Isa 61:8 For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering, and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. First, a little background to this chapter in Isaiah, as it is the scripture that Jesus spoke in the synagogue in his hometown after he came back after being away for a while. Jesus was given the book of Isaiah, and it says he found the place, and these words were so appropriate to that situation, for that time, don’t you love someone who can come up with the right verse for just the situation, some are very good for that, whether it is for a funeral or for a problem, and this is what Jesus did here. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. That statement I see is the background to this whole chapter, for these are the things that happen when the good tidings of the gospel, the word of God is voiced by an anointed messenger for Jesus was anointed by the spirit to preach good tidings to the meek, or to the poor.
Then there is a list of different needy people and how that message by the anointing of the spirit is just what people need to hear, and there is just one on this list that grips my heart, that he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted. Is it not a sad thing when you know someone who is brokenhearted? The gospel is what can bring help to those persons. Think about a child whose world is so small and their favourite toy is broken, they bring it to their parents, we can’t fix it, it is ruined. Maybe it is a child’s pet animal that dies. Then you get into your teens and what would be the most painful experience, the boy-girl relationship that is broken, one or the other says it is over, no more, and the other one is broken-hearted. Then in adulthood maybe some of you have experienced things that have left you broken-hearted.
I was thinking especially about three farmers. In America, there have been such fluctuations in the agricultural economy, and I know three farmers who lost their farms, and when you have worked as hard as a farmer does, to put an operation together, with hope for the future and you lose it. In one case it was very sad. A young man had developed a good operation and was called to go into the work, so sold it to another man. And he felt the responsibility, I am trusted with this and so I want to do the best I can because he is giving his best to the Lord, and I want him to have the feeling that his farm, his operation is going well. He lost the farm. So sad. He has had a stroke now.
The preaching of the word anointed by the spirit can bring healing to the broken-hearted. You think about the child that had the broken toy, and you would think, just get him another one, to heal the brokenhearted is to replace the toy, but many times we find in adulthood, the thing that causes the broken heart can’t be fixed, can’t be replaced. That is the wonderful thing about the word of God anointed by the spirit is able to bring healing and the broken heart is healed, we cannot replace what is lost, and we can’t correct the situation but there can be healing, wonderful what the good tidings with the spirit can do.
Verse 8, “I the Lord love judgment.” That is quite a statement. Often so much is said in a few words, in the scripture what judgment is, we call good judgment, we have either good or bad judgment but usually in the scripture judgment is referring to good judgment or justice. I the Lord love justice, I the Lord love good judgment and why does the Lord love good judgment, it is because judgment is about making decisions and Jesus is our perfect example in good judgment because he never made the wrong decision, he never said the wrong thing and in one way he showed us how to make good decisions, is not to make them too quick, do not rush into making a decision.
We have a very good example of this when they brought to Jesus a woman taken in adultery and they said that she should be stoned, and he could have told them straight on the spur of the moment that they were wrong, but he stooped and wrote on the ground and he did that twice. He was just teaching us that when there is an important decision, when you have to deal with something, just don’t jump into it, don’t be too hasty, allow time for the spirit to guide you. A big part of good judgment is common sense, common sense will help you in making good decisions, you do not need to be highly educated, you do not need to have superior intelligence or even a lot of experience. It is amazing where common sense comes from, for some people who are highly educated do not have common sense and make good judgments, or even people who have a lot of experience do not have common sense. At times when people’s lives are in a mess it is so easy to say it is the result of circumstances, things happened that I could not control, it is someone else’s fault and maybe sometimes those things could be true but often it is just the consequence of poor decision making, poor judgment brings the result of our lives being so complicated and in such a mess. Good decision-making does not require great cleverness or good education.
To give you an example, we were staying in a home where they make their living growing vegetables, and some fruits, a hard-working family and it is like this sometimes, they work so hard, but they are always behind, always in debt, always burdened and life seems to be such a strain. The youngest son in the family is big, he eats well and goes to school but is not very bright and I doubt whether he will ever be able to graduate and yet he is hard working, he loves work and he is so good-natured that it is a pleasure to be around him. His father told me one day that this son has more common sense than all the rest of us put together and to give you an example of this. Mum came home one day, and she said today I saw a boat for a very good price and in that area where they lived there are a lot of lakes, so every family has to have a boat, so she said, we work so hard and we do not have any recreation and we need something and this boat is ideal as it is at a good price.
The family discussed it, but when Ike was alone with his dad, this is the slow son who can’t learn, said to his dad, we really need a better tractor and we don’t need a boat and that was so true. Their tractor was always breaking down, so we could use that money for the boat and buy a better tractor and things will go better, and this is what they did, good common sense. In making good decisions we cannot just rely on our common sense entirely either, we hear often to pray about it, and that is good advice but having good common sense and praying about it, we can still make the wrong decision. If you parents see your child entering into a relationship with an ungodly person, it would grieve you to see that and so you could say to your son or daughter, pray about it, but you think about it, when the hormones are going and the passion is high and the whole thing is exciting, when you pray you know what you are going to hear, you are going to hear your own voice say, let me do it, Lord give your approval.
Sometimes we are like that compromised teenager, when we are praying about a decision that is important, we are really asking God to do it our way and to protect us, and that is not good judgment. When making important decisions we really need to be open with God, and not driven by your flesh and human nature to control, be open to God who sees the big picture for He loves good judgment. He would like to guide us for the meek He will guide in judgment, for the meek He will teach His way, for that is the secret, be meek and be humble enough to allow the Lord himself to guide us. The next part of the verse says, I hate robbery for burnt offerings and can you imagine someone going up to Jerusalem to make an offering to show how right they are with God, to leave a good impression and he steals a lamb on the way to offer at the altar.
There must have been some practices like this happen, as we read in Mark 7:11 But ye say, if a man shall say to his father or mother, it is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother. Have you ever wondered about this verse? It seems that it is like this, the Jews had a practice that a person would make a gift and really what they were giving is something that they should have been giving to their parents for their support. We all owe something to our parents, we owe something to our children, we owe something to our siblings and so here there was no social system of benefits for elderly care, so the children would be responsible to support their parents. So here if what they owed to their parents and offer it to the Lord and expect that it would impress the Lord, and this is something that must have been happening. What Jesus is saying, would we really give to the Lord something that we owe to someone else.
By way of example there was a friend who was working for a farmer and their custom was that they would get up early and then milk the cows first, then come in and have breakfast before going out to work in the field. He spoke in his testimony that his boss always wanted to go out to the field right after breakfast, but he said I needed time with the Lord, I needed some time to pray, I needed some time to read the bible, and he was very sincere when he said it, and on the surface it looked like a good thing, but nearly the whole convention reacted to this with this thought, he was giving time to the Lord that he should have been giving to his employer for he was being paid for this time. If he was going to be giving time to the Lord it has to be in his own time, need to get up earlier or find some other time in the day to do it. We cannot make a sacrifice to the Lord that is not costing you anything that may be costing others a lot, the Lord hates that and hate is a strong word.
The next part of the verse is I will direct their work in truth, the thought of the Lord directing our lives in truth. One of the big changes in my life was going from one staff in one state to another staff of workers in another state, I had only been six and a half years in this state, and I found a number of reasons why I would love to stay there longer. Word had come, and the elder workers planned a change for me, taking me to a place way out of my sphere of experience but I felt at peace with it, it was like the Lord directing my life, my way, my work in truth. As workers a lot of the big decisions in life we don’t make but at the same time that I was having that change of state a young couple right in our field had a job offer right in the area where I was going and so I was feeling so secure, this is the Lord’s plan for me, but that young couple were not secure that this was the best plan for them. I was so settled and they were so unsettled and so we both arrived at the new place and they only lasted one year and I was there for thirty-one years and very content, so we as workers have some advantage over you in that, if we can just be content with the plans that others make for us directed by the Lord.
If you can just discipline yourselves to let that happen in your lives also, don’t just plow headlong into career decisions, retirement decisions without first getting some direction. We in the work have plans made for us, but then we have to decide where to have gospel meetings, in whose house to stay, and how long to stay, so there are a lot of direction we need from the Lord also, so we understand what it means to make decisions. Your life will go so much better if you can just wait on the Lord before making decisions, for when you are a child, you have to have this and have that, and I will not be happy unless I get it, and if we are like this as adults, we are not really happy. If we can somehow subdue our inner drive and allow the Lord to direct our lives, our lives will go a lot better. The last part of the verse says, I will make an everlasting covenant with them, this is the message to those who have responded to the good tidings by the inspired anointed messenger, will make an everlasting covenant with them. We read a lot about covenants in the bible and as far as I can see, a covenant is like an agreement between unequals. Contracts and promises are often made between equals, one company with another company, one individual with another individual, a tenant with a landlord but just think of the difference there is between us and the Lord. Isn’t it amazing that He would even make an agreement with us, that He would make promises and commitments with us, and in the scripture, there is the covenant that God made with Abraham, with Noah, with the descendants of Jacob. We don’t use that word much now do we, but it is happening, it is a very real thing, wouldn’t you say that salvation is a covenant, the Lord has promised that if we will believe in Jesus and believe not only in profession but also in action.
Believing in Him as our Saviour and Redeemer but also believe in Him as an example, if we will believe in Jesus then He will give us eternal life, He will pardon us for everything that would separate us from eternal life. He will make us partakers of eternal life because we have believed in Jesus, that is quite a covenant, we had the feeling it is a big decision, as one young man said, it is so hard to hand over the control of your life, that is why people find it hard for it is not just joining something or committing yourself to a certain amount of support to a religious group. This is a matter of believing in profession and in action, living for salvation is a way of life and that is a beautiful covenant, it is an everlasting covenant and the Lord will not depart from his part of the covenant. We find that what looked to us as something that was going to cost so much and really would be so disruptive in our lives but really we have been given a lot for salvation gives us a lot, it does not ruin our life, it gives us a life, it is everlasting, not a disappointment, it is a very good experience and so glad to have a part in that covenant.
Going on from verse eight. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. Parents who have responded to the good tidings, and then the children who have been brought up in this in the homes of God’s people, in the meetings, they are a sign, they speak a message, a message that you or the workers can voice, the children, they are known among the gentiles.
A family we know, the father and mother have four sons, they went to a school function where parents and teachers get together to discuss the children’s progress, and the teacher asked the parents, that they would come to his office, and the parents said to themselves, whatever have our boys done? Why does he want to see us in his office, when they got there, he said to them, tell me how you raised your boys, I have three sons and I would like to raise them just like you raise yours. The workers or the parents would never have been able to speak a message to that man, but the lives of the children could, that man was seeing something that he could not find in any church or in any child psychology classes. The world can see something different in our children, we may feel sometimes that they are misbehaving but they are different, it is really the work of the spirit through the family, through the gospel for that is what makes our children different from all the other children. This is what this verse is speaking about, and their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people.
The next verse says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and this is what we have been talking about, so what about this joy for you look like the most sober group of people that could be gathered together on the planet, just looking at you. Did you ever invite a person to a gospel meeting? Without explaining to them that it is going to be quiet before the meeting starts, for you need to tell them because some cannot handle the quietness before the meeting, this is tense, this is serious and the outward appearance to the unbeliever, would see that there is no joy in it, it is so restrictive, so sober, but you know what we have learned that reverence and soberness are not incompatible with joy. You can be sober, you can be reverent, you can be serious and still have deep joy. Joy is the fruit of the spirit, so if the joy that we have is the fruit of the spirit and not just some human emotion, it is going to be deep and it is going to be calm and it is going to be compatible with soberness and responsibility.
I have the wonderful privilege of being a part of a staff of workers that are happy, we don’t compete as to who has the happiest workers, but I love to see the spirit of joy and soberness among the staff of workers we have. To give you an example, one Sunday evening before the convention was to begin, preparations were basically ended, and I was working on some correspondence in my room. There were some happy sounds coming from the brother’s quarters, it was magnetic, it drew me, and when I got nearer there was this happy sound, all just enjoying each other’s company, I did not intrude and went back to my room with this thought, these brothers really like each other. Joy does radiate, joy does speak, we can’t help it if our spiritual intensity and our devoted reverence is misinterpreted, there is no way that we want to change it. We do want to manifest that joy which is a fruit of the spirit, and you do not get it by trying to lift up yourself in an emotional happy way. In religious ways they know that there should be some enthusiasm and a sense of life, so they do everything they can to build up their emotions, sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? The way that we achieve that joy is what this chapter talks about, just give the spirit more liberty, be still, let the spirit work, let God know that you love him by letting his spirit have free course in our lives and it will bear fruit and joy will be part of the fruit.
Graham Snow: Hymn 264 There’s a verse in II Corinthians 4:7. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” We have this treasure in earthen vessels. It’s really a very amazing thing that God would entrust to us the treasures of heaven, the treasure of salvation, and all that accompanies salvation in this life and then all eternity. He puts the most valuable things in all eternity into earthen vessels, into our hearts, into our lives. To me, it’s an amazing thing. I’m very sure that when we have something of value at home, we would seek to put it in a very safe place where it is well kept and kept safe and guarded and there is no danger of losing it. You wouldn’t put something very precious or something very valuable onto just a vase on a mantelpiece because the local bank most likely will find a vault somewhere with a key that would shut it and shut it very well.
Things that are of great value, we put it in a very safe place, and to me that’s our earthen vessels, our lives, our hearts, our whole being are not very safe. We know the enemy can break in just so easily and make inroads into our lives and rob us of what God has given us and wants to give us, even in future days. To me, the amazing thing is that God entrusts us with just so much. He trusts us with salvation, He trusts us with his love, with his mercy, with his peace, with his joy, with his rest, with just so much, He puts all that into these earthen vessels of ours, and to me, it’s an amazing thing that God so much trust in us because who are we? We know our tendencies, we know our human nature, we know what we do and how we fail, how we’re weak in so many avenues of life, yet God trusts us. He gives us just so much, something of great value, with the most precious thing in the whole world, that is salvation.
Here in this verse, it says earthen vessels, in our lives. The question arises, where was it before it was in this earthen vessel? The treasure, salvation, the riches of eternity, the riches of heaven, where were they before they were found in our hearts, in our souls, in our being? We have the answer in Matthew 13. We read there about a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and sold all that he had, to buy that field. We know this parable very well, we’ve heard it many, many times, spoken about in Gospel Meetings about this treasure hidden in the field. But before it is in our hearts, in our lives, in our beings, it’s there in the field. The question arises, what is then the field, spiritually speaking? Where do we find this field and what is this field? And for me, it just simply is this, the field is the Will of God. We find wonderful treasures and priceless things, things of great value, for this life and for all eternity, in the Will of God. This man, who saw this field, who saw the possibilities here for this treasure, he realised that it’s worth more than everything I have.
He may have possessed many things, we do not know, he could have possessed a house, land, animals, we do not know. He said one thing, this particular field with all its possibilities, its potential, the treasure in there is of more value than anything else in my life and was prepared to sell everything to buy that Will, buy that field. When I think of the Will of God being like that field, where these treasures are hidden, what is the price? Very simply, it’s our will for His Will. We give up our will to accept God’s Will. That give us this field, this treasure in the field, treasure in the Will of God. It became very clear to me, thinking about the meeting this morning and trying to prepare over the last day or two that actually there many fields in life for God’s people, many experiences. There are good experiences, pleasant experiences, happy experiences. There are also difficult times, dark times, hard times, there’s sorrow and suffering and misunderstandings and injustices and all the rest of it. There are all these types of experiences in our life as a child of God and in every field and every experience, there is a treasure. There can something very hard, something very difficult, can be an injustice, can be a wrongdoing, all sorts of experiences, but can we remember that also here there is a treasure to be found. So often, we don’t find the treasure in the different fields or different experiences in our life. We can get caught up with negative side, with the suffering and with the pain and loss. We don’t see, here is a treasure, something to be gained, something to be won, something to possess in our lives. In every field, there is a treasure, because it is in the Will of God. If we are in the Will of God, God allows different experiences in our lives, and as I said before, not always pleasant ones, sometimes difficult ones and hard ones, misunderstandings, God allows them. The thought in mind, in every experience, there is a treasure, but it’s up to us to find the treasure. Something of value, something really priceless can be found in every experience and so often, we just miss finding the treasure.
When we think of the life of Job in the Old Testament, we read about Job in recent times, we know the stories so well of what Job went through. No one suffers, here in this country, I venture to say, like Job suffered. Losing everything, losing all his possessions, all his goods, losing all his family, except for his wife and even she misunderstood what was happening and she told him to curse God and to die. He lost his health and sat there in pain, in agony, for a length of time, it couldn’t be a worse situation, such as this experience. He was being tested, he was being tried, he was being proved, the enemy was being so cruel, and God allowed it. It wasn’t of God, but God allowed this experience. We read there in the Book of Job that Job said, later in that Book, that I know the day will come when I shall come forth as gold. He realised, even in this, there’s so much loss and so much pain, so much misunderstanding and everything seemed to be going wrong, but somewhere, somehow there’s going to be gold in this. There’s a treasure here and one day I’ll find that treasure, “I shall come forth as gold”, this is what Job said. He found the treasure in that experience.
We’ve heard in these meetings about Jesus. About Jesus being there in the garden and Jesus prayed the same prayer three times, we read of Jesus there in agony, stress and wrestling and doing his very best to say, “not my will but thy will be done”. It was a struggle, a desperate struggle, one of the greatest struggles of his life, there in the garden, before going to Calvary’s cross to give His life. There to find the willingness there to yield, there to surrender, there to say to God, not my will, but thy will be done. For sure, his will was a good will, but it wasn’t God’s will. And here was Jesus, wrestling with himself, wrestling with his own reasonings and his own thoughts and his own will to come to the place where he could say, not my will, but thy will be done.
In this struggle, in this experience, so difficult, so hard, all alone, left alone by his own disciples, left alone to pray and agonise in the garden, there was a treasure. It was the most wonderful treasure, and the treasure was salvation for all mankind. So much came out of that prayer, out of that agonising, out of that suffering, drops of perspiration, like drops of blood from his brow, what resulted from all that, was salvation for all mankind. If he had not found the willingness to go to Calvary’s cross, where would we be today? In that experience, there was a treasure. So, it’s a great thing to understand that, no matter what happens in life, if we are in the Will of God, if we are doing the will of God, there is a treasure to be found. It may seem negative, it may seem wrong, it may seem unjust, it may seem a very strange thing where we’re going through, but somewhere in there, there is a treasure to be found. A treasure to be put into our earthen vessel and enrich us in this life and for all eternity.
I look back over my own life, my own experience in the service of God, in the harvest field and it’s been my privilege to labour in a number of countries, over there in Europe mainly. I’ve asked myself sometimes, what was the main, principal lesson I have learnt in each country and I have found the answer each time. For me those lessons I have learnt, a lesson in Switzerland, a lesson in Italy, a lesson in Holland, a lesson in Germany, a lesson even in Haiti in the Caribbean, I found I learned something, and those things have been like treasures in my earthen vessel. There’s not time to share them this morning, what they are, but they mean so much to me. Going through things which cost me a lot to do, all those different changes, but seeing it was the Will of God, there was a treasure to be found. Let us understand and realise that when things don’t seem to be going very well or when things are going wrong, let us understand that somewhere here hidden in this field, in this experience, there is something very valuable which we can learn and gain for ourselves, enrich our soul and enrich us for all eternity, in every field, there is a treasure. It says here, that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. It’s not about the vessel, it’s about the treasure, that’s the important thing. It’s not about the vessel, it’s not about our human lives, not about our human being, not about what we are or what we might not be, what matters here is the treasure.
For example, if we’re going to the shops somewhere or out in the field somewhere and pick some flowers or buy some flowers, some very nice flowers, some very pretty flowers. We take them home, a very nice bouquet of flowers, we then look for vase, we look for a vessel to put those flowers into. We pick a vase for that bouquet of flowers, for what reason? That we might see the vase? So that the vase might be very evident, for those that might come into the home for a visit or those that live there, to see the vase and say what a beautiful vase? No, we find a vessel that would portray the beauty of the flowers for it’s not about the vase, it’s about the flowers. You would arrange the flowers in such a way, in such a manner that the flowers can be seen, their beauty would be evident, their prettiness and so forth, for it’s not about the vase, it’s about the flowers, it’s about the treasure, it’s not about our lives, our human lives, it’s not what we might be.
Some may be very intelligent, some may be less intelligent, some may be Doctors, Engineers, Professors, some maybe rubbish collectors, it doesn’t matter, it’s about the treasure, not about our human lives. Some may be healthy, some may be less healthy, some may have wonderful health and no pain, others may have lots of pain, it’s not about that, it’s about the treasure in our lives. It’s not about who we are or where we have come from, which nation or what language we speak, it’s not about that at all, it’s about the treasure in our lives, what God wants to give to us. If we rich or poor, if we are old or young, intelligent or less intelligent, it doesn’t really matter, what really matters is all about the treasure that God has to give and wants to put in our lives. Some are successful, some have become rich, others have remained poor, it’s not about that at all. It’s about the treasure in our lives, the Spirit of God, the word of God and what God has to give through the Word of God and through his Spirit, it’s all about the treasure and not about the vessel and not about the vase.
We’ve heard, in these meetings about Martha and Mary. There in that home, there was Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to his words. There was Martha being cumbered about with serving and very concerned with preparing and providing a meal for the disciples, she says to Jesus, Mary is sitting there doing nothing, my sister, she’s not helping me, I need some help! She was told by Jesus, she was concerned and worried about many things, but one thing is needful. I would just like to emphasise, that what Martha was doing was not unimportant, it was important. Someone had to think about that meal for all those men, someone had to find the necessary things to prepare a meal, it was important, it wasn’t unimportant, it belonged to this visit. Those men also may have come to be fed and nourished, they had possibly been travelling and here were 13 men and possibly 13 men that could have been hungry, it was important to have meal sometime during that visit there in that home .It wasn’t unimportant, it was important, but Jesus stressed that only one thing was needful. It’s not about the vessel, it’s not about the vase, it’s about the treasure, that is the most important thing. Here in that very home with Martha and Mary, it wasn’t about the meal, it wasn’t about preparing the vegetables or meat or whatever it may have been, it was about sitting at the feet of Jesus, but what she did was not unimportant, it was important, but only, only one thing was needful.
Many, many things in life are important and even, very important, it’s important to go to school, very important to go to school to learn. It’s important even perhaps to study to go to University, it’s important to learn some trade or some profession. We have to live in this life, it’s important to earn money, to have a place to live, when we leave home. It’s also important, to get married, not unimportant, to have a partner, to have husband or wife in this life. It’s not unimportant, it’s very important. Others can perhaps start up a business on their own, it’s not unimportant, it is important, others become professional people, we’re very grateful for the medical professions, those who become Doctors and Nurses, it’s all very important. And all that happens in life where we may be occupied, it is important, but only one thing is needful and sometimes we forget that and here was Martha, what she was doing, what she was concerned about, it was not unimportant, but only one thing is needful. It’s just so very hard sometimes to get things in the right balance and there are important things, very important things. Parents care for their children, there must be food on the table, clothes for their children, a roof over their heads, all that is very important, but only one thing is needful. It’s not about the vase, it’s not about the vessel, it’s about the treasure in the vessel, that is the most important thing.
In the Bible, there is a parable, it’s about a great Supper that a man had prepared, he invited people to that supper and one man said I bought some land and I’ve got to go and see it. Another man said, I have bought some oxen and must go and try them, I cannot come. A third man said, I have married a wife, I cannot come. This was a supper, this was an invitation, this was a very noble person who gave the inviting, this was very important, but these other three men found other things more important. There was this man who bought this land and thought I must go and see it, it’s my possession, I’ve paid money for it, it’s cost me something and I must go and see how everything is with that land, it was important, but he forgot that only one thing was needful.
It came to mind, today or was it yesterday, about a particular person over there in Europe and this man had his own home, he had garden at the back of the house, perhaps a lawn at the front of the house, he was living in suburb of the city. It come to convention time he said, I’m very sorry, I can’t come to convention this year, because there in my back garden, I’ve got some berry fruit growing and it’s ripe just at convention time, if I don’t pick those berries, at convention time, they will be lost. The birds will come and eat them or otherwise they’ll all rot and for that reason, I can’t come to convention, I have to pick these berries in my garden. What he possessed, was hindering him from enjoying the very best. It sounds ridiculous, it sounds really unreasonable what he did in the eyes of God, in the light of eternity, but just because of a few berries, there in the back garden, he didn’t come to convention, what he possessed was a hinderance. We may possess many things in life, but it’s good to consider matters, is it my farm, is it my business, is it my car, is it any other things that I possess in life, they really helping me or hindering me to obtain this treasure in my heart in my spirit in my life? It’s good to look at things with a very open mind, what has first place in my heart? What is really very needful? As far as I am concerned.
This second man had to try his oxen, this was his occupation, to work with Oxen, possibly to plough fields or draw carts or for some useful purpose, he said I can’t come because of that. What he was doing was his hinderance. Again, something comes to my mind, and it’s going back a number of years, over there in Europe at Convention one man gave his testimony and of all that convention I’ve forgotten everything else except his testimony and I’ll tell you what it was but first of all I’ll fill you in on the background. This man was dedicated to caring for people, he was in the medical profession. As the case was there with this particular man, he was the ambulance driver and the ambulance belonged to him. He was the one that was called upon when there was an accident, he was the one that they called on if someone had a heart attack or if someone needed to be transported to hospital. I’ve been with him in his home on a Sunday morning, when it’s time for the meeting and the meeting was going on in his home and all of a sudden the phone would ring as there had been an accident and up he would jump and leave the meeting and get into his ambulance and go to where the accident took place. It was important for him to do that, it was his life, he was very dedicated to it and he missed many a meeting. Sometimes he got only half a meeting, sometimes no meeting whatsoever because of the health care in the community. It was something very, very good, something very helpful, he was giving a good service there in the community, he was well cared for and liked because of it and held in high esteem because of it.
Now as an old man, retired and no longer the ambulance, no longer the care for the sick and the injured and so forth, eventually he gives his testimony and he says he looks back over 30 wasted years, this is my first full convention in 30 years, the regret he had in his life. He only lived another year or two after that, he was a faithful man, a true man, he loved the way of God and loved the little church in his home, he had great respect for the workers, the servants of God. He was a very generous man, did all he could to be a help to others but because of something good, he missed the very best. At the end of his life, he said this is the first time in 30 years I’ve had a full convention, they are 30 wasted years. Like the man that said I’ve bought some oxen, I must go and try them, it was very important to him and they had first place in his life. It’s not about the vase, not about the vessel, it’s not about our business, not about our home, not about what we possess in life, or what we do in life, it’s about the treasures in our life, in our heart, in our soul, very, very, important.
And then, the third man, he said, I can’t come because I’ve married a wife. He married the wrong woman, quite simply that! Because she didn’t want to go either apparently, it’s just so necessary to make the right choice as far as marriage is concerned. There is a Proverb that comes from Japan, I heard this many years ago from a brother worker who laboured in Japan, he said, you can marry a pretty face, but you live with the mind, there is some truth to that too. It’s just to say this particular man, he married the wrong woman, so he couldn’t go to the feast, it’s just so important to consider, when we look for a partner in life, is it of God? Will it help my soul’s salvation, will it enrichen my life as far as God is concerned and as far as eternity are concerned? It’s so important to make the right choice and it’s just so easy it seems to me to make the wrong choice in this respect. It needs a lot of prayer and a lot of care and a lot of time, a lot of thought getting God’s mind on the matter. This man missed the feast because he married the wrong woman. There’s treasure in the earthen vessels in every aspect of this treasure in earthen vessels and I will try and explain it in a way that it appeals to me. For me my eyes and my sight are very important, I realise the day may come when I lose my sight, I have no guarantee that my sight will remain for the rest of my life. What time remains as far as life and time are concerned, I do not know. I am glad for the care of specialists and those that know how to handle such matters, but it is a very precious thing, for me especially.
My own father was blind for the last 9 years of his life, unfortunately it was his own fault because he neglected what was wrong with his eyes. To see my father blind, I was there on a home visit once and went to visit him and there he was in the care home, one day he said to me, how long have I been blind? I said to him, father it’s been 8 years, all he said to me was, I hope it’s not another 8 years and then he died a year later, age of 96. He realised too late, just how valuable his sight was and he neglected it in a certain sense. Sight is a treasure, sight is valuable, sight is very, very, precious. Even our hearing is a very important thing, from the aspect of our lives.
There is a person I knew over there in Switzerland, she was an elderly person, a grandmother, she was 90 years of age and we sat around that table for a meal from time to time, may have been 8 or 9 around the table. It was a happy time a joyful time, there was conversation, there was happiness and there was laughter, just a happy time around that table. But many a time during that meal this grandmother would get up from the table and leave the room because she was stone deaf, just couldn’t hear what was going on. She saw the happy faces and saw the joyful faces, saw the sparkling eyes, she saw the happiness around the table, she had no part in it because she could not hear, being stone deaf, and hearing is also something very valuable. You may feel there are other things that can be like a treasure in our hearts and lives, in our being, in our earthen vessel, but there is something more important and that is our soul. Our soul is worth more than our sight, more than our hearing, our soul is the most important aspect of our lives, this is something that is going to live forever, for all eternity. And Jesus tried to show when he spoke these things, just how important, how precious and how valuable our soul is. He said one day, what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Is there anything which is more important than a soul?
Can you find anything anywhere, which might be very, very, valuable that can be given in exchange for a soul, and of course, the answer is nothing, nothing can be given in exchange for our soul. It is the most valuable, most precious thing we have in this life. Then he said also, the very same word wasn’t it, what profit is a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul. He said even a whole world, it is not worth it, he might be the richest man in the world, and even more than that. If it were possible to possess the whole world, all the riches, all the possessions, everything, everywhere in every country, he had all of that he said, and lose your own soul, it’s just not worth it, he is trying to show the value of our soul. I don’t neglect my eyes, I don’t neglect my hearing, I don’t neglect my health, as far as I know. I will tell you I do all I can to maintain my health, but I am inclined to neglect my soul, the most valuable part and the most precious part of my whole being, it’s just so easy to neglect our soul, the only thing we can save for all eternity. We can’t save anything else, we lose everything else. We lose our health, we lose our sight, we lose our hearing, we lose our lives, we lose our homes, we lose our businesses, we lose our bank account, we even lose our earthly family, we lose everything in this life, then at the end, when death comes in, there is only one thing that will remain and that is our soul, and is our soul prepared for all eternity. Does our soul possess this treasure, this salvation, this one thing that is valuable as far as life is concerned?
My second year in Switzerland, we had a mission, we had a mission in a portable hall, it was up there in the Jura mountains, there were no friends in that vicinity, we were alone my companion and myself in that mission. We had a few souls come and one soul made her choice to serve God. A mother of a young family, she had three young boys, they were still preschool at that time. This particular mother back in 1965 it must have been, she made her choice to serve God, and it was just this year she was laid to rest. A faithful soul and down through the years, decade after decade there were only two for the Sunday morning meeting, only two, herself and another person in a neighbouring village. She and the other person kept true down through the decades. And just earlier this year her health declined at over 90 years of age and she went into eternity, a faithful soul. But back when she first came to meetings, she told me one day, all those years ago, she said just recently I was very ill, I had to go to hospital and I knew it was very serious and my health was just hanging by a thread and she said to herself I just have to come home again because of my family, my boys need me, they’re just so young still, I don’t dare to die, I’ve got to come home again, that was her cry. She went off to hospital and I believe an operation and just wavering there between life and death, and the thought came, I must get better, I must regain my health, I must regain strength to return home.
No, it wasn’t that thought now, in the face of death, in the light of eternity, feeling at the end of her life, she said she felt one thing and asked herself one question, am I ready? Is my soul ready to meet my maker? Under such circumstances, she understood the value of her soul and shortly after that we came to that little mountain village to have Gospel meetings and she came. One meeting there we spoke about the peace of God and going out after the meeting she said with tears streaming down her face, I want this peace, I must have this peace, I need this peace in my soul. It wasn’t about the family, it wasn’t about the farm, it wasn’t about the animals or work on the farm, it was about the treasure in the earthen vessel. I hope we can realise more than ever when we leave convention again, it’s not about the earthen vessel, it’s there, there are important things, and very important things in life, they have to be done, we have certain tasks in life, duties in life and we have to fulfil them, we’re in a community, we’re in a family, or in a business, wherever we may be, there are important things there, but only one thing is needful. That’s what Mary found at the feet of Jesus, it’s not about the vessel, it’s about the treasure in the vessel. May God help us to appreciate more and more our soul and appreciate our salvation for this soul.
Ronald Thomke: Hymn 390 Some verses in Philippians 2:5 that would have inspired that hymn or whoever composed the words – “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” He made himself of no reputation: that says a lot to me. It mentions he was in the form of God – he had been with God in heaven; a familiar setting for him and think of God saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, that is a good reputation. But to come to this earth and be born a baby with no reputation was according to scripture. He descended from David: the family tree. Joseph and Mary were far removed from royalty, they could look back to David as an ancestor, but Jesus was in the form of God and he had a good reputation in heaven. Think of God saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The angel Gabriel felt good about Jesus and the heavenly host said, Glory to God in the highest, peace towards men.” They had a good feeling about Jesus, he had a good reputation with them and yet he came and was born as a baby. Think of that in what we know.
Look in Revelation 12:9 when there was a war in heaven, that seems awesome, for heaven is the ultimate of peace and order and there was war in heaven, and the devil and his angels were cast out! Isaiah 14 tells, what the devil was like, where he exalted himself to be like the Most High – “I will exalt my throne above God.” No wonder he was cast out and it took a war to cast him out. But the fact was that he and his angels were cast out. There were other angels who had been offended by things, were attached to him and were more like him, and they were cast out with him. How did that come about? How did this come about in heaven? Angels that were devoted to God; what kind of interaction and what kind of things were going on? And how did Jesus fit into all that? It says he was made better than the angels. Whatever went on some angels were more devoted to Satan than to God. I would like to feel part of the background to that was during whatever happened in heaven, Jesus had a good reputation. He was above that; a perfect influence and example to angels of what it meant to be devoted to God, to be true to God. That’s why Gabriel felt so good about it; because he had a good reputation. Then he made himself of no reputation by coming to this earth. He did have a reputation!
Remember when he was 12 years old, it says he was subject to his parents; and that’s a good reputation. What about as a teenager? We love to talk to young people and tell them one-time Jesus was your age and he understands and he would be a role model. “Lord Jesus teach me how to choose.” How many things does it say about him? That shows what kind of a young person he was, but there’s nothing really recorded. How about his neighbourhood? There’s nothing to say what kind of work attitude or his workmanship was; but he was of no reputation. He came to his own and they received him not. This expression that says, “He made himself of no reputation”.
In John 6 they took him by force to make him a king: this was going to lead up to having a reputation. But you know what he did; he just went away; made himself of no reputation. A beautiful thing to think about. We are thinking this with “I need the mind of Christ, let this mind be in you.” He made himself of no reputation as an example for us: let this mind be in us that was in him. How does that play out in our lives? Our hymn is about us having ‘No reputation’ – I love it and it would have been a beautiful hymn to sing. But that’s not talking about Jesus having no reputation, it’s talking about us. And I don’t know if I want to sing that. How does it play out in our lives? Having no reputation doesn’t mean having a bad reputation. There are several verses in the Bible about having a good name; which is rather to be desired than great riches. We appreciate people who have a good name in their Sunday morning meeting and in the community. But how does it fit with having no reputation and a good name? Does it mean to bring some disgrace into your life? It’s possible to have a good name; and yet to follow Jesus in the example of no reputation. The way I see that: to be the same you aren’t seeking a reputation. But it means this: don’t be promoting yourself. Don’t try to grab the attention. Don’t feel you have to be the focus. But be content to be in the background. It’s right to do all things in having a good name in being faithful in attending meetings, having bread for others. But you can do that without promoting yourself and without trying to get attention. And to me that’s having the mind of Christ and no reputation.
Vse 7 “He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” There are 2 references there: his having no reputation covers both of these things. The previous verse says he was in the form of God when he took upon him the form of a servant. And right away you think of him washing the feet of the disciples. But there were so many things where Jesus lived for others. He was busy when the centurion came in and said his servant was sick. Jesus said, “I will come and heal him,” taking upon himself the form of a servant. All through his life he was like that. What would you say was the form of a servant? Humility? The form of a servant is reliability, obedience, cooperation. The form of a servant is to be more concerned with what pleases the master than what pleases yourself.
It came to my attention a few years ago: and that’s that as a servant you have no time of your own! At our convention someone told us that they had toured this castle and saw how glorious and comfortable it was in the castle. Then they were shown the servants’ quarters One thing was outstanding; on the wall of their quarters was a clock but the clock had no hands. Everybody on the tour asked why the clock had no hands. They were told that a servant has no time of his own! It’s not a case of working from 8 in the morning and finishing at 5pm! Isn’t that typical of Jesus? Think about the time in Mark 6 when there was so much was happening and Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s get into the ship and go across to the other side and rest awhile.” And you know what happened when the disciples got into a boat, the multitudes went around to the other side, what a disrespect. But he had compassion and saw them as sheep not having a shepherd. You would think they would say, “This is our time, please leave us alone.” But a servant has no time of his own. Be ready to help, be ready to serve but we sure need our own time and we feel very protective about time.
“Made in the likeness of men,” is also in vse 7 – There’s a difference to be in the likeness of God and to be in the likeness of men. Things that he hadn’t experienced before. He could be hungry, weary, uncomfortable, experiencing pain: he could be tempted in the likeness of men. But he made himself of no reputation. He took upon himself our nature. One of the first things that comes to my mind; in the likeness of men he couldn’t be in 2 places at the same time. In the resurrection body he could go into the room when the door was shut, but in the likeness of men he made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a man.
Vse 8 tells he became obedient unto death even the death on the cross. Does that imply that he had been disobedient? Of course it doesn’t refer to that at all. If he had never been disobedient why would he use that expression? It’s like this: in the likeness of man disobedience took on a different significance, a different dimension. He had never been disobedient with his Father but when he came as a man obedience meant a something different. Think of a child, you may have a good child that’s never been a problem. But when the child starts school, they learn obedience in a different situation, different dimension. He learns to be obedient to the school. Then when he’s old enough to drive there are different aspects, he has to obey the road rules. Then when he gets a job, he learns another aspect of obedience in his job being obedient to the boss. So that’s how it was with Jesus. In a human body he learnt obedience, “I do always the things that please my Father.” He was obedient in each aspect even unto death. That was a new aspect, a new dimension of obedience. And that’s where our lives should concur with his obedience. Where that all leads to is our redemption. That’s what we think about on Sunday morning and that’s what means so much to us. It’s really a benefit of what we experience most because of his obedience.
Vse 9” Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name.” He was true to God, had a good reputation with the angels, made himself of no reputation: learnt each phase right to the cross. Then God exalted him; gave him a name above every other name, an exalted reputation. But what I have enjoyed this morning is that Jesus went through this humiliation, no reputation; he didn’t go through all that but with the thought of the joy set before him. We heard “Looking unto Jesus for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross.” He had that before him: the joy of being back with his Father and also the joy of thinking if he was obedient unto the death on the cross, it would be for a redeemed family, and would give people a hope where there was no hope! His motivation of going to the cross wasn’t thinking of glory but just doing the Will of his Father and because of that, giving us a chance. Let this mind be in you. Why do you do sacrificial things? Why do you serve? Jesus did it in thinking of others.
For example, sometimes there is a young person, or a young family who really serves, sacrifices. An older couple needs help; and they will see the opportunity and they help with yard work, take them to meetings and you know there’s something in it. If the older person is generous and has the means, to give something to help the young person or couple, it’s fair enough if you are financial, there’s nothing wrong with that. But what about the case where the older couple didn’t have the means, I know a real case where this couple had an adopted son, and it was a case of elderly abuse and the adopted son got everything and they had nothing, they were left destitute because this son had been dishonest. This couple really needed help, and there was this couple with children who were in their twenties, who were free of their responsibility with their children, but they saw the need, to help that older couple, and there was absolutely nothing in it for them, everybody knew that, that was charity with its boots on. They helped those people get to meetings, helped them in their home, with shopping. But this is serving, giving and helping, with no thought of getting any glory, not thought of recognition, just doing it because of the love of God and charity and because you care. To me that’s the example of having the mind of Christ and it ties in with this thought of having no reputation.
Ken Johnson: Hymn 243 The first verses I will speak of are from the O.T; the second lot of verses from the N.T and the third lot of verses refer to us. Genesis 22:7 “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, my Father and he said, here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: So, they went both of them together”. It wasn’t a long conversation, a lot of words said; but Abraham was firm in his belief that God would provide. You know the story how he built the altar and bound his son and reaching out for the knife when the Lord said, “Abraham, Abraham”. The Lord was to provide a lamb, but it was a ram and it wasn’t a young ram because it was caught by its horns. That ram represented the sacrifice. When Abraham answered Isaac, he said that God would provide himself a lamb. Jesus said, “Abraham saw my day”. God was going to provide a lamb and the ram was the sacrifice; but God was going to provide a lamb for himself and I believe that was Jesus. When the Lord first called him from his nation to the promised land: then the birth of Isaac – God will provide.
At the beginning of this chapter, “And it came to pass after these things”. Which things? There are three words “God will provide”. There was a time in Abraham’s life when he provided, and Ishmael was born. God wasn’t going to have a child born of a bond woman. But when Isaac was born the child grew and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast the same day Isaac was weaned. When Abraham came out of the field Sarah said, “Ishmael is mocking Isaac. It’s time for Hagar and him to leave”. And the Lord said to Abraham, “You listen to Sarah; you have to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael”. I don’t know how old Isaac would have been when he was weaned 2 or 3 years old. Do you know when Abraham was weaned? He was over 100 years old! That was his first time! There would have been some glory in that, but it wasn’t according to God’s promises. Sometimes it takes a long time to be weaned. Someone said when a child is completely weaned, they are no longer crying for something that wasn’t necessary.
Chptr 22 when Abraham was called the Lord said, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac”. Ishmael was now out of the picture and now they were firmly into the promise. All that Abraham and Sarah had done was gone and the only thought was going to bring blessing was what God had promised. We all know that the only thing that matters is what we have done within God’s Will; and Abraham had learnt that before he died. Now there comes this time when he’s taking his son as the sacrifice and the Lord stopped him, “Abraham, Abraham…….” Once again Ishmael is out of the picture. In this convention we have already heard about “Simon, Simon” and then “Martha, Martha” and now it’s “Abraham, Abraham”. And there 5 more in the Bible where they were named twice! But the provision was given that God will provide. After this Sarah died and Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Chptr 24 the servant said, “What if this doesn’t work?” Vse 7 “The Lord God which took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and which spake to me, that sware unto me saying unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee and thou shalt take a wife unto my son”.
He didn’t say God would provide but God had been so faithful all those years, but I want to mention what I have appreciated about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: I found 33 verses in the Bible where all 3 are mentioned together. And there were 2 verses where Abraham, Isaac and Israel were mentioned. There was the same thread through all their lives – God will provide. Chptr 31:13 When the Lord told Jacob to go back to Bethel, he had been working for Laban but there was something he had to deal with first: his brother Esau. We don’t read until chptr 32:9 “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me and the mother with the children”.
Then Jacob started sending different messages, groups of animals saying, “This is for my lord Esau, from your servant Jacob”. He realised that this is what had hurt Esau, making him a servant, so Jacob took the place of a servant. “This is for you and I am your servant”. That night Jacob wrestled with that angel and then the next day they met up. But here comes Esau with his 400 men and then there was his brother with the women and children. But when they saw each other they ran and embraced, and it was all over. When I read this chapter and of this peace that was between Esau and Jacob, it reminded me of Jesus, because he humbled himself. It was because of Jacob humbling himself; he bowed himself down to the earth 7 times. But how is it Esau brought 400 men?
When David went to take Nabal’s life it was with 400 men. But then Abigail came, and she humbled herself, “I will take the blame”. It wasn’t her fault! When Jacob took the blame – “You are my Lord and I am your servant”, peace was made. Years went by and Joseph was sold into Egypt and you know that story. Once again Egypt, after all this had happened and Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt. It says in chptr 47:9 when Jacob was presented before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked, “How old are you? And Jacob said, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been”. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. When I read this testimony – 130 years old but few and evil have been the days of my years. I have one sheet for every day in the year (in my diary) and the title I give to every page is ‘the days of my pilgrimage’. Jacob had some very hard years, then dealing with his brother and even later he had some rough years. Yet in all this God provided for Jacob and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh didn’t bless Jacob! In Hebrews it says Melchizidec blessed Abraham, he was a shepherd, he had sheep and cattle and he had more blessing in his life because he had allowed the Lord to guide – God will provide. We have received provision here in this convention and because of all God has provided in the past, we can be sure God will provide.
When I offered for the work, I wrote to my parents telling them of my offer for the work. Jesus gave the recipe and Jesus said, “You prayed for the harvest”, and that’s what my Mother did. It was the Lord of the harvest that touched my heart. I remember thinking about the future: raised in a professing home, I knew about workers and hadn’t heard of any having hardships or suffering from any need. I knew the story of Sam Jones almost dying when the gypsies came and helped him. So, I didn’t feel it would be a problem going into the work. But the thing I was thinking about was that – God would provide. And God has provided and will provide so we will continue having this joy. For everyone it’s the same recipe; it doesn’t matter what we have left behind, and we can find satisfaction in serving him. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I don’t know the customs here but in the U.S when a veteran die, the army or the navy always sends 2 or 3 soldiers who play their music and put a flag over the casket. There are 2 soldiers holding the flag and there are 13 bolts. Each bolt has its meaning and number 11 represents the Jewish and the United States and their belief in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The next bolt number 12 represents the Christian belief in God the Father and His Son. But the United States have changed the rules to pray in schools and teach the Bible. Yet one of the bolts represents the Jewish and the United States. The testimony of those 3 men and the one thing they had in common was that they were peace makers. When Isaac was in the land of the Philistines, he went there as if he was thinking in his mind that he was going to Egypt. Because the Lord came to him and said, “Don’t go, you just stay here”. So, he stayed there. That year he received one hundred-fold in the land of the Philistines. I would like to understand better what one hundred-fold is: it’s not 100%! He received one hundred-fold because he stayed.
We heard about this caravan of people coming up from Mexico and they are leaving their country. They feel, “If I can get to the United States I will prosper”. That’s what they feel: that they can’t prosper in Mexico, but they will prosper there. That’s human nature. But that year Isaac’s crop was one hundred-fold. After that they dug some wells and the Philistines came. Finally, they dug a third well and the Philistines didn’t take that one; he was a peace maker. All three: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were peace makers. Abraham and Lot were there, and he said to Lot, “You choose first”. Then there was Isaac when Amalek came out wanting to make a covenant with Isaac. He didn’t fight for it, he just gave it over. Jacob humbled himself. All these 3 men were peace makers. What did Jesus say? “Blessed are the peace makers”. So often in our nature we don’t want to be the peace maker. One of my companions would be the meekest man around and someone gave him a plant, so he planted it and it grew and prospered there. But a lady came along, and she asked, “Do you know the name of it?” And he said, “No.” And she said it’s called ‘looking for a fight’. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sons of God. Jesus proved that on the last night of his life.
Two years ago, I read a book called the Longest Day, and it’s about the invasion of D-Day when it began at midnight in England. But looking at the last days of Jesus, Jesus had the longest night! Because when he was there for the Passover Judas left and it was night. They came looking for him with their lanterns and torches; and all that happened at night. It didn’t happen in the morning. It was in that night when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane and God provided. In the darkest moment of his life he prayed, “Not my Will but thine be done”. In closing is one of my favourite verses: lots of conventions and as a visitor but sometimes if you look ahead.
One of my favourite verses is II Corinthians 9:10 “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness”. In Spanish it says, “He that gives seed to the sower and bread to the hungry will provide”. When we think of meetings ahead of us, he does provide; and that has been a comfort to me. What was it we sang in that hymn? “God is faithful to his chosen in his dealings every day”. God has helped us and now we are heading off into the future and he will provide. So many times, in this convention we have heard the words of thankfulness. And perhaps the testimony for the past is that God has provided in each experience: and our testimony for the future is God will provide. I know each have had difficult experiences in the past, but here we are, and God has provided. We are just grateful he has provided and now we can go out into the future that God will provide, and I would like to have more faith in his promises.
Jeff Gillie Hymn 392 – We would see Jesus. We just sang, “We would see Jesus, other lights are paling, the blessings of our pilgrimage are failing. We would see Jesus this is all we’re needing: strength, joy and willingness come with the sight.” John 12:21 – “The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.” This was like convention. They desired to see Jesus. He did not know what their needs were. We come from far and near and we come with all sorts of needs, yet we come with the same purpose to see Jesus and to hear him and feel His presence and to enter in a little deeper as to what he is. We do not get weary of seeing Him again because He is like a best friend to us. We can have questions in life and we may go to someone familiar with the situation for answers. When life is perplexing, we need to find our perspective.
When we got our new hymn book, we lost a few hymns, but we gained new hymns. We would sing the new hymns over and over to get to know them. One was In Jesus’ Hands. What I have no power over I will leave in Jesus’ hands. We learn that there are things in life that are perplexing, but we need a perspective to see things better. Climb a mountain and what seems really big will become small. As we climb the mountain, we get perspective. We have two eyes. If we close one eye, we only see 2D and cannot get depth. Seeing 3D gives perspective. We have two ears. If we only have one ear, we cannot tell where the sound is coming from. The Lord has provided us with our natural perspective but what about inwardly. It may not be that we are unwilling or unable it may be that we do not understand. We want to go forward in the situation. Climbing a mountain will make us weary but at the top we get the perspective and rest. I was climbing a mountain with others and I was still going up when they were coming back down. I had to keep going to get the opportunity at the top to rest, see the view and get perspective. There is something about labouring with all your heart and purpose that you might gain a perspective that is good for you.
Hebrews 4:11 – “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” The promised land was a place of honey and rest. When the spies went in most saw the strength of the enemy and reported and an entire generation of people went back. They stayed in the desert and died in the desert. The next generation had faith to believe that the Lord would give them the victory and they would prosper, and they rose up and went in. The promise is not always generation to generation. We want to pass on to the next generation everything that we have received from the past generation in all its purity. A generation had fallen away, and God raised up another generation to go into the land. Two great miracles that God does. Preservation from generation to generation and work of restoration when previous generation has not continued. We hear of families where the truth has been lost for a generation and then restored in the next generation.
Mark 9:2 – “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” Jesus transformed into the wonderful form he will be in eternity. They got a little feel for the greatness of eternity and what is ahead. Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Moses represented the law and Elijah the prophets. Moses maybe thought he had gone as far as he could go but now, he is seeing that Jesus must establish this living way and the law be fulfilled. Elijah and all the prophets had prophesied about Jesus and Jesus knew he had to fulfil all the prophecies. Jesus knew he had to continue to fulfil every promise concerning His life. Jesus would be filled with great purpose as the two men of old encouraged Him on.
The last word in the Old Testament in Malachi is curse. Moses would be aware that if people were to enter into the new and living way that they would never go back to the old law. If they ever went back it would bring cursing. Only way is the way forward. The best for us is always ahead. No such thing as “good old days”. It is an illusion. The next generation in the desert did not want to die there. They could have felt our previous generation died here so we may as well perish here too. They could have stayed with no faith and no desire to press on but instead they had faith in their hearts to go on and conquer. Joshua is a book of victory. Sad times and some defeats but mostly victories. The River Jordan when flooding would be very daunting. Require a lot of faith to cross. We will come across things difficult to face. On the other side of the River Jordan was the blessing and rest. Cross the river and enter in deeper to the promises of God. Jericho had a wall. This wall was similar to the river. It was a barrier to going forward. We have to increase our faith to remove the wall, so we can go deeper in. They circled the wall for several days. It was their trust in the Lord that he would bring it down. God stopped time (Joshua 10:13) that the victory could be won. If we are willing to believe God will help us. Believe that God loves our soul because He does.
1 Kings 19 – Elijah had a great victory. Need to be careful after great victories. Elijah did not do anything wrong, but the enemy doubled its purpose. Elijah ran for his life and all he was worth. He slept under a juniper tree trying to preserve his life, but he was now ready for God to take him. God was not ready and so not going to take him. Angel came and gave him strength. He received more bread and water and finally strength to go to the mountain and climbing the mountain he would have got the perspective. Still small voice spoke, and he got answers and was sent forth again. There was the day when the Lord did take him home in a chariot of fire. You waited for My time and this is what I had planned for you. Elisha desired a double portion of Elijah’s spirit because of the transformation that had taken place in Elijah’s life.
Mark 6:31 – “And he said unto them, Come, ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” John the Baptist’s life had just been taken. Jesus knew he had to give them perspective on this situation. What the disciples needed was to see a great miracle. Feeding of the multitude was God’s timing. Their master was made a little more real to them and a little closer. So great was the power of the Father working through the Son. Glad for situations that arise, maybe not at the time, but later that we can see that Jesus helped us and we feel a little closer. The transformation process is a miracle. Little babes in the world since Adam and Eve’s day but a new life still has an attraction, especially to older ones. When the Lord brings new life into this way people are interested. Want to know about interest in the missions.
Luke 24:4 – “And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:” Women around the sepulchre looking for Jesus. They knew that he was gone but they wanted to be with the body. They were perplexed but it wasn’t long until they had a wonderful perspective on it. Greatest perspective when they realised that he was risen and not still in the tomb. Leave things in the Master’s, hands. As we draw near to Him and want to be in His presence. Glad to be bound together in the sameness of spirit. Very troubled world and people are more divided than ever. We gather with the same desire and purpose to feed on God’s word.
Graham Snow Hymn 217 Matthew 7.14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. This is another picture of the more excellent way; the way of God is a strait gate and a narrow way. The more excellent way is the way of love expressed in 1 Corinthians 13, and we have heard so much in the convention of the importance of the love of God. The love of God can do something that nothing else can do as far as our lives are concerned. Someone asked the question once of Jesus when he was here, what is the greatest commandment? and he answered by saying, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength and the second is likened unto it, to love thy neighbour as thyself. The bible tells us, on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. All that is mentioned in the law of old testament times can be contained in this one thing, to love God with everything we have and are and to love our neighbour as ourselves. All the wonderful preaching of the prophets, all their prophesying, all their vision of heavenly things, all their encouragement could be summarised with this one thought, was all to produce a love that is giving God everything, all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength, just our everything.
This is the first commandment, then also the second commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves. If every person in Australia loved their neighbour as their selves, we could tear up the law book, what is required to keep the law, be it the criminal law or the law concerning the roads, they could be torn up if everyone loved their neighbour as their selves. We could turn all the prisons into holiday homes if everyone loved their neighbour as their selves. Love is the answer to all the problems in this country, this is the most wonderful country, Australia, a country of freedom, a country of democracy, a country of prosperity, a country of possibilities naturally speaking but also there are problems because humans are there, human nature is there, we are all conscious of that.
All the laws in the bible can be expressed in one word, just love God with everything and your neighbour as yourself, Jesus said this is the first commandment, it was to love God, the second commandment was to love our neighbour, and it is very clear to me that we cannot love our neighbour unless we love God first of all, no point in trying to love our neighbour, do good to our neighbour, be kind to our neighbour, doing good works in this world, no point to it if we do not love God, that is the first commandment. It starts there and then we have the right love towards our neighbour, and also a husband does not really love his wife the way he should love her unless he loves God first of all, and no wife really loves her husband until she first learns to love God first of all, she then has the right kind of love for her husband and the husband has the right kind of love for his wife, when they both love God first and God is first in their hearts and in their lives. You may feel that you love your children, care for your children, almost adore your children but you do not love them in the right way until you love God first of all, till you fulfil this first commandment, to love God with everything, and then and then only can you love your wife, love your husband, love your children in the right way. Love is so important.
I believe there are some wonderful orphanages in the world, children are orphans, have no parents, they are taken in and cared for, some are very wonderful homes, every care there, sufficient food on the table, there is a good education, a right upbringing, sufficient clothes, every care is taken for the children. In the very best orphanages there is always something missing, it is the love of a father, it is the love of a mother, maybe good care, maybe the best food, the finest clothes, the very best education the children could experience, one thing is always missing, the love of a father, the love of a mother that is always missing. We are so glad for the love of our father.
We were hearing about the church at Ephesus, who had lost their first love, and in that church, they were doing all the right things, they were not doing wrong things, doing the right things but doing them without love. Think back to this orphanage, there was every care, they were doing all the right things, looking after the children, but one thing was missing, that was the love of a father, the love of a mother. This church was doing all the right things but without love, was it a sense of duty, was it a sense of justice, a sense of righteousness, was it a sense of keeping up the standard, which is a word that we use often but is not found in the bible, a standard, for we think of Jesus and his righteousness, and that is what it is really all about. We can go through the motions but if love is missing everything is missing, the love of a father and our love towards him.
We think of Abraham, when he took those animals and slaughtered them, laid the pieces of those animals on the altar, then the birds of prey came and we can well picture the scene, here was the altar and there was Abraham and the birds were coming from the left and from the right, in front and behind, swooping down and wanting to grab a piece of the sacrifice laid there on the altar, it was quite a task for Abraham to chase them away. Seems he was there all the day to chase away the birds of prey, here was a sacrifice, a great sacrifice and I am sure of one thing, Abraham took the best animals that he had in his flock, without blemish, without spot, perfect animals, but the birds of prey came. The sacrifice was in great danger, he could easily have lost a part of the sacrifice during that day, think of the midday sun coming, the heat of the day, think of the drowsiness, think of sleep overcoming him, fighting against all this in the middle of the day, for the birds were still coming trying to snatch away a piece of his sacrifice, he had to watch very carefully and chase them away. Until when, until God sent down the fire, and the fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, and then the sacrifice was safe, only safe when the fire came down and consumed them. Fire speaks to me of the love of God and our sacrifice is in danger, sometimes in great danger, maybe doing our very best in sacrificing and giving our best to God, but it is only safe when it is motivated by the love of God. If it is just a sense of duty, just a sense of being right, fulfilling some righteousness, upholding a certain standard, if it is only that then our sacrifice is in great danger, for it is only the fire, the love of God which makes our sacrifice safe. I see for myself the necessity to always be motivated by the love of God in all that I say and do, otherwise my sacrifice, my life is in great danger.
Think of Abraham, think of the sacrifices in old testament times, we know that they had to choose the very best lamb in the flock, the very best animal in the flock or herd, and you can picture the owner going out among the sheep, looking at this one, at that one, no here is a blemish, no here is a mark till finally he finds the one animal which is the very best, take this animal to slaughter it, he chose the one that cost him most of all, it was expensive, the most valuable animal, he chose for the sacrifice. He would slaughter it and lay it upon the altar and leave it there, and even thought it was the best that he had, the most valuable he had would ne nothing without the fire. If there was no fire what would happen to the sacrifice, in a very short time there would be a smell for it is only the fire that gave that sacrifice the sweet-smelling savour. How often do we read in the old testament times when they sacrificed, the sweet smelling savour rose up to God, only made possible because the fire was there. The best sacrifice, the best animal was of no value until the fire consumed it, unless the love of God was consuming it. This is the very same thing that concerns me as far as doing God’s work is concerned, as far as my place in the harvest field is concerned, my sacrifice, my effort is of no value, the sweet savour is not there unless moved and motivated by the love of God for this is the more excellent way, this is the way of God, this is love.
It is amazing what we can do without love, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13, even if I give my body to be burned Paul wrote, I could give my life, to be consumed in this matter, to be a sacrifice, but if I do not have the love of God it is all in vain, for then there is no sweet smelling savour. This is the narrow way and I have a question for you, how narrow is the way of God? If I was to ask 10 or 20 of you, how narrow is the way of God, what is allowed and what is not allowed, what can I do and what can’t I do, what are the restrictions, what are the no, no’s as far as the way of God is concerned. It could be that I would receive 10 or 20 different answers, we all have a different conception on what we can and can’t do, what is allowed and what is not allowed, what is restrictive and what is not restrictive for we all have our own conception as to what that could be.
I will try to tell you how it appeals to me about this narrowness of the way of God. Let us not forget that this is a narrow way, it is not a broad way. I once saw a picture depicting what the broad way and the narrow way is, found in a home in Switzerland, the people were very religious, on one side there was a picture of the broad way, there was the pub, there was the dance hall, there was the disco, then the people of low morals and so on. Then there was the picture of the narrow way, the people all dressed in black, ladies had skirts down to their ankles, all very sober, no laughing, no smiling, a church was there with a steeple, a picture of the narrow way. I do not agree with either picture, so how narrow is the way of God, and what determines the narrowness of the way of God, can we find a verse, can we find verses that tell us to go so far and no further, can we find scripture for this, restricted to this and restricted to that and we can find verses that tell us about the narrow way but this is how I like to see it. Let us think of a group of young people, good young Christian people, people serving God, this group of Christian people, boys and girls do things together which is good, they might have certain outings together, certain activities together, might have picnics together, go tramping together, go trekking together.
In Holland once a year the young people there take their bicycles and go cycling, for Holland is a country of bicycles and all day long they just bike together, for there are lots of cycle tracks in Holland, they stop here for lunch and stop there for afternoon tea and have a time together. Let us think of that group of young people again and you know what happens sometimes, there is a boy and a girl and somehow something clicks, you cannot explain it, it is a mystery, a riddle for there are feelings there for each other, drawn to each other. They still do all things together with the rest, but you always find these two in the group together, they are in the group but have separated themselves from the group. In one way their friendship has become narrower, then in process of time it becomes serious and they come to the point where they feel they should become engaged, so now they spend less time with the rest of the group, as they spend more time alone, just the two of them and enjoy each other’s company, doing things together, and then it goes further and they decide to get married, they want to spend life together till death do us part. Their relationship is getting narrower and narrower all the time for those two-particular people, and in the end they decide they want to be together for life. It is love that does that, it is love in the heart of that young man for the young woman, it is the love in the heart of the young woman for the young man, this separates them from the group and draws them together and makes the whole thing narrower for them, it is love that does that.
If we have the love of God in our hearts, this determines how narrow the way of God is for us, it is this love that determines it. We have to live in this world, we have to work in this world, we have to fulfil our obligations in this world, we have our businesses, we have our professions, have out duties in the neighbourhood and so on, but if we can just allow the love of God set limits, that we go so far and no further as far as our obligations are concerned. The love of God determining how narrow the way of God is for us. You think of this young couple and something happening between them, their friendship becoming more and more narrow, and yes it also became deeper with time. This is what we experience in the way of God, as we go on and the way becomes narrower, we have restrictions in the way, it confines us, but we find it also gets deeper, there is a depth to the way of God. I am very grateful for this fact that the more excellent way is the narrow way and it is narrow but governed by the love of God, and for those who have a great love for God in their hearts, they will find the way of God is narrower than those who have less of the love of God in their hearts. Those who have a broader concept of Godly things is a proof that there is a lack of the love of God working in their hearts for love determines our narrowness of the way.
There are two people that I know who are professing, two people that were very noble years ago, both professional people, they enjoyed life, they were serving God, they were very conscientious about the meetings and the friends, doing their part, but also they enjoyed life, both earning good money, enjoyed a weekend away, go on holidays, free in the evening to go out to dinner, just enjoying life, everything right and everything good, right in serving God. They lived like this for five years, and then the first child was born, and you know what happened? Their whole lifestyle changed, you parents understand that, and after some time I asked that young Mother, when your first child was born, did it change your lifestyle? She said just one word, “and how”. You understand that, they could not go out to restaurants for a meal anymore, they had to stay home because of the new life in the home, they could no longer go off for weekends because of the new life in the home. Now they were restricted, that new life governed, that determined how narrow their lives became. There were no set of rules or regulations, no rules to say you must feed the baby etc, but that new life determined and regulated their lives from then on. Oh, that we would have this new life within, that we would have this sufficient life, this love of God in our hearts, in our beings determining and governing how narrow the way of God is, and how deep it is for us, for this gives great satisfaction, great joy and great peace. This is the more excellent way.
There are many pictures in the bible of the way of God, and there is one that I like very much, that is the story of Jericho, of Rahab, how those two men, two messengers, two spies escaped from her house. There was this rope that was tied inside the house and went down the wall, to escape, to save their lives, there is only one way to do it, go down that wall on this rope, this was a way that led down, did not lead up, it led down. They clambered down that wall clinging on to that rope till they reached the bottom, till they reached safety. Where was the safest place on that rope, we do not know how high that wall was, when the twelve spies went in first, they returned saying that the walls were up to heaven, that was an exaggeration, the walls were very high. We are inclined sometimes to exaggerate, for we as human being find it hard to see things as they really are, we need reality. Here was this wall, here was the rope, it was a narrow way, the way of escape and the safest place was as far down as possible, and the safest place for all of us on this narrow way, the more excellent way is as far down as possible. This having the mind of Christ, this true humility, true lowliness of mind.
Think of another picture, the ladder that Jacob saw, he saw the possibility of climbing this ladder, so what did Jacob see, he saw the ladder, but he also saw the angels ascending and descending on this ladder, he did not just see the narrowness of this ladder, the steepness of the ladder, he did not see that it is going to take all my effort, all my strength, all my possibility to climb this ladder, he saw more than that, he saw there is help here, the angels are there, they are there to help me. Sometimes I see the task in front of me, and I feel it is too much for me, feel the weight of the burden, sometimes I lay awake at night and feel that I can’t do it, it is just beyond me, almost panic sometimes and I do not see the help that God provides. I do not see the angels ascending and descending on the ladder, on the narrow way, there is every help on the way for us to reach the top for God is at the top in this particular picture. This ladder is a narrow way and is built for one person at a time, not two abreast and every step taken between the two uprights on the ladder is a safe step and any step taken outside the two uprights is a dangerous step. Here we have the will of God, and every step we take within the will of God is a safe step and every step taken outside the will of God is a dangerous step. Just picture a person half way up the ladder and all of a sudden takes a step outside the two uprights, it could be very dangerous, and could lead to death both naturally and spiritually speaking. I like to think that every step taken within the will of God brings me closer to God and is a safe step. On a ladder there are rungs and they are evenly spaced on the ladder and so I find that each time you take a step you have to take a full step, a half step is dangerous, you could slip. Each morning I have had a walk which is good for my body and soul, and one morning I was conscious of something, I have to settle something, this just concerns me personally and I said this has to be settled and here I realised that I have to take a full step.
Just as an illustration, say someone wants to give up smoking, and this persons says I smoke 20 cigarettes a day, so I am going to cut down and only smoke 5 a day, I am going to give up smoking but I will just take half a step, so I do not admire his prospects of overcoming his smoking. Every step we have to take in the will of God, let it be a full step. Just one more little picture of this more excellent way. John’s first epistle tells us of those who walk in the light, as he is in the light, then we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Only if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we want good fellowship one with another which means walking together, walking in the light, we want the blood of Christ to cleanse us from all sin, this means walking in the light.
To give an illustration of how this is, we could be walking in the fields and it has been raining, the ground is muddy, and we are barefooted, so our feet get muddy and dirty. We then come to a stream and so we step into the stream and we walk along the stream, and what happens, our feet are washed automatically, just the walking, just the movement, just walking in the stream cleanses our feet. As long as we remain in the stream and walk in the stream, our feet remain clean, then perhaps a little further along we step out of the stream, back on the ground again, back into the mud, what happens, our feet get dirty again.
John says if we walk in the light then the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. As long as we walk in the light, our feet, our whole being will remain pure and clean in the eyes of God. If we step out of that stream, out of the light and walk in darkness, what happens, we are no longer pure in Gods eyes, we have become defiled by the influences around about us, defiled by what is wrong in this world, by human reasoning, by human thoughts and so forth. If we are walking on the beach, we leave a footprint behind and after walking some distance you look back and there are your footprints in the sand. Sometimes people play a game and they see a set of footprints and they do their best to put their feet in those footprints, and they find out very quickly they have to alter their stride, they need to take a longer or a shorter stride, even have to alter the angle of their feet a bit to put their feet exactly in the other footprints which are there. It is so easy to follow the footprints that are there but make our own footprints at the same time and looking back you see two sets of footprints. We are to follow Jesus, walk in the light as he is in the light, to walk as he walked, put our feet in his footprints exactly.
I am sure in looking back over my life many a time his footprints are there and see that I have smudged his footprints with my own feet, my feet in his footprints but half in or half out and smudge his footprints. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have the very best of fellowship, the best meetings, the most helpful meetings, they are encouraging, they are uplifting and mean so much to us, also have good fellowship out of the meetings, there is no backbiting, no criticism, no judging, there is no did you hear this, did you hear that about the other person because we are walking in the light and in the love of God, for if we are moved by the love of God this is the more excellent way. If we do this, the crowning feature is that his blood cleanses us from all sin. As we said in the beginning love accomplishes what nothing else can, love is a very powerful thing, it is a mighty thing, love changes life even human love can accomplish what nothing else can do, and the love of God is the same. Just one more thing, after all the years in the harvest field, after ups and downs, after defeats, many and after some victories, after many experiences in the harvest field, in the work of God there is just one thing that has kept me till this present day, I can say this, I love my master, I love the way of God, I love God himself and as Jesus told Peter, lovest thou me, yes, feed my lambs and feed my sheep.
Truth Archive 