yourself. You take it with you where you go. And this is how humility should accompany us on our way. And then a reason is given, for God resists the proud. We don't want that, do we? We don't want to be in a position where God actually has to actively resist us and be against us. You remember that this happened to some people, and sometimes people who made a good start. My first example is Nebuchadnezzar, and he had been given a high position by God, but then the moment came when he exhorted himself in his pride, and then God had to resist him, and he had to say, Nebuchadnezzar, you will become like the animals in the field. There's another example that comes to mind, which is Uzziah. Uzziah was 16 when he became king. He reigned 51 years. His career was as steep as it can be. If you read 2 Chronicles 26, you find what he did, how he built towers. He strengthened the cities. He went to war. He overcame the enemies. He made them tributaries. He had engineers employed in order to do research and develop machines that could be used for various purposes, and he just did such a good job as a king. And then the tragic verse comes, and when he had become great, his heart became exalted, or exalted himself. And then it says that God had to resist him. You know, when he exalted himself, he then said, I want to be more than a king. I want to be more than God has given me. I want to burn incense in the temple. And then the priest came and withstood him, and he became angry. And that's another sign of pride. If one is on the wrong way, and somebody tells me I get angry, that's really the attitude of pride. And then God had to slay him with leprosy on his forehead. That was the end of this king who had gone such a good way for such a long time. God resisted the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. And that's a real encouragement. If we are able, with the Lord's help and by his grace, to say, all right, I feel differently, but I now submit to this, and I listen to what my brother says, and if we go this way of humility, we have the Lord on our side. And the Lord says he will give grace for this attitude. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God. Again, humbling ourselves is not something that comes naturally, but just think of the mighty hand of God. What has the mighty hand of God done? The mighty hand of God executed judgment on Christ on the cross. It pleased Jehovah to bruise him, and Christ endured this. Now, if Christ took that place, and if the mighty hand of God did this and was still right, should we not take that place? I'm not speaking about atoning sufferings, but I'm speaking about just humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God and saying, actually, what this mighty hand does right now, it hurts me, but the mighty hand of God is always right. That he may exalt you in due time. Now, that's always the order in God's ways. If somebody exalts himself, God has to discipline him. But if somebody humbles himself under the mighty hand of God, God will exalt him. And the best example is Christ. Philippians 2, he humbled himself. And he went down step by step, even to the death of the cross. And then it says, and therefore, God has highly exalted him, has given him a name that is above every name. And this is a principle in the kingdom of God. The principle in the world is exalt yourself and try to get ahead of your neighbor. The principle in the kingdom of God is humble yourself, and God, leave the exaltation, leave the exalting bit to God. He will do this in due time. Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Now, we do find this difficult sometimes, casting our care upon him. We quite like to keep it on. You all know this story of the old lady with a big rucksack who was offered a lift by a farmer on a truck, and she accepted, gratefully accepted that lift, but she did keep her rucksack on. And when the farmer asked, look, why are you doing this? She says, well, I'm so grateful you give me a lift on your truck, but I want to help a little bit as well, and I keep my rucksack on my back. Now, that is like praying and getting up and being just as worried as before. Now, why do we find it so difficult to leave the rucksack there? May I suggest we find verse 7 difficult because we haven't gone through verse 6? If we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and we say, what is happening to me right now? Actually, God is right. Then I'm in a good position to actually cast my care upon him and leave it there. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Being sober means free from influences that would cloud our perception. Being vigilant means we have to watch, we have to be alert. Now, the reason given is that actually the flock is in danger. Just connect this with the first verse. You've got to look after the flock, but there is a lion walking around. Now, any good shepherd who cares for his flock, he would be very much alert if he was told actually there is a lion walking around, and he only wants to do one thing. He wants to devour sheep from your flock. And this is the warning here. This adversary is there, presented here as the roaring lion. A roaring lion is actually one of the most frightening things you can ever experience in your life. Just before it goes for the prey, you have this loud, roaring sound. This is how Satan acts. He frightens through persecution. Now, that fits very well into Peter, and it's very interesting how this same adversary is presented in different scriptures. Before I come to this, we should remember that we have a very powerful enemy, but this enemy is a creature. God created him. He is far more intelligent and powerful than we are, but he is not omnipotent, he is not omniscious, and he is not omnipresent. He is presented in Ezekiel 28 as a cherub who lifted himself up in pride, who wanted to be as God, and therefore God had to cast him down. And this is actually confirmed in the New Testament in 1 Timothy 3, where it speaks of the snare of the devil, and it's talked there about a novice who may become proud if you give a novice the job of an elder. And it says this is actually how Satan fell through pride. But in the New Testament epistles, it's very interesting how the same enemy is presented in different ways in different epistles. And we're in danger that we'll run out of time a little bit. I'll be short, but just very briefly. In Romans, Paul had taught that the believers had died with Christ, that there was no good in them, and that their old man was crucified. And to the Romans, Paul can say it's not going to be long, and Satan will be trodden under your feet. Now, in 1 Corinthians, you had a case of grave immorality, and Paul had to say such one needs to be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, for discipline, for sufferings. Now, the Corinthians were carnal, and that's why in 2 Corinthians, Paul has to warn them and has to say, actually, Satan comes like an angel of light. And if you are carnal, if you aren't careful, you will be deceived by Satan. In Ephesians, Paul introduces us to the wonderful inheritance in the land. And there he says in the end, but watch out, you'll have warfare. And there you need the whole armor of God to stand against the wiles of the devil who wants to rob you of the enjoyment of that inheritance. Now, in Colossians, it is a matter of the person of Christ and his work, the preeminence of his person and his work. And there it says that Christ held a triumph over him. He defeated him through his work. In 1 Thessalonians, the devil is mentioned again. In 2 Thessalonians, you have a description of the time of the end, where Antichrist comes, and you find that the devil is presented in that context. Now, then there are more references. We mentioned 1 Timothy, where it's the question of the elder and the initial sin of the enemy is mentioned. Then in Hebrews, you find that this enemy is actually the one who had the power of death. But then the better one, Christ, overcame him in death. In James 4, he is a defeated enemy, and it says, Resist him, and he will flee from you. Now, here in Peter, as we said earlier, the believers are on their way through the wilderness, and there they have this persecution, this terror from the side of Satan, and that's how he's presented here. But let's not look at this without Revelation. In Revelation, you find that he will actually be cast from heaven, where he has still access now. He will be bound for 1,000 years in the abyss, in the pit, and then in the end, he will be thrown into the lake of fire. Now, that was just a little footnote to show that this enemy we have before us, we don't want to sort of minister on this very much. I don't think I ever heard an address on this, but nor should we be ignorant about him. It's much better to be occupied with Christ, but we should know what is presented. And here he is presented as the opposing, as it says here, adversary. But it says, verse 9, Resist. God is on our side. God is stronger. Therefore, we can resist steadfast in the faith. And we know that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. That's again Peter's perspective. He doesn't see us like Paul in the heavenly places. He doesn't see us as one body. He sees us as individuals who are still in the world facing these struggles, but also experiencing the help of God. And that's verse 10. The God of all grace. You know, there may be struggles, but on our side, we have the God of all grace. And it says, He has called us to his eternal glory. Now, here in the end of the epistle, Peter converges to Paul's line. You might have thought that Peter had a different, well, and he does have a different emphasis in his ministry, but he does not contradict Paul. He talks about the grace, and in this verse, he actually speaks about the eternal glory. Normally, it's always the glory at the end of the pathway when Christ appears. Now, he talks about the eternal glory to which we have been called in Christ. Now, if it's in Christ that we've been called to that eternal glory, we can be sure we will get there. His desire is that they might be perfected, established, strengthened, and settled. And the conclusion, you might say, is in verse 11, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. He's the one whose grace we need in every step, from conversion, through instruction, through restoration, through working for him, everything is his grace. And therefore, if he brings us through to the end, our wish even now is to him be the glory and dominion forever. Now, last thing is a footnote. In verse 12, he links himself with Silvanus, again, one who had worked with Paul. It's another connection with Paul. And he says, actually, what I've been saying to you is I've been testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. Initially, Peter had a little difficulty with this concept of grace. Actually, we all had, because it first means you have failed. Otherwise, you don't need grace. But here, Peter says, actually, I'm not contradicting Paul. What I've been testifying to you is perfectly in line. I've been speaking about the true grace of God wherein you stand. Now, verse 13, the church that is is really the church that isn't. It's in italics again. There is no church in that verse. And it just says she that is. And we can be certain that this is Peter's wife and that Peter ministered in Babylon where there were many Jews because his command was to strengthen his brethren. And therefore, he would have looked after Jewish believers, Jewish Christians in other places as well. And also, there are greetings then from Marcus, the restored once failing servant. Greet one another with a kiss of charity. Fortunately, we haven't got time to speak about this now. Paul speaks about a holy kiss. Peter speaks about the kiss of love. And just say so much, it's good if our relationships are characterized by both of these, by holiness and by love. Peace be to you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Could we sing hymn number 202? About the eternal glory. What will it be to dwell above? 202. Is love so bright and full? This dreary pain. No heart can think. No tongue can tell. What joy it will be with Christ to dwell. No heart can think. No tongue can tell. What joy it will be with Christ to dwell. When sin no more obstructs the sight. And flesh and scent deceive no more. When we shall see the Prince of Light. And all his works of grace expound. What heights and depths of love divine. Will death through endless ages shine. What heights and depths of love divine. Will death through endless ages shine. And God has fixed the happy day. When the world's tears shall demise. When he will wipe these tears away. And fill our hearts with glad surprise. To hear his voice and see his face. And know the fullness of his grace. To hear his voice and see his face. And know the fullness of his grace. Amen. …