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Christ's Object Lessons - part 1 · Christ's Object Lessons

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Speaker 1: Chapter one teaching in parables. In Christ's parable teaching, the
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Speaker 1: same principle is seen as in his own mission to
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Speaker 1: the world, that we might become acquainted with His divine
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Speaker 1: character and life. Christ took our nature and dwelt among us.
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Speaker 1: Divinity was revealed in humanity, the invisible glory. In the
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Speaker 1: visible human form, men could learn of the unknown through
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Speaker 1: the known. Heavenly things were revealed through the earthly. God
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Speaker 1: was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it
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Speaker 1: was in Christ's teaching, the unknown was illustrated by the
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Speaker 1: known divine truths, by earthly things with which the people
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Speaker 1: were most familiar. The scripture says, all these things spake
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Speaker 1: Jesus unto the multitude in parables, that it might be
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Speaker 1: fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will
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Speaker 1: open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which
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Speaker 1: have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
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Speaker 1: Natural things were the medium for the spiritual. The things
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Speaker 1: of nature and the life expres sperience of his hearers
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Speaker 1: were connected with the truths of the written Word, leading
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Speaker 1: thus from the natural to the spiritual kingdom. Christ's parables
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Speaker 1: are links in the chain of truth that unites man
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Speaker 1: with God and earth with Heaven. In his teaching from Nature,
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Speaker 1: Christ was speaking of the things which his own hands
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Speaker 1: had made, and which had qualities and powers that he
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Speaker 1: himself had imparted in their original perfection. All created things
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Speaker 1: were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam
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Speaker 1: and Eve in their Eden home, nature was full of
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Speaker 1: the knowledge of God, teeming with divine instruction. Wisdom spoke
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Speaker 1: to the eye and was received into the heart, for
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Speaker 1: they communed with God in his created works. As soon
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Speaker 1: as the Holy pair transgressed the law of the Most High,
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Speaker 1: the brightness from the face of God departed from the
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Speaker 1: face of nature. The earth is now marred and defiled
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Speaker 1: by sin. Yet even in its blighted state, much that
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Speaker 1: his beautiful remains, God's object lessons are not obliterated. Rightly understood,
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Speaker 1: Nature speaks of her create. In the days of Christ,
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Speaker 1: these lessons had been lost. Sight of men had well
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Speaker 1: nigh ceased to discern God in his works. The sinfulness
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Speaker 1: of humanity had cast a pall over the fair face
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Speaker 1: of creation, and instead of manifesting God, his works became
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Speaker 1: a barrier that concealed him. Men worshiped and served the
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Speaker 1: creature more than the Creator. Thus the heathen became vain
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Speaker 1: in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. So
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Speaker 1: in Israel Man's teaching had been put in the place
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Speaker 1: of God's. Not only the things of nature, but the
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Speaker 1: sacrificial service and the scriptures themselves, all given to reveal God,
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Speaker 1: was so perverted that they became the means of concealing him.
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Speaker 1: Christ sought to remove that which obscured the truth. The
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Speaker 1: veil that sin has cast over the face of nature.
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Speaker 1: He came to draw aside, bringing to view the spiritual
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Speaker 1: glory that all things were created to reflect. His words
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Speaker 1: placed the teachings of nature, as well as of the Bible,
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Speaker 1: in a new aspect, and made them a new revelation.
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Speaker 1: Jesus plucked the beautiful lily and placed it in the
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Speaker 1: hands of children and youth. And as they looked into
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Speaker 1: his own youthful face, fresh with the sunlight of his
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Speaker 1: father's countenance, he gave the lesson Consider the lilies of
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Speaker 1: the field, how they grow in the simplicity of natural beauty.
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Speaker 1: They toil, not neither do they spin. And yet I
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Speaker 1: say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory,
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Speaker 1: was not arrayed like one of these. Then followed the
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Speaker 1: sweet assurance and the important lesson. Wherefore, if God so
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Speaker 1: clothes the grass of the field, which to day is
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Speaker 1: and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He
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Speaker 1: not much more clothe you, o, ye of little faith.
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Speaker 1: In the Sermon on the Mount, these words were spoken
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Speaker 1: to others. Besides children and youth. They were spoken to
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Speaker 1: the multitude, among whom were men and women full of
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Speaker 1: worries and perplexities, and soar with disappointment and sorrow. Jesus continued, Therefore,
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Speaker 1: take no thought, saying what shall we eat, or what
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Speaker 1: shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For
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Speaker 1: after all these things do the gentile seek? For your
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Speaker 1: heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Then,
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Speaker 1: spreading out his hands to the surrounding multitude, he said,
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Speaker 1: but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
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Speaker 1: and all these things shall be added unto you. Thus
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Speaker 1: Christ interpreted the message which he himself had given to
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Speaker 1: the lilies and the grass of the field. He desires
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Speaker 1: us to read it in every lily and every spire
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Speaker 1: of grass. His words are full of assurance and tend
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Speaker 1: to confirm trust, in God. So wide was Christ's view
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Speaker 1: of truth, so extended his teaching that every phase of
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Speaker 1: nature was employed in illustrating truth. The scenes upon which
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Speaker 1: the eye daily rests were all connected with some spiritual truth,
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Speaker 1: so that nature is clothed with the parables of the Master.
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Speaker 1: In the earlier part of his ministry, Christ had spoken
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Speaker 1: to the people in words so plain that all his
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Speaker 1: hearers might have grasped truths which would make them worse
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Speaker 1: unto salvation. But in many hearts the truth had taken
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Speaker 1: no root, and it had been quickly caught away. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: speak I to them in parables, he said, because they
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Speaker 1: seeing see not, and hearing they hear not. Neither do
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Speaker 1: they understand. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and
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Speaker 1: their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
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Speaker 1: have closed. Jesus desired to awaken inquiry. He sought to
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Speaker 1: arouse the careless and impressed truth upon the heart. Parable
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Speaker 1: teaching was popular and commanded the respect and attention not
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Speaker 1: only of the Jews, but of the people of other nations.
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Speaker 1: No more effective method of instruction could he have employed.
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Speaker 1: If his hearers had desired a knowledge of divine things,
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Speaker 1: they might have understood his words, for he was always
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Speaker 1: willing to explain them to the honest inquirer. Again, Christ
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Speaker 1: had truths to present which the people were unprepared to
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Speaker 1: accept or even to understand. For this reason, also he
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Speaker 1: taught them in parables by cannes, acting his teaching with
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Speaker 1: the scenes of life, experience, or nature. He secured their
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Speaker 1: attention and impressed their hearts. Afterward, as they looked upon
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Speaker 1: the objects that illustrated his lessons, they recalled the words
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Speaker 1: of the divine teacher to minds that were open to
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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. The significance of the Saviour's teaching unfolded.
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Speaker 2: More and more.
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Speaker 1: Mysteries grew clear, and that which had been hard to
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Speaker 1: grasp became evident. Jesus sought an avenue to every heart.
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Speaker 1: By using a variety of illustrations. He not only presented
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Speaker 1: truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers.
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Speaker 1: Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings
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Speaker 1: of their daily life. None who listened to the Savior
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Speaker 1: could feel that they were neglected or forgotten. The humblest,
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Speaker 1: the most sinful heard in his teaching a voice that
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Speaker 1: spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness, and he had
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Speaker 1: another reason for teaching in parables. Among the multitudes that
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Speaker 1: gathered about him, there were priests and rabbis, scribes and elders,
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Speaker 1: herodians and rulers, well loving, bigoted, ambitious men who desired,
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Speaker 1: above all things to find some accusation against him. Their
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Speaker 1: spies followed his steps day after day to catch from
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Speaker 1: his lips something that would cause his condemnation and forever silence.
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Speaker 1: The one who seemed to draw the world after him,
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Speaker 1: the Savior understood the character of these men, and he
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Speaker 1: presented truths in such a way that they could find
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Speaker 1: nothing by which to bring his case before the Sanhedrin.
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Speaker 1: In parables, he rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of
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Speaker 1: those who occupied high position, and in figurative language clothed
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Speaker 1: truth of so cutting a character that had it been
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Speaker 1: spoken in direct nunciation, they would not have listened to
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Speaker 1: his words and would speedily have put an end to
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Speaker 1: his ministry. But while he evaded the spies, he made
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Speaker 1: truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest
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Speaker 1: in heart were profited by his lessons. Divine wisdom infinite
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Speaker 1: grace were made plain by the things of God's creation.
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Speaker 1: Through nature and the experiences of life. Men were taught
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Speaker 1: of God the misable things of Him since the creation
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Speaker 1: of the world were perceived through the things that are made.
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Speaker 1: Even his everlasting power and divinity in the Saviour's parable
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Speaker 1: teaching is an indication of what constitutes the true higher education.
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Speaker 1: Christ might have opened to men the deepest truths of science.
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Speaker 1: He might have unlocked mysteries which have required many centuries
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Speaker 1: of toil and study to penetrate. He might have made
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Speaker 1: suggestions in scientific lines that would have afforded food for
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Speaker 1: thought and stimulus for invention to the close of time.
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Speaker 1: But he did not do this. He said nothing to
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Speaker 1: gratify curiosity or to satisfy man's ambition by opening doors
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Speaker 1: to worldly greatness. In all his teaching, Christ brought the
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Speaker 1: mind of man in contact with the infinite mind. He
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Speaker 1: did not direct the people to study men's theories about God,
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Speaker 1: his word, or his works. He taught them to behold
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Speaker 1: Him as manifested in his works, in his word, and
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Speaker 1: by his providences. Christ did not deal in abstract theories,
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Speaker 1: but in that which is essential to the development of character,
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Speaker 1: that which will enlarge man's capacity for knowing God and
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Speaker 1: increase his efficiency to do good. He spoke to men
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Speaker 1: of those truths that relate to the conduct of life
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Speaker 1: and that take hold upon eternity. It was Christ who
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Speaker 1: directed the education of Israel. Concerning the commandments and ordinances
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Speaker 1: of the Lord. He said, thou shalt teach them diligently
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Speaker 1: unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when
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Speaker 1: thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by
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Speaker 1: the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou
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Speaker 1: risest up, and thou shalt find them for a sign
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Speaker 1: upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
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Speaker 1: thine eyes, and thou shalt write them upon the posts
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Speaker 1: of thy house and on thy gates. In his own teaching,
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Speaker 1: Jesus showed how this command is to be fulfilled, how
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Speaker 1: the laws and principles of God's kingdom may be so
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Speaker 1: presented as to reveal their beauty and preciousness. When the
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Speaker 1: Lord was training Israel to be the special representatives of himself,
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Speaker 1: he gave them homes among the hills and valleys. In
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Speaker 1: their home life and in their religious service, they they
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Speaker 1: were brought in constant contact with nature and with the
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Speaker 1: word of God. So Christ taught his disciples by the
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Speaker 1: lake on the mountain side, in the fields and groves,
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Speaker 1: where they could look upon the things of nature, by
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Speaker 1: which he illustrated his teachings. And as they learned of Christ,
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Speaker 1: they put their knowledge to use by co operating with
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Speaker 1: him in his work. So through the creation we are
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Speaker 1: to become acquainted with the Creator. The Book of Nature
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Speaker 1: is a great lesson book, which, in connection with the scriptures,
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Speaker 1: we are to use in teaching others of his character
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Speaker 1: and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God.
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Speaker 1: As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit
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Speaker 1: flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction
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Speaker 1: that logical reasoning produces.
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Speaker 3: But unless the mind has.
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Speaker 1: Become too dark to know God, the eye too dim
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Speaker 1: to see him, the ear too dull to hear his voice,
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Speaker 1: a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime spiritual truths
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Speaker 1: of the written Word are impressed on the heart. In
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Speaker 1: these lessons, direct from nature, there is a simplicity and
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Speaker 1: purity that makes them of the hut highest value. All
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Speaker 1: need the teaching to be derived from this source in itself.
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Speaker 1: The beauty of nature leads the soul away from sin
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Speaker 1: and worldly attractions, and towards purity, peace, and God. Too
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Speaker 1: often the minds of students are occupied with men's theories
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Speaker 1: and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to
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Speaker 1: be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn
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Speaker 1: that creation and Christianity have one God. Let them be
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Speaker 1: taught to see the harmony of the natural with the spiritual.
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Speaker 1: Let everything which their eyes see or their hands handle
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Speaker 1: be made a lesson in character building. Thus the mental
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Speaker 1: powers will be strengthened and character developed the whole life ennobled.
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Speaker 1: Christ's purpose in parable teaching was in direct line with
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Speaker 1: the purpose of the Sabbath. God gave to men the
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Speaker 1: memorial of his creative power that they might discern him
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Speaker 1: in the works of his hand. The Sabbath bids us
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Speaker 1: behold in his created works the glory of the Creator.
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Speaker 1: And it was because he desired us to do this
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Speaker 1: that Jesus bound up his precious lessons with the beauty
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Speaker 1: of natural things. On the Holy rest day, above all
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Speaker 1: other days, we should study the messages that God has
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Speaker 1: written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour's
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Speaker 1: parables where he spoke them in the fields and groves,
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Speaker 1: under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As
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Speaker 1: we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes
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Speaker 1: his presence real to us and speaks to our hearts
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Speaker 1: of his peace and love. And Christ has linked his
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Speaker 1: teaching not only with the day of rest, but with
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Speaker 1: the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who
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Speaker 1: drives the plow and sows the seed. In the plowing
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Speaker 1: and sowing, the tilling and reaping, he teaches us to
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Speaker 1: see an illustration of His work of grace in the heart.
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Speaker 1: So in every line of useful labor and every association
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Speaker 1: of life, he desires us to find a lesson of
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Speaker 1: divine truth. Then our daily toil will no longer absorb
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Speaker 1: our attention and lead us to forget God. It will
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Speaker 1: continually remind us of our creator and redeemer. The thought
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Speaker 1: of God will run like a thread of gold through
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Speaker 1: all our homely cares and occupations. For us, the glory
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Speaker 1: of His face will again rest upon the face of nature.
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Speaker 1: We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth
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Speaker 1: and growing into the image of His purity. Thus we
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Speaker 1: shall be taught of the Lord, And in the lot
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Speaker 1: wherein we are called, we shall abide with God. End
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Speaker 1: of chapter one, Chapter two, the soer went forth to sow.
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Speaker 1: By the parable of the soer, Christ illustrates the things
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Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of Heaven and the work of the
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Speaker 1: great Husbandman for his people. Like a sower in the field,
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Speaker 1: he came to scatter the heavenly grain of truth, and
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Speaker 1: his parable teaching itself was the seed with which the
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Speaker 1: most precious truths of His grace were sown. Because of
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Speaker 1: its simplicity, the parable of the soer has not been
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Speaker 1: valued as it should be. From the natural seed cast
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Speaker 1: into the soil. Christ desires to lead our minds to
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Speaker 1: the godsple seed, the sowing of which results in bringing
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Speaker 1: man back to his loyalty to God. He who gave
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Speaker 1: the parable of the tiny seed is the sovereign of Heaven,
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Speaker 1: and the same laws that govern the earthly seed sowing
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Speaker 1: govern the sowing of the seeds of truth. By the
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Speaker 1: Sea of Galilee, a company had gathered to see and
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Speaker 1: hear Jesus, an eager, expectant throng. The sick were there,
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Speaker 1: lying on their mats, waiting to present their cases before him.
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Speaker 1: It was Christ's god given right to heal the woes
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Speaker 1: of a sinful race, and he now rebuked disease and
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Speaker 1: diffused around him life and health and peace. As the
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Speaker 1: crowd continued to increase, the people pressed close about Christ
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Speaker 1: until there was no room to receive them. Then, speaking
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Speaker 1: a word to the men in their fishing boats, he
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Speaker 1: stepped into the boat that was waiting to take him
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Speaker 1: across the lake, and, bidding his disciples push off a
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Speaker 1: little from the land, he spoke to the multitude. Upon
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Speaker 1: the shore. Beside the sea lay the beautiful plain of Gennesse.
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Speaker 1: Beyond rose the hills, and upon hillside and plain, both
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Speaker 1: sowers and reapers were busy, the one casting seed, the
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Speaker 1: other harvesting the early grain. Looking upon the scene, Christ said, behold,
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Speaker 1: the sower went forth to sow, And as he sowed,
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Speaker 1: some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came
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Speaker 1: and devoured them. Some fell upon stony places where they
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Speaker 1: had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up, because
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Speaker 1: they had no deepness of earth, And when the sun
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Speaker 1: was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root,
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Speaker 1: they withered away. And some fell among the thorns, and
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Speaker 1: the thorns sprung up and choked them. But others fell
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Speaker 1: into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold,
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Speaker 1: some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Christ's mission was not understood by
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Speaker 1: the people of his time. The manner of his coming
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Speaker 1: was not in accordance with their expectations. The Lord Jesus
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Speaker 1: was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. Its imposing
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Speaker 1: services were of divine appointment. They were designed to teach
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Speaker 1: people that at the time appointed one would come to
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Speaker 1: whom these ceremonies pointed. But the Jews had exalted the
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Speaker 1: forms and ceremonies and had lost sight of their object.
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Speaker 1: The traditions, maxims, and enactments of men hid from them
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Speaker 1: the lessons which God intended to convey. These maxims and
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Speaker 1: traditions became an obstacle to their understanding and practice of
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Speaker 1: true religion. And when the reality came in the person
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Speaker 1: of Christ, they did not recognize in him the fulfillment
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Speaker 1: of all their types, the substance of all their shadows.
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Speaker 1: They rejected the antetype and clung to their types and
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Speaker 1: useless ceremonies. The Son of God had come, but they
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Speaker 1: continued to ask for a sign. The message repent ye
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Speaker 1: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. They answered
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Speaker 1: by demands for a miracle. The Gospel of Christ was
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Speaker 1: a stumbling block to them, because they demanded signs instead
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Speaker 1: of a savior. They expected the Messiah to prove his
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Speaker 1: claims by mighty deeds of conquest, to establish his empire
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Speaker 1: on the ruins of earthly kingdoms. This expectation Christ answered
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Speaker 1: in the Parable of the Soer. Not by force of arms,
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Speaker 1: not by violent interpositions, was the Kingdom of God to prevail,
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Speaker 1: but by implanting of a new principle in the hearts
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Speaker 1: of men. He that soweth the good seed is the
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Speaker 1: son of man. Christ had come not as a king,
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Speaker 1: but as a sower, Not for the overthrow of kingdoms,
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Speaker 1: but for the scattering of seed. Not to point his
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Speaker 1: followers to earthly triumphs and national greatness, but to a
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Speaker 1: harvest to be gathered after patient toil and through losses
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Speaker 1: and disappointments. The Pharisees perceived the meaning of Christ's Parable,
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Speaker 1: but to them its lesson was unwelcome. They affected not
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Speaker 1: to understand it. To the multitude it involved in still
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Speaker 1: greater mystery the purpose of the new teacher, whose words
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Speaker 1: had so strangely moved their hearts, and so bitterly disappointed
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Speaker 1: their ambitions. The disciples themselves had not understood the parable,
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Speaker 1: but their interest was awakened. They came to Jesus privately
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Speaker 1: and asked for an explanation. This was the desire which
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Speaker 1: Christ wished to arouse, that he might give them more
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Speaker 1: definite instruction. He explained the parable to them, as he
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Speaker 1: will make plain his word to all who seek Him
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Speaker 1: in sincerity of heart. Those who study the Word of
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Speaker 1: God with hearts open to the enlightenment of the Holy
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Speaker 1: Spirit will not remain in darkness as to the meaning
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Speaker 1: of the word. If any man willeth to do his will,
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Speaker 1: Christ said, he shall know of the teaching, whether it
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Speaker 1: be of God or whether I speak from myself. All
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Speaker 1: who come to Christ for a clearer knowledge of the
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Speaker 1: truth will receive it. He will unfold to them the
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Speaker 1: mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and these mysteries will
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Speaker 1: be understood by the heart that longs to know the truth.
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Speaker 1: A heavenly light will shine into the Sole Temple and
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Speaker 1: will be revealed to others as the bright shining of
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Speaker 1: a lamp on a dark path. The sower went forth
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Speaker 1: to sow in the east, the state of affairs was
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Speaker 1: so unsettled, and there was so great danger from violence,
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Speaker 1: that the people dwelt chiefly in walled towns, and the
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Speaker 1: husbandmen went forth daily to their labor outside the walls.
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Speaker 1: So Christ, the heavenly Sower, went forth to sow. He
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Speaker 1: left his home of security and peace, left the glory
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Speaker 1: that he had with the Father before the world was
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Speaker 1: left his position upon the throne of the universe. He
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Speaker 1: went forth, a suffering, tempted man, went forth in solitude
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Speaker 1: to sow, in tears, to water with his blood the
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Speaker 1: seed of life. For a world lost. His servants in
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Speaker 1: like manner, must go forth to sow. When called to
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Speaker 1: become a sower of the seed of truth, Abraham was bidden,
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Speaker 1: get THEE out of thy country, and from thy kindred,
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Speaker 1: and from thy father's house unto a land that I
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Speaker 1: will show THEE. And he went out, not knowing whither
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Speaker 1: he went. So to the apostle Paul, praying in the
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Speaker 1: temple at Jerusalem, came the message for God, depart, for
20:02
Speaker 1: I will send THEE far hence unto the gentiles. So
20:05
Speaker 1: those who are called to unite with Christ must leave
20:08
Speaker 1: all in order to follow him. Old associations must be
20:12
Speaker 1: broken up, plans of life relinquished, earthly hopes surrendered in
20:16
Speaker 1: toil and tears, in solitude, and through sacrifice, must the
20:20
Speaker 1: seed be sown. The soer soeth the word Christ came
20:25
Speaker 1: to sow the world with truth. Ever since the fall
20:28
Speaker 1: of man, Satan has been sowing the seeds of error.
20:31
Speaker 1: It was by a lie that he first gained control
20:34
Speaker 1: over men, and thus he still works to overthrow God's
20:37
Speaker 1: kingdom in the earth and to bring men under his power.
20:41
Speaker 1: A soer from a higher world, Christ came to sow
20:44
Speaker 1: the seeds of truth. He who had stood in the
20:46
Speaker 1: counsels of God, who had dwelt in the innermost sanctuary
20:49
Speaker 1: of the eternal, could bring to men the pure principles
20:53
Speaker 1: of truth. Ever since the fall of man, Christ had
20:56
Speaker 1: been the revealer of truth to the world. By him,
20:59
Speaker 1: the inkerptible seed, the Word of God, which liveth and
21:02
Speaker 1: abideth forever, is communicated to men in that first promise
21:07
Speaker 1: spoken to our fallen race in Eden, Christ was sowing
21:10
Speaker 1: the Gospel seed. But it is to his personal ministry
21:14
Speaker 1: among men, and to the work which he thus established,
21:16
Speaker 1: that the parable of the sower especially applies the Word
21:20
Speaker 1: of God is the seed. Every seed has in itself
21:23
Speaker 1: a germinating principle in it. The life of the plant
21:27
Speaker 1: is enfolded. So there is life in God's word. Christ says,
21:32
Speaker 1: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
21:35
Speaker 1: and they are life. He that heareth my word and
21:38
Speaker 1: believeth on him that hath sent me, hath everlasting life.
21:42
Speaker 1: In every command and in every promise of the Word
21:45
Speaker 1: of God is the power, the very life of God
21:48
Speaker 1: by which the command may be fulfilled and the promise realized.
21:52
Speaker 1: He who, by faith receives the Word is receiving the
21:55
Speaker 1: very life and character of God. Every seed brings forth
21:59
Speaker 1: fruit after its kind. Sow the seed under rite conditions,
22:03
Speaker 1: and it will develop its own life in the plant.
22:06
Speaker 1: Receive into the soul by faith the incorruptible seed of
22:09
Speaker 1: the Word, and it will bring forth a character and
22:12
Speaker 1: a life after the similitude of the character and the
22:14
Speaker 1: life of God. The teachers of Israel were not sowing
22:18
Speaker 1: the seed of the Word of God. Christ's work as
22:21
Speaker 1: a teacher of truth was in marked contrast to that
22:24
Speaker 1: of the rabbis of his time. They dwelt upon traditions,
22:28
Speaker 1: upon human theories, and speculations. Often that which man had
22:32
Speaker 1: taught and written about the Word they put in place
22:34
Speaker 1: of the Word itself. Their teaching had no power to
22:37
Speaker 1: quicken the soul. The subject of Christ's teaching and preaching
22:41
Speaker 1: was the Word of God. He met questioners with the
22:44
Speaker 1: plain it is written, what saith the scriptures? How readest thou?
22:49
Speaker 1: At every opportunity, when an interest was awakened by either
22:53
Speaker 1: friend or foe, he sowed the seed of the Word.
22:56
Speaker 1: He who is the Way, the Truth, and the life himself,
22:59
Speaker 1: the Living Word, points to the scriptures, saying, they are
23:03
Speaker 1: they which testify of Me. And, beginning at Moses and
23:07
Speaker 1: all the prophets, he opened to his disciples in all
23:09
Speaker 1: the scriptures the things concerning himself. Christ's servants are to
23:14
Speaker 1: do the same work in our day as of old.
23:17
Speaker 1: The vital truths of God's Word are set aside for
23:20
Speaker 1: human theories and speculations. Many professed ministers of the Gospel
23:24
Speaker 1: do not accept the whole Bible as the inspired Word.
23:28
Speaker 1: One wise man rejects one portion, another questions another part.
23:32
Speaker 1: They set up their judgment as superior to the Word,
23:35
Speaker 1: and the scripture which they do teach rests upon their
23:38
Speaker 1: own authority, its divine authenticity is destroyed. Thus the seeds
23:43
Speaker 1: of infidelity are sown broadcast for the people become confused
23:47
Speaker 1: and know not what to believe. There are many beliefs
23:50
Speaker 1: that the mind has no right to entertain. In the
23:53
Speaker 1: days of Christ, the rabbis put a forced mystical construction
23:57
Speaker 1: upon many portions of scripture. Because the place lay in
24:00
Speaker 1: teaching of God's Word condemned their practices, they tried to
24:03
Speaker 1: destroy its force. The same thing is done today. The
24:07
Speaker 1: word of God is made to appear mysterious and obscure
24:10
Speaker 1: in order to excuse transgression of his law. Christ rebuked
24:14
Speaker 1: these practices in his day. He taught that the word
24:17
Speaker 1: of God was to be understood by all. He pointed
24:20
Speaker 1: to the scriptures as of unquestionable authority, and we should
24:24
Speaker 1: do the same. The Bible is to be presented as
24:27
Speaker 1: the word of the infinite God, as the end of
24:29
Speaker 1: all controversy and the foundation of all faith. The Bible
24:33
Speaker 1: has been robbed of its power, and the results are
24:36
Speaker 1: seen in a lowering of the tone of spiritual life
24:39
Speaker 1: in the sermons from many pulpits of today. There is
24:42
Speaker 1: not that divine manifestation which awakens the conscience and brings
24:45
Speaker 1: life to the soul. The hearers cannot say, did not
24:49
Speaker 1: our heart burn within us while He talked with us
24:52
Speaker 1: by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures.
24:55
Speaker 1: There are many who are crying out for the living God,
24:58
Speaker 1: longing for the divine presence. Philosophical theories or literary essays,
25:03
Speaker 1: however brilliant, cannot satisfy the heart. The assertions and inventions
25:08
Speaker 1: of men are of no value. Let the word of
25:11
Speaker 1: God speak to the people. Let those who have heard
25:13
Speaker 1: only traditions and human theories and maxims hear the voice
25:17
Speaker 1: of Him whose word can renew the soul unto everlasting life.
25:22
Speaker 1: Christ's favorite theme was the paternal tenderness and abundant grace
25:26
Speaker 1: of God. He dwelt much upon the holiness of his
25:29
Speaker 1: character and his law. He presented himself to the people
25:32
Speaker 1: as the Way, the truth, and the life. Let these
25:35
Speaker 1: be the themes of Christ's ministers. Present the truth as
25:39
Speaker 1: it is in Jesus, make plain the requirements of the
25:42
Speaker 1: law and the Gospel. Tell the people of Christ's life
25:45
Speaker 1: of self denial and sacrifice, of his humiliation and death,
25:49
Speaker 1: of his resurrection and ascension, of his intercession for them
25:53
Speaker 1: in the courts of God. Of his promise, I will
25:56
Speaker 1: come again and receive you unto myself. Instead of discussing
26:02
Speaker 1: erroneous theories or seeking to combat the opponents of the Gospel,
26:05
Speaker 1: follow the example of Christ. Let fresh truths from God's
26:09
Speaker 1: treasure house flash into life. Preach the word so beside
26:14
Speaker 1: all waters be instant in season and out of season.
26:18
Speaker 1: He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.
26:21
Speaker 1: What is the chaff to the wheat? Saith the Lord.
26:25
Speaker 1: Every word of God is pure. Add thou not unto
26:28
Speaker 1: his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found
26:31
Speaker 1: a liar. The soer soweth the word. Here is presented
26:36
Speaker 1: the great principle which should underlie all educational work. The
26:40
Speaker 1: seed is the word of God. But in too many
26:43
Speaker 1: schools in our day, God's word is set aside. Other
26:46
Speaker 1: subjects occupy the mind. The study of infidel authors holds
26:50
Speaker 1: a large place in the educational system Skeptical sentiments are
26:54
Speaker 1: interwoven in the matter placed in school books. Scientific research
26:58
Speaker 1: becomes misleading because as its discoveries are misinterpreted and perverted.
27:03
Speaker 1: The word of God is compared with the supposed teachings
27:05
Speaker 1: of science, and is made to appear uncertain and untrustworthy.
27:09
Speaker 1: Thus the seeds of doubt are planted in the minds
27:12
Speaker 1: of the youth, and in time of temptation they spring up.
27:15
Speaker 1: When faith in God's word is lost, the soul has
27:18
Speaker 1: no guide, no safeguard. The youth are drawn into paths
27:22
Speaker 1: which lead away from God and from everlasting life. To
27:25
Speaker 1: this cause may in great degree be attributed the widespread
27:28
Speaker 1: iniquity of our world today. When the word of God
27:31
Speaker 1: is set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions
27:34
Speaker 1: of the natural heart is rejected men so to the flesh,
27:38
Speaker 1: and of the flesh they reap corruption. And here too
27:42
Speaker 1: is the great cause of mental weakness and inefficiency. In
27:46
Speaker 1: turning from God's word to feed on the writings of
27:48
Speaker 1: uninspired men, the mind becomes dwarfed and cheapened. It is
27:52
Speaker 1: not brought in contact with deep, broad principles of eternal truth.
27:57
Speaker 1: The understanding adapts itself to the comprehension of the things
28:00
Speaker 1: with which it is familiar, and in this devotion to
28:03
Speaker 1: finite things it is weakened. Its power is contracted, and
28:07
Speaker 1: after a time it becomes unable to expand all this
28:11
Speaker 1: is false education. The work of every teacher should be
28:16
Speaker 1: to fasten the mind of the youth upon the grand
28:18
Speaker 1: truths of the Word of Inspiration. This is the education
28:22
Speaker 1: essential for this life and for the life to come.
28:25
Speaker 1: And let it not be thought that this will prevent
28:28
Speaker 1: the study of the sciences or cause a lower standard
28:30
Speaker 1: in education. The knowledge of God is as high as
28:34
Speaker 1: heaven and as broad as the universe. There is nothing
28:37
Speaker 1: so ennobling and invigorating as a study of the great
28:41
Speaker 1: themes which concern our eternal life. Let the youth seek
28:45
Speaker 1: to grasp these God given truths, and their minds will
28:48
Speaker 1: expand and grow strong in the effort. It will bring
28:51
Speaker 1: every student who is a doer of the Word into
28:53
Speaker 1: a broader field of thought, and secure for him a
28:56
Speaker 1: wealth of knowledge that is imperishable. The education to be
29:00
Speaker 1: secured by searching the scriptures is an experimental knowledge of
29:04
Speaker 1: the plan of salvation. Such education will restore the image
29:08
Speaker 1: of God in the soul. It will strengthen and fortify
29:11
Speaker 1: the mind against temptation, and fit the learner to become
29:14
Speaker 1: a co worker with Christ in his mission of mercy
29:17
Speaker 1: to the world. It will make him a member of
29:20
Speaker 1: the heavenly family, and prepare him to share the inheritance
29:24
Speaker 1: of the saints in light. But the teacher of sacred
29:27
Speaker 1: truth can impart only that which he himself knows by experience.
29:32
Speaker 1: The sower sowed his seed. Christ taught the truth because
29:36
Speaker 1: he was the truth. His own thought, his character, his
29:39
Speaker 1: life experience was embodied in his teaching. So with his servants.
29:44
Speaker 1: Those who would teach the word are to make it
29:46
Speaker 1: their own by a personal experience. They must know what
29:49
Speaker 1: it is to have Christ made unto them wisdom and
29:52
Speaker 1: righteousness and sanctification and redemption. In presenting the Word of
29:57
Speaker 1: God to others, they are not to make it a
29:59
Speaker 1: suppor so, or maybe they should declare, with the Apostle Peter,
30:04
Speaker 1: we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made
30:07
Speaker 1: known unto you the power and coming of our Lord
30:10
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. But were I witnesses of his majesty. Every
30:14
Speaker 1: minister of Christ and every teacher should be able to say,
30:18
Speaker 1: with the beloved John, the life was manifested, and we
30:22
Speaker 1: have seen it, and bear witness and show unto you
30:25
Speaker 1: that eternal life which was with the Father and was
30:28
Speaker 1: manifested unto us the soil by the wayside, That with
30:35
Speaker 1: which the parable of the soer chiefly deals is the
30:38
Speaker 1: effect produced on the growth of the seed by the
30:40
Speaker 1: soil into which it is cast. By this parable. Christ
30:44
Speaker 1: was virtually saying to his hearers, it is not safe
30:47
Speaker 1: for you to stand as critics of my work or
30:50
Speaker 1: to indulge disappointment, because it does not meet your ideas.
30:54
Speaker 1: The question of greatest importance to you is how do
30:57
Speaker 1: you treat my message? On your reception or rejection of it?
31:01
Speaker 1: Your eternal destiny depends. Explaining the seed that fell by
31:06
Speaker 1: the wayside, he said, when any one heareth the word
31:09
Speaker 1: of the Kingdom and understandeth not, then cometh the wicked
31:13
Speaker 1: one and cateth the way that which was sown in
31:16
Speaker 1: his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside.
31:21
Speaker 1: The seed sown by the wayside represents the word of
31:24
Speaker 1: God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer,
31:28
Speaker 1: like the hard beaten path trodden down by the feet
31:31
Speaker 1: of men and beasts. It is the heart that becomes
31:34
Speaker 1: a highway for the world's traffic, its pleasures and sins.
31:38
Speaker 1: Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is
31:42
Speaker 1: hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. The spiritual faculties are paralyzed.
31:47
Speaker 1: Men hear the Word but understand it not. They do
31:51
Speaker 1: not discern that it applies to themselves. They do not
31:54
Speaker 1: realize their need or their danger. They do not perceive
31:57
Speaker 1: the love of Christ, and they pass by the messa
32:00
Speaker 1: his grace as something that does not concern them. As
32:04
Speaker 1: the birds are ready to catch up the seed from
32:06
Speaker 1: the wayside, so Satan is ready to catch away the
32:09
Speaker 1: seeds of divine truth from the soul. He fears that
32:12
Speaker 1: the word of God may awaken the careless and take
32:15
Speaker 1: effect upon the heart and heart. Satan and his angels
32:19
Speaker 1: are in the assemblies where the Gospel is preached. While
32:22
Speaker 1: angels of Heaven endeavor to impress hearts with the word
32:24
Speaker 1: of God, the enemy is on the alert to make
32:27
Speaker 1: the Word of no effect. With an earnestness equalled only
32:31
Speaker 1: by his malice, he tries to thwart the work of
32:34
Speaker 1: the spirit of God. While Christ is drawing the soul
32:37
Speaker 1: by his love, Satan tries to turn away the attention
32:40
Speaker 1: of the one who is moved to seek the Savior.
32:43
Speaker 1: He engages the mind with worldly schemes, he excites criticism
32:47
Speaker 1: or insinuates doubt and unbelief. The speaker's choice of language
32:51
Speaker 1: or his manner may not please the hearers, and they
32:54
Speaker 1: dwell upon these defects. Thus, the truth they need, and
32:57
Speaker 1: which God has graciously sent them, makes no lasting impression.
33:02
Speaker 1: Satan has many helpers. Many who profess to be Christians
33:06
Speaker 1: are aiding the tempter to catch away the seeds of
33:09
Speaker 1: truth from other hearts. Many who listen to the preaching
33:12
Speaker 1: of the Word of God make it the subject of criticism.
33:15
Speaker 1: At home. They sit in judgment on the sermon as
33:18
Speaker 1: they would on the words of a lecturer or a
33:20
Speaker 1: political speaker. The message that should be regarded as the
33:24
Speaker 1: word of the Lord to them is dwelt upon with
33:27
Speaker 1: trifling or sarcastic comment. The minister's character, motives and actions,
33:32
Speaker 1: and the conduct of fellow members of the church are
33:35
Speaker 1: freely discussed. Severe judgment is pronounced, gossip or slander repeated,
33:40
Speaker 1: and this in the hearing of the unconverted. Often these
33:44
Speaker 1: things are spoken by parents in the hearing of their
33:46
Speaker 1: own children. Thus are destroyed respect for God's messengers and
33:51
Speaker 1: reverence for their message, and many are taught to regard
33:54
Speaker 1: lightly God's word itself. Thus, in the homes of professed Christians,
33:59
Speaker 1: many youth are educab hated to be infidels, and the
34:01
Speaker 1: parents question why their children are so little interested in
34:04
Speaker 1: the Gospel and so ready to doubt the truth of
34:07
Speaker 1: the Bible. They wonder that it is so difficult to
34:10
Speaker 1: reach them with moral and religious influences. They do not
34:14
Speaker 1: see that their own example has hardened the hearts of
34:17
Speaker 1: their children. The good seed finds no place to take root,
34:20
Speaker 1: and Satan catches it away in stony places. He that
34:26
Speaker 1: received the seed into stony places, the same is he
34:29
Speaker 1: that heareth the Word and anon with joy receiveth it.
34:33
Speaker 1: Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for
34:36
Speaker 1: a while, For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of
34:40
Speaker 1: the Word, by and by he is offended. The seed
34:44
Speaker 1: sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil. The
34:48
Speaker 1: plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot penetrate the
34:51
Speaker 1: rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it
34:54
Speaker 1: soon perishes. Many who make a profession of religion are
34:58
Speaker 1: stony ground hearers, like the rock underlying the layer of earth.
35:02
Speaker 1: The selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of
35:06
Speaker 1: their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is
35:09
Speaker 1: not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
35:13
Speaker 1: and the heart has not been humbled under a sense
35:16
Speaker 1: of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced and
35:19
Speaker 1: appear to be bright converts, but they have only a
35:22
Speaker 1: superficial religion. It is not because men receive the Word immediately,
35:27
Speaker 1: nor because they rejoice in it, that they fall away.
35:30
Speaker 1: As soon as Matthew heard the saviors call immediately, he
35:33
Speaker 1: rose up, left all and followed him. As soon as
35:37
Speaker 1: the divine word comes to our hearts, God desires us
35:39
Speaker 1: to receive it, and it is right to accept it
35:42
Speaker 1: with joy. Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
35:45
Speaker 1: that repenteth, and there is joy in the soul that
35:48
Speaker 1: believes on Christ. But those who, in the parable are
35:52
Speaker 1: said to receive the Word immediately do not count the cost.
35:55
Speaker 1: They do not consider what the Word of God requires
35:58
Speaker 1: of them. They do not it face to face with
36:01
Speaker 1: all their habits of life, and yield themselves fully to
36:04
Speaker 1: its control. The roots of the plant strike down deep
36:07
Speaker 1: into the soil, and hidden from sight, nourish the life
36:10
Speaker 1: of the plant. So with the Christian. It is by
36:13
Speaker 1: the invisible union of the soul with Christ through faith,
36:17
Speaker 1: that the spiritual life is nourished. But the stony ground
36:20
Speaker 1: hearers depend upon self instead of Christ. They trust in
36:24
Speaker 1: their good works and good impulses, and are strong in
36:27
Speaker 1: their own righteousness. They are not strong in the Lord
36:30
Speaker 1: and in the power of His might. Such a one
36:33
Speaker 1: hath not root in himself, for he is not connected
36:37
Speaker 1: with Christ. The hot summer sun that strengthens and ripens
36:40
Speaker 1: the hardy grain destroys that which has no depth of root.
36:45
Speaker 1: So he who hath not root in himself dureth for
36:47
Speaker 1: a while. But when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of
36:52
Speaker 1: the Word, by and by he is offended. Many receive
36:55
Speaker 1: the Gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather
36:58
Speaker 1: than as a deliverance from sea. They rejoice for a season,
37:02
Speaker 1: for they think that religion will free them from difficulty
37:05
Speaker 1: and trial, while life moves smoothly with them. They may
37:08
Speaker 1: appear to be consistent Christians, but they faint beneath the
37:12
Speaker 1: fiery test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for Christ's sake.
37:17
Speaker 1: When the word of God points out some cherished sin
37:20
Speaker 1: or requires self denial or sacrifice. They are offended it
37:24
Speaker 1: would cost them too much effort to make a radical
37:27
Speaker 1: change in their life. They look at the present inconvenience
37:30
Speaker 1: and trial, and forget the eternal realities. Like the disciples
37:34
Speaker 1: who left Jesus. They are ready to say this is
37:38
Speaker 1: a hard saying. Who can hear it? There are very
37:41
Speaker 1: many who claim to serve God, but who have no
37:44
Speaker 1: experimental knowledge of him. Their desire to do His will
37:48
Speaker 1: is based upon their own inclination, not upon the deep
37:51
Speaker 1: conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their conduct is not brought
37:55
Speaker 1: into harmony with the law of God. They profess to
37:58
Speaker 1: accept Christ as their savior, but they do not believe
38:00
Speaker 1: that he will give them power to overcome their sins.
38:03
Speaker 1: They have not a personal relation with the living Savior,
38:07
Speaker 1: and their characters reveal defects, both hereditary and cultivated. It
38:11
Speaker 1: is one thing to assent in a general way to
38:14
Speaker 1: the agency of the Holy Spirit, and another thing to
38:17
Speaker 1: accept his work as a reprover calling to repentance. Many
38:21
Speaker 1: feel a sense of estrangement from God, a realization of
38:25
Speaker 1: their bondage to self and sin. They make efforts for
38:28
Speaker 1: reform but they do not crucify self. They do not
38:32
Speaker 1: give themselves entirely into the hands of Christ seeking for
38:35
Speaker 1: divine power to do his will. They are not willing
38:38
Speaker 1: to be molded after the divine's similitude in a general way.
38:42
Speaker 1: They acknowledge their imperfections, but they do not give up
38:45
Speaker 1: their particular sins. With each wrong act, the old selfish
38:49
Speaker 1: nature is gaining strength. The only hope for these souls
38:53
Speaker 1: is to realize in themselves the truth of Christ's words
38:56
Speaker 1: to Nicodemus, Ye must be born again. Except a man
39:00
Speaker 1: be born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
39:04
Speaker 1: True holiness is wholeness in the service of God. This
39:08
Speaker 1: is the condition of true Christian living. Christ asks for
39:12
Speaker 1: an unreserved consecration for undivided service. He demands the heart,
39:17
Speaker 1: the mind, the soul, the strength. Self is not to
39:21
Speaker 1: be cherished. He who lives to himself is not a Christian.
39:25
Speaker 1: Love must be the principle of action. Love is the
39:28
Speaker 1: underlying principle of God's government in heaven and earth, and
39:32
Speaker 1: it must be the foundation of the Christian's character. This
39:35
Speaker 1: alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can
39:39
Speaker 1: enable him to withstand trial and temptation and love will
39:43
Speaker 1: be revealed in sacrifice. The plan of redemption was laid
39:47
Speaker 1: in sacrifice, a sacrifice so broad and deep and high
39:51
Speaker 1: that it is immeasurable. Christ gave all for us, and
39:56
Speaker 1: those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all
39:59
Speaker 1: for the of their redeemer. The thought of his honor
40:03
Speaker 1: and glory will come before anything else. If we love Jesus,
40:07
Speaker 1: we shall love to live for him, to present our
40:10
Speaker 1: thank offerings to him, to labor for him. The very
40:13
Speaker 1: labor will be light. For his sake. We shall covet
40:17
Speaker 1: pain and toil and sacrifice. We shall sympathize with his
40:22
Speaker 1: longing for the salvation of men. We shall feel the
40:25
Speaker 1: same tender craving for souls that He has felt. This
40:28
Speaker 1: is the religion of Christ. Anything short of it is
40:31
Speaker 1: a deception. No mere theory of truth or profession of
40:35
Speaker 1: discipleship will save any soul. We do not belong to
40:38
Speaker 1: Christ unless we are His holy. It is by half
40:42
Speaker 1: heartedness in the Christian life that men become feeble in
40:45
Speaker 1: purpose and changeable in desire. The effort to serve both
40:49
Speaker 1: self and Christ makes one a stony ground hearer, and
40:53
Speaker 1: he will not endure. When the test comes upon him
40:57
Speaker 1: among thorns, he also that received seed. Among the thorns.
41:03
Speaker 1: Is he that heareth the word, and the care of
41:05
Speaker 1: this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word,
41:09
Speaker 1: and he becometh unfruitful. The gospel seed often falls among
41:14
Speaker 1: thorns and noxious weeds. And if there is not a
41:17
Speaker 1: moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and
41:21
Speaker 1: practices in the former life of sin are not left behind,
41:24
Speaker 1: if the attributes of satan are not expelled from the soul,
41:27
Speaker 1: the wheat crop will be choked. The thorns will come
41:30
Speaker 1: to be the crop and will kill out the wheat.
41:34
Speaker 1: Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being
41:36
Speaker 1: constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns
41:40
Speaker 1: of sin will grow in any soil. They need no cultivation,
41:44
Speaker 1: but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briars and thorns
41:48
Speaker 1: are always ready to spring up, and the work of
41:51
Speaker 1: purification must advance continually. If the heart is not kept
41:55
Speaker 1: under the control of God, if the Holy Spirit does
41:58
Speaker 1: not work unceasingly to re fine and ennoble the character,
42:02
Speaker 1: the old habits will reveal themselves in the life. Men
42:05
Speaker 1: may profess to believe the Gospel, but unless they are
42:08
Speaker 1: sanctified by the Gospel, their profession is of no avail.
42:12
Speaker 1: If they do not gain the victory over sin, then
42:15
Speaker 1: sin is gaining the victory over them. The thorns that
42:18
Speaker 1: have been cut off but not uprooted grow apace until
42:21
Speaker 1: the soul is overspread with them. Christ specified the things
42:25
Speaker 1: that are dangerous to the soul as recorded by Mark.
42:29
Speaker 1: He mentions the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches,
42:32
Speaker 1: and the lusts of other things. Luke specifies the cares, riches,
42:36
Speaker 1: and pleasures of this life. These are what choke the
42:40
Speaker 1: word the growing spiritual seed. The soul ceases to straw
42:44
Speaker 1: nourishment from Christ, and spirituality dies out of the heart.
42:49
Speaker 1: The cares of this world. No class is free from
42:52
Speaker 1: temptation to worldly care. To the poor, toil and deprivation,
42:56
Speaker 1: and the fear of want bring perplexities and burdens. To
43:00
Speaker 1: the rich, come fear of loss and a multitude of
43:03
Speaker 1: anxious cares. Many of Christ's followers forget the lesson he
43:06
Speaker 1: has bidden us learned from the flowers of the field.
43:09
Speaker 1: They do not trust to his constant care. Christ cannot
43:13
Speaker 1: carry their burden because they do not cast it upon him. Therefore,
43:17
Speaker 1: the cares of life, which should drive them to the
43:19
Speaker 1: Savior for help and comfort, separate them from him. Many
43:24
Speaker 1: who might be fruitful in God's service become bent on
43:26
Speaker 1: acquiring wealth. Their whole energy is absorbed in business enterprises,
43:31
Speaker 1: and they feel obliged to neglect things of a spiritual nature.
43:35
Speaker 1: Thus they separate themselves from God. We are enjoined in
43:38
Speaker 1: the scriptures to be not slothful in business. We are
43:42
Speaker 1: to labor that we may impart to him who needs.
43:45
Speaker 1: Christians must work, they must engage in business. But they
43:49
Speaker 1: can do this without committing sin. But many become so
43:52
Speaker 1: absorbed in business that they have no time for prayer,
43:56
Speaker 1: no time for the study of the Bible, no time
43:58
Speaker 1: to seek and serve God. At times, the longings of
44:02
Speaker 1: the soul go out for holiness and heaven, but there
44:05
Speaker 1: is no time to turn aside from the din of
44:07
Speaker 1: the world to listen to the majestic and authoritative utterances
44:10
Speaker 1: of the Spirit of God. The things of eternity are
44:14
Speaker 1: made subordinate the things of the world supreme. It is
44:18
Speaker 1: impossible for the seed of the Word to bring forth
44:20
Speaker 1: fruit for the life of the soul is given to
44:23
Speaker 1: nourish the thorns of worldliness, and many who are working
44:27
Speaker 1: with a very different purpose fall into like error. They
44:30
Speaker 1: are working for others good, their duties are pressing, their
44:33
Speaker 1: responsibilities are many, and they allow their labor to crowd
44:37
Speaker 1: out devotion. Communion with God through prayer and a study
44:41
Speaker 1: of His word is neglected. They forget what Christ has said.
44:45
Speaker 1: Without me, ye can do nothing. They walk apart from Christ.
44:49
Speaker 1: Their life is not pervaded by His grace, and the
44:52
Speaker 1: characteristics of self are revealed. Their service is marred by
44:56
Speaker 1: desire for supremacy and the harsh, unlovely traits of the
45:00
Speaker 1: unsubdued heart. Here is one of the chief secrets of
45:03
Speaker 1: failure in Christian work. This is why its results are
45:06
Speaker 1: often so meager. The deceitfulness of riches, the love of riches,
45:12
Speaker 1: has an infatuating deceptive power. Too often those who possess
45:16
Speaker 1: worldly treasure forget that it is God who gives them
45:19
Speaker 1: power to get wealth. They say, my power and the
45:22
Speaker 1: might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. Their riches,
45:26
Speaker 1: instead of awakening gratitude to God, lead to the exaltation
45:30
Speaker 1: of self. They lose the sense of their dependence upon
45:33
Speaker 1: God and their obligation to their fellow men. Instead of
45:36
Speaker 1: regarding wealth as a talent to be employed for the
45:39
Speaker 1: glory of God and the uplifting of humanity, they look
45:42
Speaker 1: upon it as a means of serving themselves. Instead of
45:45
Speaker 1: developing in man the attributes of God. Riches thus used,
45:49
Speaker 1: are developing in him the attributes of Satan. The seed
45:52
Speaker 1: of the Word is choked with thorns and pleasures of
45:56
Speaker 1: this life. There is danger in amusement that is sought
46:00
Speaker 1: merely for self gratification. All habits of indulgence that weaken
46:04
Speaker 1: the physical powers, that becloud the mind, or that benumb
46:08
Speaker 1: the spiritual perceptions are fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
46:13
Speaker 1: and the lusts of other things. These are not necessarily
46:16
Speaker 1: things sinful in themselves, but something that is made first
46:20
Speaker 1: instead of the kingdom of God. Whatever attracts the mind
46:23
Speaker 1: from God, whatever draws the affections away from Christ, is
46:27
Speaker 1: an enemy to the soul. When the mind is youthful
46:30
Speaker 1: and vigorous, and susceptible of rapid development, there is great
46:34
Speaker 1: temptation to be ambitious for self, to serve self. If
46:38
Speaker 1: worldly schemes are successful, there is an inclination to continue
46:41
Speaker 1: in a line that deadens conscience and prevents a correct
46:45
Speaker 1: estimate as to what constitutes real excellence of character. When
46:49
Speaker 1: circumstances favor this development, growth will be seen in a
46:52
Speaker 1: direction prohibited by the word of God. In this formative
46:56
Speaker 1: period of their children's life, the responsibility of parents is
47:00
Speaker 1: very great. It should be their study to surround the
47:03
Speaker 1: youth with right influences, influences that will give them correct
47:06
Speaker 1: views of life and its true success. Instead of this,
47:10
Speaker 1: how many parents make it their first object to secure
47:13
Speaker 1: for their children worldly prosperity. All their associations are chosen
47:18
Speaker 1: with reference to this object. Many parents make their home
47:21
Speaker 1: in some large city and introduce their children into fashionable society.
47:26
Speaker 1: They surround them with influences that encourage worldliness and pride.
47:30
Speaker 1: In this atmosphere, the mind and soul are dwarfed, the
47:34
Speaker 1: high and noble aims of life are lost. Sight of
47:37
Speaker 1: the privilege of being sons of God heirs of eternity
47:41
Speaker 1: is bartered for worldly gain. Many parents seek to promote
47:45
Speaker 1: the happiness of their children by gratifying their love of amusement.
47:49
Speaker 1: They allow them to engage in sports and to attend
47:51
Speaker 1: parties of pleasure and provide them with money to use
47:54
Speaker 1: freely in display and self gratification. The more the desire
47:58
Speaker 1: for pleasure is indulged, the strong longer it becomes. The
48:01
Speaker 1: interest of these youth is more and more absorbed in amusement,
48:05
Speaker 1: until they come to look upon it as the great
48:07
Speaker 1: object of life. They form habits of idleness and self
48:11
Speaker 1: indulgence that make it almost impossible for them ever to
48:14
Speaker 1: become steadfast Christians. Even the Church, which should be the
48:18
Speaker 1: pillar and ground of the truth, is found encouraging the
48:21
Speaker 1: selfish love of pleasure. When money is to be raised
48:24
Speaker 1: for religious purposes, to what means do many churches resort
48:28
Speaker 1: to bazaars, suppers, fancy fairs, even to lotteries and like devices.
48:34
Speaker 1: Often the place set apart for God's worship is desecrated
48:37
Speaker 1: by feasting and drinking, buying, selling, and merrymaking. Respect for
48:42
Speaker 1: the House of God and reverence for his worship are
48:45
Speaker 1: lessened in the minds of the youth. The barriers of
48:48
Speaker 1: self restraint are weakened. Selfishness, appetite, the love of display
48:53
Speaker 1: are appealed to, and they strengthen as they are indulged.
48:57
Speaker 1: The pursuit of pleasure and amusement centers in the city.
49:00
Speaker 1: Many parents who choose a city home for their children,
49:03
Speaker 1: thinking to give them greater advantages, meet with disappointment and
49:07
Speaker 1: too late repent of their terrible mistake. The cities of
49:10
Speaker 1: today are fast becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah. The many
49:14
Speaker 1: holidays encourage idleness. The exciting sports, theater, going, horse racing, gambling, liquor,
49:20
Speaker 1: drinking and reveling stimulate every passion to intense activity. The
49:25
Speaker 1: youth are swept away by the popular current. Those who
49:28
Speaker 1: learn to love amusement for its own sake open the
49:30
Speaker 1: door to a flood of temptations. They give themselves up
49:33
Speaker 1: to social gayety and thoughtless mirth, and their intercourse with
49:37
Speaker 1: pleasure lovers has an intoxicating effect upon the mind. They
49:41
Speaker 1: are led on from one form of dissipation to another,
49:44
Speaker 1: until they lose both the desire and the capacity for
49:47
Speaker 1: a life of usefulness. Their religious aspirations are chilled, their
49:51
Speaker 1: spiritual life is darkened. All the nobler faculties of the soul,
49:55
Speaker 1: all that link man with the spiritual world, are debased.
49:59
Speaker 1: It is true that some may see their folly and repent,
50:02
Speaker 1: and God may pardon them, but they have wounded their
50:05
Speaker 1: own souls and brought upon themselves a lifelong peril. The
50:09
Speaker 1: power of discernment, which ought ever to be kept keen
50:12
Speaker 1: and sensitive to distinguish between right and wrong, is in
50:15
Speaker 1: a great measure destroyed. They are not quick to recognize
50:18
Speaker 1: the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit ought to discern
50:21
Speaker 1: the devices of Satan. Too often in time of danger.
50:25
Speaker 1: They fall under temptation and are led away from God.
50:29
Speaker 1: The end of their pleasure loving life is ruined. For
50:31
Speaker 1: this world and for the world to come. Cares, riches,
50:36
Speaker 1: pleasures all are used by Satan in playing the game
50:39
Speaker 1: of life. For the human soul. The warning is given
50:43
Speaker 1: love not the world, neither the things that are in
50:45
Speaker 1: the world. If any man love the world, the love
50:48
Speaker 1: of the Father is not in him. For all that
50:51
Speaker 1: is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and
50:53
Speaker 1: the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
50:56
Speaker 1: is not of the Father, but is of the world.
50:59
Speaker 1: He who read reads the Hearts of Men as an
51:01
Speaker 1: open book, says, take heed to yourselves, lest at any
51:05
Speaker 1: time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and
51:09
Speaker 1: cares of this life and the Apostle Paul by the
51:12
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, writes, they that will be rich fall into
51:15
Speaker 1: temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
51:19
Speaker 1: which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love
51:23
Speaker 1: of money is the root of all evil, which while
51:26
Speaker 1: some coveted, after they have erred from the faith and
51:29
Speaker 1: pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Preparation of the soil
51:35
Speaker 1: throughout the parable of the sower, Christ represents the different
51:39
Speaker 1: results of the sowing as depending upon the soil. In
51:42
Speaker 1: every case, the sower and the seed are the same.
51:46
Speaker 1: Thus he teaches that if the Word of God fails
51:49
Speaker 1: of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the
51:51
Speaker 1: reason is to be found in ourselves. But the result
51:55
Speaker 1: is not beyond our control. True, we cannot change ourselves,
51:59
Speaker 1: but the power of choice is ours, and it rests
52:02
Speaker 1: with us to determine what we will become. The wayside
52:06
Speaker 1: the stony ground, the thorny ground, hearers need not remain such.
52:10
Speaker 1: The Spirit of God is ever seeking to break the
52:13
Speaker 1: spell of infatuation that holds men absorbed in worldly things,
52:17
Speaker 1: and to awaken a desire for the imperishable treasure. It
52:21
Speaker 1: is by resisting the spirit that men become inattentive to
52:24
Speaker 1: or neglectful of God's word. They are themselves responsible for
52:28
Speaker 1: the hardness of heart that prevents the good seed from
52:31
Speaker 1: taking root, and for the evil growths that check its development.
52:35
Speaker 1: The garden of the heart must be cultivated. The soil
52:39
Speaker 1: must be broken up by deep repentance for sin. Poisonous
52:43
Speaker 1: satanic plants must be uprooted. The soil, once overgrown by thorns,
52:47
Speaker 1: can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil
52:51
Speaker 1: tendencies of the heart can be overcome only by earnest effort.
52:55
Speaker 1: In the name and strength of Jesus, the Lord bids us,
52:58
Speaker 1: by his prophet, break up your fallow ground and sow
53:02
Speaker 1: not among thorns, so to yourselves in righteousness, reap in
53:06
Speaker 1: mercy this work he desires to accomplish for us, and
53:10
Speaker 1: he asks us to co operate with him. The sowers
53:13
Speaker 1: of the seed have a work to do in preparing
53:15
Speaker 1: hearts to receive the Gospel. In the ministry of the Word,
53:19
Speaker 1: there is too much sermonizing and too little a real
53:22
Speaker 1: heart to heart work. There is need of personal labor
53:25
Speaker 1: for the souls of the lost in christ like sympathy.
53:28
Speaker 1: We should come close to men individually and seek to
53:31
Speaker 1: awaken their interest in the great things of eternal life.
53:35
Speaker 1: Their hearts may be as hard as the beaten highway,
53:37
Speaker 1: and apparently it may be a useless effort to present
53:41
Speaker 1: the Savior to them. But while logic may fail to
53:44
Speaker 1: move and argument be powerless to convince, the love of
53:47
Speaker 1: Christ revealed in personal ministry may soften the stony heart
53:52
Speaker 1: so that the seed of truth can take root. So
53:55
Speaker 1: the sowers have something to do that the seed may
53:58
Speaker 1: not be choked with thorns or perish because of shallowness
54:01
Speaker 1: of soil. At the very outset of the Christian life,
54:04
Speaker 1: every believer should be taught its foundation principles. He should
54:08
Speaker 1: be taught that he is not merely to be saved
54:11
Speaker 1: by Christ's sacrifice, but that he is to make the
54:14
Speaker 1: life of Christ his life, and the character of Christ
54:17
Speaker 1: his character. Let all be taught that they are to
54:20
Speaker 1: bear burdens and to deny natural inclination. Let them learn
54:24
Speaker 1: the blessedness of working for Christ, following him in self
54:28
Speaker 1: denial and enduring hardness as good soldiers. Let them learn
54:32
Speaker 1: to trust His love and to cast on him their cares.
54:36
Speaker 1: Let them taste the joy of winning souls for him.
54:39
Speaker 1: In their love and interest for the lost, they will
54:42
Speaker 1: lose sight of self. The pleasures of the world will
54:45
Speaker 1: lose their power to attract and its burdens to dishearten.
54:49
Speaker 1: The plowshare of truth will do its work. It will
54:52
Speaker 1: break up the fallow ground. It will not merely cut
54:55
Speaker 1: off the tops of the thorns, but it will take
54:57
Speaker 1: them out by the roots in good ground. The sower
55:03
Speaker 1: is not always to meet with disappointment of the seed
55:06
Speaker 1: that fell into good ground. The Savior said, this is
55:09
Speaker 1: he that heareth the word and understandeth it, which also
55:13
Speaker 1: beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundredfold, some sixty,
55:18
Speaker 1: some thirty. That on the good ground are they which,
55:22
Speaker 1: in an honest and good heart, having heard the word,
55:25
Speaker 1: keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. The honest
55:29
Speaker 1: and good heart of which the Parable speaks is not
55:31
Speaker 1: a heart without sin. For the gospel is to be
55:34
Speaker 1: preached to the lost. Christ said, I came not to
55:38
Speaker 1: call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He has an
55:42
Speaker 1: honest heart who yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
55:45
Speaker 1: He confesses his guilt and feels his need of the
55:48
Speaker 1: mercy and love of God. He has a sincere desire
55:51
Speaker 1: to know the truth that he may obey it. The
55:54
Speaker 1: good heart is a believing heart, one that has faith
55:58
Speaker 1: in the Word of God. Without faith, it is impossible
56:01
Speaker 1: to receive the Word. He that cometh to God must
56:05
Speaker 1: believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder
56:07
Speaker 1: of them that diligently seek him. This is he that
56:11
Speaker 1: heareth the Word and understandeth it. The Pharisees of Christ's
56:15
Speaker 1: day close their eyes lest they should see, and their
56:18
Speaker 1: ears lest they should hear. Therefore the truth could not
56:21
Speaker 1: reach their hearts. They were to suffer retribution for their
56:24
Speaker 1: wilful ignorance and self imposed blindness. But Christ taught his
56:28
Speaker 1: disciples that they were to open their minds to instruction
56:32
Speaker 1: and be ready to believe. He pronounced a blessing upon
56:35
Speaker 1: them because they saw and heard with eyes and ears
56:38
Speaker 1: that believed. The good ground hearer receives the Word not
56:42
Speaker 1: as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
56:45
Speaker 1: the word of God. Only he who receives the scriptures
56:48
Speaker 1: as the voice of God speaking to himself is a
56:51
Speaker 1: true learner. He trembles at the word for to him
56:54
Speaker 1: it is a living reality. He opens his understanding and
56:58
Speaker 1: his heart to receive it. Such hearers were Cornelius and
57:01
Speaker 1: his friends, who said to the apostle Peter, Now therefore
57:05
Speaker 1: are we all here present before God, to hear all
57:08
Speaker 1: the things that are commanded thee of God. A knowledge
57:11
Speaker 1: of the truth depends not so much upon strength of
57:14
Speaker 1: intellect as upon pureness of purpose, the simplicity of an earnest,
57:18
Speaker 1: dependent faith. To those who in humility of heart seek
57:22
Speaker 1: for divine guidance angels of God draw near, the Holy
57:26
Speaker 1: Spirit is given to open to them the rich treasures
57:29
Speaker 1: of the Truth, the good ground. Hearers, having heard the word,
57:33
Speaker 1: keep it. Satan with all his agencies of evil, is
57:36
Speaker 1: not able to catch it away. Merely to hear or
57:39
Speaker 1: to read the word is not enough. He who desires
57:42
Speaker 1: to be profited by the scriptures must meditate upon the
57:45
Speaker 1: truth that has been presented to him by earnest attention
57:49
Speaker 1: and prayerful thought. He must learn the meaning of the
57:51
Speaker 1: words of truth and drink deep of the spirit of
57:54
Speaker 1: holy oracles. God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts,
57:59
Speaker 1: pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love
58:02
Speaker 1: and mercy to study His wonderful work in the Great
58:05
Speaker 1: Plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be
58:09
Speaker 1: our perception of truth, higher, holier our desire for purity
58:13
Speaker 1: of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in
58:17
Speaker 1: the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by
58:20
Speaker 1: communion with God through the study of the scriptures, and
58:25
Speaker 1: bring forth fruit. Those who having heard the Word keep
58:29
Speaker 1: it will bring forth fruit. In obedience. The Word of
58:32
Speaker 1: God received into the soul will be manifest in good works.
58:36
Speaker 1: Its results will be seen in a Christlike character and life.
58:40
Speaker 1: Christ said of himself, I delight to do Thy will,
58:44
Speaker 1: O my God, YEA, Thy law is within my heart.
58:48
Speaker 1: I seek not mine own will, but the will of
58:50
Speaker 1: the Father which hath sent me. And the scripture says
58:54
Speaker 1: he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also
58:58
Speaker 1: so to walk, even as he walked. The Word of
59:01
Speaker 1: God often comes in collision with man's hereditary and cultivated
59:05
Speaker 1: traits of character and his habits of life. But the
59:08
Speaker 1: good ground hearer, in receiving the Word accepts its conditions
59:12
Speaker 1: and requirements. His habits, customs, and practices are brought into
59:16
Speaker 1: submission to God's word. In his view, the commands of
59:20
Speaker 1: finite erring man sink into insignificance. Beside the word of
59:24
Speaker 1: the infinite God. With the whole heart, with undivided purpose,
59:28
Speaker 1: he is seeking the life eternal, and at the cost
59:31
Speaker 1: of loss, persecution, or death itself, he will obey the
59:35
Speaker 1: truth and he brings forth fruit with patience. None who
59:39
Speaker 1: receive God's word are exempt from difficulty and trial. But
59:43
Speaker 1: when affliction comes, the true Christian does not become restless, distrustful,
59:47
Speaker 1: or despondent. Though we cannot see the definite outcome of
59:51
Speaker 1: affairs or discern the purpose of God's providences, we are
59:54
Speaker 1: not to cast away our confidence. Remembering the tender mercies
59:58
Speaker 1: of the Lord, we should cast our care upon him,
1:00:01
Speaker 1: and with patience, wait for his salvation. Through conflict, the
1:00:05
Speaker 1: spiritual life is strengthened trials. Well born will develop steadfastness
1:00:10
Speaker 1: of character and precious spiritual graces. The perfect fruit of faith,
1:00:15
Speaker 1: meekness and love, often matures best amid storm clouds and darkness.
1:00:21
Speaker 1: The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth,
1:00:24
Speaker 1: and hath long patience for it until he received the
1:00:27
Speaker 1: early and latter reign. So the Christian is to wait
1:00:31
Speaker 1: with patience for the fruition in his life of the
1:00:33
Speaker 1: Word of God. Often when we pray for the graces
1:00:37
Speaker 1: of the spirit, God works to answer our prayers by
1:00:40
Speaker 1: placing us in circumstances to develop these fruits. But we
1:00:43
Speaker 1: do not understand his purpose and wonder and are dismayed.
1:00:47
Speaker 1: Yet none can develop these graces except through the process
1:00:51
Speaker 1: of growth and fruit bearing. Our part is to receive
1:00:54
Speaker 1: God's word and to hold it fast, yielding ourselves fully
1:00:58
Speaker 1: to its control. And its purpose in us will be accomplished.
1:01:02
Speaker 1: If a man love me, Christ said, he will keep
1:01:06
Speaker 1: my words, and my father will love him, and we
1:01:09
Speaker 1: will come unto him and make our abode with him.
1:01:12
Speaker 1: The spell of a stronger, a perfect mind will be
1:01:15
Speaker 1: over us, for we have a living connection with the
1:01:18
Speaker 1: source of all enduring strength. In our divine life, we
1:01:22
Speaker 1: shall be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. We shall
1:01:26
Speaker 1: no longer live the common life of selfishness, but Christ
1:01:29
Speaker 1: will live in us. His character will be reproduced in
1:01:32
Speaker 1: our nature. Thus shall we bring forth the fruits of
1:01:36
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.
1:01:43
Speaker 1: End of Chapter two.
1:01:45
Speaker 3: First the blade, then the ear. The parable of the
1:01:50
Speaker 3: sewer excited much questioning. Some of the hearers gathered from
1:01:54
Speaker 3: it that Christ was not to establish an earthly kingdom,
1:01:57
Speaker 3: and many were curious and perplexed. Seeing their perplexity, Christ
1:02:02
Speaker 3: used other illustrations, still seeking to turn their thoughts from
1:02:05
Speaker 3: the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of
1:02:08
Speaker 3: God's grace and the soul. And he said, so is
1:02:13
Speaker 3: the kingdom of God. As if a man should cast
1:02:16
Speaker 3: seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night
1:02:20
Speaker 3: and day, and the seed should spring and grow up,
1:02:23
Speaker 3: he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit
1:02:27
Speaker 3: of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that
1:02:32
Speaker 3: the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit
1:02:35
Speaker 3: is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because
1:02:39
Speaker 3: the harvest is come. The husbandman who putteth in the
1:02:43
Speaker 3: sickle because the harvest is come, can be no other
1:02:46
Speaker 3: than Christ. It is he who, at the last great
1:02:50
Speaker 3: day will reap the harvest of the earth. But the
1:02:54
Speaker 3: sower of the seed represents those who labour in Christ's
1:02:58
Speaker 3: stead is said to spring and grow up. He knoweth
1:03:02
Speaker 3: not how, And this is not true of the son
1:03:05
Speaker 3: of God. Christ does not sleep over his charge, but
1:03:09
Speaker 3: watches it day and night. He is not ignorant of
1:03:13
Speaker 3: how the seed grows. The parable of the seed reveals
1:03:17
Speaker 3: that God is at work in nature. The seed has
1:03:20
Speaker 3: in itself a germinating principle, a principle that God himself
1:03:24
Speaker 3: has implanted. Yet if left to itself, the seed would
1:03:28
Speaker 3: have no power to spring up. Man has his part
1:03:31
Speaker 3: to act in promoting the growth of the grain. He
1:03:34
Speaker 3: must prepare and enrich the soil and cast in the seed.
1:03:39
Speaker 3: He must till the fields. But there is a point
1:03:42
Speaker 3: beyond which he can accomplish nothing. No strength or wisdom
1:03:46
Speaker 3: of man, can bring forth the seed of the living plant.
1:03:50
Speaker 3: Let man put forth his efforts to the utmost limit.
1:03:53
Speaker 3: He must still depend upon one who has connected the
1:03:56
Speaker 3: sowing and the reaping by wonderful links of his own
1:04:00
Speaker 3: omnipotent power. There is life in the seed, there is
1:04:04
Speaker 3: power in the soil. But unless an infinite power is
1:04:08
Speaker 3: exercised day and night, the seed will yield no returns.
1:04:12
Speaker 3: The showers of rain must be sent to give moisture
1:04:15
Speaker 3: to the thirsty fields. The sun must impart heat, electricity
1:04:20
Speaker 3: must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life which
1:04:23
Speaker 3: the Creator has implanted, he alone can call forth. Every
1:04:28
Speaker 3: seed grows, every plant develops by the power of God.
1:04:34
Speaker 3: As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the
1:04:36
Speaker 3: garden causeth the things that are sown in it to
1:04:39
Speaker 3: spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and
1:04:43
Speaker 3: praise to spring forth. As in the natural, so in
1:04:47
Speaker 3: the spiritual sowing. The teacher of truth must seek to
1:04:51
Speaker 3: prepare the soil of the heart. He must sow the seed.
1:04:55
Speaker 3: But the power that alone can produce life is from God.
1:04:59
Speaker 3: There is a point beyond which human effort is in vain.
1:05:03
Speaker 3: While we are to preach the Word, we cannot impart
1:05:05
Speaker 3: the power that will quicken the soul and cause righteousness
1:05:09
Speaker 3: and praise to spring forth. In the preaching of the Word,
1:05:13
Speaker 3: there must be the working of an agency beyond any
1:05:16
Speaker 3: human power. Only through the Divine Spirit will the Word
1:05:20
Speaker 3: be living and powerful to renew the soul unto eternal life.
1:05:24
Speaker 3: This is what Christ tried to impress upon his disciples.
1:05:28
Speaker 3: He taught that it was nothing they possessed in themselves
1:05:31
Speaker 3: which would give success to their labors, but that it
1:05:34
Speaker 3: is the miracle working power of God which gives efficiency
1:05:38
Speaker 3: to his own word. The work of the sower is
1:05:41
Speaker 3: a work of faith. The mystery of the germination and
1:05:45
Speaker 3: growth of the seed he cannot understand, but he has
1:05:49
Speaker 3: confidence in the agencies by which God causes vegetation to flourish.
1:05:55
Speaker 3: In casting his seed into the ground, he is apparently
1:05:58
Speaker 3: throwing away the precious that might furnish bread for his family,
1:06:03
Speaker 3: But he is only giving up a present good for
1:06:05
Speaker 3: a larger return. He casts the seed away expecting together
1:06:10
Speaker 3: at many fold and an abundant harvest. So Christ's servants
1:06:14
Speaker 3: are to labor, expecting a harvest from the seed they sow.
1:06:19
Speaker 3: The good seed may be for a time lie unnoticed
1:06:23
Speaker 3: in a cold, selfish, worldly heart, giving no evidence that
1:06:27
Speaker 3: it has taken root. But afterward, as the spirit of
1:06:31
Speaker 3: God breathes on the soul, the hidden seed springs up
1:06:35
Speaker 3: and at last bears fruit to the glory of God.
1:06:39
Speaker 3: In our life work, we know not which shall prosper
1:06:42
Speaker 3: this or that. This is not a question for us
1:06:46
Speaker 3: to settle. We are to do our work and leave
1:06:49
Speaker 3: the results with God. In the morning, sow thy seed
1:06:53
Speaker 3: in the evening, withhold not thine hand. God's Great Covenant
1:06:58
Speaker 3: declares that while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest
1:07:01
Speaker 3: shall not cease. In the confidence of this promise, the
1:07:05
Speaker 3: husbandman tills and sows. Not less confidently are we in
1:07:10
Speaker 3: the spiritual sowing to labor, trusting his assurance. So shall
1:07:15
Speaker 3: my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.
1:07:18
Speaker 3: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall
1:07:21
Speaker 3: accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in
1:07:24
Speaker 3: the thing. Whereto I scent it, he that goeth forth
1:07:28
Speaker 3: and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
1:07:33
Speaker 3: bringing his sheaves with him. The germination of the seed
1:07:38
Speaker 3: represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of
1:07:42
Speaker 3: the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. As
1:07:46
Speaker 3: in nature, so in grace, there can be no life
1:07:50
Speaker 3: without growth. The plant must either grow or die, as
1:07:54
Speaker 3: its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so as
1:08:00
Speaker 3: development of the Christian life. At every stage of development,
1:08:04
Speaker 3: our life may be perfect. Yet if God's purpose for
1:08:07
Speaker 3: us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. Sanctification is
1:08:13
Speaker 3: the work of a lifetime. As our opportunities multiply, our
1:08:17
Speaker 3: experience will enlarge, and our knowledge increase, we shall become
1:08:21
Speaker 3: strong to bear responsibility, and our maturity will be in
1:08:26
Speaker 3: proportion to our privileges. The plant grows by receiving that
1:08:30
Speaker 3: which God has provided to sustain its life. It sends
1:08:34
Speaker 3: down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine,
1:08:39
Speaker 3: the dew, and the rain. It receives the life giving
1:08:42
Speaker 3: properties from the air. So the Christian is to grow
1:08:46
Speaker 3: by cooperating with the divine agencies. Feeling our helplessness, we
1:08:51
Speaker 3: are to improve all the opportunities granted us, to gain
1:08:55
Speaker 3: a fuller experience. As the plant takes root in the soil,
1:08:59
Speaker 3: so we are to take deep root in Christ. As
1:09:03
Speaker 3: the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, the rain, we
1:09:06
Speaker 3: are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. The
1:09:10
Speaker 3: work is to be done not by might nor by power,
1:09:14
Speaker 3: but by My Spirit, Saith, the Lord of Hosts. If
1:09:18
Speaker 3: we keep our minds stayed upon Christ, he will come
1:09:20
Speaker 3: unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain,
1:09:24
Speaker 3: unto the earth, as the Sun of righteousness. He will
1:09:28
Speaker 3: arise upon us with healing in his wings. We shall
1:09:32
Speaker 3: grow as the lily. We shall revive as the corn,
1:09:35
Speaker 3: and grow as the vine. By constantly relying upon Christ
1:09:39
Speaker 3: as our personal savior. We shall grow up into Him
1:09:43
Speaker 3: in all things, who is our head. The wheat develops
1:09:47
Speaker 3: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full
1:09:51
Speaker 3: corn in the ear. The object of the husbandman in
1:09:55
Speaker 3: the sowing of the seed and the culture of the
1:09:57
Speaker 3: growing plant, is the production of grain. He desires bread
1:10:01
Speaker 3: for the hungry and seed for future harvests. So the
1:10:06
Speaker 3: divine husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of
1:10:09
Speaker 3: his labor and sacrifice. Christ is seeking to reproduce himself
1:10:14
Speaker 3: in the hearts of men, and he does this through
1:10:17
Speaker 3: those who believe in him. The object of the Christian
1:10:20
Speaker 3: life is fruit bearing, the reproduction of Christ's character in
1:10:25
Speaker 3: the believer, that it may be reproduced in others. The
1:10:30
Speaker 3: plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself,
1:10:34
Speaker 3: but to give seed to the sower and bread to
1:10:37
Speaker 3: the eater. So no man is to live unto himself.
1:10:42
Speaker 3: The Christian is in the world as a representative of
1:10:45
Speaker 3: Christ for the salvation of other souls. There can be
1:10:49
Speaker 3: no growth or fruitlessness in the life that is centered
1:10:53
Speaker 3: in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal savior,
1:10:58
Speaker 3: you are to forget yourself and try to help others.
1:11:01
Speaker 3: Talk of the love of Christ, tell of his goodness.
1:11:05
Speaker 3: Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of
1:11:09
Speaker 3: souls upon your heart, and by every means and your power,
1:11:13
Speaker 3: seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit
1:11:17
Speaker 3: of Christ, the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,
1:11:21
Speaker 3: you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of
1:11:25
Speaker 3: the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase,
1:11:30
Speaker 3: your convictions, deepen, your love, be made perfect more and
1:11:35
Speaker 3: more you will reflect the likeness of Christ and all
1:11:38
Speaker 3: that is pure, noble, and lovely. The fruit of the
1:11:43
Speaker 3: Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
1:11:51
Speaker 3: and temperance. This fruit can never perish, but will produce,
1:11:55
Speaker 3: after its kind, a harvest unto eternal life. The fruit
1:12:00
Speaker 3: is brought forth immediately he putteth in the sickle, because
1:12:04
Speaker 3: the harvest is come. Christ is waiting with longing desire
1:12:08
Speaker 3: for the manifestation of himself in his church. When the
1:12:12
Speaker 3: character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people,
1:12:16
Speaker 3: then He will come to claim them as his own.
1:12:19
Speaker 3: It is the privilege of every Christian not only to
1:12:22
Speaker 3: look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord
1:12:25
Speaker 3: Jesus Christ, were all who profess his name bearing fruit
1:12:29
Speaker 3: to his glory, how quickly the whole world would be
1:12:32
Speaker 3: sown with the seed of the Gospel. Quickly the last
1:12:36
Speaker 3: great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come together
1:12:40
Speaker 3: the precious grace. End of chapter.
1:12:44
Speaker 2: Three, Chapter four tears. Another parable He put forth unto them, saying,
1:12:51
Speaker 2: the kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which
1:12:53
Speaker 2: sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept,
1:12:56
Speaker 2: his enemy came and sowed tears among the wheat, and
1:12:59
Speaker 2: went his way. But when the blade was sprung up
1:13:02
Speaker 2: and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tears. Also the field,
1:13:06
Speaker 2: Christ said is the world. But we must understand this
1:13:09
Speaker 2: is signifying the Church of Christ in the world. The
1:13:12
Speaker 2: parable is a description of that which pertains to the
1:13:14
Speaker 2: Kingdom of God his work for salvation of men. And
1:13:17
Speaker 2: this work is accomplished through the Church. True, the Holy
1:13:21
Speaker 2: Spirit has gone out into all the world. Everywhere it
1:13:23
Speaker 2: is moving upon the hearts of men. But it is
1:13:26
Speaker 2: in the Church that we are to grow and ripen
1:13:28
Speaker 2: for the garner of God. He that sowed the good
1:13:31
Speaker 2: seed is the son of Man. The good seed are
1:13:34
Speaker 2: the children of the kingdom, But the tears are the
1:13:37
Speaker 2: children of the wicked one. The good seed represents those
1:13:40
Speaker 2: who are born of the Word of God, the truth.
1:13:43
Speaker 2: The tears represent a class who are the fruit or
1:13:46
Speaker 2: embodiment of error of false principles. The enemy that sowed
1:13:50
Speaker 2: them is the devil. Neither God nor his angels ever
1:13:54
Speaker 2: sowed a seed that would produce a tear. The tears
1:13:57
Speaker 2: are always sown by Satan, the enemy of God and man.
1:14:02
Speaker 2: In the east, men sometimes took revenge upon an enemy
1:14:05
Speaker 2: by strewing his newly sown fields with the seeds of
1:14:07
Speaker 2: some noxious weed that, while growing closely resembled wheat. Springing
1:14:12
Speaker 2: up with the wheat, it injured the crop and brought
1:14:15
Speaker 2: trouble and lost to the owner of the field. So
1:14:18
Speaker 2: it is from enmity to Christ that Satan scatters his
1:14:21
Speaker 2: evil seed among the good grain of the Kingdom. The
1:14:24
Speaker 2: fruit of his sowing he attributes to the son of
1:14:27
Speaker 2: God by bringing into the church those who bear Christ's
1:14:30
Speaker 2: name while they deny his character. The wicked one causes
1:14:34
Speaker 2: that God shall be dishonoured, the work of salvation misrepresented,
1:14:38
Speaker 2: and souls imperiled. Christ's servants are grieved as they see
1:14:42
Speaker 2: true and false believers mingled in the church, they long
1:14:46
Speaker 2: to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants
1:14:48
Speaker 2: of the householder. They are ready to uproot the tears.
1:14:52
Speaker 2: But Christ says to them, nay lest while ye gather
1:14:55
Speaker 2: up the tears, ye root up also the wheat with them,
1:14:58
Speaker 2: let both grow together until the harvest. Christ has plainly
1:15:01
Speaker 2: taught that those who persist in open sin must be
1:15:04
Speaker 2: separated from the Church. But He has not committed to
1:15:08
Speaker 2: us the work of judging character and motive. He knows
1:15:12
Speaker 2: our nature too well to entrust this work to us.
1:15:15
Speaker 2: Should we try to uproot from the Church those whom
1:15:17
Speaker 2: we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure
1:15:21
Speaker 2: to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the
1:15:25
Speaker 2: very ones whom Christ is drawing to himself. Were we
1:15:29
Speaker 2: to deal with these souls according to our imperfect judgment,
1:15:32
Speaker 2: it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think
1:15:36
Speaker 2: themselves Christians will at last be found wanting. Many will
1:15:39
Speaker 2: be in Heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there.
1:15:43
Speaker 2: Man judges from appearance, but God judges from the heart.
1:15:46
Speaker 2: The tears and the wheat are to grow together until
1:15:49
Speaker 2: the harvest, and the harvest is the end of probationary time.
1:15:54
Speaker 2: There is in the Saviour's words another lesson, a lesson
1:15:57
Speaker 2: of wonderful forbearance and tender love. As the terrors have
1:16:01
Speaker 2: their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain,
1:16:04
Speaker 2: so false brethren in the church may be closely linked
1:16:07
Speaker 2: to true disciples. The real character of these pretend believers
1:16:11
Speaker 2: is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from
1:16:14
Speaker 2: the Church, others might be caused to stumble, who but
1:16:17
Speaker 2: for this, would have remained steadfast. The teaching of this
1:16:21
Speaker 2: parable is illustrated in God's own dealing with men and angels.
1:16:24
Speaker 2: Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even
1:16:27
Speaker 2: the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This
1:16:31
Speaker 2: was why God did not at once destroy Satan. Had
1:16:34
Speaker 2: he done so, the holy angels would not have perceived
1:16:37
Speaker 2: the justice and love of God. A doubt of God's
1:16:40
Speaker 2: goodness would have been as evil seed that would yield
1:16:43
Speaker 2: the bitter fruit of sin and woe. Therefore, the author
1:16:47
Speaker 2: of evil was spared fully to develop his character. Through
1:16:51
Speaker 2: long ages, God has borne the anguish of beholding the
1:16:54
Speaker 2: work of evil. He has given the infinite gift of Calvary,
1:16:58
Speaker 2: rather than leave any to be deceis by the misrepresentations
1:17:02
Speaker 2: of the wicked one. For the tears could not be
1:17:05
Speaker 2: plucked up without danger of uprooting the precious grain. And
1:17:09
Speaker 2: shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men,
1:17:12
Speaker 2: as the Lord of heaven and Earth is towards Satan.
1:17:15
Speaker 2: The world has no right to doubt the truth of
1:17:17
Speaker 2: Christianity because there are unworthy members in the church. Nor
1:17:21
Speaker 2: should Christians become disheartened because of these false brethren. How
1:17:25
Speaker 2: was it with the early church, Annaias and Sapphira joined
1:17:29
Speaker 2: themselves to the disciples. Simon Magus was baptized, Demus, who
1:17:34
Speaker 2: forsook Paul, had been counted a believer. Judas Is Scariot
1:17:38
Speaker 2: was numbered with the apostles. The Redeemer does not want
1:17:41
Speaker 2: to lose one soul. His experience with Judas is recorded
1:17:45
Speaker 2: to show his long patience with perverse human nature, and
1:17:49
Speaker 2: he bids us bear with it as he has borne.
1:17:52
Speaker 2: He has said that false brethren will be found in
1:17:55
Speaker 2: the Church till the close of time. Notwithstanding Christ's warning,
1:17:59
Speaker 2: men sought to uproot the tares to punish those who
1:18:03
Speaker 2: were supposed to be evil doers. The Church has had
1:18:06
Speaker 2: recourse to the civil power. Those who differed from the
1:18:10
Speaker 2: established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture, and to
1:18:14
Speaker 2: death at the instigation of men who claim to be
1:18:16
Speaker 2: acting under the sanction of Christ. But it is the
1:18:20
Speaker 2: spirit of Satan, not the spirit of Christ, that inspires
1:18:23
Speaker 2: such acts. This is Satan's own method of bringing the
1:18:27
Speaker 2: world under his dominion. God has been misrepresented through the
1:18:31
Speaker 2: Church by this way of dealing with those supposed to
1:18:33
Speaker 2: be heretics. Not judgment and condemnation of others, but humility
1:18:39
Speaker 2: and distrust of self is the teaching of Christ's parable
1:18:42
Speaker 2: Not all that is sown in the field is good grain.
1:18:46
Speaker 2: The fact that men are in the church does not
1:18:48
Speaker 2: prove them Christians. The tares closely resembled the wheat while
1:18:52
Speaker 2: the blades were green, But when the field was white
1:18:54
Speaker 2: for the harvest, the worthless weeds bore no likeness to
1:18:57
Speaker 2: the wheat that bowed under the weight of its own
1:19:00
Speaker 2: fool ripe heads. Sinners who make a pretension of piety
1:19:04
Speaker 2: mingle for a time with the true followers of Christ,
1:19:07
Speaker 2: and the semblance of Christianity is calculated to deceive many.
1:19:10
Speaker 2: But in the harvest of the world there will be
1:19:12
Speaker 2: no likeness between good and evil. Then those who have
1:19:16
Speaker 2: joined the Church but who have not joined Christ will
1:19:18
Speaker 2: be manifest. The tares are permitted to grow among the wheat,
1:19:23
Speaker 2: to have all the advantages of sun and shower. But
1:19:26
Speaker 2: in the time of harvest, Ye shall return and discern
1:19:29
Speaker 2: between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth
1:19:32
Speaker 2: God and him that serveth Him. Not Christ himself will
1:19:36
Speaker 2: decide who are worthy to dwell with the family in heaven.
1:19:40
Speaker 2: He will judge every man according to his words and
1:19:43
Speaker 2: his works. Profession is as nothing in the scale. It
1:19:48
Speaker 2: is character that decides destiny. The Savior does not point
1:19:53
Speaker 2: forward to a time when all the tears become wheat.
1:19:56
Speaker 2: The wheat and tears grow together until the harvest the
1:19:59
Speaker 2: end of the world. Then the tares are bound in
1:20:01
Speaker 2: bundles to be burned, and the wheat is gathered in
1:20:04
Speaker 2: the garner of God. Then shall the righteous shine forth
1:20:08
Speaker 2: as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Then
1:20:11
Speaker 2: the Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and
1:20:14
Speaker 2: they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that
1:20:17
Speaker 2: offend and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them
1:20:21
Speaker 2: into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and
1:20:24
Speaker 2: gnashing of teeth. End of chapter four, Chapter five, like
1:20:32
Speaker 2: a grain of mustard seed. In the multitude that listened
1:20:35
Speaker 2: to Christ's teaching, there were many pharisees. These noted contemptuously
1:20:40
Speaker 2: how few of his hearers acknowledged him as the Messiah.
1:20:43
Speaker 2: And they questioned with themselves how this unpretending teacher could
1:20:47
Speaker 2: exalt Israel to universal dominion without riches, power, or honor.
1:20:52
Speaker 2: How was he to establish the new kingdom. Christ read
1:20:55
Speaker 2: their thoughts and answered them, whereunto shall we liken the
1:20:59
Speaker 2: Kingdom of God God? Or with what comparison shall we
1:21:02
Speaker 2: compare it? In earthly governments? There was nothing that could
1:21:06
Speaker 2: serve for a similitude. No civil society could afford him
1:21:09
Speaker 2: a symbol. It is like a grain of mustard seed,
1:21:12
Speaker 2: he said, which when it is sown upon the earth,
1:21:15
Speaker 2: though it be less than all the seeds that are
1:21:17
Speaker 2: upon the earth, Yet when it is grown, groweth up
1:21:20
Speaker 2: and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out
1:21:23
Speaker 2: great branches, so that the birds of the heaven can
1:21:26
Speaker 2: lodge under the shadow thereof the germ. In the seed
1:21:30
Speaker 2: grows by the unfolding of the life principle which God
1:21:34
Speaker 2: has implanted. Its development depends upon no human power. So
1:21:39
Speaker 2: it is with the Kingdom of Christ. It is a
1:21:41
Speaker 2: new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite of
1:21:44
Speaker 2: those that rule the kingdom of this world. Earthly governments
1:21:48
Speaker 2: prevail by physical force. They maintain their dominion by war,
1:21:52
Speaker 2: but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince
1:21:54
Speaker 2: of peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the
1:21:58
Speaker 2: symbol of fierce beasts of prey, but Christ is the
1:22:01
Speaker 2: lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
1:22:04
Speaker 2: In his plan of government, there is no employment of
1:22:07
Speaker 2: brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for
1:22:10
Speaker 2: the Kingdom of God to be established in the same
1:22:12
Speaker 2: way as the kingdoms of the world. To promote righteousness,
1:22:16
Speaker 2: they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plants.
1:22:20
Speaker 2: But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness,
1:22:25
Speaker 2: he counterworks error and sin. As Jesus spoke this parable,
1:22:29
Speaker 2: the mustard plant could be seen far and near, lifting
1:22:32
Speaker 2: itself above the grass and grain, and waving its branches
1:22:35
Speaker 2: lightly in the air, birds flitted from twig to twig,
1:22:39
Speaker 2: and sang amid the leafy foliage. Yet the seed from
1:22:42
Speaker 2: which sprang this giant plant was among the least of
1:22:45
Speaker 2: all seeds. At first it sent up a tender shoot,
1:22:49
Speaker 2: but it was of strong vitality and grew and flourished
1:22:52
Speaker 2: until it reached its present great size. So the Kingdom
1:22:56
Speaker 2: of Christ, in its beginnings seemed humble and insignificant compared
1:23:00
Speaker 2: with earthly kingdoms. It appeared to be the least of
1:23:02
Speaker 2: all by the rulers of this world. Christ's claim to
1:23:05
Speaker 2: be king was ridiculed. Yet in the mighty truths committed
1:23:09
Speaker 2: to his followers, the Kingdom of the Gospel possessed a
1:23:12
Speaker 2: divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how wide
1:23:16
Speaker 2: spread its influence. When Christ spoke this parable, there were
1:23:20
Speaker 2: only a few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom.
1:23:24
Speaker 2: Their poverty the fewness of their numbers was urged over
1:23:28
Speaker 2: and over again as a reason why men should not
1:23:30
Speaker 2: connect themselves with the simple minded fishermen who followed Jesus.
1:23:35
Speaker 2: But the mustard seed was to grow and spread forth
1:23:38
Speaker 2: its branches throughout the world. When the earthly kingdoms, whose
1:23:41
Speaker 2: glory then filled the hearts of men, should perish, the
1:23:44
Speaker 2: Kingdom of Christ would remain a mighty and far reaching power.
1:23:49
Speaker 2: So the work of grace in the heart is small
1:23:51
Speaker 2: in its beginning. A word is spoken, a ray of
1:23:54
Speaker 2: light is shed into the soul, an influence is exerted.
1:23:58
Speaker 2: That is the beginning of the life, and who can
1:24:01
Speaker 2: measure its results. Not only is the growth of Christ's
1:24:04
Speaker 2: kingdom illustrated by the parable of the mustard seed, but
1:24:07
Speaker 2: in every stage of its growth, the experience represented in
1:24:10
Speaker 2: the parable is repeated for his church in every generation.
1:24:14
Speaker 2: God has a special truth and his special work. The
1:24:18
Speaker 2: truth that is hid from the worldly, wise and prudent
1:24:21
Speaker 2: is revealed to the childlike and humble. It calls for
1:24:24
Speaker 2: self sacrifice. It has battles to fight and victories to win.
1:24:29
Speaker 2: At the outset, its advocates are few. By the great
1:24:32
Speaker 2: men of the world and by the world conforming church,
1:24:35
Speaker 2: they are opposed and despised. See John the Baptist, the
1:24:38
Speaker 2: forerunner of Christ, standing alone to rebuke the pride and
1:24:41
Speaker 2: formalism of the Jewish nation. See the first Bearers of
1:24:44
Speaker 2: the Gospel into Europe. How obscure how hopeless seem the
1:24:49
Speaker 2: mission of Paul and Silas, the two tent makers, as
1:24:52
Speaker 2: they with their companions took ship at Trios for Philippi.
1:24:56
Speaker 2: See Paul the aged in chains preaching Christ in Nas
1:25:00
Speaker 2: the stronghold of the Caesars. See the little communities of
1:25:03
Speaker 2: slaves and peasants in conflict with the heathenism of Imperial Rome.
1:25:07
Speaker 2: See Martin Luther, withstanding that mighty Church which is the
1:25:11
Speaker 2: masterpiece of the world's wisdom, See him holding fast God's
1:25:15
Speaker 2: word against Emperor and Pope, declaring, here I take my stand.
1:25:20
Speaker 2: I can not do otherwise, God be my help. See
1:25:24
Speaker 2: John Wesley preaching Christ and his righteousness in the midst
1:25:27
Speaker 2: of formalism, sensualism, and infidelity. See one burdened with the
1:25:33
Speaker 2: woes of the heathen world, pleading for the privilege of
1:25:36
Speaker 2: carrying to them Christ's message of love. Hear the response
1:25:40
Speaker 2: of ecclesiasticism. Sit down, young man, When God wants to
1:25:45
Speaker 2: convert the heathen, he will do it without your help
1:25:48
Speaker 2: or mine. The great leaders of religious thought in this
1:25:51
Speaker 2: generation sound the praises and build the monuments of those
1:25:55
Speaker 2: who planted the seed of truth centuries ago. Do not
1:25:59
Speaker 2: many turn from this work to trample down the growth
1:26:02
Speaker 2: springing from the same seed. To day, the old cry
1:26:05
Speaker 2: is repeated. We know that God spake unto Moses. As
1:26:08
Speaker 2: for this fellow Christ in the Messenger he sends, we
1:26:12
Speaker 2: know not from whence he is. As in earlier ages,
1:26:15
Speaker 2: the special truths for this time are found not with
1:26:17
Speaker 2: the ecclesiastical authorities, but with men and women who are
1:26:21
Speaker 2: not too learned or too wise to believe the word
1:26:24
Speaker 2: of God. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
1:26:28
Speaker 2: not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,
1:26:31
Speaker 2: not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the
1:26:34
Speaker 2: foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and
1:26:37
Speaker 2: God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
1:26:39
Speaker 2: confound the things which are mighty and base things of
1:26:43
Speaker 2: the world, And things which are despised hath God chosen, yea,
1:26:47
Speaker 2: and things which are not to bring to naught, things
1:26:50
Speaker 2: that are that. Your faith should not stand in the
1:26:52
Speaker 2: wisdom of men, but in the power of God. And
1:26:55
Speaker 2: in this last generation, the parable of the musted seed
1:26:59
Speaker 2: is to reach a sigus and triumphant fulfillment. The little
1:27:03
Speaker 2: seed will become a tree. The last message of warning
1:27:06
Speaker 2: and mercy is to go to every nation and kindred
1:27:09
Speaker 2: and tongue, to take out of them a people for
1:27:12
Speaker 2: His name, and the earth shall be lightened with his glory.
1:27:17
Speaker 2: End of Chapter five, Chapter six. Other lessons from seed sowing,
1:27:23
Speaker 2: from the work of seed sowing, in the growth of
1:27:26
Speaker 2: the plant. From the seed. Precious lessons may be taught
1:27:28
Speaker 2: in the family and in the school. Let the children
1:27:31
Speaker 2: in youth learn to recognize in natural things the working
1:27:34
Speaker 2: of divine agencies, and they will be enabled to grasp
1:27:37
Speaker 2: by faith unseen benefits. As they come to understand the
1:27:40
Speaker 2: wonderful work of God in supplying the wants of his
1:27:43
Speaker 2: great family, and how we are to co operate with him,
1:27:47
Speaker 2: they will have more faith in God and will realize
1:27:49
Speaker 2: more of His power in their own daily life. God
1:27:52
Speaker 2: created the seed, as he created the earth, by his word.
1:27:56
Speaker 2: By his word, he gave it power to grow and
1:27:58
Speaker 2: to multiply. He said, let the earth bring forth grass
1:28:02
Speaker 2: and the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding
1:28:06
Speaker 2: fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon
1:28:09
Speaker 2: the earth. And it was so, and God saw that
1:28:12
Speaker 2: it was good. It is that word which still causes
1:28:16
Speaker 2: the seeds to grow. Every seed that sends up its
1:28:19
Speaker 2: green blade to the sunlight, declares the wonder working power
1:28:22
Speaker 2: of that word uttered by him who spake, and it
1:28:24
Speaker 2: was who commanded, and it stood fast. Christ taught his
1:28:28
Speaker 2: disciples to pray, give us this day our daily bread,
1:28:31
Speaker 2: and pointing to the flowers, he gave them the assurance,
1:28:35
Speaker 2: if God so clothes the grass of the field, shall
1:28:38
Speaker 2: he not much more clothe you. Christ is constantly working
1:28:42
Speaker 2: to answer this prayer and to make good his assurance.
1:28:46
Speaker 2: There is an invisible power constantly at work as man's servant,
1:28:49
Speaker 2: to feed and to clothe him. Many agencies our Lord
1:28:52
Speaker 2: employs to make the seed apparently thrown away a living plant,
1:28:56
Speaker 2: and he supplies in due proportion all that is required
1:29:00
Speaker 2: to perfect the harvest. In the beautiful words of the Psalmist,
1:29:04
Speaker 2: Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it. Thou greatly enrichest it.
1:29:08
Speaker 2: The river of God is full of water. Thou providest
1:29:11
Speaker 2: them corn. When thou hast so prepared the earth, Thou
1:29:14
Speaker 2: waterest her furrows abundantly. Thou settlest the ridges thereof, Thou
1:29:19
Speaker 2: makest it soft with showers. Thou blessest the springing thereof
1:29:24
Speaker 2: Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths
1:29:27
Speaker 2: drop fatness. The material world is under God's control. The
1:29:32
Speaker 2: laws of nature are obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and
1:29:35
Speaker 2: acts the will of the creator. Cloud and sunshine, dew
1:29:39
Speaker 2: and rain, wind and storm all are under the supervision
1:29:43
Speaker 2: of God and yield implicit obedience to his command. It
1:29:47
Speaker 2: is in obedience to the law of God that the
1:29:49
Speaker 2: spire of grain bursts through the ground, first the blade,
1:29:53
Speaker 2: then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
1:29:56
Speaker 2: These the Lord develops in their proper season, because they
1:30:00
Speaker 2: do not resist his working. And can it be that
1:30:03
Speaker 2: man made in the image of God, endowed with reason
1:30:06
Speaker 2: and speech, shall alone be unappreciative of His gifts and
1:30:10
Speaker 2: disobedient to His will? Shall rational beings alone cause confusion
1:30:15
Speaker 2: in our world? In everything that tends to the sustenance
1:30:18
Speaker 2: of man is seen the concurrence of divine and human effort.
1:30:22
Speaker 2: There can be no reaping unless the human hand acts
1:30:25
Speaker 2: its part in the sowing of the seed. But without
1:30:28
Speaker 2: the agencies which God provides in giving sunshine and showers
1:30:31
Speaker 2: do in clouds, there would be no increase. Thus it
1:30:35
Speaker 2: is in every business pursuit in every department of study
1:30:38
Speaker 2: in science. Thus it is in spiritual things, in the
1:30:42
Speaker 2: formation of character, and in every line of Christian work.
1:30:46
Speaker 2: We have a part to act, but we must have
1:30:48
Speaker 2: the power of Divinity to unite with us, or our
1:30:51
Speaker 2: efforts will be in vain. Whenever man accomplishes anything, whether
1:30:56
Speaker 2: in spiritual or in temporal lines, he should bear in
1:30:59
Speaker 2: mind that he does through cooperation with his Maker. There
1:31:02
Speaker 2: is great necessity for us to realize our dependence on God.
1:31:06
Speaker 2: Too much confidence is placed in man, too much reliance
1:31:09
Speaker 2: on human inventions. There is too little confidence in the
1:31:13
Speaker 2: power which God stands ready to give. We are laborers
1:31:16
Speaker 2: together with God. Immeasurably inferior is the part which the
1:31:20
Speaker 2: human agent sustains. But if he is linked with the
1:31:24
Speaker 2: divinity of Christ, he can do all things through the
1:31:27
Speaker 2: strength that Christ imparts. The gradual development of the plant
1:31:31
Speaker 2: from the seed is an object lesson in child training.
1:31:34
Speaker 2: There is first the blade, then the ear, after that
1:31:37
Speaker 2: the full corn in the ear. He who gave this
1:31:40
Speaker 2: parable created the tiny seed, gave it its vital properties,
1:31:44
Speaker 2: and ordained the laws that govern its growth. And the
1:31:47
Speaker 2: truths which the parable teaches were made a living reality
1:31:50
Speaker 2: in his own life. In both his physical and his
1:31:53
Speaker 2: spiritual nature, he followed the divine order of growth illustrated
1:31:57
Speaker 2: by the plant, as he wishes all youth to do.
1:32:00
Speaker 2: Although he was the Majesty of Heaven, the King of Glory,
1:32:03
Speaker 2: he became a babe in Bethlehem and for a time
1:32:07
Speaker 2: represented the helpless infant in its mother's care. In childhood
1:32:11
Speaker 2: he did the works of an obedient child. He spoke
1:32:14
Speaker 2: and acted with wisdom of a child and not of
1:32:16
Speaker 2: a man, honoring his parents and carrying out their wishes
1:32:19
Speaker 2: in helpful ways according to the ability of a child.
1:32:23
Speaker 2: But at each stage of his development he was perfect,
1:32:26
Speaker 2: with the simple natural grace of a sinless life. The
1:32:29
Speaker 2: Sacred Record says of his childhood, the child grew and waxed,
1:32:33
Speaker 2: strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of
1:32:36
Speaker 2: God was upon him, and of his youth it is
1:32:39
Speaker 2: recorded Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor
1:32:43
Speaker 2: with God and with man. The work of parents and
1:32:46
Speaker 2: teachers is here suggested. They should aim so to cultivate
1:32:50
Speaker 2: the tendencies of the youth, that at each stage of
1:32:53
Speaker 2: their life they may represent the natural beauty appropriate to
1:32:56
Speaker 2: that period. Unfolding naturally, as do plants in the garden.
1:33:00
Speaker 2: Those children are most attractive who are natural unaffected. It
1:33:05
Speaker 2: is not wise to give them special notice and repeat
1:33:08
Speaker 2: their clever sayings before them. Vanity should not be encouraged
1:33:12
Speaker 2: by praising their looks, their words, or their actions, nor
1:33:15
Speaker 2: should they be dressed in an expensive or showy manner.
1:33:19
Speaker 2: This encourages pride in them and awakens envy in the
1:33:22
Speaker 2: hearts of their companions. The little ones should be educated
1:33:25
Speaker 2: in childlike simplicity. They should be trained to be content
1:33:29
Speaker 2: with the small, helpful duties and the pleasures and experiences
1:33:33
Speaker 2: natural to their years. Childhood answers to the blade in
1:33:36
Speaker 2: the parable, and the blade has a beauty peculiarly of
1:33:40
Speaker 2: its own. The children should not be forced into precocious maturity,
1:33:46
Speaker 2: but should retain as long as possible, the freshness and
1:33:49
Speaker 2: grace of their early years. The little children may be Christians,
1:33:54
Speaker 2: having an experience in accordance with their years. This is
1:33:57
Speaker 2: all that God expects of them. They need to be
1:34:00
Speaker 2: educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every
1:34:03
Speaker 2: advantage that they may form characters after the similitude of
1:34:06
Speaker 2: the character of Christ in the laws of God. In nature,
1:34:10
Speaker 2: effect follows cause with unerring certainty. The reaping will testify
1:34:14
Speaker 2: as to what the sowing has been. The slothful worker
1:34:17
Speaker 2: is condemned by his work. The harvest bears witness against him.
1:34:22
Speaker 2: So in spiritual things, the faithfulness of every worker is
1:34:25
Speaker 2: measured by the results of his work. The character of
1:34:29
Speaker 2: his work, whether diligent or slothful, is revealed by the harvest.
1:34:32
Speaker 2: It is thus that his destiny for eternity is decided.
1:34:37
Speaker 2: Every seed sown produces a harvest of its kind. So
1:34:40
Speaker 2: it is in the human life we all need to
1:34:42
Speaker 2: sow the seeds of compassion, sympathy, and love, for we
1:34:46
Speaker 2: shall reap what we sow. Every characteristic of selfishness, self love,
1:34:51
Speaker 2: self esteem, every act of self indulgence will bring forth
1:34:55
Speaker 2: a like harvest. He who lives for self is sowing
1:34:58
Speaker 2: to the flesh, and of the lesh he will reap. Corruption.
1:35:02
Speaker 2: God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have
1:35:07
Speaker 2: destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is
1:35:12
Speaker 2: sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a
1:35:15
Speaker 2: sure harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God. Pharaoh
1:35:20
Speaker 2: of Old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy.
1:35:24
Speaker 2: God did not compel him to disbelieve the seed of
1:35:27
Speaker 2: unbelief which he sowed, produced a harvest of its kind.
1:35:31
Speaker 2: Thus his resistance continued until he looked upon his devastated land,
1:35:35
Speaker 2: upon the cold dead form of his first born, and
1:35:38
Speaker 2: the first born of all in his house, and of
1:35:40
Speaker 2: all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of
1:35:43
Speaker 2: the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and
1:35:46
Speaker 2: his men of war. His history is a fearful illustration
1:35:49
Speaker 2: of the truth of the words that whatsoever a man soweth,
1:35:53
Speaker 2: that shall he also reap. Did men but realize this,
1:35:56
Speaker 2: they would be careful what seed they sow. As the
1:35:59
Speaker 2: seed sown produces a harvest, and this in turn is
1:36:03
Speaker 2: sown the harvest is multiplied. In our relation to others,
1:36:07
Speaker 2: this law holds true every act, every word is a
1:36:11
Speaker 2: seed that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness,
1:36:14
Speaker 2: of obedience, or of self denial will reproduce itself in others,
1:36:18
Speaker 2: and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice,
1:36:23
Speaker 2: or dissension is a seed that will spring up in
1:36:26
Speaker 2: a root of bitterness, whereby many shall be defiled, and
1:36:29
Speaker 2: how much larger number will the many poison. Thus, the
1:36:33
Speaker 2: sowing of good and evil goes on for time and
1:36:36
Speaker 2: for eternity. Liberality, both in spiritual and in temporal things,
1:36:41
Speaker 2: is taught in the lesson of seed sowing. The Lord says,
1:36:44
Speaker 2: blessed are ye that so beside all waters. This I say,
1:36:48
Speaker 2: he which soeth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, And he
1:36:51
Speaker 2: which soeth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. To so beside
1:36:56
Speaker 2: all waters means a continual imparting of God's gifts. It
1:37:00
Speaker 2: means giving wherever the cause of God or the needs
1:37:03
Speaker 2: of humanity demand our aid. This will not tend to poverty.
1:37:09
Speaker 2: He which soeth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. The sower
1:37:12
Speaker 2: multiplies his seed by casting it away. So it is
1:37:16
Speaker 2: with those who are faithful in distributing God's gifts. By imparting,
1:37:20
Speaker 2: they increase their blessings. God has promised them a sufficiency
1:37:24
Speaker 2: that they may continue to give give. And it shall
1:37:27
Speaker 2: be given unto you good measure, pressed down and shaken
1:37:31
Speaker 2: together and running over shall men give into your bosom.
1:37:35
Speaker 2: And more than this is wrapped up in the sowing
1:37:37
Speaker 2: and reaping. As we distribute God's temporal blessings, the evidence
1:37:42
Speaker 2: of our love and sympathy awakens in the receiver gratitude
1:37:45
Speaker 2: and thanksgiving to God. The soil of the heart is
1:37:48
Speaker 2: prepared to receive the seeds of spiritual truth, and he
1:37:52
Speaker 2: who ministers seed to the sower will cause the seed
1:37:55
Speaker 2: to germinate and bear fruit unto eternal life. By the
1:37:58
Speaker 2: casting of the grain and the soil, Christ represents the
1:38:01
Speaker 2: sacrifice of himself for our redemption. Except a corn of
1:38:05
Speaker 2: wheat fall into the ground and die, he says, it
1:38:08
Speaker 2: abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
1:38:12
Speaker 2: So the death of Christ will result in fruit for
1:38:14
Speaker 2: the Kingdom of God, in accordance with the law of
1:38:16
Speaker 2: the vegetable kingdom. Life will be the result of his death,
1:38:20
Speaker 2: and all who would bring forth fruit as workers together
1:38:23
Speaker 2: with Christ, must first fall into the ground and die.
1:38:26
Speaker 2: The life must be cast into the furrow of the
1:38:28
Speaker 2: world's need. Self love, self interest must perish. But the
1:38:32
Speaker 2: law of self sacrifice is the law of self preservation.
1:38:36
Speaker 2: The seed buried in the ground produces fruit, and in
1:38:39
Speaker 2: turn this is planted. Thus the harvest is multiplied. The
1:38:43
Speaker 2: husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So in
1:38:47
Speaker 2: human life, to give is to live. The life that
1:38:50
Speaker 2: will be preserved is the life that is freely given
1:38:53
Speaker 2: in service to God and Man. Those who for Christ's
1:38:56
Speaker 2: sake sacrifice their life in this world will keep it
1:39:00
Speaker 2: unto life eternal. The seed dies to spring forth into
1:39:04
Speaker 2: new life, and in this we are taught the lesson
1:39:07
Speaker 2: of resurrection. All who love God will live again in
1:39:10
Speaker 2: the eden above. Of the human body laid away to
1:39:14
Speaker 2: molder in the grave, God has said, it is sown
1:39:16
Speaker 2: into corruption, and it is raised in incorruption. It is
1:39:20
Speaker 2: sown in dishonour and raised in glory. It is sown
1:39:23
Speaker 2: in weakness, and it is raised in power. Such are
1:39:27
Speaker 2: a few of the many lessons taught by nature's living
1:39:30
Speaker 2: parable of the sower and the seed. As parents and
1:39:33
Speaker 2: teachers try to teach these lessons, the work should be
1:39:36
Speaker 2: made practical. Let the children themselves prepare the soil and
1:39:39
Speaker 2: sow the seed. As they work. The parent or teacher
1:39:42
Speaker 2: can explain the garden of the heart with the good
1:39:44
Speaker 2: or bad seed sown there, and that as the garden
1:39:47
Speaker 2: must be prepared for the natural seed, So the heart
1:39:50
Speaker 2: must be prepared for the seed of truth. As the
1:39:53
Speaker 2: seed is cast into the ground, they can teach the
1:39:55
Speaker 2: lesson of Christ's death, and as the blade springs up
1:39:58
Speaker 2: the truth of the resurrection. As the plants grow, the
1:40:01
Speaker 2: correspondence between the natural and the spiritual sowing may be continued.
1:40:06
Speaker 2: The youth should be instructed in a similar way. They
1:40:09
Speaker 2: should be taught to till the soil. It would be
1:40:11
Speaker 2: well if there were connected with every school lands for cultivation.
1:40:15
Speaker 2: Such lands should be regarded as God's own school room.
1:40:19
Speaker 2: The things of nature should be looked upon as a
1:40:21
Speaker 2: lessoned book which his children are to study, and from
1:40:25
Speaker 2: which they may obtain knowledge as to the culture of
1:40:27
Speaker 2: the soul. In tilling the soil, in disciplining and and
1:40:31
Speaker 2: subduing the land, lessons may constantly be learned. Not one
1:40:36
Speaker 2: would think of settling upon a raw piece of land
1:40:39
Speaker 2: expecting it to at once yield a harvest. Earnestness, diligence,
1:40:43
Speaker 2: and persevering labor are to be put forth in treating
1:40:46
Speaker 2: the soil preparatory to sowing the seed. So it is
1:40:50
Speaker 2: in the spiritual work in the human heart. Those who
1:40:52
Speaker 2: would be benefited by the tilling of the soil must
1:40:54
Speaker 2: go forth with the word of God in their hearts.
1:40:57
Speaker 2: They will then find the fallow ground of the heart
1:40:59
Speaker 2: broken by the softening, subduing influence of the Holy Spirit.
1:41:03
Speaker 2: Unless hard work is bestowed on the soil, it will
1:41:06
Speaker 2: not yield a harvest. So with the soil of the heart,
1:41:09
Speaker 2: the spirit of God must work upon it to refine
1:41:12
Speaker 2: and discipline it before it can bring forth fruit to
1:41:14
Speaker 2: the glory of God. The soil will not produce its
1:41:17
Speaker 2: riches when worked by impulse. It needs thoughtful, daily attention.
1:41:22
Speaker 2: It must be plowed often and deep, with a view
1:41:25
Speaker 2: to keeping out the weeds that take nourishment from the
1:41:28
Speaker 2: good seed planted. Thus, those who plow and so prepare
1:41:32
Speaker 2: for the harvest. None needs stand in the field amid
1:41:35
Speaker 2: the sad wreck of their hopes. The blessing of the
1:41:37
Speaker 2: Lord will rest upon those who thus work the land,
1:41:40
Speaker 2: learning spiritual lessons from nature and cultivating the soil. The
1:41:44
Speaker 2: worker knows little what treasures will open up before him
1:41:47
Speaker 2: when he is not to despise the instruction he may
1:41:50
Speaker 2: gather from minds that have had an experience, and from
1:41:54
Speaker 2: the information that intelligent men may impart. He should gather
1:41:57
Speaker 2: lessons for himself. This is part of his training. The
1:42:01
Speaker 2: cultivation of the soil will prove an education to the soul.
1:42:05
Speaker 2: He who causes the seed to spring up, who tends
1:42:07
Speaker 2: it day and night, who gives it power to develop,
1:42:10
Speaker 2: is the author of our being, the King of Heaven,
1:42:13
Speaker 2: and he exercises still greater care and interest in behalf
1:42:17
Speaker 2: of his children. While the human sower is planting the
1:42:20
Speaker 2: seed to sustain our earthly life, the divine sower will
1:42:23
Speaker 2: plant in the soul seed that will bring forth fruit
1:42:26
Speaker 2: unto life everlasting. End of chapter six, Chapter seven, like
1:42:34
Speaker 2: unto leaven. Many educated and influential men had come to
1:42:38
Speaker 2: hear the profit of Galilee. Some of these looked with
1:42:41
Speaker 2: curious interest upon the multitude that had gathered about Christ
1:42:44
Speaker 2: as he taught by the sea. In this great throng,
1:42:47
Speaker 2: all classes of society were represented. There were the poor,
1:42:50
Speaker 2: the illiterate, the ragged beggar, the robber with the seal
1:42:53
Speaker 2: of guilt upon his face, the mame, the dissipated, the merchant,
1:42:57
Speaker 2: and the man of leisure, high and low, rich and
1:43:00
Speaker 2: or all crowding upon one another for a place to
1:43:02
Speaker 2: stand and hear the words of Christ. As these cultured
1:43:05
Speaker 2: men gazed upon the strange assembly, they asked themselves, is
1:43:09
Speaker 2: the Kingdom of God composed of such material as this? Again,
1:43:13
Speaker 2: the Savior replied by parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is
1:43:17
Speaker 2: like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in
1:43:20
Speaker 2: three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. Among
1:43:24
Speaker 2: the Jews, leaven was sometimes used as an emblem of sin.
1:43:27
Speaker 2: At the time of the Passover, the people were directed
1:43:30
Speaker 2: to remove all the leaven from their houses, as they
1:43:33
Speaker 2: were to put away sin from their hearts. Christ warned
1:43:36
Speaker 2: his disciples, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees,
1:43:39
Speaker 2: which is hypocrisy, and the apostle Paul speaks of the
1:43:42
Speaker 2: leaven of malice and wickedness. But in the Saviour's parable,
1:43:45
Speaker 2: leavin is used to represent the Kingdom of Heaven. It
1:43:48
Speaker 2: illustrates the quickening, assimilating power of grace of God. None
1:43:53
Speaker 2: are so vile, none have fallen so low as to
1:43:56
Speaker 2: be beyond the working of His power. In all who
1:43:59
Speaker 2: will submit them to the Holy Spirit, a new principle
1:44:02
Speaker 2: of life is to be implanted. The lost image of
1:44:04
Speaker 2: God is to be restored in humanity. But man cannot
1:44:08
Speaker 2: transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses
1:44:12
Speaker 2: no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven,
1:44:16
Speaker 2: something wholly from without, must be put into the meal
1:44:19
Speaker 2: before the desired change can be wrought in it. So
1:44:22
Speaker 2: the grace of God must be received by the sinner
1:44:25
Speaker 2: before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory.
1:44:27
Speaker 2: All the culture and education which the world can give
1:44:30
Speaker 2: will fail of making a degraded child of sin a
1:44:33
Speaker 2: child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God.
1:44:37
Speaker 2: The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit.
1:44:40
Speaker 2: All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor,
1:44:43
Speaker 2: must submit to the working of this power. As the leaven,
1:44:46
Speaker 2: when mingled with the meal, works from within outward. So
1:44:50
Speaker 2: it is by the renewing of the heart that the
1:44:52
Speaker 2: grace of God works to transform the life. No mere
1:44:55
Speaker 2: external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God.
1:44:59
Speaker 2: There are many wh try to reform by correcting this
1:45:02
Speaker 2: or that bad habit, and they hope in this way
1:45:05
Speaker 2: to become Christians. But they are beginning in the wrong place.
1:45:08
Speaker 2: Our first work is with the heart. A profession of
1:45:12
Speaker 2: faith and the possession of truth in the soul are
1:45:14
Speaker 2: two different things. The mere knowledge of truth is not enough.
1:45:18
Speaker 2: We may possess this, but the tenor of our thoughts
1:45:21
Speaker 2: may not be changed. The heart must be converted and sanctified.
1:45:26
Speaker 2: The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God
1:45:28
Speaker 2: from a sense of obligation merely because he is required
1:45:32
Speaker 2: to do so, will never enter into the joy of obedience.
1:45:36
Speaker 2: He does not obey. When the requirements of God are
1:45:39
Speaker 2: accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we
1:45:43
Speaker 2: may know that the life is not a Christian life.
1:45:45
Speaker 2: True obedience is the outworking of a principle. Within it
1:45:49
Speaker 2: springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the
1:45:52
Speaker 2: law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty
1:45:56
Speaker 2: to our redeemer. This will lead us to do right
1:45:59
Speaker 2: because it is right, because right doing is pleasing to God.
1:46:03
Speaker 2: The great truth of the conversion of the heart by
1:46:05
Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit is present in Christ's words to Nicodemus, Verily, verily,
1:46:10
Speaker 2: I say unto thee except a man be born from above,
1:46:14
Speaker 2: he cannot see the Kingdom of God. That which is
1:46:17
Speaker 2: born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
1:46:19
Speaker 2: born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I
1:46:22
Speaker 2: said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind
1:46:25
Speaker 2: bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof,
1:46:28
Speaker 2: but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth.
1:46:32
Speaker 2: So is every one that is born of the spirit.
1:46:35
Speaker 2: The apostle Paul, writing by the Spirit, says God, who
1:46:38
Speaker 2: is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he
1:46:41
Speaker 2: loved us even when we were dead in sins. Hath
1:46:44
Speaker 2: quickened us together with Christ by grace, ye are saved,
1:46:48
Speaker 2: and hath raised us up together and made us sit
1:46:51
Speaker 2: together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
1:46:54
Speaker 2: ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of
1:46:57
Speaker 2: his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
1:47:00
Speaker 2: For by grace ye are saved through faith, and that
1:47:03
Speaker 2: not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. The
1:47:06
Speaker 2: leaven hidden in the flower works invisibly to bring the
1:47:09
Speaker 2: whole mass under its leavening process. So the leaven of
1:47:12
Speaker 2: truth works secretly, silently, steadily to transform the soul. The
1:47:17
Speaker 2: natural inclinations of softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings,
1:47:22
Speaker 2: new motives are implanted. A new standard of character is
1:47:26
Speaker 2: set up the life of Christ. The mind is changed,
1:47:30
Speaker 2: the faculties aroused to action in new lines. Man is
1:47:34
Speaker 2: not endowed with new faculties, but the faculties he has
1:47:37
Speaker 2: are sanctified. The conscience is awakened, we are endowed with
1:47:42
Speaker 2: traits of character that enable us to do service for God.
1:47:45
Speaker 2: Often the question arises, why then, are there so many
1:47:49
Speaker 2: claiming to believe God's word in whom there is not
1:47:52
Speaker 2: seen a reformation in words, in spirit, and in character.
1:47:56
Speaker 2: Why are there so many who cannot bear opposition to
1:47:59
Speaker 2: their purposes and plans, who manifest an unholy temper, and
1:48:03
Speaker 2: whose words are harsh, overbearing and passionate. There is seen
1:48:07
Speaker 2: in their lives the same love of self, the same
1:48:09
Speaker 2: selfish indulgence, the same temper and hasty speech that is
1:48:13
Speaker 2: seen in the life of the worldling. There is the
1:48:16
Speaker 2: same sensitive pride, the same yielding to natural inclination, the
1:48:20
Speaker 2: same perversity of character, as if the truth were wholly
1:48:24
Speaker 2: unknown to them. The reason is that they are not converted.
1:48:28
Speaker 2: They have not hidden the leaven of truth in their heart.
1:48:31
Speaker 2: It has not had opportunity to do its work. Their
1:48:34
Speaker 2: natural and cultivated tendencies to evil have not been submitted
1:48:38
Speaker 2: to this transforming power. Their lives reveal the absence of
1:48:42
Speaker 2: the grace of Christ, an unbelief in His power to
1:48:45
Speaker 2: transform the character. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by
1:48:50
Speaker 2: the word of God. The scriptures are the great agency
1:48:53
Speaker 2: in the transformation of character. Christ prayed sanctify them through
1:48:57
Speaker 2: Thy truth. Thy word is true if studied and obeyed.
1:49:02
Speaker 2: The Word of God works in the heart, subduing every
1:49:05
Speaker 2: unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin,
1:49:09
Speaker 2: and the faith that springs up in the heart works
1:49:11
Speaker 2: by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and
1:49:14
Speaker 2: spirit to his own image. Then God can use us
1:49:17
Speaker 2: to do his will. The power given us works from
1:49:20
Speaker 2: within outwardly, leading us to communicate to others the truth
1:49:23
Speaker 2: that has been communicated to us. The truths of the
1:49:27
Speaker 2: Word of God meet man's great practical necessity, the conversion
1:49:31
Speaker 2: of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not
1:49:34
Speaker 2: to be thought too pure and holy to be brought
1:49:37
Speaker 2: into the daily life. They are truths which reach to
1:49:40
Speaker 2: heaven and compass eternity. Yet their vital influence is to
1:49:44
Speaker 2: be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all
1:49:48
Speaker 2: the great things and all the little things of life.
1:49:51
Speaker 2: Received into the heart, the leaven of truth will regulate
1:49:54
Speaker 2: the desires, purify the thoughts, and sweeten the disposition. It
1:49:58
Speaker 2: quickens the faculties of the mom mind and the energies
1:50:01
Speaker 2: of the soul. It enlarges the capacity for feeling and
1:50:04
Speaker 2: for loving. The world regards as a mystery. The man
1:50:07
Speaker 2: who is imbued with this principle, the selfish, money loving man,
1:50:11
Speaker 2: lives only to secure for himself the riches, honors, and
1:50:14
Speaker 2: pleasures of this world. He loses the eternal world from
1:50:18
Speaker 2: his reckoning. But with the follower of Christ, these things
1:50:21
Speaker 2: will not be all absorbing. For Christ's sake, he will
1:50:25
Speaker 2: labor and deny self that he may aid in the
1:50:28
Speaker 2: great work of saving souls who are without Christ and
1:50:31
Speaker 2: without hope in the world. Such a man the world
1:50:34
Speaker 2: cannot understand, for he is keeping in view eternal realities.
1:50:38
Speaker 2: The love of Christ, with its redeeming power, has come
1:50:41
Speaker 2: into the heart. This love masters every other motive and
1:50:44
Speaker 2: raises its possessor above the corrupting influence of the world.
1:50:49
Speaker 2: The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect
1:50:52
Speaker 2: on our association with every member of the human family.
1:50:55
Speaker 2: The loaven of truth will not produce the spirit of rivalry.
1:50:59
Speaker 2: The love of him ambition, the desire to be first,
1:51:02
Speaker 2: true heaven born love is not selfish and changeable. It
1:51:07
Speaker 2: is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him
1:51:10
Speaker 2: who receives the grace of God overflows with love for
1:51:14
Speaker 2: God and for those for whom Christ died. The self
1:51:18
Speaker 2: is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others
1:51:21
Speaker 2: because they love and please him because they appreciate his merits,
1:51:25
Speaker 2: but because they are Christ's purchased possession. If his motives, words,
1:51:29
Speaker 2: or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense,
1:51:34
Speaker 2: but pursues the even tenour of his way. He is
1:51:38
Speaker 2: kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet
1:51:41
Speaker 2: full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love
1:51:44
Speaker 2: of God. The apostle exhorts us, as he which hath
1:51:48
Speaker 2: called you is holy. So be ye holy in all
1:51:51
Speaker 2: manner of conversation, because it is written, be ye holy,
1:51:55
Speaker 2: for I am holy. The grace of Christ is to
1:51:58
Speaker 2: control the temper, and the its working will be seen
1:52:02
Speaker 2: in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother,
1:52:05
Speaker 2: in kind encouraging words and angel presence is in the home.
1:52:11
Speaker 2: The life breathes a sweet perfume which ascends to God
1:52:14
Speaker 2: as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance,
1:52:18
Speaker 2: and long suffering. The countenance is changed. Christ, abiding in
1:52:23
Speaker 2: the heart, shines out in the faces of those who
1:52:25
Speaker 2: love Him and keep his commandments. Truth is written there.
1:52:29
Speaker 2: The sweet peace of Heaven is revealed. There is expressed
1:52:33
Speaker 2: an habitual gentleness, a more than human love. The leaven
1:52:38
Speaker 2: of Truth works a change in the whole man, making
1:52:41
Speaker 2: the course refined, the rough gentle, and the selfish generous.
1:52:46
Speaker 2: By it, the impure are cleansed, washed in the blood
1:52:49
Speaker 2: of the Lamb. Through its life giving power, it brings
1:52:52
Speaker 2: all there is of mind and soul and strength into
1:52:54
Speaker 2: harmony with the divine life. Man, with his human nature,
1:52:58
Speaker 2: becomes a partaker of Divinity. Christ is honored in excellence
1:53:02
Speaker 2: and perfection of character. As these changes are affected, Angels
1:53:06
Speaker 2: break forth into rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice
1:53:10
Speaker 2: over souls fashioned after the divine similitude. End of chapter seven.
1:53:17
Speaker 2: Chapter eight hidden treasure again. The Kingdom of Heaven is
1:53:22
Speaker 2: like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when
1:53:25
Speaker 2: a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth,
1:53:29
Speaker 2: and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
1:53:32
Speaker 2: In ancient times, it was customary for men to hide
1:53:35
Speaker 2: their treasures in the earth. Thefts and robberies were frequent. Now,
1:53:40
Speaker 2: whenever there was a change in the ruling power, those
1:53:43
Speaker 2: who had large possessions were liable to be put under
1:53:45
Speaker 2: heavy tribute. Moreover, the country was in constant danger of
1:53:49
Speaker 2: invasions by marauding armies. As a consequence, the rich endeavored
1:53:54
Speaker 2: to preserve their wealth by concealing it, and the earth
1:53:57
Speaker 2: was looked upon as a safe hiding place. But often
1:54:00
Speaker 2: even the place of concealment was forgotten. Death might claim
1:54:03
Speaker 2: the owner, Imprisonment or exile might separate him from his treasure,
1:54:07
Speaker 2: and the wealth he hath taken such pains to preserve
1:54:10
Speaker 2: was left for the fortunate finder. In Christ's day, it
1:54:14
Speaker 2: was not uncommon to discover in neglected land old coins
1:54:18
Speaker 2: and ornaments of gold and silver. A man hires land
1:54:21
Speaker 2: to cultivate, and as the oxen plow, the soil buried
1:54:25
Speaker 2: treasure is unearthed. As the man discovers the treasure, he
1:54:29
Speaker 2: sees that a fortune is within his reach, restoring the
1:54:32
Speaker 2: gold to its hiding place. He returns to his home
1:54:35
Speaker 2: and sells all that he has in order to purchase
1:54:37
Speaker 2: the field containing the treasure. His family and his neighbors
1:54:41
Speaker 2: think that he is acting like a madman. Looking on
1:54:44
Speaker 2: the field. They see no value in the neglected soil.
1:54:47
Speaker 2: But the man knows what he is doing, and when
1:54:50
Speaker 2: he has a title to the field, he searches every
1:54:52
Speaker 2: part of it to find the treasure that he has secured.
1:54:56
Speaker 2: This parable illustrates the value of the heavenly treasure and
1:54:59
Speaker 2: the effort that should be made to secure it. The
1:55:02
Speaker 2: finder of the treasure in the field was ready to
1:55:04
Speaker 2: part with all that he had, ready to put forth
1:55:07
Speaker 2: on tiring labor in order to secure the hidden riches.
1:55:11
Speaker 2: So the finder of heavenly treasure will count no labor
1:55:13
Speaker 2: too great and no sacrifice too dear, in order to
1:55:16
Speaker 2: gain the treasures of truth. In the parable of the
1:55:19
Speaker 2: field containing the treasure represents the holy scriptures, and the
1:55:23
Speaker 2: Gospel is the treasure. The earth itself is not so
1:55:27
Speaker 2: interlaced with gold veins and filled with precious things as
1:55:31
Speaker 2: is the Word of God. The treasures of the Gospel
1:55:33
Speaker 2: are said to be hidden by those who are wise
1:55:36
Speaker 2: in their own estimation, who are puffed up by the
1:55:38
Speaker 2: teaching of vain philosophy. The beauty and power and mystery
1:55:42
Speaker 2: of the plan of redemption are not perceived. Many have eyes,
1:55:45
Speaker 2: but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not.
1:55:49
Speaker 2: They have intellect, but they discern not the hidden treasure.
1:55:52
Speaker 2: A man might pass over the place where treasure had
1:55:54
Speaker 2: been concealed in dire necessity. He might sit down to
1:55:58
Speaker 2: rest the foot of a tree, not knowing of the
1:56:00
Speaker 2: riches that are hidden at its roots. So it was
1:56:04
Speaker 2: with the Jews as a golden treasure. Truth had been
1:56:07
Speaker 2: entrusted to the Hebrew people. The Jewish economy, bearing the
1:56:10
Speaker 2: signature of Heaven, had been instituted by Christ himself. In
1:56:14
Speaker 2: types and symbols, the great truths of redemption were veiled.
1:56:17
Speaker 2: Yet when Christ came, the Jews did not recognize him
1:56:21
Speaker 2: to whom all these symbols pointed. They had the Word
1:56:23
Speaker 2: of God in their hands, but the traditions, which had
1:56:26
Speaker 2: been handed down from generation to generation, and the human
1:56:29
Speaker 2: interpretation of the scriptures hid from them the truth as
1:56:33
Speaker 2: it is in Jesus. The spiritual import of the sacred
1:56:37
Speaker 2: writings was lost. The treasure house of all knowledge was
1:56:41
Speaker 2: open to them, but they did not know it. God
1:56:44
Speaker 2: does not conceal his truth from men. By their own
1:56:47
Speaker 2: course of action, they make it obscure to themselves. Christ
1:56:51
Speaker 2: gave the Jewish people abundant evidence that he was the Messiah,
1:56:54
Speaker 2: but his teaching called for a decided change in their lives.
1:56:59
Speaker 2: They saw that if they received Christ, they must give
1:57:01
Speaker 2: up their cherished maxims and traditions, their selfish, ungodly practices.
1:57:06
Speaker 2: It required a sacrifice to receive changeless, eternal truth. Therefore,
1:57:11
Speaker 2: they would not admit the most conclusive evidence that God
1:57:14
Speaker 2: could give to establish faith in Christ. They professed to
1:57:17
Speaker 2: believe the Old Testament scriptures, yet they refused to accept
1:57:20
Speaker 2: the testimony contained therein concerning Christ's life and character. They
1:57:24
Speaker 2: were afraid of being convinced, lest they should be converted
1:57:28
Speaker 2: and be compelled to give up their preconceived opinions. The
1:57:32
Speaker 2: treasure of the Gospel, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
1:57:35
Speaker 2: was among them, but they rejected the greatest gift that
1:57:38
Speaker 2: Heaven could bestow among the chief rulers. Also, many believed
1:57:43
Speaker 2: on him we read, but because of the Pharisees, they
1:57:47
Speaker 2: did not confess him, lest they should be put out
1:57:50
Speaker 2: of the synagogue. They were convinced they believed Jesus to
1:57:54
Speaker 2: be the Son of God, but it was not in
1:57:56
Speaker 2: harmony with their ambitions desires to confess him. They had
1:58:02
Speaker 2: not the faith that would have secured for them the
1:58:04
Speaker 2: heavenly treasure. They were seeking worldly treasure, and today men
1:58:09
Speaker 2: are eagerly seeking for earthly treasure. Their minds are filled
1:58:12
Speaker 2: with selfish, ambitious thoughts for the sake of gaining worldly riches, honor,
1:58:16
Speaker 2: or power. They placed the maxim's traditions and requirements of
1:58:20
Speaker 2: men above the requirements of God. From them the treasures
1:58:23
Speaker 2: of His word are hidden. The natural man receiveth not
1:58:26
Speaker 2: the things of the Spirit of God, for they air
1:58:28
Speaker 2: foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they
1:58:31
Speaker 2: are spiritually discerned. If our Gospel be hid, it is
1:58:35
Speaker 2: hid to them that are lost in whom the God
1:58:37
Speaker 2: of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
1:58:39
Speaker 2: believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ,
1:58:42
Speaker 2: who is the Image of God, should shine unto them.
1:58:45
Speaker 2: The Savior saw that men were absorbed in getting gain
1:58:48
Speaker 2: and were losing sight of eternal realities he undertook to
1:58:52
Speaker 2: correct this evil. He sought to break the infatuating spell
1:58:55
Speaker 2: that was paralyzing the soul. Lifting up his voice, he cried,
1:58:59
Speaker 2: what is a man man profited if he shall gain
1:59:01
Speaker 2: the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what
1:59:04
Speaker 2: shall a man give in exchange for his soul? He
1:59:07
Speaker 2: presents before falling humanity the nobler world they have lost
1:59:12
Speaker 2: sight of, that they may behold eternal realities. He takes
1:59:16
Speaker 2: them to the threshold of the infinite, flushed with the
1:59:19
Speaker 2: indescribable glory of God, and shows them the treasure there.
1:59:23
Speaker 2: The value of this treasure is above gold or silver.
1:59:26
Speaker 2: The riches of the earth's minds cannot compare with it.
1:59:30
Speaker 2: The depth saith it is not in me, and the
1:59:33
Speaker 2: sea saith, it is not with me. It cannot be
1:59:36
Speaker 2: gotten for gold. Neither shall silver be weighed for the
1:59:39
Speaker 2: price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of ophir,
1:59:43
Speaker 2: with the precious onyx or the sapphire. The gold and
1:59:47
Speaker 2: the crystals cannot equal it, and the exchange of it
1:59:50
Speaker 2: shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention
1:59:54
Speaker 2: shall be made of coral or of pearls, for the
1:59:56
Speaker 2: price of wisdom is above rubies. This the treasure that
2:00:00
Speaker 2: is found in the scriptures. The Bible is God's great
2:00:03
Speaker 2: lesson book, his great educator. The foundation of all true
2:00:07
Speaker 2: science is contained in the Bible. Every branch of knowledge
2:00:11
Speaker 2: may be found by searching the word of God, and
2:00:13
Speaker 2: above all else, it contains the science of all sciences,
2:00:17
Speaker 2: the science of salvation. The Bible is the mind of
2:00:21
Speaker 2: the unsearchable riches of Christ. The true higher education is
2:00:25
Speaker 2: gained by studying and obeying the word of God. But
2:00:28
Speaker 2: when God's word is laid aside for books that do
2:00:31
Speaker 2: not lead to God and the Kingdom of Heaven, the
2:00:34
Speaker 2: education acquired is a perversion of the name. There are
2:00:38
Speaker 2: wonderful truths in nature. The earth, the sea, and the
2:00:41
Speaker 2: sky are full of truth. They are our teachers. Nature
2:00:45
Speaker 2: utters her voice in lessons of heavenly wisdom and eternal truth.
2:00:49
Speaker 2: But fallen man will not understand. Sin has obscured his vision,
2:00:53
Speaker 2: and he cannot of himself interpret Nature without placing it
2:00:57
Speaker 2: above God. Correct lessons can not impress the minds of
2:01:01
Speaker 2: those who reject the word of God. The teaching of
2:01:04
Speaker 2: nature is by them so perverted that it turns the
2:01:07
Speaker 2: mind away from the Creator. By many, man's wisdom is
2:01:12
Speaker 2: thought to be higher than the wisdom of the divine teacher,
2:01:15
Speaker 2: and God's lesson book is looked upon as an old fashioned,
2:01:18
Speaker 2: stale and uninteresting. But by those who have been vivified
2:01:23
Speaker 2: by the Holy Spirit, it is not so regarded. They
2:01:27
Speaker 2: see the priceless treasure and would sell all to buy
2:01:30
Speaker 2: the field that contains it. Instead of books containing the
2:01:33
Speaker 2: suppositions of reputedly great authors, they choose the word of
2:01:36
Speaker 2: Him who is the greatest author and the greatest teacher
2:01:39
Speaker 2: the world has ever known, who gave his life for us,
2:01:42
Speaker 2: that through him we might have everlasting life. Satan works
2:01:46
Speaker 2: on human minds, leading them to think that there is
2:01:49
Speaker 2: wonderful knowledge to be gained apart from God. By deceptive reasoning,
2:01:52
Speaker 2: he led Adam and Eve to doubt God's word and
2:01:55
Speaker 2: to supply its place with a theory that led to disobedience,
2:01:59
Speaker 2: and his sophistry is doing today what it did in Eden.
2:02:02
Speaker 2: Teachers who mingle with the education they are giving the
2:02:04
Speaker 2: sentiments of infidel authors plant in the minds of youth
2:02:08
Speaker 2: thoughts that will lead to distrust of God and transgression
2:02:11
Speaker 2: of his law. Little do they know what they are doing.
2:02:14
Speaker 2: Little do they realize what will be the result of
2:02:16
Speaker 2: their work. A student may go through all the grades
2:02:19
Speaker 2: of the schools and colleges of today. He may devote
2:02:22
Speaker 2: all his powers to acquiring knowledge. But unless he has
2:02:25
Speaker 2: a knowledge of God, unless he obeys the laws that
2:02:28
Speaker 2: govern his being, he will destroy himself. By wrong habits.
2:02:32
Speaker 2: He loses his power of self appreciation, he loses self control.
2:02:36
Speaker 2: He cannot reason correctly about matters that concern him most closely.
2:02:41
Speaker 2: He is reckless and irrational in his treatment of mind
2:02:44
Speaker 2: and body. By wrong habits, he makes of himself a wreck.
2:02:48
Speaker 2: Happiness he cannot have, for his neglect to cultivate pure,
2:02:51
Speaker 2: healthful principles places him under the control of habits that
2:02:55
Speaker 2: ruin his peace. His years of taxing study are lost,
2:02:58
Speaker 2: for he has destroyed him. He has misused his physical
2:03:02
Speaker 2: and mental powers, and the temple of the body is
2:03:05
Speaker 2: in ruins. He is ruined for this life and for
2:03:08
Speaker 2: the life to come. By acquiring earthly knowledge, he thought
2:03:12
Speaker 2: to gain a treasure, But by laying his Bible aside,
2:03:15
Speaker 2: he sacrificed a treasure worth everything else. The word of
2:03:19
Speaker 2: God is to be our study. We are to educate
2:03:22
Speaker 2: our children in the truths found therein. It is an
2:03:25
Speaker 2: inexhaustible treasure. But men fail to find this treasure because
2:03:29
Speaker 2: they do not search until it is within their possession.
2:03:32
Speaker 2: Very many are content with a supposition in regard to
2:03:35
Speaker 2: the truth. They are content with a surface work, taking
2:03:38
Speaker 2: for granted that they have all that is essential. They
2:03:42
Speaker 2: take the sayings of others for truth, being too indolent
2:03:45
Speaker 2: to put themselves to diligent, earnest labor, represented in the
2:03:49
Speaker 2: Word as digging for hidden treasure. But man's inventions are
2:03:53
Speaker 2: not only unreliable, they are dangerous, for they place man
2:03:56
Speaker 2: where God should be. They place the sayings of men
2:04:00
Speaker 2: where thus saith the Lord should be. Christ is the truth.
2:04:03
Speaker 2: His words are truth, and they have a deeper significance
2:04:06
Speaker 2: than appears on the surface. All the sayings of Christ
2:04:10
Speaker 2: have a value beyond their unpretending appearance. Minds that are
2:04:13
Speaker 2: quickened by the Holy Spirit will discern the value of
2:04:16
Speaker 2: these sayings. They will discern the precious gems of truth.
2:04:20
Speaker 2: Though these may be buried treasures. Human theories and speculations
2:04:24
Speaker 2: will never lead to an understanding of God's word. Those
2:04:27
Speaker 2: who suppose that they understand philosophy, think that their explanations
2:04:31
Speaker 2: are necessary to unlock the treasures of knowledge and to
2:04:34
Speaker 2: prevent heresies from coming into the church. But it is
2:04:37
Speaker 2: these explanations that have brought in false theories and heresies.
2:04:41
Speaker 2: Men have made desperate efforts to explain what they thought
2:04:44
Speaker 2: to be intricate scriptures, but too often their efforts have
2:04:47
Speaker 2: only darkened that which they tried to make clear. The
2:04:50
Speaker 2: priests and pharisees thought they were doing great things as
2:04:53
Speaker 2: teachers by putting their own interpretation upon the word of God.
2:04:57
Speaker 2: But Christ said, unto them, ye know not the scriptures,
2:05:00
Speaker 2: neither the power of God. He charged them with the
2:05:02
Speaker 2: guilt of teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Though
2:05:06
Speaker 2: they were the teachers of the oracles of God, though
2:05:09
Speaker 2: they were supposed to understand his word, they were not
2:05:12
Speaker 2: doers of the word. Satan had blinded their eyes that
2:05:14
Speaker 2: they should not see its true import This is the
2:05:17
Speaker 2: work of many in our day. Many churches are guilty
2:05:20
Speaker 2: of this sin. There is danger, great danger that the
2:05:23
Speaker 2: supposed wise men of today will repeat the experience of
2:05:26
Speaker 2: the Jewish teachers. They falsely interpret the divine oracles and
2:05:30
Speaker 2: souls are brought into perplexity and shrouded in darkness because
2:05:34
Speaker 2: of their misconception of divine truth. The scriptures need not
2:05:37
Speaker 2: be read by the dim light of tradition or human speculation.
2:05:41
Speaker 2: As well might we try to give light to the
2:05:44
Speaker 2: sun with a torch, as to explain the scriptures by
2:05:46
Speaker 2: human tradition or imagination. God's Holy Word needs not the
2:05:50
Speaker 2: torchlight glimmer of earth to make its glories distinguishable. It
2:05:55
Speaker 2: is light in itself, the glory of God revealed, and
2:05:58
Speaker 2: beside it every other light is dim. But there must
2:06:02
Speaker 2: be earnest study, in close investigation. Sharp clear perceptions of
2:06:06
Speaker 2: truth will never be the reward of indolence. No earthly
2:06:09
Speaker 2: blessing can be obtained without earnest, patient, persevering effort. If
2:06:14
Speaker 2: men attain success in business, they must have a will
2:06:17
Speaker 2: to do and a faith to look for results. And
2:06:20
Speaker 2: we cannot expect to gain spiritual knowledge without earnest toil.
2:06:25
Speaker 2: Those who desire to find the treasures of truth must
2:06:28
Speaker 2: dig for them as the miner digs for the treasure
2:06:30
Speaker 2: hidden in the earth. No half hearted, indifferent work will avail.
2:06:35
Speaker 2: It is essential for old and young, not only to
2:06:37
Speaker 2: read God's word, but to study it with whole hearted earnestness,
2:06:41
Speaker 2: praying and searching for truth as for hidden treasure. Those
2:06:45
Speaker 2: who do this will be rewarded, for Christ will quicken
2:06:48
Speaker 2: thee understanding. Our salvation depends on a knowledge of the
2:06:51
Speaker 2: truth contained in the scriptures. It is God's will that
2:06:54
Speaker 2: we should possess this search. Oh, search the precious Bible
2:06:58
Speaker 2: with hungry hearts. Explore God's word as the miner explores
2:07:02
Speaker 2: the earth to find veins of gold. Never give up
2:07:05
Speaker 2: the search until you have ascertained your relation to God
2:07:09
Speaker 2: and his will. In regard to you, Christ declared, whatsoever
2:07:13
Speaker 2: ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
2:07:16
Speaker 2: that the Father may be glorified in the sun. If
2:07:19
Speaker 2: ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
2:07:22
Speaker 2: Men of piety and talent catch views of eternal realities,
2:07:26
Speaker 2: but often they fail of understanding, because the things that
2:07:30
Speaker 2: are seen eclipse the glory of the unseen. He who
2:07:33
Speaker 2: would seek successfully for the hidden treasure must rise to
2:07:37
Speaker 2: higher pursuits than the things of this world. His affections
2:07:40
Speaker 2: and all his capabilities must be consecrated to the search.
2:07:45
Speaker 2: Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of
2:07:48
Speaker 2: knowledge that might have been gained from the scriptures. Understanding
2:07:52
Speaker 2: means obedience to God's commandments. The scriptures are not to
2:07:55
Speaker 2: be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men.
2:07:58
Speaker 2: They can be understood only by those who are humbly
2:08:01
Speaker 2: seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may
2:08:04
Speaker 2: obey it. Do you ask what shall I do to
2:08:07
Speaker 2: be saved? You must lay your preconceived opinions, your hereditary
2:08:12
Speaker 2: and cultivated ideas, at the door of investigation. If you
2:08:16
Speaker 2: search the scriptures to vindicate your own opinions, you will
2:08:20
Speaker 2: never reach the truth. Search in order to learn what
2:08:23
Speaker 2: the Lord says. If conviction comes as you search, if
2:08:26
Speaker 2: you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony
2:08:29
Speaker 2: with the truth, do not misinterpret the truth in order
2:08:33
Speaker 2: to suit your own belief, but accept the light given
2:08:36
Speaker 2: open mind and heart, that you may behold wondrous things
2:08:39
Speaker 2: out of God's word. Faith in Christ as the world's
2:08:42
Speaker 2: redeemer calls for an acknowledgment and the enlightened intellect controlled
2:08:46
Speaker 2: by a heart that can discern and appreciate the heavenly treasure.
2:08:51
Speaker 2: This faith is inseparable from repentance and transformation of character.
2:08:56
Speaker 2: To have faith means to find and accept the Gospel treasure,
2:08:59
Speaker 2: with all all the obligations which it imposes. Except a
2:09:03
Speaker 2: man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
2:09:06
Speaker 2: He may conjecture and imagine, but without the eye of faith,
2:09:09
Speaker 2: he cannot see the treasure. Christ gave his life to
2:09:13
Speaker 2: secure for us this inestimable treasure. But without regeneration through
2:09:18
Speaker 2: faith in his blood, there is no remission of sins,
2:09:21
Speaker 2: no treasure for any perishing soul. We need to the
2:09:25
Speaker 2: enlightenment of the Holy Spirit in order to discern the
2:09:28
Speaker 2: truths in God's Word. The lovely things of the natural
2:09:30
Speaker 2: world are not seen until the sun, dispelling darkness, floods
2:09:34
Speaker 2: them with its light. So the treasures in the Word
2:09:37
Speaker 2: of God are not appreciated until they are revealed by
2:09:40
Speaker 2: the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness. The Holy Spirit,
2:09:44
Speaker 2: sent from heaven by the benevolence of infinite love, takes
2:09:48
Speaker 2: the things of God and reveals them to every soul
2:09:51
Speaker 2: that has an implicit faith in Christ. By his power,
2:09:54
Speaker 2: the vital truths upon which the salvation of the soul
2:09:56
Speaker 2: depends are impressed upon the mind and the w The
2:10:00
Speaker 2: way of life is made so plain that none need
2:10:03
Speaker 2: air therein. As we study the scriptures, we should pray
2:10:06
Speaker 2: for the light of God's Holy Spirit to shine upon
2:10:09
Speaker 2: the Word, that we may see and appreciate its treasures.
2:10:13
Speaker 2: Let none think that there is no more knowledge for
2:10:16
Speaker 2: them to gain. The depth of human intellect may be measured,
2:10:19
Speaker 2: the works of human authors may be mastered, But the highest, deepest,
2:10:23
Speaker 2: broadest flight of the imagination cannot find out God. There
2:10:27
Speaker 2: is infinity beyond all that we can comprehend. We have
2:10:31
Speaker 2: seen only a glimmering of divine glory and of the
2:10:35
Speaker 2: infinitude of knowledge and wisdom. We have, as it were,
2:10:39
Speaker 2: been working on the surface of the mine. When rich
2:10:42
Speaker 2: golden ore is beneath the surface. To reward the one
2:10:45
Speaker 2: who will dig for it, the shaft must be sunk
2:10:48
Speaker 2: deeper and yet deeper in the mine, and the result
2:10:51
Speaker 2: will be glorious treasure. Though a correct faith, divine knowledge
2:10:55
Speaker 2: will become human knowledge. No one can search the scriptures
2:10:59
Speaker 2: in the spirit of Christ without being rewarded. When man
2:11:02
Speaker 2: is willing to be instructed as a little child, when
2:11:05
Speaker 2: he submits holy to God, he will find the truth
2:11:08
Speaker 2: in his word. If men would be obedient they would
2:11:11
Speaker 2: understand the plan of God's government. The heavenly world would
2:11:14
Speaker 2: open its chambers of grace and glory for exploration. Human
2:11:20
Speaker 2: beings would be altogether different from what they are now.
2:11:24
Speaker 2: For by exploring the minds of truth, men would be ennobled.
2:11:27
Speaker 2: The mystery of redemption, the incarnation of Christ his atoning
2:11:31
Speaker 2: sacrifice would not be as they are now vague in
2:11:34
Speaker 2: our minds. They would not be only better understood, but
2:11:37
Speaker 2: altogether more highly appreciated. In his prayer to the Father,
2:11:41
Speaker 2: Christ gave the world a lesson which should be graven
2:11:44
Speaker 2: on the mind and soul. This is life eternal. He
2:11:47
Speaker 2: said that they might know thee the only True God,
2:11:51
Speaker 2: and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. This is true education.
2:11:56
Speaker 2: It imparts power, the experimental knowledge of God and death
2:12:00
Speaker 2: of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. Transforms man into
2:12:03
Speaker 2: the image of God. It gives to man the mastery
2:12:06
Speaker 2: of himself, bringing every impulse and passion of the lower
2:12:09
Speaker 2: nature under the control of the higher powers of the mind.
2:12:12
Speaker 2: It makes its possessor a son of God and an
2:12:15
Speaker 2: heir of Heaven. It brings him into communion with the
2:12:18
Speaker 2: mind of the infinite and opens to him the rich
2:12:21
Speaker 2: treasures of the universe. This is the knowledge which is
2:12:24
Speaker 2: obtained by searching the word of God. And this treasure
2:12:27
Speaker 2: may be found by every soul who will give all
2:12:30
Speaker 2: to obtain it. If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest
2:12:34
Speaker 2: up thine voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver,
2:12:38
Speaker 2: and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt
2:12:42
Speaker 2: thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the
2:12:45
Speaker 2: knowledge of God. End of Chapter eight, Chapter nine.
2:12:51
Speaker 4: The pearl based on Matthew thirteen, Verses forty five and
2:12:55
Speaker 4: forty six, The blessings of redeeming Love our Savior compared
2:13:01
Speaker 4: to a precious pearl. He illustrated his lesson by the
2:13:04
Speaker 4: parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who, when he
2:13:08
Speaker 4: had found one pearl of great price, went and sold
2:13:11
Speaker 4: all that he had and bought it. Christ himself is
2:13:15
Speaker 4: the pearl of great price. In him is gathered all
2:13:18
Speaker 4: the glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead.
2:13:22
Speaker 4: He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the
2:13:25
Speaker 4: express image of his person. The glory of the attributes
2:13:29
Speaker 4: of God is expressed in his character. Every page of
2:13:32
Speaker 4: the Holy Scripture shines with his light. The righteousness of Christ,
2:13:36
Speaker 4: as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no stain.
2:13:41
Speaker 4: No work of man can improve the great and precious
2:13:43
Speaker 4: gift of God. It is without a flaw. In Christ
2:13:48
Speaker 4: are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He
2:13:51
Speaker 4: is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.
2:13:56
Speaker 4: Footnote Colossians two, verse three, First Corinthians one, verse thirty,
2:14:02
Speaker 4: end of footnote. All that can satisfy the needs and
2:14:07
Speaker 4: longings of the human soul for this world and for
2:14:09
Speaker 4: the world to come, is found in Christ, our redeemer.
2:14:14
Speaker 4: Is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things
2:14:17
Speaker 4: else may be accounted loss. Christ came unto his own,
2:14:22
Speaker 4: and his own received him not. The light of God
2:14:25
Speaker 4: shone into the darkness of the world, and the darkness
2:14:28
Speaker 4: comprehended it not footnote John One, verses eleven and five.
2:14:35
Speaker 4: End of footnote. But not all were found indifferent to
2:14:39
Speaker 4: the gift of heaven. The merchantman in the parable represents
2:14:42
Speaker 4: a class who were sincerely desiring truth. In different nations.
2:14:46
Speaker 4: There were earnest and thoughtful men who had sought in
2:14:49
Speaker 4: literature and science, and the religions of the heathen world,
2:14:52
Speaker 4: for that which they could receive as the soul's treasure.
2:14:56
Speaker 4: Among the Jews, there were those who were seeking for
2:14:58
Speaker 4: that which they had not dissatisfied with the formal religion.
2:15:02
Speaker 4: They longed for that which was spiritual and uplifting. Christ's
2:15:06
Speaker 4: chosen disciples belonged to the latter class Cornelius and the
2:15:09
Speaker 4: Ethiopian Eunuch to the former. They had been longing and
2:15:13
Speaker 4: praying for light from heaven, and when Christ was revealed
2:15:16
Speaker 4: to them, they received him with gladness. In the parable,
2:15:20
Speaker 4: the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman
2:15:24
Speaker 4: bought it at the price of all that he had.
2:15:27
Speaker 4: Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented
2:15:31
Speaker 4: in the scriptures as a gift. He is a gift,
2:15:34
Speaker 4: but only to those who give themselves soul, body, and
2:15:37
Speaker 4: spirit to Him without reserve. We are to give ourselves
2:15:41
Speaker 4: to Christ to live a life of willing obedience to
2:15:44
Speaker 4: all his requirements. All that we are, all the talents
2:15:48
Speaker 4: and capabilities we possess, are the lords to be consecrated
2:15:51
Speaker 4: to his service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to him, Christ,
2:15:56
Speaker 4: with all the treasures of Heaven, gives himself to us.
2:16:00
Speaker 4: We obtain the pearl of great price. Salvation is a
2:16:04
Speaker 4: free gift, and yet it is to be bought and
2:16:07
Speaker 4: sold in the market of which divine mercy has the management.
2:16:11
Speaker 4: The precious pearl is represented as being bought without money
2:16:15
Speaker 4: and without price. In this market all may obtain the
2:16:19
Speaker 4: goods of heaven. The treasury of the jewels of truth
2:16:22
Speaker 4: is open to all. Behold, I have said before thee
2:16:26
Speaker 4: an open door, the Lord declares, and no man can
2:16:29
Speaker 4: shut it. No sword guards the way through this door.
2:16:33
Speaker 4: Voices from within, and at the door say come. The
2:16:36
Speaker 4: Saviour's voice, earnestly and lovingly invites us. I counsel thee
2:16:40
Speaker 4: to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
2:16:42
Speaker 4: thou mayest be rich. Footnote Revelation, Chapter three, verses eight
2:16:48
Speaker 4: and eighteen, and a footnote. The Gospel of Christ is
2:16:53
Speaker 4: a blessing that all may possess. The poorest are as
2:16:56
Speaker 4: well able as the richest to purchase salvation, for no
2:16:59
Speaker 4: amount of worldly wealth can secure it. It is obtained
2:17:03
Speaker 4: by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to Christ as his
2:17:06
Speaker 4: own purchased possession. Education, even of the highest class cannot
2:17:11
Speaker 4: of itself bring a man nearer to God. The Pharisees
2:17:14
Speaker 4: were favored with every temporal and every spiritual advantage, and
2:17:18
Speaker 4: they said, with boastful pride, we are rich and increased
2:17:21
Speaker 4: with goods, and have need of nothing. Yet they were
2:17:24
Speaker 4: wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. Footnote
2:17:29
Speaker 4: Revelation three, verse seventeen, and a footnote. Christ offered them
2:17:35
Speaker 4: the pearl of great price, but they disdained to accept it,
2:17:38
Speaker 4: and he said to them, the publicans and the harlots
2:17:41
Speaker 4: go into the Kingdom of God before you. Footnote Matthew
2:17:45
Speaker 4: twenty one, verse thirty one, and a footnote. We cannot
2:17:50
Speaker 4: earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with
2:17:53
Speaker 4: as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon
2:17:56
Speaker 4: everything in the world for it. We are to seek
2:17:59
Speaker 4: for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly
2:18:02
Speaker 4: marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required
2:18:05
Speaker 4: to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs
2:18:08
Speaker 4: to God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages
2:18:12
Speaker 4: will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience.
2:18:17
Speaker 4: He asks you to give up your sins to him
2:18:20
Speaker 4: that overcometh, Christ declares, will I grant to sit with
2:18:23
Speaker 4: me in my throne, even as I also overcame and
2:18:26
Speaker 4: am set down with my father in his throne. Footnote
2:18:30
Speaker 4: Revelation three, verse twenty one, and a footnote. There are
2:18:36
Speaker 4: some who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl,
2:18:39
Speaker 4: but they do not make an entire surrender of their
2:18:41
Speaker 4: wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ
2:18:44
Speaker 4: may live in them. Therefore they do not find the
2:18:47
Speaker 4: precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their
2:18:51
Speaker 4: love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the
2:18:54
Speaker 4: cross and follow Christ in the path of self denial
2:18:57
Speaker 4: and sacrifice. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians. They seem
2:19:02
Speaker 4: near the Kingdom of Heaven, but they cannot enter there.
2:19:06
Speaker 4: Almost but not wholly saved means to be not almost
2:19:10
Speaker 4: but wholly lost. The parable of the merchantmen seeking goodly
2:19:14
Speaker 4: pearls has a double significance. It applies not only to
2:19:18
Speaker 4: men as seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ
2:19:20
Speaker 4: as seeking his lost inheritance. Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking
2:19:26
Speaker 4: goodly pearls, sought and lost humanity the pearl of Christ
2:19:30
Speaker 4: in man defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the
2:19:33
Speaker 4: possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battle ground
2:19:37
Speaker 4: of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued
2:19:40
Speaker 4: by the power of love, are more precious to the
2:19:43
Speaker 4: Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God looked
2:19:46
Speaker 4: upon humanity not as vile and worthless. He looked upon
2:19:50
Speaker 4: it in Christ, saw it as it might become through
2:19:52
Speaker 4: redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe
2:19:57
Speaker 4: and laid them down in order to buy the pearl,
2:20:00
Speaker 4: and Jesus, having found it, resets it in his own diadem.
2:20:04
Speaker 4: For they shall be as the stones of a crown,
2:20:07
Speaker 4: lifted up as an ensign upon his land. They shall
2:20:10
Speaker 4: be mine, Saith, the Lord of Hosts, in that day
2:20:13
Speaker 4: when I make up my jewels. Footnote Zechariah nine, verse
2:20:17
Speaker 4: sixteen and Malachi three, verse seventeen, and a footnote. But
2:20:24
Speaker 4: Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing
2:20:27
Speaker 4: this heavenly treasure is the theme on which we most
2:20:30
Speaker 4: need to dwell. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals
2:20:33
Speaker 4: to men the preciousness of the goodly pearl. The time
2:20:37
Speaker 4: of the Holy Spirit's power is the time when, in
2:20:39
Speaker 4: especial sense, the heavenly gift is sought and found. In
2:20:43
Speaker 4: Christ's day, many heard the Gospel, but their minds were
2:20:46
Speaker 4: darkened by false teaching, and they did not recognize in
2:20:49
Speaker 4: the humble teacher of Galilee the scent of God. But
2:20:53
Speaker 4: after Christ's assension, his enthronement in his mediatorial kingdom was
2:20:57
Speaker 4: signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Speed. On the
2:21:01
Speaker 4: day of Pentecost, the spirit was given. Christ's witnesses proclaimed
2:21:05
Speaker 4: the power of the risen Savior. The light of heaven
2:21:08
Speaker 4: penetrated the darkened minds of those who had been deceived
2:21:11
Speaker 4: by the enemies of Christ. They now saw him exalted
2:21:14
Speaker 4: to be a prince and a savior, for to give
2:21:17
Speaker 4: repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins footnote Acts five,
2:21:23
Speaker 4: verse thirty one and a footnote. They saw him encircled
2:21:28
Speaker 4: with the glory of Heaven, with infinite treasures in his
2:21:31
Speaker 4: hands to bestow upon all who would turn from their rebellion.
2:21:35
Speaker 4: As the apostles set forth the glory of the only
2:21:37
Speaker 4: Begotten of the Father, three thousand souls were convicted. They
2:21:41
Speaker 4: were made to see themselves as they were sinful and polluted,
2:21:45
Speaker 4: and Christ as their friend and redeemer. Christ was lifted up.
2:21:50
Speaker 4: Christ was glorified through the power of the Holy Spirit
2:21:53
Speaker 4: resting upon men by faith. These believers saw him as
2:21:57
Speaker 4: the one who had borne humiliation, suffering, and death, that
2:22:00
Speaker 4: they might not perish but have everlasting life. The revelation
2:22:05
Speaker 4: of Christ by the Spirit brought to them a realizing
2:22:07
Speaker 4: sense of his power and majesty, and they stretched forth
2:22:11
Speaker 4: their hands to Him by faith, saying I believe. Then
2:22:15
Speaker 4: the glad tidings of a risen Savior were carried to
2:22:17
Speaker 4: the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. The Church beheld
2:22:21
Speaker 4: converts flocking to her from all directions. Believers were re converted,
2:22:26
Speaker 4: sinners united with Christians in seeking the pearl of great price.
2:22:30
Speaker 4: The prophecy was fulfilled. The weak shall be as David,
2:22:34
Speaker 4: and the house of David as the Angel of the Lord.
2:22:37
Speaker 4: Footnote Zechariah twelve, verse eight, and a footnote. Every Christian
2:22:44
Speaker 4: saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love.
2:22:48
Speaker 4: One interest prevailed, one object swallowed up all others, All
2:22:53
Speaker 4: hearts beat in harmony. The only ambition of the believers
2:22:56
Speaker 4: was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character and tolabor
2:23:00
Speaker 4: for the enlargement of his kingdom. The multitude of them
2:23:03
Speaker 4: that believed were of one heart and of one soul,
2:23:07
Speaker 4: with great power, gave the apostles witness of the resurrection
2:23:09
Speaker 4: of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all,
2:23:13
Speaker 4: and the Lord added to the church daily such as
2:23:16
Speaker 4: should be saved. Footnote Acts Chapter four, verses thirty two
2:23:20
Speaker 4: and thirty three, and Chapter two, verse forty seven, and
2:23:24
Speaker 4: a footnote.
2:23:26
Speaker 2: The Spirit of.
2:23:27
Speaker 4: Christ animated the whole congregation, for they had found the
2:23:30
Speaker 4: pearl of great price. These scenes are to be repeated
2:23:34
Speaker 4: and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit
2:23:38
Speaker 4: on the day of Pentecost was the former reign, but
2:23:41
Speaker 4: the latter reign will be more abundant. The Spirit awaits
2:23:44
Speaker 4: our demand and reception. Christ is again to be revealed
2:23:48
Speaker 4: in his fullness by the Holy Spirit's power. Men will
2:23:51
Speaker 4: discern the value of the precious pearl, and with the
2:23:54
Speaker 4: apostle Paul, they will say, what things were gained to me?
2:23:57
Speaker 4: Those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I
2:24:01
Speaker 4: count all things but loss for the excellency of the
2:24:04
Speaker 4: knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Footnote Philippians, Chapter three,
2:24:09
Speaker 4: Verses seven and eight end a footnote end of chapter nine.
2:24:16
Speaker 5: Chapter ten. The net the Kingdom of Heaven is likened
2:24:20
Speaker 5: to a net that was cast into the sea and
2:24:23
Speaker 5: gathered of every kind, which when it was full, they
2:24:26
Speaker 5: drew to shore and sat down and gathered the good
2:24:29
Speaker 5: into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it
2:24:32
Speaker 5: be at the end of the world. The angels shall
2:24:35
Speaker 5: come forth and sever the wicked from among the just,
2:24:38
Speaker 5: and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There
2:24:41
Speaker 5: shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The casting of
2:24:45
Speaker 5: the net is the preaching of the Gospel. This gathers
2:24:48
Speaker 5: both good and evil into the church. When the mission
2:24:52
Speaker 5: of the Gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the
2:24:55
Speaker 5: work of separation. Christ saw how the existence of false
2:24:59
Speaker 5: brethren ins the church would cause the way of truth
2:25:01
Speaker 5: to be evil spoken of the world would revile the
2:25:05
Speaker 5: Gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false professors. Even
2:25:09
Speaker 5: Christians would be caused to stumble as they saw that
2:25:12
Speaker 5: many who bore Christ's name were not controlled by his spirit.
2:25:15
Speaker 5: Because these sinners were in the church, men would be
2:25:18
Speaker 5: in danger of thinking that God excused their sins. Therefore,
2:25:22
Speaker 5: Christ lifts the veil from the future and bids all
2:25:25
Speaker 5: to behold that it is character, not position, which decides
2:25:28
Speaker 5: man's destiny. Both the parable of the Tears and that
2:25:32
Speaker 5: of the net plainly teach that there is no time
2:25:34
Speaker 5: when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat
2:25:37
Speaker 5: and the tears grow together, until the harvest, the good
2:25:41
Speaker 5: and the bad fish are together drawn ashore for a
2:25:43
Speaker 5: final separation. Again, these parables teach that there is to
2:25:48
Speaker 5: be no probation after the judgment. When the work of
2:25:51
Speaker 5: the Gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between
2:25:55
Speaker 5: the good and evil, and the destiny of each class
2:25:58
Speaker 5: is forever fixed. God does not desire the destruction of
2:26:02
Speaker 5: any as I live, saith the Lord God. I have
2:26:05
Speaker 5: no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that
2:26:07
Speaker 5: the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye,
2:26:11
Speaker 5: turnye from your evil ways, for why will ye die?
2:26:14
Speaker 5: Throughout the period of probationary time, his spirit is entreating
2:26:18
Speaker 5: men to accept the gift of life. It is only
2:26:21
Speaker 5: those who reject his pleading that will be left to perish.
2:26:24
Speaker 5: God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an
2:26:27
Speaker 5: evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin
2:26:31
Speaker 5: will perish in its destruction. End of Chapter ten.
2:26:35
Speaker 6: Things new and old. While Christ was teaching the people,
2:26:40
Speaker 6: he was also educating his disciples for their future work.
2:26:43
Speaker 6: In all his instruction there were lessons for them. After
2:26:47
Speaker 6: giving the parable of the net, he asked them, have
2:26:50
Speaker 6: ye understood all these things? They said, unto him, yea Lord.
2:26:55
Speaker 6: Then in another parable he set before them their responsibility
2:26:59
Speaker 6: in regard to the truths they had received. Therefore, he said,
2:27:04
Speaker 6: every scribe which is instructed into the Kingdom of Heaven
2:27:07
Speaker 6: is like unto a man, that is, an householder, which
2:27:10
Speaker 6: bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
2:27:15
Speaker 6: The treasure gained by the householder he does not hoard,
2:27:18
Speaker 6: but brings it forth to communicate to others, and by
2:27:21
Speaker 6: use the treasure increases. The householder has precious things, both
2:27:26
Speaker 6: new and old. So Christ teaches that the truth committed
2:27:29
Speaker 6: to his disciples is to be communicated to the world, and.
2:27:34
Speaker 7: As the knowledge of truth is imparted, it will increase.
2:27:37
Speaker 7: All who receive the Gospel message into the heart will
2:27:40
Speaker 7: long to proclaim it. The heaven born love of Christ
2:27:44
Speaker 7: must find expression. Those who have put on Christ will
2:27:47
Speaker 7: relate their experience, tracing step by step the leadings of
2:27:51
Speaker 7: the Holy Spirit, their hungering and thirsting for the knowledge
2:27:55
Speaker 7: of God and of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent.
2:27:58
Speaker 7: The result of their searching the scriptures, their prayers, their
2:28:02
Speaker 7: soul agony, and the words of Christ to them, thy
2:28:06
Speaker 7: sins be forgiven.
2:28:07
Speaker 6: Thee It is unnatural for any to keep these things secret,
2:28:11
Speaker 6: and those who are filled with the love of Christ
2:28:13
Speaker 6: will not do so. In proportion as the Lord has
2:28:16
Speaker 6: made them the depositaries of sacred truth will be their
2:28:20
Speaker 6: desire that others shall receive the same blessing. And as
2:28:24
Speaker 6: they make known the rich treasures of God's grace, more
2:28:27
Speaker 6: and still more of the grace of Christ will be
2:28:29
Speaker 6: imparted to them. They will have the heart of a
2:28:32
Speaker 6: little child in its simplicity and unreserved obedience. Their souls
2:28:36
Speaker 6: will pant after holiness, and more and more of treasures
2:28:40
Speaker 6: of truth and grace will be revealed to them to
2:28:42
Speaker 6: be given to the world. The great storehouse of truth
2:28:45
Speaker 6: is the Word of God, the written Word, the book
2:28:48
Speaker 6: of Nature, and the book of experience. In God's dealing
2:28:51
Speaker 6: with human life. Here are the treasures from which Christ's
2:28:54
Speaker 6: workers are to draw in the search after truth. They
2:28:57
Speaker 6: are to depend upon God, not upon human until diligences
2:29:01
Speaker 6: the great men whose wisdom is foolishness. With God through
2:29:04
Speaker 6: his own appointed channels. The Lord will impart a knowledge
2:29:07
Speaker 6: of himself to every seeker. If the follower of Christ
2:29:11
Speaker 6: will believe his word and practice it. There is no
2:29:14
Speaker 6: science in the natural world that he will not be
2:29:16
Speaker 6: able to grasp and appreciate. There is nothing but that
2:29:19
Speaker 6: will furnish him means for imparting the truth to others.
2:29:24
Speaker 6: Natural science is a treasure house of knowledge from which
2:29:27
Speaker 6: every student in the School of Christ may draw. As
2:29:30
Speaker 6: we contemplate the beauty of nature, as we study its
2:29:33
Speaker 6: lessons in the cultivation of the soil and the growth
2:29:36
Speaker 6: of the trees, and all the wonders of earth and
2:29:38
Speaker 6: sea and sky, there will come to us a new
2:29:41
Speaker 6: perception of truth and the mysteries connected with God's dealings
2:29:45
Speaker 6: with men, and the depths of His wisdom and judgment
2:29:48
Speaker 6: as seen in human life. These are found to be
2:29:50
Speaker 6: a storehouse rich in treasure. But it is in the
2:29:53
Speaker 6: written word that a knowledge of God is most clearly
2:29:56
Speaker 6: revealed to fallen man. This is the treasure house of
2:29:59
Speaker 6: the unsearchable rich of Christ. The Word of God includes
2:30:02
Speaker 6: the scripture of the Old Testament as well as of
2:30:05
Speaker 6: the New One, is not complete without the other. Christ
2:30:08
Speaker 6: declared that the truths of the Old Testament are as
2:30:11
Speaker 6: valuable as those of the New. Christ was as much
2:30:14
Speaker 6: man's redeemer in the beginning of the world as he
2:30:17
Speaker 6: is today, before he clothed his divinity with humanity and
2:30:21
Speaker 6: came to our world. The Gospel message was given by Adam, Seth, Enoch,
2:30:26
Speaker 6: Methusalah and Noah, Abraham and Canaan and la A Sodom
2:30:30
Speaker 6: for the message, and from generation to generation faithful messengers
2:30:35
Speaker 6: proclaimed the coming One.
2:30:36
Speaker 8: The rights of the.
2:30:37
Speaker 6: Jewish economy were instituted by Christ himself. He was the
2:30:41
Speaker 6: foundation of their system of sacrificial offerings, the great antetype
2:30:45
Speaker 6: of all their religious service. The blood shed as the
2:30:48
Speaker 6: sacrifices were offered, pointed to the sacrifice of the Lamb
2:30:52
Speaker 6: of God. All the typical offerings were fulfilled in him.
2:30:56
Speaker 6: Christ is manifested to the patriarchs as symbolized in the
2:31:00
Speaker 6: sacrificial service, as portrayed in the Law, and as revealed
2:31:03
Speaker 6: by the prophet is the riches of the Old Testament.
2:31:07
Speaker 6: Christ in his life, his death, and his resurrection. Christ
2:31:11
Speaker 6: as he is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the
2:31:14
Speaker 6: treasure of the New Testament, Our Savior, the outshining of
2:31:18
Speaker 6: the Father's glory is both the old and the new
2:31:22
Speaker 6: of Christ's life and death and intercession which prophets had foretold.
2:31:26
Speaker 6: The apostles were to go forth as witnesses Christ in
2:31:30
Speaker 6: his humiliation, in his purity and holiness, in his matchless love,
2:31:35
Speaker 6: was to be their theme, and in order to preach
2:31:37
Speaker 6: the Gospel in its fullness, they must present the Savior
2:31:41
Speaker 6: not only as revealed in his life and teachings, but
2:31:43
Speaker 6: as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament, and
2:31:46
Speaker 6: as symbolized by the sacrificial service. Christ in his teaching,
2:31:50
Speaker 6: presented old truths of which he himself was the originator,
2:31:54
Speaker 6: truths which he had spoken through patriarchs and prophets. But
2:31:58
Speaker 6: he now shed upon them a new life. How different
2:32:01
Speaker 6: appeared their meaning. A flood of light and spirituality was
2:32:04
Speaker 6: brought in by his explanation, and he promised that the
2:32:08
Speaker 6: Holy Spirit should enlighten the disciples that the Word of
2:32:11
Speaker 6: God should be ever unfolding to them, they would be
2:32:14
Speaker 6: able to present its truths in new beauty. Ever since
2:32:18
Speaker 6: the first promise of redemption was spoken in Eden, the life,
2:32:21
Speaker 6: the character, and the mediatorial work of Christ have been
2:32:24
Speaker 6: the study of human minds. Yet every mind through whom
2:32:28
Speaker 6: the Holy Spirit has worked has presented these themes in
2:32:31
Speaker 6: a light that is fresh and new. The truths of
2:32:34
Speaker 6: Redemption are capable of constant development and expansion. Though old,
2:32:38
Speaker 6: they are ever new, constantly revealing to the seeker for
2:32:41
Speaker 6: truth a greater glory and a mightier power. In every
2:32:45
Speaker 6: age there is a new development of truth, a message
2:32:48
Speaker 6: of God to the people of that generation. The old
2:32:51
Speaker 6: truths are all essential. New truth is not independent of
2:32:54
Speaker 6: the old, but in the unfolding of it. It is
2:32:57
Speaker 6: only as the old truths are understood that we can
2:33:00
Speaker 6: comprehend the new. When Christ desired to open to his
2:33:03
Speaker 6: disciples the truth of his resurrection, he began as Moses
2:33:08
Speaker 6: and all the prophets, and expounded unto them in all
2:33:11
Speaker 6: the scriptures the things concerning himself. But it is the
2:33:16
Speaker 6: light which shines in the fresh unfolding of truth that
2:33:19
Speaker 6: glorifies the Old. He who rejects or neglects the New
2:33:23
Speaker 6: does not really possess the Old. For him, it loses
2:33:26
Speaker 6: its vital power and becomes but a lifeless form. There
2:33:30
Speaker 6: are those who profess to believe and to teach the
2:33:32
Speaker 6: truths of the Old Testament while they reject the New.
2:33:35
Speaker 6: But in refusing to receive the teachings of Christ, they
2:33:38
Speaker 6: show that they do not believe that which patriarchs and
2:33:41
Speaker 6: prophets have spoken. Hatty believed Moses. Christ said, you would
2:33:46
Speaker 6: have believed me, for he wrote of me. Hence, there
2:33:49
Speaker 6: is no real power in the teaching of even the
2:33:51
Speaker 6: Old Testament. Many who claim to believe and to teach
2:33:55
Speaker 6: the Gospel are in a similar error. They set aside
2:33:57
Speaker 6: the Old Testament scriptures of which Christ declared. They are
2:34:01
Speaker 6: they which testify of Me. In rejecting the Old, they
2:34:05
Speaker 6: virtually reject the New. For both are parts of an
2:34:08
Speaker 6: inseparable world. No man can rightly present the Law of
2:34:12
Speaker 6: God without the Gospel, or the Gospel without the Law.
2:34:15
Speaker 6: The Law is the Gospel embodied, and the Gospel is
2:34:18
Speaker 6: the Law unfolded. The Law is the root, the Gospel
2:34:22
Speaker 6: is the fragrant blossom and fruit which it bears the
2:34:26
Speaker 6: Old Testament, sheds light upon the New, and the new
2:34:28
Speaker 6: upon the old. Each is a revelation of the glory
2:34:31
Speaker 6: of God in Christ. Both present truths that will continually
2:34:35
Speaker 6: reveal new depths of meaning to the earnest seeker. Truth
2:34:38
Speaker 6: in Christ and through Christ is measureless. The student of
2:34:41
Speaker 6: Scripture looks, as it were, into a fountain that deepens
2:34:44
Speaker 6: and broadens as he gazes into its depths. Not in
2:34:48
Speaker 6: this life shall we comprehend the mystery of God's love
2:34:51
Speaker 6: in giving his son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2:34:55
Speaker 6: The work of our redeemer on this earth is and
2:34:57
Speaker 6: ever will be, the subject that will put to the
2:35:00
Speaker 6: stretch our highest imagination. Man may tax every mental power
2:35:04
Speaker 6: and endeavor to fathom this mystery, that his mind will
2:35:07
Speaker 6: become faint and weary. The most diligent searcher will see
2:35:11
Speaker 6: before him a boundless, shoreless sea. The truth as it
2:35:15
Speaker 6: is in Jesus can be experienced, but never explained. Its
2:35:18
Speaker 6: height and breadth and death pass our knowledge.
2:35:21
Speaker 7: We may task our imagination to the utmost, and then
2:35:25
Speaker 7: we shall only see dimly the outlines of a love
2:35:27
Speaker 7: that is unexplainable, that is as high as heaven, but
2:35:32
Speaker 7: that stooped to the earth to stamp the image of
2:35:34
Speaker 7: God on all mankind.
2:35:36
Speaker 6: Yet it is possible for us to see all that
2:35:39
Speaker 6: we can bear of the divine compassion. This is unfolded
2:35:42
Speaker 6: to the humble contrite soul. We shall understand God's compassion
2:35:47
Speaker 6: just in proportion as we appreciate His sacrifice for us.
2:35:50
Speaker 6: As we search the word of God in humility of heart,
2:35:53
Speaker 6: the grand theme of redemption will open to our research.
2:35:56
Speaker 6: It will increase in brightness as we behold it, and
2:35:59
Speaker 6: as we aspire to grasp it, its height and depth
2:36:02
Speaker 6: will ever increase. Our life is to be bound up
2:36:05
Speaker 6: with the life of Christ. We are to draw constantly
2:36:08
Speaker 6: from Him, partaking of him the living bread that came
2:36:11
Speaker 6: down from Heaven, drawing from a fountain of ever, fresh
2:36:14
Speaker 6: ever giving forth its abundant treasures.
2:36:18
Speaker 7: If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our
2:36:21
Speaker 7: hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him,
2:36:24
Speaker 7: we shall have a continual freshness of our religious life.
2:36:28
Speaker 6: Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God,
2:36:31
Speaker 6: as we would talk with a friend. He will speak
2:36:34
Speaker 6: his mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to
2:36:37
Speaker 6: us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus.
2:36:41
Speaker 7: Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws
2:36:44
Speaker 7: nigh to commune with us, as he did with Enoch.
2:36:47
Speaker 7: When this is in truth the experience of the Christian,
2:36:51
Speaker 7: there is seen in his life simplicity, a humility, meekness,
2:36:56
Speaker 7: and lowliness of heart that show to all with whom
2:36:59
Speaker 7: he is sociated deeds that he has been with Jesus
2:37:02
Speaker 7: and learned of him.
2:37:04
Speaker 6: In those who possess it, the religion of Christ will
2:37:06
Speaker 6: reveal itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working,
2:37:11
Speaker 6: spiritual energy. There will be manifest the freshness and power
2:37:15
Speaker 6: of joyousness, of perpetual youth. The heart that receives the
2:37:19
Speaker 6: word of God is not as a pool that evaporates,
2:37:23
Speaker 6: not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It
2:37:26
Speaker 6: is like the mountain stream fed by unfailing springs, whose cool,
2:37:30
Speaker 6: sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary,
2:37:33
Speaker 6: the thirsty, the heavy laden. This experience gives every teacher
2:37:38
Speaker 6: of truth the very qualifications that will make him a
2:37:40
Speaker 6: representative of Christ. The spirit of Christ's teachings will give
2:37:45
Speaker 6: a force and directness to his communications and to his prayers.
2:37:49
Speaker 7: His witness to Christ will not be a narrow, lifeless testimony.
2:37:53
Speaker 7: The minister will not preach over and over the same
2:37:56
Speaker 7: set of discourses. His mind will be opened to the
2:37:59
Speaker 7: constant illumination of the Holy Spirit.
2:38:02
Speaker 6: Christ said, whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood
2:38:06
Speaker 6: hath eternal life, as the Living Father hath sent me.
2:38:09
Speaker 6: And I live by the Father. So he that eateth me,
2:38:13
Speaker 6: even he shall live by me. It is the spirit
2:38:16
Speaker 6: that quickeneth the words that I speak unto you. They
2:38:19
Speaker 6: are spirit, and they are life. When we eat Christ's
2:38:22
Speaker 6: flesh and drink his blood, the element of eternal life
2:38:25
Speaker 6: will be found in the ministry.
2:38:27
Speaker 7: There will not be a fund of stale, oft repeated ideas.
2:38:31
Speaker 6: The tame, dull sermonizing will cease. The old truths will
2:38:35
Speaker 6: be presented, but they will be seen in a new light.
2:38:38
Speaker 6: There will be a new perception of truth, a clearness
2:38:41
Speaker 6: and a power that all will discern. Those who have
2:38:45
Speaker 6: the privilege of sitting under such a ministry will, if
2:38:47
Speaker 6: susceptible to the Holy Spirit's influence, feel the energizing power
2:38:51
Speaker 6: of a new life. The fire of God's love will
2:38:55
Speaker 6: be kindred within them. The perceptive faculties will be quickened
2:38:59
Speaker 6: to discern the being, beauty and majesty of truth. The
2:39:02
Speaker 6: faithful householder represents what every teacher of the children and
2:39:05
Speaker 6: youth should be. If he makes the world of God
2:39:08
Speaker 6: his treasure, he will continually bring forth new beauty and
2:39:12
Speaker 6: new truth. When the teacher will rely upon God in prayer,
2:39:16
Speaker 6: the spirit of Christ will come upon him, and God
2:39:19
Speaker 6: will work through him by the Holy Spirit upon the
2:39:22
Speaker 6: minds of others. The Spirit fills the mind and heart
2:39:25
Speaker 6: with sweet hope and courage and Bible imagery, and all
2:39:29
Speaker 6: this will.
2:39:29
Speaker 7: Be communicated to the youth under his instruction. The springs
2:39:34
Speaker 7: of heavenly peace and joy, unsealed in the soul of
2:39:37
Speaker 7: the teacher by the words of inspiration, will become a
2:39:40
Speaker 7: mighty river of influence to bless all who connect with him.
2:39:45
Speaker 6: The Bible will not become a tiresome book to the student.
2:39:48
Speaker 6: Under a wise instructor, the Word will become more and
2:39:50
Speaker 6: more desirable. It will be as the bread of life
2:39:54
Speaker 6: and will never grow old. Its freshness and beauty will
2:39:57
Speaker 6: attract and charm the children and youth. It is like
2:40:00
Speaker 6: the sun shining upon the earth, perpetually imparting brightness and warmth,
2:40:05
Speaker 6: yet never exhausted. God's holy educating spirit is in his
2:40:09
Speaker 6: word a light. A new and precious light shines forth
2:40:13
Speaker 6: from every page. Truth is there revealed, and words and
2:40:17
Speaker 6: sentences are made bright and appropriate for the occasion. As
2:40:20
Speaker 6: the voice of God speaking to the soul. The Holy
2:40:23
Speaker 6: Spirit loves to address the youth and to discover to
2:40:26
Speaker 6: them the treasures and beauty of God's word. The promises
2:40:30
Speaker 6: spoken by the Great Teacher will captivate the senses and
2:40:33
Speaker 6: animate the soul with the spiritual power that is divine.
2:40:37
Speaker 6: There will grow in the fruitful mind of familiarity with
2:40:40
Speaker 6: divine things that will be as a barricade against temptation.
2:40:44
Speaker 6: The words of truth will grow in importance and assume
2:40:47
Speaker 6: a breadth and fullness of meaning of which we have
2:40:50
Speaker 6: never dreamed. The beauty and riches of the world have
2:40:53
Speaker 6: a transforming influence on mind and character.
2:40:56
Speaker 7: The light of heavenly love will fall upon the heart
2:40:59
Speaker 7: as an inspiration.
2:41:01
Speaker 6: The appreciation of the Bible grows with its study. Whichever
2:41:05
Speaker 6: way the student may turn, he will find displayed the
2:41:08
Speaker 6: infinite wisdom and love of God. The significance of the
2:41:12
Speaker 6: Jewish economy is not yet fully comprehended. Truths vast and
2:41:16
Speaker 6: profound are shadowed forth in its rights and symbols. The
2:41:20
Speaker 6: Gospel is the key that unlocks its mysteries. Through a
2:41:23
Speaker 6: knowledge of the plan of redemption, its truths are open
2:41:26
Speaker 6: to the understanding far more than we do. It is
2:41:30
Speaker 6: our privilege to understand these wonderful themes. We are to
2:41:33
Speaker 6: comprehend the deep things of God. Angels desire to look
2:41:37
Speaker 6: into the truths that are revealed to the people, who
2:41:39
Speaker 6: with contrite hearts are searching the Word of God and
2:41:42
Speaker 6: praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and heights
2:41:46
Speaker 6: of knowledge which He alone can give. As we near
2:41:49
Speaker 6: the close of this world's history, the prophecies relating to
2:41:52
Speaker 6: the last days especially demand our study. The last book
2:41:56
Speaker 6: of the New Testament, Scriptures, is full of truth that
2:41:58
Speaker 6: we need to understand. Satan has blinded the minds of money,
2:42:02
Speaker 6: so that they have been glad of any excuse for
2:42:05
Speaker 6: not making the revelation their study. But Christ, through his
2:42:08
Speaker 6: servant John, has been declared what shall be in the
2:42:11
Speaker 6: last days, and he says, Blessed is he that readeth,
2:42:16
Speaker 6: and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and
2:42:18
Speaker 6: keep those things which are written therein This is life eternal.
2:42:23
Speaker 6: Christ said that they may know thee and only True God,
2:42:27
Speaker 6: and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Why is it
2:42:31
Speaker 6: that we do not realize the value of this knowledge?
2:42:34
Speaker 6: Why are not these glorious truths glowing in our heart,
2:42:37
Speaker 6: trembling upon our lips, and pervading our whole being, and
2:42:41
Speaker 6: giving us His word. God has put us in possession
2:42:44
Speaker 6: of every truth essential for our salvation. Thousands have drawn
2:42:49
Speaker 6: water from these wells of life, yet there is no
2:42:51
Speaker 6: diminishing of the supply. Thousands have set the Lord before them,
2:42:55
Speaker 6: and by beholding have been changed into the same image.
2:42:59
Speaker 6: Their spirit burns within them as they speak of His character,
2:43:02
Speaker 6: telling what Christ is to them and what they are
2:43:05
Speaker 6: to Christ. But these searchers have not exhausted these grand
2:43:08
Speaker 6: and holy themes. Thousands more may engage in the work
2:43:12
Speaker 6: of searching out the mysteries of salvation. As the life
2:43:15
Speaker 6: of Christ and the character of his mission are dwelt upon,
2:43:19
Speaker 6: rays of light will shine forth more distinctly at every
2:43:21
Speaker 6: attempt to discover truth. Each fresh church will reveal something
2:43:26
Speaker 6: more deeply interesting than has yet been unfolded. The subject
2:43:30
Speaker 6: is inexhaustible. The study of the incarnation of Christ is
2:43:34
Speaker 6: atoning sacrifice, and the mediatorial work will employ the mind
2:43:39
Speaker 6: of the diligent student as long as time shall last,
2:43:43
Speaker 6: and looking to Heaven with its odd numbered years, he
2:43:45
Speaker 6: will exclaim, great is the mystery of Godliness, an eternity.
2:43:50
Speaker 6: We shall learn that which had we received the enlightenment
2:43:54
Speaker 6: it was possible to obtain here, would have opened our understanding.
2:43:58
Speaker 6: The themes of redemption will employ the hearts and minds
2:44:01
Speaker 6: and tongues of the redeemed. Through the everlasting ages. They
2:44:05
Speaker 6: will understand the truths which Christ longed to open to
2:44:08
Speaker 6: his disciples, but which they did not have faith to grasp.
2:44:12
Speaker 6: Forever and forever, new views of the perfection and glory
2:44:15
Speaker 6: of Christ will appear. Through the endless ages. Will the
2:44:18
Speaker 6: faithless householder bring forth from his treasure things new and old.
2:44:24
Speaker 6: End of Chapter eleven.
2:44:26
Speaker 9: Chapter twelve, asking to give Christ was continually receiving from
2:44:32
Speaker 9: the Father that he might communicate to us. The word
2:44:35
Speaker 9: which you hear, he said, is not mine, but the
2:44:37
Speaker 9: fathers which sent to me. The son of Man came
2:44:41
Speaker 9: not to be ministered unto, but to minister, not for himself,
2:44:45
Speaker 9: but for others. He lived in thought and prayed. From
2:44:48
Speaker 9: hours spent with God, he came forth morning by morning
2:44:51
Speaker 9: to bring the light of Heaven to men. Daily he
2:44:54
Speaker 9: received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the
2:44:57
Speaker 9: early hours of the new day. The Lord awakened him
2:44:59
Speaker 9: from his slumbers, and his soul and his lips were
2:45:02
Speaker 9: anointed with grace that he might impart to others. His
2:45:05
Speaker 9: words were given him fresh from the heavenly courts, words
2:45:09
Speaker 9: that he might speak in season to the weary and oppressed.
2:45:12
Speaker 9: The Lord God hath given me. He said the tongue
2:45:15
Speaker 9: of the learned, that I should know how to speak
2:45:16
Speaker 9: a word in season to him that is weary. He
2:45:19
Speaker 9: wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear
2:45:23
Speaker 9: as the learned. Christ's disciples were much impressed by his
2:45:27
Speaker 9: prayers and by his habit of communion with God. One day,
2:45:30
Speaker 9: after a short absence from their Lord, they found him
2:45:33
Speaker 9: absorbed in supplication. Seeming unconscious of their presence, he continued
2:45:37
Speaker 9: praying aloud. The hearts of the disciples were deeply moved
2:45:42
Speaker 9: as he ceased praying, They exclaimed, Lord, teach us to pray.
2:45:46
Speaker 9: In answer, Christ repeated the Lord's prayers he had given
2:45:49
Speaker 9: it in the Sermon on the Mount. Then, in a
2:45:51
Speaker 9: parable he illustrated the lesson he desired to teach them.
2:45:55
Speaker 9: Which of you, he said, shall have a friend, and
2:45:57
Speaker 9: shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him, friend,
2:46:00
Speaker 9: lend me three loaves. For a friend of mine in
2:46:02
Speaker 9: his journey has come to me. And I have nothing
2:46:04
Speaker 9: to say before him, And he from within shall answer
2:46:07
Speaker 9: and say, trouble me not. The door is now shut,
2:46:10
Speaker 9: and my children are with me in bed. I cannot
2:46:13
Speaker 9: rise and give thee I say unto you, though he
2:46:15
Speaker 9: will not rise and give him because he is his friend.
2:46:19
Speaker 9: Yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give
2:46:21
Speaker 9: him as many as he needeth. Here Christ represents the
2:46:25
Speaker 9: petitioner as asking that he may give again. He must
2:46:28
Speaker 9: obtain the bread, else he cannot supply the necessities of
2:46:31
Speaker 9: a weary, belated wayfarer. Though his neighbor is unwilling to
2:46:34
Speaker 9: be troubled, he will not desist his pleading. His friend
2:46:38
Speaker 9: must be relieved, and at last his importunity is rewarded.
2:46:41
Speaker 9: His wants are supplied. In like manner. The disciples were
2:46:45
Speaker 9: to seek blessings from God in the feeding of the Multitude,
2:46:48
Speaker 9: and in the Sermon on the Bread from Heaven. Christ
2:46:51
Speaker 9: had opened to them their work as his representatives. They
2:46:54
Speaker 9: were to give the bread of life to the people.
2:46:57
Speaker 9: He who had appointed their work, saw how often their
2:46:59
Speaker 9: faith would be tried. Often they would be thrown into
2:47:02
Speaker 9: unexpected positions and would realize their human insufficiency. Souls that
2:47:07
Speaker 9: were hungering for the bread of life would come to them,
2:47:09
Speaker 9: and they would feel themselves to be destitute and helpless.
2:47:12
Speaker 9: They must receive spiritual food or they would have nothing
2:47:15
Speaker 9: to impart. But they were not to turn one soul
2:47:18
Speaker 9: away unfed. Christ directs them to the source of supply.
2:47:23
Speaker 9: The man whose friend came to him for entertainment, even
2:47:26
Speaker 9: at the unseasonable hour of midnight, did not turn him away.
2:47:29
Speaker 9: He had nothing to say before him, but he went
2:47:31
Speaker 9: to one who had food and pressed his request until
2:47:34
Speaker 9: the neighbors supplied his need. And would not God, who
2:47:37
Speaker 9: had set his servants to feed the hungry, supply their
2:47:39
Speaker 9: need for his own work. But the selfish neighbor in
2:47:42
Speaker 9: the parable does not represent the character of God. The
2:47:46
Speaker 9: lesson is drawn not by comparison, but by contrast. A
2:47:50
Speaker 9: selfish man were grant an urgent request in order to
2:47:52
Speaker 9: rid himself of one who disturbs his rest. But God
2:47:56
Speaker 9: delights to give. He is full of compassion, and he
2:47:58
Speaker 9: longs to grant the requests of those who come unto him.
2:48:01
Speaker 9: In faith. He gives to us that we may minister
2:48:04
Speaker 9: to others and thus become like himself. Christ declares, ask,
2:48:08
Speaker 9: and it shall be given. You seek, and ye shall find, knock,
2:48:12
Speaker 9: and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that
2:48:14
Speaker 9: asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, And to him
2:48:17
Speaker 9: that knocketh it shall be opened. The Savior continues. If
2:48:21
Speaker 9: a son shall ask bread of any of you that
2:48:23
Speaker 9: is a father, will he give him a stone? Or
2:48:26
Speaker 9: if he ask a fish, will he for a fish
2:48:27
Speaker 9: give him a serpent. Or if he shall ask an egg,
2:48:30
Speaker 9: will he offer to him a scorpion. If ye, then,
2:48:34
Speaker 9: being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
2:48:37
Speaker 9: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
2:48:39
Speaker 9: Spirit to them that ask him. In order to strengthen
2:48:42
Speaker 9: our confidence in God, Christ teaches us to address him
2:48:45
Speaker 9: by a new name, a name entwined with the dearest
2:48:48
Speaker 9: associations of the human heart. He gives us the privilege
2:48:52
Speaker 9: of calling the infinite God our father. This name, spoken
2:48:56
Speaker 9: to him and of him, is a sign of our
2:48:57
Speaker 9: love and trust toward him, in a pledge of his
2:48:59
Speaker 9: regard and relationship to us, spoken when asking his favor
2:49:04
Speaker 9: or blessing. It is his music in his ears that
2:49:07
Speaker 9: we might not think it presumption to call him by
2:49:09
Speaker 9: this name. He has repeated it again and again. He
2:49:14
Speaker 9: desires us to become familiar with the appellation. God regards
2:49:18
Speaker 9: us as his children. He has redeemed us out of
2:49:21
Speaker 9: the careless world and has chosen us to become members
2:49:23
Speaker 9: of the royal family, sons and daughters of the heavenly King.
2:49:28
Speaker 9: He invites us to trust in Him, with the trust
2:49:30
Speaker 9: deeper and stronger than that of a child in his
2:49:32
Speaker 9: earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of
2:49:36
Speaker 9: God is larger, broader, deeper than human love can possibly be.
2:49:41
Speaker 9: It is immeasurable. Then, if earthly parents know how to
2:49:44
Speaker 9: give good gifts to their children, how much more shall
2:49:47
Speaker 9: our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those
2:49:49
Speaker 9: who ask him. Christ's lessons in regard to prayer should
2:49:53
Speaker 9: be carefully considered. There is a divine science in prayer,
2:49:56
Speaker 9: and his illustration brings to view principles that all need
2:49:59
Speaker 9: to understand. He shows what is the true spirit of prayer.
2:50:04
Speaker 9: He teaches the necessity of perseverance in presenting our requests
2:50:07
Speaker 9: to God, and assures us of His willingness to hear
2:50:09
Speaker 9: and answer prayer. Our prayers are not to be a
2:50:13
Speaker 9: selfish asking merely for our own benefit. We are to
2:50:17
Speaker 9: ask that we may give. The principle of Christ's life
2:50:20
Speaker 9: must be the principle of our lives. For their sakes,
2:50:24
Speaker 9: he said, speaking of his disciples, I sanctify myself that
2:50:28
Speaker 9: they also might be sanctified. This same devotion, this same
2:50:32
Speaker 9: self sacrifice, this same subjection to the claims of the
2:50:35
Speaker 9: Word of God that were manifest in Christ, must be
2:50:38
Speaker 9: seen in his servants. Our mission to the world is
2:50:41
Speaker 9: not to serve or please ourselves. We are to glorify
2:50:45
Speaker 9: God by cooperating with him to save sinners. We are
2:50:48
Speaker 9: to ask blessings from God that we may communicate to others.
2:50:52
Speaker 9: The capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting. We
2:50:55
Speaker 9: cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those
2:50:59
Speaker 9: around us. In the parable, the petitioner was again and
2:51:02
Speaker 9: again repulsed, but he did not relinquish his purpose. So
2:51:06
Speaker 9: our prayers do not always seem to receive an immediate answer.
2:51:10
Speaker 9: But Christ teaches that we should not cease to pray.
2:51:13
Speaker 9: Prayer is not to work any change in God. It
2:51:15
Speaker 9: is to bring us into harmony with God. When we
2:51:18
Speaker 9: make request of him, he may see that it is
2:51:21
Speaker 9: necessary for us to search our hearts and repent of sin.
2:51:24
Speaker 9: Therefore he takes us through tests and trial. He brings
2:51:28
Speaker 9: us through humiliation that we may see what hinders the
2:51:30
Speaker 9: working of His Holy Spirit through us. There are conditions
2:51:34
Speaker 9: to the fulfillment of God's promises, and prayer can never
2:51:37
Speaker 9: take the place of duty. If ye love me, Christ says,
2:51:40
Speaker 9: keep my commendments. He that hath my commendments and keepeth them.
2:51:44
Speaker 9: He it is that loveth me, and he that loveth
2:51:47
Speaker 9: me shall be loved of my Father, and I will
2:51:48
Speaker 9: love him and will manifest myself to him. Those who
2:51:53
Speaker 9: bring their petitions to God claiming his promise, while they
2:51:56
Speaker 9: do not comply with the conditions, insult Jehovah. They bring
2:52:00
Speaker 9: the name of Christ is their authority for the fulfillment
2:52:02
Speaker 9: of the promise. But they do not those things that
2:52:05
Speaker 9: would show faith in Christ and love for him. Many
2:52:08
Speaker 9: are forfeiting the condition of acceptance with the Father. We
2:52:12
Speaker 9: need to examine closely the deed of trust wherewith we
2:52:14
Speaker 9: approach God. If we are disobedient, we bring to the
2:52:18
Speaker 9: Lord a note to be cashed when we have not
2:52:19
Speaker 9: fulfilled the conditions that would make it payable to us.
2:52:23
Speaker 9: We present to God his promises and ask him to
2:52:25
Speaker 9: fulfill them, when by doing so he would dishonor his
2:52:27
Speaker 9: own name. The promise is, if ye abide in Me
2:52:31
Speaker 9: and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what
2:52:33
Speaker 9: ye will, and it should be done unto you. And
2:52:35
Speaker 9: John declares hereby we do know that we know him
2:52:38
Speaker 9: if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know
2:52:41
Speaker 9: him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, And
2:52:44
Speaker 9: the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his
2:52:46
Speaker 9: word in him verily is the love of God perfected.
2:52:50
Speaker 9: One of Christ's last commands to his disciples was love
2:52:53
Speaker 9: one another as I have loved you. Do we obey
2:52:56
Speaker 9: this command? Or are we indulging in un christ like
2:52:59
Speaker 9: traits of character. If we have in any way grieved
2:53:02
Speaker 9: or wounded others, it is our duty to confess our
2:53:04
Speaker 9: fault and seek for reconciliation. This is an essential preparation
2:53:09
Speaker 9: that we may come before God in faith to ask
2:53:11
Speaker 9: his blessing. There is another matter, too often neglected by
2:53:14
Speaker 9: those who seek the Lord in prayer? Have you been
2:53:17
Speaker 9: honest with God? By the prophet Malachi, the Lord declares,
2:53:21
Speaker 9: even from the days of your father's you are gone
2:53:23
Speaker 9: away from mine ordinances and have not kept them. Return
2:53:27
Speaker 9: unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the
2:53:29
Speaker 9: Lord of Hosts. But ye say, wherein shall we return?
2:53:34
Speaker 9: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me?
2:53:38
Speaker 9: But ye say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes
2:53:41
Speaker 9: and offerings? As the giver of every blessing, God claims
2:53:45
Speaker 9: a certain portion of all we possess. This is his
2:53:48
Speaker 9: provision to sustain the preaching of the Gospel. And by
2:53:51
Speaker 9: making this return to God, we are to show our
2:53:53
Speaker 9: appreciation of his gifts. But if we withhold from Him
2:53:57
Speaker 9: that which is his own, how can we claim his blessing?
2:54:01
Speaker 9: If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things? How can
2:54:03
Speaker 9: we expect him to entrust us with the things of heaven.
2:54:07
Speaker 9: It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer.
2:54:11
Speaker 9: But the Lord, in his great mercy, is ready to forgive.
2:54:14
Speaker 9: And he says, bring ye all the ties into the storehouse,
2:54:17
Speaker 9: that there may be meat in mine house. And prove
2:54:19
Speaker 9: me now herewith if I will not open you the
2:54:23
Speaker 9: windows of heaven and pour you out of blessing, that
2:54:25
Speaker 9: there shall not be room enough to receive it. And
2:54:28
Speaker 9: I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes. And he
2:54:30
Speaker 9: shall not destroy the fruits of your ground. Neither shall
2:54:33
Speaker 9: your vine cast your fruit before the time in the field.
2:54:36
Speaker 9: And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall
2:54:39
Speaker 9: be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts. So
2:54:43
Speaker 9: it is with every other one of God's requirements. All
2:54:46
Speaker 9: his gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has
2:54:50
Speaker 9: a heaven full of blessings for those who will cooperate
2:54:52
Speaker 9: with him. All who obey him may with confidence claim
2:54:56
Speaker 9: the fulfillment of his promises. But we must show a
2:54:59
Speaker 9: firm and deviationaing trust in God. Often he delays to
2:55:02
Speaker 9: answer us in order to try our faith or test
2:55:05
Speaker 9: the genuineness of our desire. Having asked according to his word,
2:55:09
Speaker 9: we should believe his promise and press our petitions with
2:55:11
Speaker 9: a determination that will not be denied. God does not say,
2:55:16
Speaker 9: ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask
2:55:20
Speaker 9: unwearyingly persist in prayer. Persistent asking brings the petitioner into
2:55:25
Speaker 9: a more earnest attitude and gives him an increased desire
2:55:28
Speaker 9: to receive the things for which he asks. Christ said
2:55:31
Speaker 9: to Martha the Grave of Lazarus, if thou wouldst believe,
2:55:34
Speaker 9: thou should see the glory of God. But many have
2:55:38
Speaker 9: not a living faith. This is why they do not
2:55:41
Speaker 9: see more of the power of God. Their weakness is
2:55:44
Speaker 9: the result of their unbelief. They have more faith in
2:55:47
Speaker 9: their own working than in the working of God. For
2:55:49
Speaker 9: them they take themselves into their own keeping. They plan
2:55:54
Speaker 9: and devise, but pray little, and have little real trust
2:55:56
Speaker 9: in God. They think they have faith, but it is
2:55:59
Speaker 9: only the impulse of the moment. Failing to realize their
2:56:03
Speaker 9: own need or God's willingness to give, they do not
2:56:06
Speaker 9: persevere in keeping their requests before the Lord. Our prayers
2:56:10
Speaker 9: are to be as earnest and persistent as was the
2:56:12
Speaker 9: petition of the needy friend who ask for the loaves
2:56:15
Speaker 9: at midnight. The more earnestly and steadfastly we ask, the
2:56:19
Speaker 9: closer will be our spiritual union with Christ. We shall
2:56:23
Speaker 9: receive increased blessings because we have increased faith. Our part
2:56:27
Speaker 9: is to pray and believe, watch unto prayer, watch and
2:56:31
Speaker 9: cooperate with the prayer hearing God. Bear in mind that
2:56:34
Speaker 9: we are laborers together with God. Speak and act in
2:56:37
Speaker 9: harmony with your prayers. It will make an infinite difference
2:56:41
Speaker 9: with you whether trials to prove your faith to be
2:56:43
Speaker 9: genuine or show that your prayers are only a form.
2:56:47
Speaker 9: When perplexities arise and difficulties confront you'd look not for
2:56:50
Speaker 9: help to humanity, trust all with God. The practice of
2:56:54
Speaker 9: telling our difficulties to others only makes us weak and
2:56:57
Speaker 9: brings no strength to them. It lays upon them the
2:57:00
Speaker 9: burden of our spiritual infirmities, which they cannot relieve. We
2:57:04
Speaker 9: seek the strength of erring, finite Man, when we might
2:57:06
Speaker 9: have the strength of the unerring, infinite God. You need
2:57:11
Speaker 9: not to go to the ends of the earth for wisdom,
2:57:13
Speaker 9: for God is near. It is not the capabilities you
2:57:16
Speaker 9: now possess or ever will have that will give you success.
2:57:20
Speaker 9: It is that which the Lord can do for you.
2:57:23
Speaker 9: We need to have far less confidence in what man
2:57:25
Speaker 9: can do, and far more confidence in what God can do.
2:57:28
Speaker 9: For every believing soul, He longs to have you reach
2:57:31
Speaker 9: after him by faith. He longs to give you understanding
2:57:34
Speaker 9: in temporal as well as in spiritual matters. He can
2:57:37
Speaker 9: sharpen the intellect. He can give tact and skill. Put
2:57:42
Speaker 9: your talents into the work. Ask God for wisdom and
2:57:44
Speaker 9: it will be given you. Take the word of Christ
2:57:47
Speaker 9: as your assurance. Has He not invited you to come
2:57:50
Speaker 9: to him? Never allow yourself to talk in a hopeless,
2:57:53
Speaker 9: discouraged way. If you do, you will lose much By
2:57:57
Speaker 9: looking at appearances and complaining when difficulties pressure come. You
2:58:01
Speaker 9: give evidence of a sickly enfeebled faith. Talk and act
2:58:05
Speaker 9: as if your faith was invincible. The Lord is rich
2:58:08
Speaker 9: in resources, He owns the world. Look heavenward in faith,
2:58:12
Speaker 9: Look to him who has light and power and efficiency.
2:58:16
Speaker 9: There is in genuine faith a buoyancy, a steadfastness of principle,
2:58:20
Speaker 9: and affixedness of purpose that neither time nor toil can weaken.
2:58:25
Speaker 9: Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the
2:58:27
Speaker 9: young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon
2:58:31
Speaker 9: the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall man up
2:58:33
Speaker 9: with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary,
2:58:37
Speaker 9: and they shall walk and not faint. There are many
2:58:40
Speaker 9: who long to help others, but they feel that they
2:58:42
Speaker 9: have no spiritual strength or light to impart. Let them
2:58:46
Speaker 9: present their petitions at the Throne of Grace. Plead for
2:58:49
Speaker 9: the Holy Spirit. God stands back of every promise He
2:58:52
Speaker 9: has made. With your bible in your hands, say, I
2:58:55
Speaker 9: have done as thou hast said. I present thy promise,
2:58:59
Speaker 9: Ask and it shall be given. You Seek and ye
2:59:01
Speaker 9: shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
2:59:05
Speaker 9: We must not only pray in Christ's name, but by
2:59:07
Speaker 9: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is
2:59:11
Speaker 9: meant when it is said that the Spirit maketh intercession
2:59:13
Speaker 9: for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Such prayer
2:59:17
Speaker 9: God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we
2:59:21
Speaker 9: breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is
2:59:23
Speaker 9: in that very intensity a pledge from God that He
2:59:26
Speaker 9: is about to answer our prayer exceedingly abundantly. Above all,
2:59:29
Speaker 9: that we ask or think. Christ has said, what thingsoever
2:59:32
Speaker 9: ye desire, When ye pray, believe that ye receive them,
2:59:36
Speaker 9: and ye shall have them. Whatsoever ye shall ask in
2:59:39
Speaker 9: my name, that I will do that the Father may
2:59:41
Speaker 9: be glorified in the sun. And the beloved John, under
2:59:44
Speaker 9: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks with great plainness
2:59:47
Speaker 9: and assurance. If we ask anything according to his will,
2:59:51
Speaker 9: he heareth us. And if we know that he hear
2:59:53
Speaker 9: us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
2:59:57
Speaker 9: petitions that we desired of him. When pressure petition to
3:00:01
Speaker 9: the Father in the name of Jesus, God will honour
3:00:04
Speaker 9: that name. The rainbow round about the throne is an
3:00:07
Speaker 9: assurance that God is true, that in him is no variableness,
3:00:11
Speaker 9: neither shadow of turning. We have sinned against Him and
3:00:15
Speaker 9: are undeserving of his favor. Yet He himself has put
3:00:18
Speaker 9: into our lips that most wonderful of Please, do not
3:00:21
Speaker 9: abhor us for thy name's sake, Do not disgrace the
3:00:24
Speaker 9: throne of thy glory. Remember, break not thy covenant with us.
3:00:29
Speaker 9: When we come to him confessing our unworthiness and sin.
3:00:32
Speaker 9: He has pledged himself to give heed to our cry.
3:00:35
Speaker 9: The honor of his throne is staked for the fulfillment
3:00:38
Speaker 9: of his word. Unto us, like Aaron who symbolize Christ,
3:00:43
Speaker 9: our Savior bears the names of all his people on
3:00:45
Speaker 9: his heart. In the holy Place, our great High Priest
3:00:48
Speaker 9: remembers all the words by which he has encouraged us
3:00:51
Speaker 9: to trust. He is ever mindful of his covenant. All
3:00:56
Speaker 9: who seek of him shall find. All who knocked will
3:00:58
Speaker 9: have the door open to them. The excuse will not
3:01:01
Speaker 9: be made trouble me not. The door is closed. I
3:01:04
Speaker 9: do not wish to open it. Never will one be
3:01:07
Speaker 9: told I cannot help you. Those who beg at midnight
3:01:10
Speaker 9: for loaves to feed the hungry souls will be successful.
3:01:14
Speaker 9: In the parable, he who asks bread for the stranger
3:01:16
Speaker 9: receives as many as he needeth. And in what measure
3:01:20
Speaker 9: will God impart to us that we may impart to
3:01:22
Speaker 9: others according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
3:01:26
Speaker 9: Angels are watching with intense interest to see how man
3:01:29
Speaker 9: is dealing with his fellow men. When they see one
3:01:32
Speaker 9: manifest christ like sympathy for the erring, they press to
3:01:35
Speaker 9: his side and bring to his remembrance words to speak
3:01:37
Speaker 9: that will be as the bread of life to the soul.
3:01:41
Speaker 9: So God shall supply all your need according to His
3:01:43
Speaker 9: riches in glory. By Christ Jesus, your testimony and its
3:01:47
Speaker 9: genuineness and reality, He will make powerful in the power
3:01:50
Speaker 9: of the life to come. The word of the Lord
3:01:52
Speaker 9: will be your mouth as truth and righteousness. Personal effort
3:01:56
Speaker 9: for others should be preceded by much secret prayer requires
3:02:00
Speaker 9: great wisdom to understand the science of saving souls. Before
3:02:04
Speaker 9: communicating with men, commune with Christ at the throne of
3:02:07
Speaker 9: heavenly grace. Obtain a preparation for ministering to the people.
3:02:11
Speaker 9: Let your heart break for the longing it has for God.
3:02:14
Speaker 9: For the living God, the life of Christ has shown
3:02:17
Speaker 9: what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature.
3:02:21
Speaker 9: All that Christ received from God. We two may have,
3:02:24
Speaker 9: then ask and receive for the persevering faith of Jacob
3:02:28
Speaker 9: with the unyielding persistence of Elijah. Claim for yourself all
3:02:31
Speaker 9: that God has promised. Let the glorious conceptions of God
3:02:35
Speaker 9: possess your mind. Let your life be knit by hidden
3:02:38
Speaker 9: links to the life of Jesus. He who commanded the
3:02:42
Speaker 9: light to shine out of darkness, is willing to shine
3:02:44
Speaker 9: in your heart. To give the light of the knowledge
3:02:47
Speaker 9: of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
3:02:50
Speaker 9: The Holy Spirit will take the things of God and
3:02:52
Speaker 9: show them unto you, conveying them as a living power
3:02:54
Speaker 9: into the obedient heart. Christ will lead you to the
3:02:58
Speaker 9: threshold of the infinite. You may behold the glory beyond
3:03:01
Speaker 9: the veil, and reveal to men the sufficiency of Him
3:03:04
Speaker 9: whoever liveth to make intercession for us. End of Chapter twelve.
3:03:09
Speaker 5: Chapter thirteen, two worshipers unto certain which trusted in themselves
3:03:15
Speaker 5: that they were righteous, and despised others. Christ spoke the
3:03:18
Speaker 5: parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee goes
3:03:22
Speaker 5: up to the temple to worship, not because he feels
3:03:25
Speaker 5: that he is a sinner in need of pardon, but
3:03:27
Speaker 5: because he thinks himself righteous and hopes to win commendation.
3:03:31
Speaker 5: His worship he regards as an act of merit that
3:03:34
Speaker 5: will recommend him to God. At the same time it
3:03:37
Speaker 5: will give the people a high opinion of his piety.
3:03:41
Speaker 5: He hopes to secure favor with both God and men.
3:03:44
Speaker 5: His worship is prompted by self interest, and he is
3:03:47
Speaker 5: full of self praise. He looks at he walks it.
3:03:51
Speaker 5: He prays it, drawing apart from others, as if to say,
3:03:54
Speaker 5: come not near to me, for I am holier than thou.
3:03:58
Speaker 5: He stands and praise with him. Wholly self satisfied, he
3:04:02
Speaker 5: thinks that God and men regard him with the same complacency. God,
3:04:07
Speaker 5: I thank THEE. He says that I am not as
3:04:09
Speaker 5: other men are extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as this publican.
3:04:15
Speaker 5: He judges his character not by the holy character of God,
3:04:19
Speaker 5: but by the character of other men. His mind is
3:04:22
Speaker 5: turned away from God to humanity. This is the secret
3:04:25
Speaker 5: of his self satisfaction. He proceeds to recount his good deeds.
3:04:31
Speaker 5: I fast twice in the week. I give tides of
3:04:33
Speaker 5: all that I possess. The religion of the Pharisee does
3:04:37
Speaker 5: not touch the soul. He is not seeking god likeness
3:04:40
Speaker 5: of character, a heart filled with love and mercy. He
3:04:44
Speaker 5: is satisfied with a religion that has to do only
3:04:46
Speaker 5: with the outward life. His righteousness is his own, the
3:04:51
Speaker 5: fruit of his own works, and judged by a human standard.
3:04:55
Speaker 5: Whoever trusts in himself that he is righteous will despise others.
3:05:00
Speaker 5: As the pharise he judges himself by other men. So
3:05:03
Speaker 5: he judges other men by himself. His righteousness is estimated
3:05:07
Speaker 5: by theirs, and the worse they are the more righteous.
3:05:10
Speaker 5: By contrast, he appears his self righteousness leads to accusing
3:05:15
Speaker 5: other men he condemns as transgressors of God's law. Thus
3:05:20
Speaker 5: he is making manifest the very spirit of Satan, the
3:05:23
Speaker 5: accuser of the brethren. With this spirit, it is impossible
3:05:27
Speaker 5: for him to enter into communion with God. He goes
3:05:30
Speaker 5: down to his house, destitute of the divine blessing. The
3:05:34
Speaker 5: Publican had gone to the temple with other worshipers, but
3:05:37
Speaker 5: he soon drew apart from them, as unworthy to unite
3:05:40
Speaker 5: in their devotions. Standing afar off, he would not lift
3:05:44
Speaker 5: up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
3:05:47
Speaker 5: upon his breast in bitter anguish and self abhorrence. He
3:05:51
Speaker 5: felt that he had transgressed against God, that he was
3:05:54
Speaker 5: sinful and polluted. He could not expect even pity from
3:05:58
Speaker 5: those around him, for they looked upon him with contempt.
3:06:02
Speaker 5: He knew that he had no merit to commend him
3:06:04
Speaker 5: to God, and in utter self despair, he cried God
3:06:07
Speaker 5: be merciful to me, a sinner. He did not compare
3:06:11
Speaker 5: himself with others. Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, he
3:06:15
Speaker 5: stood as if alone in God's presence. His only desire
3:06:19
Speaker 5: was for pardon and peace. His only plea was the
3:06:22
Speaker 5: mercy of God, and he was blessed. I tell you,
3:06:25
Speaker 5: Christ said, this man went down to his house justified
3:06:29
Speaker 5: rather than the other. The Pharisee and the publican represent
3:06:33
Speaker 5: two great classes into which those who come to worship
3:06:36
Speaker 5: God are divided. Their first two representatives are found, and
3:06:40
Speaker 5: the first two children that were born into the world.
3:06:43
Speaker 5: Cain thought himself righteous, and he came to God with
3:06:46
Speaker 5: a thank offering. Only he made no confession of sin
3:06:50
Speaker 5: and acknowledged no need of mercy. But Abel came with
3:06:54
Speaker 5: the blood that pointed to the lamb of God. He
3:06:57
Speaker 5: came as a sinner, confessing himself lost. His only hope
3:07:00
Speaker 5: was the unmerited love of God. The Lord had respect
3:07:04
Speaker 5: to his offering, but to Cain, in his offering he
3:07:07
Speaker 5: had not respect. The sense of need. The recognition of
3:07:10
Speaker 5: our poverty and sin is the very first condition of
3:07:14
Speaker 5: acceptance with God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
3:07:17
Speaker 5: theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. For each of the
3:07:20
Speaker 5: classes represented by the Pharisee and the Publican. There is
3:07:23
Speaker 5: a lesson in the history of the apostle Peter. In
3:07:28
Speaker 5: his early discipleship, Peter thought himself strong like the Pharisee.
3:07:32
Speaker 5: In his own estimation, he was not as other men are.
3:07:36
Speaker 5: When Christ, on the eve of his betrayal, forewarned his disciples,
3:07:39
Speaker 5: all ye shall be offended because of me this night,
3:07:43
Speaker 5: Peter confidently declared, although all shall be offended, yet will
3:07:47
Speaker 5: not I. Peter did not know his own danger. Self
3:07:51
Speaker 5: confidence misled him. He thought himself able to withstand temptation.
3:07:56
Speaker 5: But in a few short hours the test came, and
3:07:59
Speaker 5: with cursing and sweat wearing, he denied his Lord. When
3:08:03
Speaker 5: the crowing of the cock reminded him of the words
3:08:05
Speaker 5: of Christ. Surprised and shocked at what he had just done,
3:08:09
Speaker 5: he turned and looked at his master. At that moment,
3:08:12
Speaker 5: Christ looked at Peter, and beneath that grieved look in
3:08:15
Speaker 5: which compassion and love for him were blended, Peter understood himself.
3:08:20
Speaker 5: He went out and wept bitterly. That look of Christ's
3:08:24
Speaker 5: broke his heart. Peter had come to the turning point,
3:08:27
Speaker 5: and bitterly did he repent his sin. He was like
3:08:30
Speaker 5: the publican in his contrition and repentance, and like the
3:08:34
Speaker 5: publican he found mercy. The look of Christ assured him
3:08:37
Speaker 5: of pardon. Now his self confidence was gone. Never again
3:08:42
Speaker 5: were the old boastful assertions repeated. Christ after his resurrection
3:08:47
Speaker 5: thrice tested Peter Simon, son of Jonas he said, lovest
3:08:52
Speaker 5: thou me more than these? Peter did not now exalt
3:08:55
Speaker 5: himself above his brethren. He appealed to the one who
3:08:58
Speaker 5: could read his heart. Lord. He said, thou knowest all things.
3:09:02
Speaker 5: Thou knowest that I love thee. Then he received his commission.
3:09:07
Speaker 5: A work broader and more delicate than had heretofore been
3:09:10
Speaker 5: his was appointed him. Christ bade him feed the sheep
3:09:13
Speaker 5: and the lambs, in thus committing to his stewardship the
3:09:17
Speaker 5: souls for whom the Savior had laid down his own life.
3:09:20
Speaker 5: Christ gave to Peter the strongest proof of confidence in
3:09:23
Speaker 5: his restoration. The once restless, boastful, self confident disciple had
3:09:28
Speaker 5: become subdued in contrite. Henceforth he followed his Lord in
3:09:33
Speaker 5: self denial and self sacrifice. He was a partaker of
3:09:37
Speaker 5: Christ's sufferings. And when Christ shall sit upon the throne
3:09:40
Speaker 5: of his glory. Peter will be a partaker in his glory.
3:09:44
Speaker 5: The evil that led to Peter's fall, and that shut
3:09:46
Speaker 5: out the Pharisee from communion with God, is proving the
3:09:50
Speaker 5: ruin of thousands to day. There is nothing so offensive
3:09:53
Speaker 5: to God or so dangerous to the human soul as
3:09:56
Speaker 5: pride and self sufficiency of all sins, which is the
3:10:00
Speaker 5: most hopeless, the most incurable. Peter's fall was not instantaneous,
3:10:05
Speaker 5: but gradual. Self confidence led him to the belief that
3:10:09
Speaker 5: he was saved, and step after step was taken in
3:10:12
Speaker 5: the downward path until he could deny his master. Never
3:10:17
Speaker 5: can we safely put confidence him self or feel this
3:10:20
Speaker 5: side of heaven that we are secure against temptation. Those
3:10:24
Speaker 5: who accept the Savior, however, sincere their conversion, should never
3:10:28
Speaker 5: be taught to say or to feel that they are saved.
3:10:31
Speaker 5: This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish
3:10:34
Speaker 5: hope and faith. But even when we give ourselves to
3:10:37
Speaker 5: Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not
3:10:40
Speaker 5: beyond the reach of temptation. God's word declares many shall
3:10:45
Speaker 5: be purified and made white and tried. Only he who
3:10:49
Speaker 5: endures the trial will receive the crown of life. Those
3:10:53
Speaker 5: who accept Christ and in their first confidence say I
3:10:56
Speaker 5: am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. They
3:11:00
Speaker 5: lose sight of their own weakness and their constant need
3:11:02
Speaker 5: of divine strength. They are unprepared for Satan's devices, and
3:11:07
Speaker 5: under temptation. Many, like Peter, fall into the very depths
3:11:10
Speaker 5: of sin. We are admonished. Let him that thinketh, he standeth,
3:11:15
Speaker 5: take heed lest he fall. Our only safety is in
3:11:19
Speaker 5: constant distrust of self and dependence on Christ. It was
3:11:24
Speaker 5: necessary for Peter to learn his own defects of character
3:11:27
Speaker 5: and his need of the power and grace of Christ.
3:11:30
Speaker 5: The Lord could not save him from trial, but he
3:11:33
Speaker 5: could have saved him from defeat. Had Peter been willing
3:11:36
Speaker 5: to receive Christ's warning, he would have been watching unto prayer.
3:11:40
Speaker 5: He would have walked with fear and trembling lest his
3:11:42
Speaker 5: feet should stumble, and he would have received divine help
3:11:46
Speaker 5: so that Satan could not have gained the victory. It
3:11:50
Speaker 5: was through self sufficiency that Peter fell, and it was
3:11:53
Speaker 5: through repentance and humiliation that his feet were again established.
3:11:57
Speaker 5: In the record of his experience, every repair tempting sinner
3:12:00
Speaker 5: may find encouragement. Though Peter had grievously sinned, he was
3:12:04
Speaker 5: not forsaken. The words of Christ were written upon his soul.
3:12:09
Speaker 5: I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not
3:12:12
Speaker 5: in his bitter agony of remorse. This prayer and the
3:12:15
Speaker 5: memory of Christ's look of love and pity, gave him hope. Christ,
3:12:19
Speaker 5: after his resurrection, remembered Peter and gave the Angel the
3:12:23
Speaker 5: message for the women, go your way. Tell his disciples
3:12:26
Speaker 5: and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee, there
3:12:29
Speaker 5: shall ye see him. Peter's repentance was accepted by the
3:12:34
Speaker 5: sin pardoning Savior, and the same compassion that reached out
3:12:39
Speaker 5: to rescue Peter is extended to every soul who has
3:12:41
Speaker 5: fallen under temptation. It is Satan's special device to lead
3:12:45
Speaker 5: man into sin and then leave him helpless and trembling,
3:12:49
Speaker 5: fearing to seek for pardon. But why should we fear
3:12:52
Speaker 5: when God has said, let him take hold of my strength,
3:12:55
Speaker 5: that he may make peace with me. And he shall
3:12:57
Speaker 5: make peace with me. Every provision has been made for
3:13:01
Speaker 5: our infirmities, every encouragement offered us to come to Christ.
3:13:06
Speaker 5: Christ offered up his broken body to purchase back God's
3:13:09
Speaker 5: heritage to give man another trial. Wherefore he is able
3:13:13
Speaker 5: also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
3:13:15
Speaker 5: God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
3:13:19
Speaker 5: for them. By his spotless life, his obedience, his death
3:13:23
Speaker 5: on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race.
3:13:28
Speaker 5: And now not as a mere petitioner does the captain
3:13:31
Speaker 5: of our salvation intercede for us, but as a conqueror,
3:13:34
Speaker 5: claiming his victory. His offering is complete, and as our
3:13:39
Speaker 5: intercessor he executes his self appointed work, holding before God
3:13:43
Speaker 5: the censer containing his own spotless merits, and the prayer's
3:13:47
Speaker 5: confessions and thanksgiving of his people, perfumed with the fragrance
3:13:51
Speaker 5: of his righteousness. These ascend to God as a sweet savor.
3:13:55
Speaker 5: The offering, as wholly acceptable and pardon, covers all transgression.
3:14:00
Speaker 5: Christ has pledged himself to be our substitute and surety,
3:14:04
Speaker 5: and he neglects no one. He who could not see
3:14:07
Speaker 5: human beings exposed to eternal ruin without pouring out his
3:14:10
Speaker 5: soul into death in their behalf, will look with pity
3:14:13
Speaker 5: and compassion upon every soul who realizes that he cannot
3:14:16
Speaker 5: save himself. He will look upon no trembling suppliant without
3:14:21
Speaker 5: raising him up. He who, through his own atonement provided
3:14:25
Speaker 5: for man an infinite fund of moral power, will not
3:14:28
Speaker 5: fail to employ this power in our behalf. We may
3:14:32
Speaker 5: take our sins and sorrows to his feet, for he
3:14:34
Speaker 5: loves us. His every look and word invites our confidence.
3:14:38
Speaker 5: He will shape and mold our characters according to his
3:14:41
Speaker 5: own will. In the whole Satanic force, there is not
3:14:45
Speaker 5: power to overcome one soul who in simple trust casts
3:14:48
Speaker 5: himself on Christ. He giveth power to the faint, and
3:14:52
Speaker 5: to them that have no might. He increaseth strength if
3:14:56
Speaker 5: we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to
3:14:59
Speaker 5: forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3:15:03
Speaker 5: The Lord says, only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast
3:15:06
Speaker 5: transgressed against the Lord thy God. Then will I sprinkle
3:15:11
Speaker 5: clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from
3:15:14
Speaker 5: all your filthiness and from all your idols. Will I
3:15:16
Speaker 5: cleanse you. But we must have a knowledge of ourselves,
3:15:20
Speaker 5: a knowledge that will result in contrition, before we can
3:15:22
Speaker 5: find pardon and peace. The Pharisee felt no conviction of sin.
3:15:28
Speaker 5: The Holy Spirit could not work with him. His soul
3:15:31
Speaker 5: was encased in a self righteous armor, which the arrows
3:15:34
Speaker 5: of God, barbed and true aimed by angel hands, failed
3:15:38
Speaker 5: to penetrate. It is only he who knows himself to
3:15:41
Speaker 5: be a sinner that Christ can save. He came to
3:15:45
Speaker 5: heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
3:15:48
Speaker 5: and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
3:15:51
Speaker 5: liberty them that are bruised. But they that our whole
3:15:54
Speaker 5: need not a physician. We must know our real condition,
3:15:58
Speaker 5: or we shall not feel our need of Christ's help.
3:16:02
Speaker 5: We must understand our danger, or we shall not flee
3:16:05
Speaker 5: to the refuge. We must feel the pain of our wounds,
3:16:08
Speaker 5: or we shall not desire healing. The Lord says, because
3:16:12
Speaker 5: thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and
3:16:15
Speaker 5: have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art
3:16:18
Speaker 5: wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked, I
3:16:22
Speaker 5: counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
3:16:24
Speaker 5: that thou mayest be rich and white, raiment that thou
3:16:27
Speaker 5: mayst be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness
3:16:30
Speaker 5: do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesave that
3:16:33
Speaker 5: thou mayst see the gold tried in the fire is
3:16:37
Speaker 5: faith that works by love. Only this can bring us
3:16:40
Speaker 5: into harmony with God. We may be active, we may
3:16:44
Speaker 5: do much work, but without love, such love as dwelt
3:16:47
Speaker 5: in the heart of Christ, we can never be numbered
3:16:49
Speaker 5: with the family of Heaven. No man can of himself
3:16:54
Speaker 5: understand his errors. The heart is deceitful above all things,
3:16:57
Speaker 5: and desperately wicked. Who can know it. The lips may
3:17:01
Speaker 5: express a poverty of soul that the heart does not acknowledge.
3:17:05
Speaker 5: While speaking to God of poverty of spirit, the heart
3:17:08
Speaker 5: may be swelling with the conceit of its own superior
3:17:11
Speaker 5: humility and exalted righteousness. In one way only can a
3:17:15
Speaker 5: true knowledge of self be obtained. We must behold Christ.
3:17:20
Speaker 5: It is ignorance of Him that makes men so uplifted
3:17:23
Speaker 5: in their own righteousness. When we contemplate His purity and excellence,
3:17:28
Speaker 5: we shall see our own weakness and poverty and defects
3:17:31
Speaker 5: as they really are. We shall see ourselves lost and hopeless,
3:17:36
Speaker 5: clad in garments of self righteousness like every other sinner.
3:17:40
Speaker 5: We shall see that if we are ever saved, it
3:17:42
Speaker 5: will not be through our own goodness, but through God's
3:17:45
Speaker 5: infinite grace. The prayer of the Publican was heard because
3:17:50
Speaker 5: it showed dependence, reaching forth to lay hold upon omnipotence.
3:17:54
Speaker 3: Self.
3:17:54
Speaker 5: To the Publican appeared nothing but shame. Thus it must
3:17:58
Speaker 5: be seen by all who seek God by faith, faith
3:18:02
Speaker 5: that renounces all self. Trust the needy suppliant is to
3:18:05
Speaker 5: lay hold upon infinite power. No outward observances can take
3:18:10
Speaker 5: the place of simple faith and entire renunciation of self.
3:18:14
Speaker 5: But no man can empty himself of self. We can
3:18:17
Speaker 5: only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the
3:18:21
Speaker 5: language of the soul will be Lord. Take my heart,
3:18:24
Speaker 5: for I cannot give it. It is thy property. Keep
3:18:28
Speaker 5: it pure, for I cannot keep it. For THEE save
3:18:31
Speaker 5: me in spite of myself, my weak, un christ like self.
3:18:35
Speaker 5: Mold me, fashion me, Raise me into a pure and
3:18:38
Speaker 5: holy atmosphere where the rich current of Thy love can
3:18:41
Speaker 5: flow through my soul. It is not only at the
3:18:45
Speaker 5: beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self
3:18:48
Speaker 5: is to be made. At every advanced step heavenward, it
3:18:51
Speaker 5: is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent
3:18:54
Speaker 5: on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore, there needs to
3:18:58
Speaker 5: be a continual reaching out of the heart after God,
3:19:01
Speaker 5: a continual, earnest, heart breaking confession of sin and humbling
3:19:05
Speaker 5: of the soul before him. Only by constant renunciation of
3:19:09
Speaker 5: self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely. The
3:19:14
Speaker 5: nearer we come to Jesus, the more clearly we discern
3:19:16
Speaker 5: the purity of his character, the more clearly we shall
3:19:19
Speaker 5: discern the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less we
3:19:23
Speaker 5: shall feel like exalting ourselves. Those whom Heaven recognizes as
3:19:27
Speaker 5: holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness.
3:19:31
Speaker 5: The apostle Peter became a faithful minister of Christ, and
3:19:34
Speaker 5: he was greatly honored with divine light and power. He
3:19:37
Speaker 5: had an active part in the upholding of Christ's Church.
3:19:41
Speaker 5: But Peter never forgot the fearful experience of his humiliation.
3:19:45
Speaker 5: His sin was forgiven, yet well he knew that for
3:19:48
Speaker 5: the weakness of character which had caused his fall, only
3:19:51
Speaker 5: the grace of Christ could avail. He found in himself
3:19:54
Speaker 5: nothing in which to glory. None of the apostles or
3:19:58
Speaker 5: prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have
3:20:02
Speaker 5: lived nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself
3:20:05
Speaker 5: rather than knowingly commit a wrong, act men whom God
3:20:09
Speaker 5: had honored with divine light and power, have confessed the
3:20:12
Speaker 5: sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no confidence
3:20:15
Speaker 5: in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own,
3:20:19
Speaker 5: but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So
3:20:23
Speaker 5: will it be with all who behold Christ. At every
3:20:26
Speaker 5: advanced step in Christian experience, our repentance will deepen. It
3:20:30
Speaker 5: is to those whom the Lord has forgiven, to those
3:20:33
Speaker 5: whom He acknowledges as his people, that he says, then
3:20:36
Speaker 5: shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings
3:20:39
Speaker 5: that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your
3:20:41
Speaker 5: own sight. Again, he says, I will establish my covenant
3:20:46
Speaker 5: with Thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
3:20:49
Speaker 5: That thou mayst remember and be confounded, and never open
3:20:52
Speaker 5: thy mouth any more because of thy shame. When I
3:20:55
Speaker 5: am pacified toward Thee for all that thou hast done,
3:20:58
Speaker 5: saith the Lord God, then our lips will not be
3:21:01
Speaker 5: opened in self glorification. We shall know that our sufficiency
3:21:05
Speaker 5: is in Christ alone. We shall make the apostles confession
3:21:09
Speaker 5: our own. I know that in me that is in
3:21:12
Speaker 5: my flesh, dweleth no good thing God forbid that I
3:21:16
Speaker 5: should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
3:21:20
Speaker 5: by whom the world is crucified unto me and I
3:21:23
Speaker 5: unto the world. In harmony with this experience is the
3:21:26
Speaker 5: command work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
3:21:30
Speaker 5: For it is God which worketh in you both to
3:21:33
Speaker 5: will and to do of his good pleasure. God does
3:21:36
Speaker 5: not bid you fear that He will fail to fulfill
3:21:38
Speaker 5: his promises, that his patience will weary, or his compassion
3:21:42
Speaker 5: be found wanting. Fear lest your will shall not be
3:21:45
Speaker 5: held in subjection to Christ's will, lest your hereditary and
3:21:49
Speaker 5: cultivated traits of character shall control your life. It is
3:21:53
Speaker 5: God which worketh in you both to will and to
3:21:55
Speaker 5: do of His good pleasure. Fear lust self shall interpose
3:21:59
Speaker 5: between you your soul and the great Master worker. Fear
3:22:03
Speaker 5: Lest self will shall mar the high purpose that through
3:22:06
Speaker 5: you God desires to accomplish. Fear to trust to your
3:22:09
Speaker 5: own strength, Fear to withdraw your hand from the hand
3:22:12
Speaker 5: of Christ, and attempt to walk life's pathway without His
3:22:15
Speaker 5: abiding presence. We need to shun everything that would encourage
3:22:20
Speaker 5: pride and self sufficiency. Therefore we should beware of giving
3:22:24
Speaker 5: or receiving flattery or praise. It is Satan's work to flatter.
3:22:29
Speaker 5: He deals in flattery as well as in accusing and
3:22:32
Speaker 5: in condemnation. Thus he seeks to work the ruin of
3:22:35
Speaker 5: the soul. Those who give praise to men are used
3:22:39
Speaker 5: by Satan as his agents. Let the workers for Christ
3:22:42
Speaker 5: direct every word of praise away from themselves. Let self
3:22:46
Speaker 5: be put out of sight. Christ alone is to be
3:22:49
Speaker 5: exalted unto Him that loved us and washed us from
3:22:53
Speaker 5: our sins in his own blood. Let every eye be directed,
3:22:56
Speaker 5: and praise from every heart assent. The life in which
3:23:00
Speaker 5: the fear of the Lord is cherished will not be
3:23:02
Speaker 5: a life of sadness and gloom. It is the absence
3:23:06
Speaker 5: of Christ that makes a countenance sad and the life
3:23:09
Speaker 5: a pilgrimage of size. Those who are filled with self
3:23:13
Speaker 5: esteem and self love do not feel the need of
3:23:15
Speaker 5: a living personal union with Christ. The heart that has
3:23:19
Speaker 5: not fallen on the rock is proud of its wholeness.
3:23:22
Speaker 5: Men want a dignified religion. They desire to walk in
3:23:26
Speaker 5: a path wide enough to take in their own attributes.
3:23:29
Speaker 5: Their self love, their love of popularity, and love of
3:23:32
Speaker 5: praise exclude the Savior from their hearts, and without him
3:23:36
Speaker 5: there is gloom and sadness. But Christ dwelling in the soul,
3:23:40
Speaker 5: is a well spring of joy for all who receive Him.
3:23:43
Speaker 5: The very keynote of the Word of God is rejoicing.
3:23:47
Speaker 5: For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity,
3:23:50
Speaker 5: whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and
3:23:53
Speaker 5: holy place with him also, that is of a contrite
3:23:56
Speaker 5: and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble,
3:24:00
Speaker 5: and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. It
3:24:04
Speaker 5: was when Moses was hidden in the cleft of the
3:24:06
Speaker 5: rock that he beheld the glory of God. It is
3:24:09
Speaker 5: when we hide in the riven rock that Christ will
3:24:11
Speaker 5: cover us with his own pierced hand. And we shall
3:24:14
Speaker 5: hear what the Lord saith unto his servants to us,
3:24:18
Speaker 5: as to Moses. God will reveal himself as merciful and gracious,
3:24:22
Speaker 5: long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
3:24:26
Speaker 5: for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. The work
3:24:31
Speaker 5: of redemption involves consequences of which it is difficult for
3:24:35
Speaker 5: man to have any conception. I hath not seen nor
3:24:39
Speaker 5: ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man
3:24:42
Speaker 5: the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
3:24:46
Speaker 5: As a sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches
3:24:49
Speaker 5: the uplifted Cross and prostrates himself before it. There is
3:24:53
Speaker 5: a new creation, a new heart has given him. He
3:24:56
Speaker 5: becomes a new creature in Christ. Jesus Holy finds that
3:25:00
Speaker 5: it has nothing more to require. God himself is the
3:25:04
Speaker 5: justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, and whom he justified,
3:25:08
Speaker 5: than He also glorified. Great as is the shame and
3:25:12
Speaker 5: degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and
3:25:16
Speaker 5: exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity
3:25:20
Speaker 5: to the divine image. There is imparted an outlay of
3:25:24
Speaker 5: Heaven's treasure, an excellency of power that will place them
3:25:27
Speaker 5: higher than even the angels who have never fallen. Thus
3:25:32
Speaker 5: saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
3:25:35
Speaker 5: to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation
3:25:38
Speaker 5: abhorth kings shall see and arise princes also shall worship.
3:25:43
Speaker 5: Because of the Lord that is faithful and the Holy
3:25:46
Speaker 5: One of Israel. And he shall choose thee. For every
3:25:49
Speaker 5: one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that
3:25:53
Speaker 5: humbleth himself shall be exalted. End of Chapter thirteen.
3:25:58
Speaker 10: Chapter fourteen. Christ had been speaking of the period just
3:26:02
Speaker 10: before his second coming and of the perils through which
3:26:05
Speaker 10: his followers must pass. With special reference to that time,
3:26:09
Speaker 10: he related the parable to this end that men ought
3:26:12
Speaker 10: always to pray and not to faint. There was in
3:26:15
Speaker 10: a city, he said, a judge which feared not God,
3:26:19
Speaker 10: neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city,
3:26:22
Speaker 10: and she came unto him, saying, avenge me of mine adversary.
3:26:26
Speaker 10: And he would not for a while. But afterward he said,
3:26:28
Speaker 10: within himself, though I fear not God nor regard man. Yet,
3:26:32
Speaker 10: because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest
3:26:35
Speaker 10: by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said,
3:26:39
Speaker 10: hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God
3:26:42
Speaker 10: avenge his own elect which cried day and night unto him.
3:26:45
Speaker 10: Though he bear long with them, I tell you that
3:26:48
Speaker 10: he will avenge them speedily. The judge who was here
3:26:51
Speaker 10: pictured had no regard for right nor pity for suffering.
3:26:54
Speaker 10: The widow, who pressed her case before him, was persistently repulsed.
3:26:58
Speaker 10: Again and again she came to him, only to be
3:27:01
Speaker 10: treated with contempt and to be driven from the judgment seat.
3:27:04
Speaker 10: The judge knew that her cause was righteous, and he
3:27:07
Speaker 10: could have relieved her at once, but he would not.
3:27:09
Speaker 10: He wanted to show his arbitrary power, and it gratified
3:27:12
Speaker 10: him to let her ask and plead and entreat in vain.
3:27:15
Speaker 10: But she would not fail nor become discouraged. Notwithstanding his
3:27:19
Speaker 10: indifference and hard heartedness, she pressed her petition until the
3:27:22
Speaker 10: judge consented to attend to her case. Though I fear
3:27:26
Speaker 10: not God nor regard man, he said, Yet, because this
3:27:29
Speaker 10: widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her
3:27:32
Speaker 10: continual coming she weary me. To save his reputation, to
3:27:36
Speaker 10: avoid giving publicity to his partial, one sided judgment, he
3:27:40
Speaker 10: avenged the persevering woman. And the Lord said, hear what
3:27:43
Speaker 10: the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his
3:27:47
Speaker 10: own elect which cried day and night unto him. Though
3:27:49
Speaker 10: he bear long with them, I tell you that he
3:27:52
Speaker 10: will avenge them speedily. Christ here draws a sharp contrast
3:27:56
Speaker 10: between the unjust judge and God. The judge yielded to
3:27:59
Speaker 10: the widow's request merely through selfishness, that he might be
3:28:03
Speaker 10: relieved of her importunity. He felt for her no pity
3:28:06
Speaker 10: or compassion. Her misery was nothing to him. How different
3:28:10
Speaker 10: is the attitude of God toward those who seek him.
3:28:12
Speaker 10: The appeals of the needy and distressed are considered by
3:28:15
Speaker 10: him with infinite compassion. The woman who entreated the judge
3:28:19
Speaker 10: for justice had lost her husband by death. Poor and friendless,
3:28:23
Speaker 10: she had no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes. So
3:28:27
Speaker 10: by sin man lost his connection with God. Of himself,
3:28:30
Speaker 10: he has no means of salvation. But in Christ we
3:28:33
Speaker 10: are brought nigh unto the Father. The elect of God
3:28:36
Speaker 10: are dear to his heart. They are those who has
3:28:39
Speaker 10: called out of darkness into his marvelous light to show
3:28:42
Speaker 10: forth his praise, to shine as lights amid the darkness
3:28:45
Speaker 10: of the world. The unjust judge had no special interest
3:28:48
Speaker 10: in the widow who importuned him for deliverance. Yet in
3:28:51
Speaker 10: order to rid himself of her pitiful appeals, he heard
3:28:54
Speaker 10: her plea and delivered her from her adversary. But God
3:28:57
Speaker 10: loves his children with infinite love. To him, the dearest
3:29:00
Speaker 10: object on earth is his church. For the Lord's portion
3:29:04
Speaker 10: is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
3:29:08
Speaker 10: He found him in a desert land and in the
3:29:10
Speaker 10: waste howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him,
3:29:14
Speaker 10: He kept him as the apple of his eye. For
3:29:17
Speaker 10: thus saith the Lord of Hosts. After the glory hath
3:29:19
Speaker 10: he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you. For
3:29:22
Speaker 10: he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
3:29:26
Speaker 10: The widow's prayer, avenge me, do me justice of mine
3:29:29
Speaker 10: adversary represents the prayer of God's children. Satan is their
3:29:33
Speaker 10: great adversary. He is the accuser of our brethren, who
3:29:37
Speaker 10: accuses them before God day and night. He is continually
3:29:40
Speaker 10: working to misrepresent and accuse, to deceive and destroy the
3:29:44
Speaker 10: people of God. And as for deliverance for the power
3:29:47
Speaker 10: of Satan and his agents that in this parable, Christ
3:29:50
Speaker 10: teaches his disciples to pray. In the Prophecy of Zechariah
3:29:54
Speaker 10: is brought to view Satan's accusing work and the work
3:29:57
Speaker 10: of Christ in resisting the adversary of his people. The
3:30:00
Speaker 10: prophet says, he showed me Joshua, the High priest standing
3:30:04
Speaker 10: before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at
3:30:07
Speaker 10: his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said,
3:30:09
Speaker 10: unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, o Satan. Even the
3:30:13
Speaker 10: Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this
3:30:17
Speaker 10: a brand plucked out of the fire. Now Joshua was
3:30:20
Speaker 10: closed with filthy garments and stood before the Angel. The
3:30:24
Speaker 10: people of God are here represented as a criminal on trial. Joshua,
3:30:29
Speaker 10: as high priest, is seeking for a blessing for his
3:30:32
Speaker 10: people who are in great affliction. While he is pleading
3:30:35
Speaker 10: before God, Satan is standing in his right hand as
3:30:38
Speaker 10: his adversary. He is accusing the children of God and
3:30:42
Speaker 10: making their case appear as desperate as possible. He presents
3:30:46
Speaker 10: before the Lord their evil doings and their defects. He
3:30:49
Speaker 10: shows their faults and failures, hoping they will appear of
3:30:52
Speaker 10: such a character in the eyes of Christ that he
3:30:54
Speaker 10: will render them no help in their great need. Joshua,
3:30:58
Speaker 10: as the representative of God's people, stands under condemnation, clothed
3:31:02
Speaker 10: with filthy garments, aware of the sins of his people.
3:31:06
Speaker 10: He is weighed down with discouragement. Satan is pressing upon
3:31:10
Speaker 10: his soul a sense of guiltiness that makes him feel
3:31:12
Speaker 10: almost helpless. Yet there he stands as a suppliant, with
3:31:16
Speaker 10: Satan arrayed against him. The work of Satan as an
3:31:19
Speaker 10: accuser began in heaven. This has been his work on
3:31:22
Speaker 10: earth ever since man's fall, and it will be his
3:31:25
Speaker 10: work in a special sense as we approach nearer to
3:31:28
Speaker 10: the close of this world's history. As he sees that
3:31:32
Speaker 10: his time is short, he will work with greater earnestness
3:31:35
Speaker 10: to deceive and destroy. He is angry when he sees
3:31:38
Speaker 10: a people on the earth who, even in their weakness
3:31:41
Speaker 10: and sinfulness, have respect to the law of Jehovah. He
3:31:44
Speaker 10: is determined that they shall not obey God. He delights
3:31:48
Speaker 10: in their unworthiness and has devices prepared for every soul
3:31:52
Speaker 10: that all may be ensnared and separated from God. He
3:31:55
Speaker 10: seeks to accuse and condemn God and all who strive
3:31:58
Speaker 10: to carry out His purpose in this world in mercy
3:32:02
Speaker 10: and love, in compassion and forgiveness. Every manifestation of God's
3:32:07
Speaker 10: power for his people arouses the enmity of Satan. Every
3:32:11
Speaker 10: time God works in their behalf, Satan, with his angels,
3:32:14
Speaker 10: works with renewed vigor to compass their ruin. He is
3:32:18
Speaker 10: jealous of all who make Christ their strength. His object
3:32:22
Speaker 10: is to instigate evil, and when he has succeeded, throw
3:32:25
Speaker 10: all the blame upon the tempted ones. He points to
3:32:28
Speaker 10: their filthy garments, their defective characters. He presents their weakness
3:32:32
Speaker 10: and folly, their sins of ingratitude, their unlikeness to Christ,
3:32:36
Speaker 10: which has dishonored their redeemer. All this he urges as
3:32:40
Speaker 10: an argument proving his right to work his will in
3:32:42
Speaker 10: their destruction. He endeavors to affright their souls, with the
3:32:46
Speaker 10: thought that their case is hopeless, that the stain of
3:32:49
Speaker 10: their defilement can never be washed away. He hopes so
3:32:52
Speaker 10: to destroy their faith, that they will yield fully to
3:32:55
Speaker 10: his temptations and turn from their allegiance to God. The
3:32:59
Speaker 10: Lord's people can not of themselves answer the charges of Satan.
3:33:03
Speaker 10: As they look to themselves, they are ready to despair,
3:33:06
Speaker 10: But they appeal to the divine advocate. They plead the
3:33:09
Speaker 10: merits of the redeemer God can be just and the
3:33:12
Speaker 10: justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus with confidence. The
3:33:16
Speaker 10: Lord's children cry unto Him to silence the accusations of
3:33:19
Speaker 10: Satan and bring to naught his devices. Do me justice
3:33:24
Speaker 10: of mine, adversary, they pray, and with the mighty argument
3:33:27
Speaker 10: of the cross, Christ silences the bold accuser. The Lord said,
3:33:32
Speaker 10: unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, Even the
3:33:35
Speaker 10: Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is this not
3:33:38
Speaker 10: a brand plucked out of the fire. When Satan seeks
3:33:42
Speaker 10: to cover the people of God with blackness and ruin them,
3:33:45
Speaker 10: Christ interposes. Although they have sinned, Christ has taken the
3:33:49
Speaker 10: guilt of their sins upon his own soul. He has
3:33:51
Speaker 10: snatched the race as a brand from the fire. By
3:33:55
Speaker 10: his human nature he is linked with man, while through
3:33:57
Speaker 10: his divine nature he is one with the infinite God God.
3:34:00
Speaker 10: Help is brought within the reach of perishing souls. The
3:34:04
Speaker 10: adversary is rebuked. Now Joshua was closed with filthy garments
3:34:09
Speaker 10: and stood before the Angel. And he answered and spake
3:34:11
Speaker 10: unto those that stood before him, saying, take away the
3:34:14
Speaker 10: filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, behold,
3:34:18
Speaker 10: I have caused thine iniquity to pass from me, and
3:34:21
Speaker 10: I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said,
3:34:24
Speaker 10: let them set a fair miter upon his head, so
3:34:28
Speaker 10: they set a fair miter upon his head and clothe
3:34:30
Speaker 10: him with garments. Then, with the authority of the Lord
3:34:33
Speaker 10: of Hosts, the angel made a solemn pledge to Joshua,
3:34:36
Speaker 10: the representative of God's people. If thou wilt walk in
3:34:39
Speaker 10: my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then
3:34:42
Speaker 10: thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep
3:34:45
Speaker 10: my courts. And I will give thee places to walk
3:34:48
Speaker 10: among these that stand by, even among the angels that
3:34:51
Speaker 10: surround the throne of God. Notwithstanding the defects of the
3:34:55
Speaker 10: people of God, Christ does not turn away from the
3:34:58
Speaker 10: objects of his care. He has the power to change
3:35:01
Speaker 10: their raiment. He removes the filthy garments. He places upon
3:35:05
Speaker 10: the repenting, believing ones his own robe of righteousness, and
3:35:08
Speaker 10: writes pardon against their names on the records of Heaven.
3:35:12
Speaker 10: He confesses them as his Before the heavenly universe. Satan,
3:35:16
Speaker 10: their adversary, is shown to be an accuser and deceiver.
3:35:19
Speaker 10: God will do justice for his own elect. The prayer
3:35:23
Speaker 10: do me justice of mine adversary applies not only to Satan,
3:35:27
Speaker 10: but to the agency whom he instigates to misrepresent, to tempt,
3:35:31
Speaker 10: and to destroy the people of God. Those who have
3:35:35
Speaker 10: decided to obey the commandments of God will understand by
3:35:38
Speaker 10: experience that they have adversaries who are controlled by a
3:35:41
Speaker 10: power from beneath. Such adversaries beset Christ at every step,
3:35:46
Speaker 10: how constantly and determinedly. No human being can ever know.
3:35:49
Speaker 10: Christ's disciples, like their Master, are followed by continual temptation.
3:35:57
Speaker 10: The scriptures describe the condition of the world. Thus before
3:36:00
Speaker 10: Christ's second coming, James the Apostle pictures the greed and
3:36:04
Speaker 10: oppression that will prevail. He says, go to now, ye
3:36:08
Speaker 10: rich men, ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
3:36:12
Speaker 10: Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down
3:36:15
Speaker 10: your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud crieth,
3:36:18
Speaker 10: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered
3:36:21
Speaker 10: into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. Ye have
3:36:24
Speaker 10: lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton. Ye
3:36:27
Speaker 10: have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
3:36:30
Speaker 10: Ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth
3:36:33
Speaker 10: not resist you. This is a picture of what exists today.
3:36:37
Speaker 10: By every species of oppression and extortion, men are piling
3:36:41
Speaker 10: up colossal fortunes while the cries of starving humanity are
3:36:45
Speaker 10: coming up before God. Judgment is turned away backward, and
3:36:49
Speaker 10: justice standeth afar off. For truth is fallen in the street,
3:36:53
Speaker 10: and equity cannot enter. Yea truth faileth, and he that
3:36:57
Speaker 10: departeth from evil maketh himself prey. This was fulfilled in
3:37:02
Speaker 10: the life of Christ on Earth. He was loyal to
3:37:04
Speaker 10: God's commandments, setting aside the human traditions and requirements which
3:37:08
Speaker 10: had been exalted in their place. Because of this, he
3:37:12
Speaker 10: was hated and persecuted. This history is repeated. The laws
3:37:16
Speaker 10: and traditions of men are exalted above the law of God,
3:37:20
Speaker 10: and those who are true to God's commandments suffer reproach
3:37:24
Speaker 10: and persecution. Christ, because of his faithfulness to God, was
3:37:28
Speaker 10: accused as a Sabbath breaker and blasphemer. He was declared
3:37:32
Speaker 10: to be possessed of a devil and denounced as Beyelzebub.
3:37:36
Speaker 10: In like manner, his followers are accused and misrepresented. Thus
3:37:40
Speaker 10: Satan hopes to lead them to sin and cast dishonour
3:37:44
Speaker 10: upon God. The character of the judge and the parable,
3:37:48
Speaker 10: who feared not God nor regarded man, was presented by
3:37:51
Speaker 10: Christ to show the kind of judgment that was then
3:37:53
Speaker 10: being executed, and that would soon be witnessed at his trial.
3:37:57
Speaker 10: He desires his people in all time to realize how
3:38:00
Speaker 10: little dependence can be placed on earthly rulers or judges.
3:38:03
Speaker 10: In the day of adversity, often the elect people of
3:38:07
Speaker 10: God have to stand before men in official positions who
3:38:10
Speaker 10: did not make the Word of God their guide and counselor,
3:38:13
Speaker 10: but who follow their own, unconsecrated, undisciplined impulses. In the
3:38:18
Speaker 10: parable of the unjust judge, Christ has shown what we
3:38:21
Speaker 10: should do. Shall not God avenge his own elect which
3:38:25
Speaker 10: cry day and night unto him. Christ, our example, did
3:38:29
Speaker 10: nothing to vindicate or deliver himself. He committed his case
3:38:32
Speaker 10: to God. So his followers are not to accuse or condemn,
3:38:36
Speaker 10: or to resort to force in order to deliver themselves.
3:38:40
Speaker 10: When trials arise that seem unexplainable. We should not allow
3:38:44
Speaker 10: our peace to be spoiled, however unjustly we may be treated.
3:38:48
Speaker 10: Let not passion arise by indulging a spirit of retaliation.
3:38:52
Speaker 10: We injure ourselves, We destroy our own confidence in God,
3:38:56
Speaker 10: and grieve the Holy Spirit. There is by our side
3:38:59
Speaker 10: a way witness a heavenly messenger, who will lift up
3:39:02
Speaker 10: for us a standard against the enemy. He will shut
3:39:06
Speaker 10: us in with the bright beams of the Son of Righteousness.
3:39:09
Speaker 10: Beyond this Satan cannot penetrate, He cannot pass this shield
3:39:13
Speaker 10: of holy light. While the world is progressing in wickedness.
3:39:17
Speaker 10: None of us need flatter ourselves that we shall have
3:39:20
Speaker 10: no difficulties. But it is these very difficulties that bring
3:39:23
Speaker 10: us into the audience chamber of the Most High. We
3:39:27
Speaker 10: may seek counsel of one who is infinite in wisdom.
3:39:30
Speaker 10: The Lord says, call upon me in the day of trouble.
3:39:34
Speaker 10: He invites us to present to him our perplexities and necessities,
3:39:38
Speaker 10: and our need of divine help. He bids us to
3:39:41
Speaker 10: be instant in prayer. As soon as difficulties arise. We
3:39:45
Speaker 10: are to offer him our sincere, earnest petitions. By our
3:39:48
Speaker 10: importinent prayers, we give evidence of our strong confidence in God.
3:39:53
Speaker 10: The sense of our need leads us to pray earnestly,
3:39:56
Speaker 10: and our heavenly Father is moved by our supplications. Often
3:40:01
Speaker 10: those who suffer reproach and persecution for their faith are
3:40:04
Speaker 10: tempted to think themselves forsaken by God. In the eyes
3:40:08
Speaker 10: of men. They are in the minority. To all appearance,
3:40:11
Speaker 10: their enemies triumph over them. But let them not violate
3:40:15
Speaker 10: their conscience. He who has suffered in their behalf, and
3:40:18
Speaker 10: has borne their sorrows and afflictions, has not forsaken them.
3:40:23
Speaker 10: The children of God are not left alone and defenseless.
3:40:27
Speaker 10: Prayer moves the arm of omnipotence. Prayer has subdued kingdoms,
3:40:31
Speaker 10: wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench
3:40:36
Speaker 10: the violence of fire. We shall know what this means
3:40:39
Speaker 10: when we hear the reports of the martyrs who died
3:40:41
Speaker 10: for their faith, turn to flight the armies of the aliens.
3:40:46
Speaker 10: If we surrender our lives to His service, we can
3:40:48
Speaker 10: never be placed in a position for which God has
3:40:51
Speaker 10: not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have
3:40:55
Speaker 10: a guide to direct our way. Whatever our perplexities, we
3:40:59
Speaker 10: have a sure count. Tell her. Whatever our sorrow, bereavement
3:41:03
Speaker 10: or loneliness, we have a sympathizing friend. If in our
3:41:07
Speaker 10: ignorance we make missteps, Christ does not leave us. His voice,
3:41:11
Speaker 10: clear and distinct, is heard saying I am the Way,
3:41:14
Speaker 10: the Truth, and the life. He shall deliver the needy.
3:41:18
Speaker 10: When he crieth the poor also, and him that hath
3:41:21
Speaker 10: no helper. The Lord declares that he will be honored
3:41:25
Speaker 10: by those who draw nigh to him, who faithfully do
3:41:28
Speaker 10: his service. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
3:41:32
Speaker 10: mind es stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.
3:41:36
Speaker 10: The arm of omnipotence is outstretched to lead us onward,
3:41:40
Speaker 10: and still onward, Go forward, The Lord says, I will
3:41:44
Speaker 10: send you help. It is for my name's glory that
3:41:47
Speaker 10: you ask, and you shall receive. I will be honored
3:41:50
Speaker 10: before those who are watching for your failure. They shall
3:41:54
Speaker 10: see my word triumph gloriously. All things, whatsoever ye shall
3:41:58
Speaker 10: ask in prayer, believe ye shall receive. Let all who
3:42:03
Speaker 10: are afflicted or unjustly used cry to God. Turn away
3:42:07
Speaker 10: from those whose hearts are as steel, and make your
3:42:10
Speaker 10: request known to your maker. Never is one repulsed who
3:42:13
Speaker 10: comes to him with a contrite heart, not one sincere
3:42:17
Speaker 10: prayer is lost amid the anthems of the celestial choir.
3:42:21
Speaker 10: God hears the cries of the weakest human being. We
3:42:25
Speaker 10: pour out our heart's desire in our closets. We breathe
3:42:28
Speaker 10: a prayer as we walk by the way, and our
3:42:31
Speaker 10: words reach the throne of the monarch of the universe.
3:42:34
Speaker 10: They may be inaudible to any human ear, but they
3:42:37
Speaker 10: cannot die away into silence, nor can they be lost
3:42:40
Speaker 10: through the activities of business that are going on. Nothing
3:42:44
Speaker 10: can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din
3:42:47
Speaker 10: of the street, above the confusion of the multitude, to
3:42:51
Speaker 10: the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking,
3:42:54
Speaker 10: and our prayer is heard. You, who feel the most unworthy,
3:42:59
Speaker 10: fear not to commit your case to God. When he
3:43:02
Speaker 10: gave himself to Christ for the sin of the world,
3:43:04
Speaker 10: he undertook the case of every soul. He that spared
3:43:08
Speaker 10: not his own son, but delivered him up for us all.
3:43:12
Speaker 10: How shall he not with him also freely give us
3:43:14
Speaker 10: all things? Will he not fulfill the gracious word given
3:43:18
Speaker 10: for our encouragement and strength. Christ desires nothing so much
3:43:23
Speaker 10: as to redeem his heritage from the dominion of Satan.
3:43:27
Speaker 10: But before we are delivered from Satan's power without, we
3:43:30
Speaker 10: must be delivered from his power within. The Lord permits
3:43:33
Speaker 10: trials in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness,
3:43:37
Speaker 10: from selfishness, from harsh, unchristlike traits of character. He suffers
3:43:42
Speaker 10: the deep waters of affliction to go over our souls
3:43:45
Speaker 10: in order that we may know Him and Jesus Christ,
3:43:48
Speaker 10: whom he has sent, in order that we may have
3:43:50
Speaker 10: deep heart longings to be cleansed from defilement, and may
3:43:54
Speaker 10: come forth from the trial purer, holier, happier. Often we
3:44:00
Speaker 10: enter the furnace of trial with our souls darkened with selfishness,
3:44:04
Speaker 10: But if patient under the crucial test, we shall come
3:44:06
Speaker 10: forth reflecting the divine character. When his purpose in the
3:44:10
Speaker 10: affliction is accomplished, he shall bring forth thy righteousness as
3:44:14
Speaker 10: the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. There is
3:44:19
Speaker 10: no danger that the Lord will neglect the prayers of
3:44:21
Speaker 10: his people. The danger is that, in temptation and trial,
3:44:25
Speaker 10: they will become discouraged and fail to persevere in prayer.
3:44:29
Speaker 10: The Savior manifested divine compassion toward the Syrophoenician woman. His
3:44:34
Speaker 10: heart was touched as he saw her grief. He'd longed
3:44:37
Speaker 10: to give her an immediate assurance that her prayer was heard,
3:44:41
Speaker 10: but he desired to teach his disciples a lesson, and
3:44:44
Speaker 10: for a time he seemed to neglect the cry of
3:44:46
Speaker 10: her tortured heart. When her faith had been made manifest,
3:44:50
Speaker 10: he spoke to her words of commendation and sent her
3:44:53
Speaker 10: away with the precious boon she had asked. The disciples
3:44:56
Speaker 10: never forgot this lesson, and it is placed on record
3:45:00
Speaker 10: to show the result of persevering prayer. It was Christ
3:45:04
Speaker 10: himself who put into that mother's heart the persistence which
3:45:07
Speaker 10: would not be repulsed. It was Christ who gave the
3:45:10
Speaker 10: pleading widow courage and determination before the judge. It was
3:45:14
Speaker 10: Christ who, centuries before, in the mysterious conflict by the Jabok,
3:45:18
Speaker 10: had inspired Jacob with the same persevering faith and the
3:45:22
Speaker 10: confidence which he himself had implanted. He did not fail
3:45:25
Speaker 10: to reward. He who dwells in the heavenly sanctuary judges righteously.
3:45:31
Speaker 10: His pleasure is more in his people struggling with temptation
3:45:34
Speaker 10: in the world of sin, than in the host of
3:45:36
Speaker 10: angels that surround his throne. In this speck of a world.
3:45:41
Speaker 10: The whole heavenly universe manifests the greatest interest, For Christ
3:45:45
Speaker 10: has paid an infinite price for the souls of its inhabitants.
3:45:49
Speaker 10: The world's redeemer has bound Earth to Heaven by ties
3:45:52
Speaker 10: of intelligence. For the Redeemed of the Lord are here.
3:45:56
Speaker 10: Heavenly beings still visit the earth, as in the days
3:45:59
Speaker 10: when they walked and talked with Abraham and with Moses,
3:46:02
Speaker 10: amid the busy activity of our great cities, amid the
3:46:05
Speaker 10: multitudes that crown the thoroughfares and fill the marts of trade,
3:46:09
Speaker 10: where from morning till evening the people act as if
3:46:12
Speaker 10: business and sport and pleasure where all there is to life,
3:46:16
Speaker 10: Where there are so few to contemplate unseen realities. Even
3:46:20
Speaker 10: here Heaven has still its watchers and its holy ones.
3:46:24
Speaker 10: They are invisible agencies, observing every word and deed of
3:46:27
Speaker 10: human beings. In every assembly for business or pleasure, in
3:46:31
Speaker 10: every gathering for worship, there are more listeners than can
3:46:34
Speaker 10: be seen with the natural sight. Sometimes the heavenly intelligences
3:46:39
Speaker 10: draw aside the curtain which hides the unseen world, that
3:46:42
Speaker 10: our thoughts may be withdrawn from the hurry and rush
3:46:44
Speaker 10: of life, to consider that there are unseen witnesses to
3:46:48
Speaker 10: all we do or say. We need to understand better
3:46:52
Speaker 10: than we do. The mission of the angel visitants. It
3:46:55
Speaker 10: would be well to consider that in all our work
3:46:58
Speaker 10: we have the cooperation and care of heavenly beings invisible
3:47:02
Speaker 10: armies of light and power attend the meek and lowly
3:47:04
Speaker 10: ones who believe and claim the promises of God. Cherubim
3:47:08
Speaker 10: and Seraphim, and angels that excel in strength ten thousand
3:47:12
Speaker 10: times ten thousand and thousands of thousands stand at his
3:47:16
Speaker 10: right hand, all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for
3:47:20
Speaker 10: them who shall be heirs of salvation. By these angel messengers,
3:47:25
Speaker 10: a faithful record is kept of the words and deeds
3:47:28
Speaker 10: of the children of men. Every act of cruelty or
3:47:31
Speaker 10: injustice toward God's people, all they are caused to suffer
3:47:35
Speaker 10: through the power of evil workers, is registered in heaven.
3:47:40
Speaker 10: Shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day
3:47:43
Speaker 10: and night unto him, Though he bear long with them.
3:47:46
Speaker 10: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Cast
3:47:49
Speaker 10: not away. Therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward,
3:47:53
Speaker 10: for ye have need of patience, that after ye have
3:47:56
Speaker 10: done the will of God, ye might receive the promise
3:48:00
Speaker 10: a little while, and he that shall come will come,
3:48:03
Speaker 10: and will not tarry. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the
3:48:07
Speaker 10: precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for
3:48:10
Speaker 10: it until he received the early and latter reign. Be Ye,
3:48:14
Speaker 10: also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the
3:48:17
Speaker 10: Lord draweth nigh. The long suffering of God is wonderful.
3:48:22
Speaker 10: Long does justice wait while mercy pleads with the sinner.
3:48:26
Speaker 10: But righteousness and judgment are the establishment of his throne.
3:48:30
Speaker 10: The Lord is slow to anger, but he is great
3:48:32
Speaker 10: in power and will not at all acquit the wicked.
3:48:35
Speaker 10: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in
3:48:38
Speaker 10: the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
3:48:42
Speaker 10: The world has become bold in transgression of God's law
3:48:46
Speaker 10: because of his long forbearance. Men have trampled upon his authority.
3:48:50
Speaker 10: They have strengthened one another in oppression and cruelty towards
3:48:53
Speaker 10: his heritage, saying, how doth God know? And is their
3:48:56
Speaker 10: knowledge in the most high? But there is a line
3:48:59
Speaker 10: beyond which they cannot pass. The time is near when
3:49:03
Speaker 10: they will have reached the prescribed limit. Even now they
3:49:06
Speaker 10: have almost exceeded the bounds of the long suffering of God,
3:49:09
Speaker 10: the limits of his grace, the limits of his mercy.
3:49:13
Speaker 10: The Lord will interpose to vindicate his own honor, to
3:49:16
Speaker 10: deliver his people, and to repress the swellings of unrighteousness.
3:49:21
Speaker 10: In Noah's day, men had disregarded the law of God
3:49:24
Speaker 10: until almost all remembrance of the Creator had passed away
3:49:28
Speaker 10: from the earth. Their iniquity reached so great a height
3:49:31
Speaker 10: that the Lord brought a flood of waters upon the
3:49:33
Speaker 10: earth and swept away its wicked inhabitants. From age to age,
3:49:38
Speaker 10: the Lord has made known the manner of his working.
3:49:42
Speaker 10: When a crisis has come, he has revealed himself and
3:49:45
Speaker 10: has interposed to hinder the working out of Satan's plans
3:49:49
Speaker 10: with nations, with families, and with individuals. He has often
3:49:52
Speaker 10: permitted matters to come to a crisis that his interference
3:49:56
Speaker 10: might become marked. Then he has made manifest that the
3:50:00
Speaker 10: there is a God in Israel who will maintain his
3:50:03
Speaker 10: law and vindicate his people. In this time of prevailing iniquity,
3:50:08
Speaker 10: we may know that the last great crisis is at hand.
3:50:11
Speaker 10: When the defiance of God's law is almost universal, when
3:50:15
Speaker 10: his people are oppressed and afflicted by their fellow men,
3:50:18
Speaker 10: the Lord will interpose. The time is near when he
3:50:22
Speaker 10: will say, come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers
3:50:26
Speaker 10: and shut thy doors about thee hide thyself, as it were,
3:50:30
Speaker 10: for a little moment until the indignation be overpassed. For
3:50:34
Speaker 10: it behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to
3:50:37
Speaker 10: punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The
3:50:40
Speaker 10: earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more
3:50:44
Speaker 10: cover her slain. Men who claim to be Christians may
3:50:47
Speaker 10: now defraud and oppress the poor. They may rob the
3:50:50
Speaker 10: widow and the fatherless. They may indulge their satanic hatred
3:50:54
Speaker 10: because they cannot control the consciences of God's people. But
3:50:58
Speaker 10: for all this God will bring them into judgment. They
3:51:01
Speaker 10: shall have judgment without mercy that have showed no mercy
3:51:05
Speaker 10: not long. Hence they will stand before the judge of
3:51:07
Speaker 10: all the earth to render an account for the pain
3:51:10
Speaker 10: they have caused to the bodies and souls of His heritage.
3:51:14
Speaker 10: They may now indulge in false accusations. They may deride
3:51:17
Speaker 10: those whom God has appointed to do his work. They
3:51:20
Speaker 10: may consign his believing ones to prison, to the chain gang,
3:51:23
Speaker 10: to banishment, to death. But for every pang of anguish,
3:51:27
Speaker 10: every tear shed they must answer, God will reward them
3:51:31
Speaker 10: double for their sins. Concerning Babylon, the symbol of the
3:51:35
Speaker 10: Apostate Church, he says to his ministers of judgment. Her
3:51:38
Speaker 10: sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
3:51:43
Speaker 10: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto
3:51:47
Speaker 10: her double according to her works in the cup which
3:51:50
Speaker 10: she hath filled, fill to her double. From India, from Africa,
3:51:56
Speaker 10: from China, from the islands of the sea, from the
3:51:59
Speaker 10: down trodden millions of so called Christian lands. The cry
3:52:03
Speaker 10: of human woe is ascending to God. That cry will
3:52:06
Speaker 10: not long be unanswered. God will cleanse the earth from
3:52:09
Speaker 10: its moral corruption, not by a sea of water, as
3:52:12
Speaker 10: in Noah's day, but by a sea of fire that
3:52:15
Speaker 10: cannot be quenched by any human devising. There shall be
3:52:19
Speaker 10: a time of trouble such as never was since there
3:52:21
Speaker 10: was a nation, even to that same time. And at
3:52:24
Speaker 10: that time thy people shall be delivered, and every one
3:52:28
Speaker 10: that shall be found written in the book, from garrets,
3:52:31
Speaker 10: from hovels, from dungeons, from scaffolds, from mountains and deserts,
3:52:37
Speaker 10: from the caves of the earth and the caverns of
3:52:39
Speaker 10: the sea, Christ will gather his children to himself. On Earth,
3:52:43
Speaker 10: they have been destitute, afflicted, and tormented. Millions have gone
3:52:47
Speaker 10: down to the grave, loaded with infamy, because they refuse
3:52:51
Speaker 10: to yield to the deceptive claims of Satan by human tribunals.
3:52:55
Speaker 10: The children of God had been adjudged the violence of criminals.
3:52:59
Speaker 10: But the day is near when God is judge himself.
3:53:02
Speaker 10: Then the decisions of earth shall be reversed. The rebuke
3:53:06
Speaker 10: of his people shall he take away. White robes will
3:53:09
Speaker 10: be given to every one of them, and they shall
3:53:12
Speaker 10: call them the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord.
3:53:15
Speaker 10: Whatever crosses they have been called to bear, whatever losses
3:53:19
Speaker 10: they have sustained, whatever persecution they have suffered, even to
3:53:23
Speaker 10: the loss of their temporal life, the children of God
3:53:26
Speaker 10: are amply recompensed. They shall see His face, and His
3:53:30
Speaker 10: name shall be in their foreheads. Behold, the husbandman watcheth
3:53:35
Speaker 10: for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long
3:53:38
Speaker 10: patience for it until he received the early and latter reign.
3:53:44
Speaker 10: End of Chapter fourteen.
3:53:47
Speaker 5: Chapter fifteen, This man receiveth sinners. As the publicans and
3:53:52
Speaker 5: sinners gathered about Christ, the Rabbis express their displeasure. This
3:53:57
Speaker 5: man receiveth sinners, they said, and edith with them. By
3:54:02
Speaker 5: this accusation, they insinuated that Christ liked to associate with
3:54:05
Speaker 5: the sinful and vile, and was insensible to their wickedness.
3:54:09
Speaker 5: The rabbis had been disappointed in Jesus. Why was it
3:54:13
Speaker 5: that one who claimed so lofty a character did not
3:54:16
Speaker 5: mingle with them and follow their methods of teaching? Why
3:54:19
Speaker 5: did he go about so unpretendingly working among all classes.
3:54:23
Speaker 5: If he were a true prophet, they said, he would
3:54:26
Speaker 5: harmonize with them, and would treat the publicans and sinners
3:54:29
Speaker 5: with the indifference they deserved. It angered these guardians of
3:54:33
Speaker 5: society that he with whom they were continually in controversy,
3:54:37
Speaker 5: yet whose purity of life aught and condemned them, should
3:54:40
Speaker 5: meet in such apparent sympathy with social outcasts. They did
3:54:44
Speaker 5: not approve of his methods. They regarded themselves as educated, refined,
3:54:48
Speaker 5: and pre eminently religious, but Christ's example laid bare their selfishness.
3:54:53
Speaker 5: It angered them also that those who showed only contempt
3:54:56
Speaker 5: for the rabbis, and who were never seen in the synagogues,
3:55:00
Speaker 5: flock about Jesus and listen with rapt attention to his words.
3:55:04
Speaker 5: The scribes and pharisees felt only condemnation in that pure presence.
3:55:08
Speaker 5: How was it then, that publicans and sinners were drawn
3:55:11
Speaker 5: to Jesus. They knew not that the explanation lay in
3:55:15
Speaker 5: the very words they had uttered as a scornful charge.
3:55:18
Speaker 5: This man receiveth sinners. The souls who came to Jesus
3:55:22
Speaker 5: felt in his presence that even for them there was
3:55:25
Speaker 5: escape from the pit of sin. The Pharisees had only
3:55:28
Speaker 5: scorn and condemnation for them, but Christ greeted them as
3:55:31
Speaker 5: children of God, estranged indeed from the Father's house, but
3:55:35
Speaker 5: not forgotten by the Father's heart. And their very misery
3:55:39
Speaker 5: and sin made them only the more the objects of
3:55:41
Speaker 5: His compassion. The farther they had wandered from him, the
3:55:45
Speaker 5: more earnest the longing, and the greater the sacrifice for
3:55:48
Speaker 5: their rescue. All this the teachers of Israel might have
3:55:52
Speaker 5: learned from the sacred scrolls of which it was their
3:55:54
Speaker 5: pride to be the keepers and expounders. Had not David written, David,
3:55:58
Speaker 5: who had fallen into des deadly sin, I have gone
3:56:01
Speaker 5: astray like a lost sheep, seek thy servant. Had not
3:56:05
Speaker 5: Micah revealed God's love to the sinner, saying, who is
3:56:08
Speaker 5: a godlike unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by
3:56:12
Speaker 5: the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. He retaineth
3:56:16
Speaker 5: not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy the
3:56:20
Speaker 5: lost sheep. Christ did not at this time remind his
3:56:24
Speaker 5: hearers of the words of scripture. He appealed to the
3:56:27
Speaker 5: witness of their own experience. The wide spreading table Lambs
3:56:31
Speaker 5: on the east of Jordan afforded abundant pasturage for flocks,
3:56:34
Speaker 5: and through the gorges and over the wooded hills had
3:56:37
Speaker 5: wandered many a lost sheep, to be searched for and
3:56:40
Speaker 5: brought back by the shepherd's care. In the company about
3:56:43
Speaker 5: Jesus there were shepherds and also men who had money
3:56:46
Speaker 5: invested in flocks and herds, and all could appreciate his illustration.
3:56:51
Speaker 5: What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he
3:56:54
Speaker 5: lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and
3:56:57
Speaker 5: nine in the wilderness and go after that which is
3:56:59
Speaker 5: lost until he find it. These souls, whom you despise,
3:57:03
Speaker 5: said Jesus, are the property of God by creation and
3:57:07
Speaker 5: by redemption. They are His, and they are of value
3:57:09
Speaker 5: in his sight. As the shepherd loves his sheep and
3:57:13
Speaker 5: cannot rest if even one be missing. So in an
3:57:16
Speaker 5: infinitely higher degree does God love every outcast soul. Men
3:57:20
Speaker 5: may deny the claim of his love. They may wander
3:57:23
Speaker 5: from him, they may choose another master. Yet they are gods,
3:57:27
Speaker 5: and he longs to recover his own. He says, as
3:57:30
Speaker 5: a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that
3:57:33
Speaker 5: he is among his sheep that are scattered, So will
3:57:36
Speaker 5: I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out
3:57:38
Speaker 5: of all places where they have been scattered in the
3:57:40
Speaker 5: cloudy and dark day. In the parable, the shepherd goes
3:57:44
Speaker 5: out to search for one sheep, the very least that
3:57:47
Speaker 5: can be numbered. So if there had been but one
3:57:50
Speaker 5: lost soul, Christ would have died for that one. The
3:57:54
Speaker 5: sheep that has strayed from the fold is the most
3:57:57
Speaker 5: helpless of all creatures. It must be sought for or
3:58:00
Speaker 5: by the shepherd, for it cannot find its way back.
3:58:03
Speaker 5: So with the soul that has wandered away from God,
3:58:06
Speaker 5: he is as helpless as the lost sheep. And unless
3:58:09
Speaker 5: divine love had come to his rescue, he could never
3:58:12
Speaker 5: find his way to God. The shepherd who discovers that
3:58:15
Speaker 5: one of his sheep is missing, does not look carelessly
3:58:18
Speaker 5: upon the flock that is safely housed, and say I
3:58:21
Speaker 5: have ninety and nine, and it will cost me too
3:58:22
Speaker 5: much trouble to go in search of the straying one.
3:58:25
Speaker 5: Let him come back, and I will open the door
3:58:27
Speaker 5: of the sheep fold and let him in. No, no
3:58:30
Speaker 5: sooner does the sheep go astray than the shepherd is
3:58:32
Speaker 5: filled with grief and anxiety. He counts and recounts his flock.
3:58:37
Speaker 5: When he is sure that one sheep is lost, he
3:58:39
Speaker 5: slumbers not. He leaves the ninety and nine within the
3:58:43
Speaker 5: fold and goes in search of the straying sheep. The
3:58:46
Speaker 5: darker and more tempestuous the night, and the more perilous
3:58:50
Speaker 5: the way, the greater is the shepherd's anxiety, and the
3:58:53
Speaker 5: more earnest his search. He makes every effort to find
3:58:56
Speaker 5: that one lost sheep. With what relief he hears in
3:59:00
Speaker 5: the distance its first faint cry. Following the sound, he
3:59:04
Speaker 5: climbs the steepest heights. He goes to the very edge
3:59:07
Speaker 5: of the precipice, at the risk of his own life.
3:59:10
Speaker 5: Thus he searches, while the cry, growing fainter, tells him
3:59:13
Speaker 5: that his sheep is ready to die. At last, his
3:59:16
Speaker 5: effort is rewarded the lost is found, then he does
3:59:20
Speaker 5: not scold it because it has caused him so much trouble.
3:59:23
Speaker 5: He does not drive it with a whip. He does
3:59:25
Speaker 5: not even try to lead it home. In his joy,
3:59:28
Speaker 5: he takes the trembling creature upon his shoulders. If it
3:59:31
Speaker 5: is bruised and wounded, he gathers it in his arms,
3:59:34
Speaker 5: pressing it close to his bosom, that the warmth of
3:59:36
Speaker 5: his own heart may give it life. With gratitude that
3:59:40
Speaker 5: his search has not been in vain, he bears it
3:59:42
Speaker 5: back to the fold. Thank God, he has presented to
3:59:45
Speaker 5: our imagination no picture of a sorrowful shepherd returning without
3:59:49
Speaker 5: the sheep. The parable does not speak of failure, but
3:59:52
Speaker 5: of success and joy in the recovery. Here is the
3:59:55
Speaker 5: divine guarantee that not even one of the straying sheep
3:59:58
Speaker 5: of God's fold is over load, not one is left unsuccored.
4:00:02
Speaker 5: Every one that will submit to be ransomed, Christ will
4:00:05
Speaker 5: rescue from the pit of corruption and from the briars
4:00:08
Speaker 5: of sin. Desponding soul, Take courage, even though you have
4:00:13
Speaker 5: done wickedly, do not think that perhaps God will pardon
4:00:16
Speaker 5: your transgressions and permit you to come into His presence.
4:00:19
Speaker 5: God has made the first advance. While you were in
4:00:23
Speaker 5: rebellion against him. He went forth to seek you with
4:00:26
Speaker 5: the tender heart of the shepherd. He left the ninety
4:00:28
Speaker 5: and nine and went out into the wilderness to find
4:00:31
Speaker 5: that which was lost. The soul, bruised and wounded and
4:00:35
Speaker 5: ready to perish, He encircles in his arms of love
4:00:38
Speaker 5: and joyfully bears it to the fold of safety. It
4:00:41
Speaker 5: was taught by the Jews that before God's love is
4:00:44
Speaker 5: extended to the sinner, he must first repent. In their view,
4:00:47
Speaker 5: repentance is a work by which men earn the favor
4:00:50
Speaker 5: of heaven, and it was this thought that led the
4:00:52
Speaker 5: Pharisees to exclaim in astonishment and anger, this man receiveth sinners.
4:00:58
Speaker 5: According to their ideas, he should permit none to approach
4:01:00
Speaker 5: him but those who had repented. But in the parable
4:01:04
Speaker 5: of the Lost Sheep, Christ teaches that salvation does not
4:01:06
Speaker 5: come through our seeking after God, but through God seeking
4:01:10
Speaker 5: after us. There is none that understandeth, There is none
4:01:13
Speaker 5: that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
4:01:16
Speaker 5: the way. We do not repent in order that God
4:01:19
Speaker 5: may love us, but He reveals to us his love
4:01:22
Speaker 5: in order that we may repent. When the straying sheep
4:01:25
Speaker 5: is at last brought home. The shepherd's gratitude finds expression
4:01:29
Speaker 5: in melodious songs of rejoicing. He calls upon his friends
4:01:33
Speaker 5: and neighbors, saying, unto them, rejoice with me, for I
4:01:36
Speaker 5: have found my sheep which was lost. So when a
4:01:39
Speaker 5: wanderer is found by the great Shepherd of the sheep
4:01:42
Speaker 5: heaven and earth, you unite in thanksgiving and rejoicing. Joy
4:01:46
Speaker 5: shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more
4:01:49
Speaker 5: than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.
4:01:53
Speaker 5: You Pharisees, said Christ, regard yourselves as the favorites of heaven.
4:01:57
Speaker 5: You think yourselves secure in your own righteousness. Know then
4:02:02
Speaker 5: that if you need no repentance, my mission is not
4:02:04
Speaker 5: to you. These poor souls, who feel their poverty and sinfulness,
4:02:08
Speaker 5: are the very ones whom I have come to rescue.
4:02:11
Speaker 5: Angels of heaven are interested in these lost ones, whom
4:02:14
Speaker 5: you despise. You complain and sneer when one of these
4:02:17
Speaker 5: souls joins himself to me. But know that angels rejoice,
4:02:21
Speaker 5: and the song of triumph rings through the courts above.
4:02:24
Speaker 5: The rabbis had a saying that there is rejoicing in
4:02:27
Speaker 5: heaven when one who has sinned against God is destroyed.
4:02:30
Speaker 5: But Jesus taught that to God, the work of destruction
4:02:33
Speaker 5: is a strange work, that in which all Heaven delights
4:02:36
Speaker 5: is the restoration of God's own image in the souls
4:02:39
Speaker 5: whom he has made. When one who has wandered for
4:02:43
Speaker 5: in sin seeks to return to God, he will encounter
4:02:45
Speaker 5: criticism and distrust. There are those who will doubt whether
4:02:49
Speaker 5: his repentance is genuine, or will whisper He has no stability.
4:02:53
Speaker 5: I do not believe that he will hold out. These
4:02:56
Speaker 5: persons are doing not the work of God, but the
4:02:59
Speaker 5: work of Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren.
4:03:02
Speaker 5: Through their criticisms, the wicked one hopes to discourage that
4:03:05
Speaker 5: soul and to drive him still farther from hope and
4:03:08
Speaker 5: from God. Let the repenting sinner contemplate the rejoicing of
4:03:12
Speaker 5: Heaven over the return of the one that was lost.
4:03:16
Speaker 5: Let him rest in the love of God, and in
4:03:18
Speaker 5: no case be disheartened by the scorn and suspicion of
4:03:21
Speaker 5: the Pharisees. The rabbis understood Christ's parable is applying to
4:03:25
Speaker 5: the publicans and sinners, but it has also a wider meaning.
4:03:29
Speaker 5: By the lost sheep, Christ represents not only the individual sinner,
4:03:33
Speaker 5: but the one world that has apostatized and has been
4:03:36
Speaker 5: ruined by sin. This world is but an atom in
4:03:39
Speaker 5: the vast dominions over which God presides. Yet this little
4:03:42
Speaker 5: fallen world, the one lost sheep, is more precious in
4:03:45
Speaker 5: his sight than are the ninety nine that went not
4:03:48
Speaker 5: astray from the fold. Christ, the loved commander in the
4:03:52
Speaker 5: heavenly courts, stooped from his high estate, laid aside the
4:03:56
Speaker 5: glory that he had with the Father in order to
4:03:58
Speaker 5: save the one lost world. For this he left the
4:04:02
Speaker 5: sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved him,
4:04:05
Speaker 5: and came to this earth to be wounded for our
4:04:08
Speaker 5: transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. God gave himself and
4:04:12
Speaker 5: his son that he might have the joy of receiving
4:04:14
Speaker 5: back the sheep that was lost. Behold what manner of
4:04:18
Speaker 5: love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should
4:04:21
Speaker 5: be called the sons of God. And Christ says, as
4:04:24
Speaker 5: thou hast sent me into the world, even so have
4:04:27
Speaker 5: I also sent them into the world to fill up
4:04:29
Speaker 5: that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ for
4:04:32
Speaker 5: his body's sake, which is the Church. Every soul whom
4:04:36
Speaker 5: Christ has rescued is called to work in his name
4:04:39
Speaker 5: for the saving of the lost. This work had been
4:04:42
Speaker 5: neglected in Israel? Is it not neglected to day by
4:04:45
Speaker 5: those who professed to be Christ's followers? How many of
4:04:49
Speaker 5: the wandering ones have you reader, sought for and brought
4:04:52
Speaker 5: back to the fold. When you turn from those who
4:04:55
Speaker 5: seem unpromising and unattractive, do you realize that you are
4:04:58
Speaker 5: neglecting the souls for whom Christ is seeking. At the
4:05:02
Speaker 5: very time when you turn from them, they may be
4:05:04
Speaker 5: in the greatest need of your compassion. In every assembly
4:05:08
Speaker 5: for worship there are souls longing for rest and peace.
4:05:11
Speaker 5: They may appear to be living careless lives, but they
4:05:14
Speaker 5: are not insensible to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
4:05:17
Speaker 5: Many among them might be one for Christ. If the
4:05:21
Speaker 5: lost sheep is not brought back to the fold, it
4:05:23
Speaker 5: wanders until it perishes, and many souls go down to
4:05:27
Speaker 5: ruin for want of a hand stretched out to save.
4:05:30
Speaker 5: These erring ones may appear hard and reckless, but if
4:05:33
Speaker 5: they had received the same advantages that others have had.
4:05:36
Speaker 5: They might have revealed far more nobility of soul and
4:05:39
Speaker 5: greater talent for usefulness. Angels pity these wandering ones. Angels
4:05:45
Speaker 5: weep while human eyes are dry and hearts are closed
4:05:47
Speaker 5: to pity. Oh, the lack of deep soul touching sympathy
4:05:51
Speaker 5: for the tempted and the erring. Oh, for more of
4:05:54
Speaker 5: Christ's spirit and for less, far less of self. The
4:05:58
Speaker 5: Pharisees understood Christ parable as a rebuke to them, instead
4:06:02
Speaker 5: of accepting their criticism of his work, he had reproved
4:06:05
Speaker 5: their neglect of the publicans and sinners. He had not
4:06:09
Speaker 5: done this openly, lest it should close their hearts against him.
4:06:12
Speaker 5: But his illustrations set before them the very work which
4:06:15
Speaker 5: God required of them, and which they had failed to do.
4:06:18
Speaker 5: Had they been true shepherds, these leaders in Israel would
4:06:21
Speaker 5: have done the work of a shepherd. They would have
4:06:24
Speaker 5: manifested the mercy and love of Christ, and would have
4:06:27
Speaker 5: united with him in his mission. Their refusal to do
4:06:30
Speaker 5: this had proved their claims of piety to be false.
4:06:34
Speaker 5: Now many rejected Christ's reproof, yet to some his words
4:06:37
Speaker 5: brought conviction upon these. After Christ's ascension to heaven. The
4:06:42
Speaker 5: Holy Spirit came, and they united with His disciples, and
4:06:45
Speaker 5: the very work outlined in the parable of the Lost
4:06:47
Speaker 5: Sheep the lost piece of silver. After giving the parable
4:06:53
Speaker 5: of the lost sheep, Christ spoke another, saying, what woman,
4:06:56
Speaker 5: having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece,
4:06:59
Speaker 5: doth not light a candle and sweep the house and
4:07:02
Speaker 5: seek diligently till she find it. In the east, the
4:07:06
Speaker 5: houses of the poor usually consisted of but one room,
4:07:09
Speaker 5: often windowless and dark. The room was rarely swept, and
4:07:13
Speaker 5: a piece of money falling on the floor would be
4:07:14
Speaker 5: speedily covered by dust and rubbish. In order that it
4:07:18
Speaker 5: might be found even in the daytime, a candle must
4:07:20
Speaker 5: be lighted, and the house must be swept diligently. The
4:07:24
Speaker 5: wife's marriage portion usually consisted of pieces of money, which
4:07:28
Speaker 5: she carefully preserved as her most cherished possession, to be
4:07:31
Speaker 5: transmitted to her own daughters. The loss of one of
4:07:35
Speaker 5: these pieces would be regarded as a serious calamity, and
4:07:38
Speaker 5: its recovery would cause great rejoicing, in which the neighboring
4:07:41
Speaker 5: women would readily share. When she hath found it, Christ said,
4:07:45
Speaker 5: she calleth her friends and her neighbors together saying, rejoice
4:07:49
Speaker 5: with me, for I have found the piece which I
4:07:51
Speaker 5: had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy
4:07:55
Speaker 5: in the presence of the angels of God over one
4:07:57
Speaker 5: sinner that repenteth. This parable, like the preceding, sets forth
4:08:02
Speaker 5: the loss of something which with proper search may be recovered,
4:08:06
Speaker 5: and that with great joy. But the two parables represent
4:08:09
Speaker 5: different classes. The lost sheep knows that it is lost.
4:08:13
Speaker 5: It has left the shepherd and the flock, and it
4:08:15
Speaker 5: cannot recover itself. It represents those who realize that they
4:08:19
Speaker 5: are separated from God, and who are in a cloud
4:08:22
Speaker 5: of perplexity, in humiliation, and sorely tempted. The lost coin
4:08:27
Speaker 5: represents those who are lost in trespasses and sins, but
4:08:30
Speaker 5: who have no sense of their condition. They are estranged
4:08:34
Speaker 5: from God, but they know it not. Their souls are
4:08:36
Speaker 5: in peril, but they are unconscious and unconcerned. In this parable,
4:08:41
Speaker 5: Christ teaches that even those who are indifferent to the
4:08:44
Speaker 5: claims of God are the objects of his pitying love.
4:08:47
Speaker 5: They are to be sought for that they may be
4:08:49
Speaker 5: brought back to God. The sheep wandered away from the fold.
4:08:53
Speaker 5: It was lost in the wilderness or upon the mountains.
4:08:57
Speaker 5: The peace of silver was lost in the house. It
4:08:59
Speaker 5: was close at hand, yet it could be recovered only
4:09:02
Speaker 5: by diligent search. This parable has a lesson to families.
4:09:07
Speaker 5: In the household there is often great carelessness concerning the
4:09:10
Speaker 5: souls of its members. Among their number may be one
4:09:13
Speaker 5: who is estranged from God. But how little anxiety is
4:09:16
Speaker 5: felt lest in the family relationship there be lost one
4:09:19
Speaker 5: of God's intrusted gifts. The coin, though lying among dust
4:09:24
Speaker 5: and rubbish, is a piece of silver. Still its owner
4:09:27
Speaker 5: seeks it because it is of value. So every soul,
4:09:30
Speaker 5: however degraded by sin, is in God's sight, accounted precious.
4:09:35
Speaker 5: As the coin bears the image and superscription of the
4:09:38
Speaker 5: reigning power, so man, at his creation bore the image
4:09:41
Speaker 5: and superscription of God. And though now marred and dim
4:09:44
Speaker 5: through the influence of sin, the traces of this inscription
4:09:47
Speaker 5: remain upon every soul. God desires to recover that soul
4:09:52
Speaker 5: and to retrace upon it his own image in righteousness
4:09:55
Speaker 5: and holiness. The woman in the parable searches diligently for
4:09:59
Speaker 5: her lost ca She lights the candle and sweeps the house.
4:10:03
Speaker 5: She removes everything that might obstruct her search. Though only
4:10:06
Speaker 5: one piece is lost, she will not cease her efforts
4:10:09
Speaker 5: until that peace is found. So in the family, if
4:10:13
Speaker 5: one member is lost to God, every means should be
4:10:15
Speaker 5: used for his recovery on the part of all the others.
4:10:19
Speaker 5: Let there be diligent, careful self examination. Let the life
4:10:23
Speaker 5: practice be investigated. See if there is not some mistake,
4:10:26
Speaker 5: some error in management by which that soul is confirmed
4:10:30
Speaker 5: and impenitence. If there is in the family one child
4:10:34
Speaker 5: who is unconscious of his sinful state, parents should not rest.
4:10:38
Speaker 5: Let the candle be lighted, search the word of God,
4:10:41
Speaker 5: and by its light, Let everything in the home be
4:10:43
Speaker 5: diligently examined to see why this child is lost. Let
4:10:48
Speaker 5: parents search their own hearts, examine their habits and practices.
4:10:52
Speaker 5: Children are the heritage of the Lord, and we are
4:10:54
Speaker 5: answerable to him for our management of his property. There
4:10:58
Speaker 5: are fathers and mothers who live long to labor in
4:11:00
Speaker 5: some foreign mission field. There are many who are active
4:11:04
Speaker 5: in Christian work outside the home, while their own children
4:11:07
Speaker 5: are strangers to the Savior and his love. The work
4:11:10
Speaker 5: of winning their children for Christ. Many parents trust to
4:11:13
Speaker 5: the minister or the Sada school teacher. But in doing
4:11:16
Speaker 5: this they are neglecting their own God given responsibility. The
4:11:20
Speaker 5: education and training of their children to be Christians is
4:11:22
Speaker 5: the highest service that parents can render to God. It
4:11:26
Speaker 5: is a work that demands patient labor, a life long,
4:11:29
Speaker 5: diligent and persevering effort. By a neglect of this trust,
4:11:33
Speaker 5: we prove ourselves unfaithful stewards. No excuse for such neglect
4:11:37
Speaker 5: will be accepted by God. But those who have been
4:11:41
Speaker 5: guilty of neglect are not to despair. The woman whose
4:11:44
Speaker 5: coin was lost searched until she found it. So, in love,
4:11:48
Speaker 5: faith and prayer, let parents work for their households, until
4:11:51
Speaker 5: with joy they can come to God saying, behold, I
4:11:54
Speaker 5: am the children whom the Lord hath given me. This
4:11:58
Speaker 5: is true home missionary work. And what this is helpful
4:12:00
Speaker 5: to those who do it, as to those for whom
4:12:02
Speaker 5: it is done By our faithful interest for the home circle,
4:12:06
Speaker 5: we are fitting ourselves to work for the members of
4:12:08
Speaker 5: the Lord's family, with whom, if loyal to Christ, we
4:12:11
Speaker 5: shall live through eternal ages. For our brethren and sisters
4:12:15
Speaker 5: in Christ, we are to show the same interests that
4:12:18
Speaker 5: as members of one family we have for one another
4:12:22
Speaker 5: and God designs that all this shall fit us to
4:12:24
Speaker 5: labor for still others. As our sympathies shall broaden and
4:12:28
Speaker 5: our love increase, we shall find everywhere a work to do.
4:12:32
Speaker 5: God's great human household embraces the world, and none of
4:12:35
Speaker 5: its members are to be passed by with neglect. Wherever
4:12:39
Speaker 5: we may be there the lost piece of silver awaits
4:12:42
Speaker 5: our search. Are we seeking for it? Day by day
4:12:45
Speaker 5: we meet with those who take no interest in religious things.
4:12:48
Speaker 5: We talk with them, we visit among them. Do we
4:12:51
Speaker 5: show an interest in their spiritual welfare? Do we present
4:12:54
Speaker 5: Christ to them as the sin pardoning Savior with our
4:12:58
Speaker 5: own hearts warm with the love of Christ? Do we
4:13:00
Speaker 5: tell them about that love? If we do not, how
4:13:03
Speaker 5: shall we meet these souls lost eternally lost? When with
4:13:06
Speaker 5: them we stand before the throne of God the value
4:13:10
Speaker 5: of a soul? Who can estimate? Would you know it's
4:13:12
Speaker 5: worth go to gethseveny and their watch with Christ through
4:13:16
Speaker 5: those hours of anguish, when he sweat as it were
4:13:19
Speaker 5: great drops of blood. Look upon the Savior uplifted on
4:13:23
Speaker 5: the cross. Hear that despairing cry, My God, My God,
4:13:26
Speaker 5: why has sow forsaken me? Look upon the wounded head,
4:13:31
Speaker 5: the pierced sidhe, the marred feet. Remember that Christ risked
4:13:35
Speaker 5: all for our redemption. Heaven itself was imperiled at the
4:13:39
Speaker 5: foot of the cross. Remembering that for one sinner, Christ
4:13:42
Speaker 5: would have laid down his life. You may estimate the
4:13:45
Speaker 5: value of a soul. If you are in communion with Christ,
4:13:49
Speaker 5: you will place his estimate upon every human being. You
4:13:52
Speaker 5: will feel for others the same deep love that Christ
4:13:55
Speaker 5: has felt for you. Then you will be able to win,
4:13:58
Speaker 5: not drive, to attract, not repulse those for whom He died.
4:14:03
Speaker 5: None would ever have been brought back to God if
4:14:05
Speaker 5: Christ had not made a personal effort for them. And
4:14:08
Speaker 5: it is by this personal work that we can rescue souls.
4:14:12
Speaker 5: When you see those who are going down to death,
4:14:14
Speaker 5: you will not rest in quiet indifference and ease. The
4:14:17
Speaker 5: greater their sin and the deeper their misery, the more
4:14:20
Speaker 5: earnest and tender will be your efforts for their recovery.
4:14:24
Speaker 5: You will discern the need of those who are suffering,
4:14:26
Speaker 5: who have been sinning against God, and who are oppressed
4:14:29
Speaker 5: with a burden of guilt. Your heart will go out
4:14:32
Speaker 5: in sympathy for them, and you will reach out to
4:14:34
Speaker 5: them a helping hand. In the arms of your faith
4:14:37
Speaker 5: and love, you will bring them to Christ. You will
4:14:41
Speaker 5: watch over and encourage them, and your sympathy and confidence
4:14:44
Speaker 5: will make it hard for them to fall from their
4:14:46
Speaker 5: said fastness. In this work, all the angels of heaven
4:14:50
Speaker 5: are ready to co operate. All the resources of heaven
4:14:53
Speaker 5: are at the command of those who are seeking to
4:14:55
Speaker 5: save the lost. Angels will help you to reach the
4:14:59
Speaker 5: most careless and the most hardened, And when one is
4:15:02
Speaker 5: brought back to God, all heaven is made glad. Seraphs
4:15:05
Speaker 5: and cheribs touch their golden harps and sing praises to
4:15:09
Speaker 5: God and the Lamb for their mercy and loving kindness
4:15:11
Speaker 5: to the children of men. End of chapter fifteen. Chapter sixteen,
4:15:18
Speaker 5: Lost and is found. The parables of the lost Sheep,
4:15:21
Speaker 5: the Lost Coin, and the prodigal Son bring out in
4:15:24
Speaker 5: distinct lines God's pitying love for those who are straying
4:15:27
Speaker 5: from Him. Although they have turned away from God, he
4:15:31
Speaker 5: does not leave them in their misery. He is full
4:15:34
Speaker 5: of kindness and tender pity toward all who are exposed
4:15:37
Speaker 5: to the temptations of the artful foe. In the parable
4:15:40
Speaker 5: of the Prodigal Son is presented the lord's dealing with
4:15:43
Speaker 5: those who have once known the father's love, but who
4:15:46
Speaker 5: have allowed the tempter to lead them captive at his will.
4:15:50
Speaker 5: A certain man had two sons, and the younger of
4:15:53
Speaker 5: them said to his father, Father, give me the portion
4:15:56
Speaker 5: of goods that falleth to me, and he divided unto
4:15:59
Speaker 5: them his living, And not many days after, the younger
4:16:02
Speaker 5: son gathered altogether and took his journey into a far country.
4:16:07
Speaker 5: This younger son had become weary of the restraint of
4:16:09
Speaker 5: his father's house. He thought that his liberty was restricted.
4:16:13
Speaker 5: His father's love and care for him were misinterpreted, and
4:16:17
Speaker 5: he determined to follow the dictates of his own inclination.
4:16:20
Speaker 5: The youth acknowledges no obligation to his father and expresses
4:16:24
Speaker 5: no gratitude. Yet he claims the privilege of a child
4:16:27
Speaker 5: in sharing his father's goods. The inheritance that would fall
4:16:31
Speaker 5: to him at his father's death he desires to receive now.
4:16:35
Speaker 5: He is bent on present enjoyment and cares not for
4:16:37
Speaker 5: the future. Having obtained his patrimony, he goes into a
4:16:42
Speaker 5: far country, away from his father's home, with money and
4:16:45
Speaker 5: plenty and liberty to do as he likes. He flatters
4:16:48
Speaker 5: himself that the desire of his heart is reached. There
4:16:51
Speaker 5: is no one to say, do not do this, for
4:16:53
Speaker 5: it will be an injury to yourself, or do this
4:16:56
Speaker 5: because it is right. Evil companions help him to plunge
4:17:00
Speaker 5: ever deeper into sin, and he wastes his substance with
4:17:03
Speaker 5: riotous living. The Bible tells of men who, professing themselves
4:17:07
Speaker 5: to be wise, became fools. And this is the history
4:17:11
Speaker 5: of the young man of the Parable. The wealth which
4:17:13
Speaker 5: he has selfishly claimed from his father he squanders upon Harlot's.
4:17:17
Speaker 5: The treasure of his young manhood is wasted. The precious
4:17:21
Speaker 5: years of life, the strength of intellect, the bright visions
4:17:24
Speaker 5: of youth, the spiritual aspirations, all are consumed in the
4:17:27
Speaker 5: fires of lust. A great famine arises. He begins to
4:17:32
Speaker 5: be in want, and he joins himself to a citizen
4:17:35
Speaker 5: of the country, who sends him into the field to
4:17:37
Speaker 5: feed swine to a jew. This was the most menial
4:17:41
Speaker 5: and degrading of employments. The youth, who has boasted of
4:17:44
Speaker 5: his liberty now finds himself a slave.
4:17:48
Speaker 6: He is in the.
4:17:48
Speaker 5: Worst of bondage, holding with the chords of his sins.
4:17:52
Speaker 5: The glitter and tinsel that enticed him have disappeared, and
4:17:55
Speaker 5: he feels the burden of his chain. Sitting upon the
4:17:58
Speaker 5: ground in that desolt and famine stricken land, with no
4:18:01
Speaker 5: companions but the swine, he is fain to fill himselves
4:18:05
Speaker 5: with the husks on which the beasts are fed. Of
4:18:08
Speaker 5: the gay companions who flocked about him in his prosperous days,
4:18:11
Speaker 5: and ate and drank at his expense, there is not
4:18:14
Speaker 5: one left to befriend him. Where now is his riotous
4:18:18
Speaker 5: joy still in his conscience, benumbing his sensibilities. He thought
4:18:22
Speaker 5: himself happy, But now with money spent with hunger, unsatisfied
4:18:27
Speaker 5: with pride, humbled with his moral nature, dwarf with his will,
4:18:31
Speaker 5: weak and untrustworthy, with his finer feelings seemingly dead, he
4:18:34
Speaker 5: is the most wretched of mortals. What a picture here
4:18:37
Speaker 5: of the sinner's state. Although surrounded with the blessings of
4:18:41
Speaker 5: his love, there is nothing that the sinner, bent on
4:18:44
Speaker 5: self indulgence and sinful pleasure, desires so much as separation
4:18:47
Speaker 5: from God. Like the ungrateful son, he claims the good
4:18:51
Speaker 5: things of God as his by right. He takes them
4:18:54
Speaker 5: as a matter of course, and makes no return of
4:18:56
Speaker 5: gratitude renders no service of love. As Cain went out
4:19:00
Speaker 5: from the presence of the Lord to seek his home,
4:19:03
Speaker 5: as the prodigal wandered into the far country, so do
4:19:06
Speaker 5: sinners seek happiness and forgetfulness of God. Whatever the appearance
4:19:10
Speaker 5: may be, every life centered in self is squandered. Whoever
4:19:14
Speaker 5: attempts to live apart from God is wasting his substance.
4:19:18
Speaker 5: He is squandering the precious years, squandering the powers of
4:19:21
Speaker 5: mind and heart and soul, and working to make himself
4:19:24
Speaker 5: bankrupt for eternity. The man who separates from God that
4:19:28
Speaker 5: he may serve himself as the slave of Mammon. The
4:19:32
Speaker 5: mind that God created for the companionship of angels has
4:19:35
Speaker 5: become degraded to the service of that which is earthly
4:19:38
Speaker 5: and bestial. This is the end to which self serving tends.
4:19:43
Speaker 5: If you have chosen such a life, you know that
4:19:45
Speaker 5: you are spending money for that which is not bread,
4:19:48
Speaker 5: and labor for that which satisfieth. Not. There come to
4:19:51
Speaker 5: you hours when you realize your degradation. Alone in the
4:19:55
Speaker 5: far country, you feel your misery, and in despair you cry,
4:19:58
Speaker 5: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me
4:20:01
Speaker 5: from the body of this death. It is the statement
4:20:04
Speaker 5: of the universal truth which is contained in the prophet's words.
4:20:08
Speaker 5: Curse it be the man that trusteth in man and
4:20:10
Speaker 5: maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
4:20:14
Speaker 5: For he shall be like a heath in the desert,
4:20:17
Speaker 5: and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit
4:20:20
Speaker 5: the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land,
4:20:23
Speaker 5: and not inhabit it. God maketh his son to rise
4:20:26
Speaker 5: on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain
4:20:28
Speaker 5: on the just and on the unjust. But men have
4:20:31
Speaker 5: the power to shut themselves away from sunshine and shower.
4:20:35
Speaker 5: So while the sun of righteousness shines and the showers
4:20:38
Speaker 5: of grace fall freely for all, we may, by separating
4:20:41
Speaker 5: ourselves from God, still inhabit the parched places in the wilderness.
4:20:46
Speaker 5: The love of God still yearns over the one who
4:20:48
Speaker 5: has chosen to separate from him, and he sets in
4:20:51
Speaker 5: operation influences to bring him back to the father's house.
4:20:55
Speaker 5: The prodigal son, in his wretchedness, came to himself. The
4:20:59
Speaker 5: decept of power that Satan had exercised over him was broken.
4:21:03
Speaker 5: He saw that his suffering was the result of his
4:21:05
Speaker 5: own folly, and he said, how many hired servants of
4:21:09
Speaker 5: my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I
4:21:11
Speaker 5: perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father.
4:21:16
Speaker 5: Miserable as he was, the prodigal found hope in the
4:21:18
Speaker 5: conviction of his father's love. It was that love which
4:21:22
Speaker 5: was drawing him toward home. So it is the assurance
4:21:26
Speaker 5: of God's love that constrains the sinner to return to God.
4:21:29
Speaker 5: The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. A golden chain,
4:21:34
Speaker 5: the mercy and compassion of divine love is passed around
4:21:38
Speaker 5: every imperiled soul. The Lord declares, I have loved THEE
4:21:41
Speaker 5: with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I
4:21:45
Speaker 5: drawn thee. The son determines to confess his guilt. He
4:21:50
Speaker 5: will go to his father, saying, I have sinned against
4:21:53
Speaker 5: Heaven and before THEE, and am no more worthy to
4:21:56
Speaker 5: be called thy son. But he adds, showing how stint
4:22:00
Speaker 5: it is his conception of his father's love. Make me
4:22:02
Speaker 5: as one of thy hired servants. The young man turns
4:22:07
Speaker 5: from the swineherds and the husks, and sets his face
4:22:09
Speaker 5: toward home, trembling with weakness. And faint from hunger, he
4:22:13
Speaker 5: presses eagerly on his way. He has no covering to
4:22:16
Speaker 5: conceal his rags, but his misery has conquered pride, and
4:22:19
Speaker 5: he hurries on to beg a servant's place where he
4:22:22
Speaker 5: was once a child. Little did the gay, thoughtless youth,
4:22:26
Speaker 5: as he went out from his father's gait, dream of
4:22:28
Speaker 5: the ache and longing left in that father's heart when
4:22:32
Speaker 5: he danced and feasted with his wild companions. Little did
4:22:35
Speaker 5: he think of the shadow that had fallen on his home.
4:22:38
Speaker 5: And now, as with weary and painful steps, he pursues
4:22:41
Speaker 5: the homeward way. He knows not that one is watching
4:22:44
Speaker 5: for his return. But while he is yet a great
4:22:47
Speaker 5: way off, the father discerns his form. Love is of
4:22:51
Speaker 5: quick sight. Not even the degradation of the years of
4:22:54
Speaker 5: sin can conceal the son from the father's eyes. He
4:22:58
Speaker 5: had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck in
4:23:00
Speaker 5: a long, clinging, tender embrace. The father will permit no
4:23:05
Speaker 5: contemptuous eye to mock at his son's misery and tatters.
4:23:09
Speaker 5: He takes from his own shoulders the broad, rich mantle
4:23:11
Speaker 5: and wraps it around the son's wasted form, and the
4:23:14
Speaker 5: youth sobs out his repentance, saying, Father, I have sinned
4:23:18
Speaker 5: against heaven and in my sight, and am no more
4:23:20
Speaker 5: worthy to be called thy son. The father holds him
4:23:24
Speaker 5: close to his side and brings him home. No opportunity
4:23:27
Speaker 5: is given him to ask a servant's place. He is
4:23:30
Speaker 5: a son who shall be honored with the best the
4:23:32
Speaker 5: house affords, and whom the waiting men and women shall
4:23:35
Speaker 5: respect and serve. The father said to his servants, bring
4:23:40
Speaker 5: forth the best robe and put it on him, and
4:23:42
Speaker 5: put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
4:23:45
Speaker 5: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and
4:23:47
Speaker 5: let us eat and be merry. For this My son
4:23:49
Speaker 5: was dead and is alive again. He was lost and
4:23:52
Speaker 5: is found, and they began to be merry. In his
4:23:57
Speaker 5: restless youth, the prodigal looked upon his father as stirs
4:24:00
Speaker 5: and severe. How different his conception of him now, so
4:24:05
Speaker 5: those who are deceived by Satan look upon God as
4:24:07
Speaker 5: hard and exacting. They regard him as watching to denounce
4:24:11
Speaker 5: and condemn, as unwilling to receive the sinner, so long
4:24:14
Speaker 5: as there is legal excuse for not helping him. His
4:24:17
Speaker 5: law they regard as a restriction upon men's happiness, a
4:24:20
Speaker 5: burdensome yoke from which they are glad to escape. That
4:24:24
Speaker 5: he whose eyes have been opened by the love of
4:24:26
Speaker 5: Christ will behold God as full of compassion. He does
4:24:30
Speaker 5: not appear as a tyrannical, relentless being, but as a
4:24:33
Speaker 5: father longing to embrace his repenting son. The sinner will
4:24:37
Speaker 5: exclaim with the psalmist, like as a father pitieth his children,
4:24:41
Speaker 5: so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. In the
4:24:45
Speaker 5: parable there is no taunting, no casting up to the
4:24:48
Speaker 5: prodigal of his evil course. The son feels that the
4:24:51
Speaker 5: past is forgiven and forgotten, blotted out forever. And so
4:24:55
Speaker 5: God says to the sinner, I have blotted out as
4:24:58
Speaker 5: a thick cloud by transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins.
4:25:02
Speaker 5: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their
4:25:05
Speaker 5: sin no more. Let the wicked forsake his way and
4:25:08
Speaker 5: the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto
4:25:12
Speaker 5: the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and
4:25:14
Speaker 5: to our God, for he will abundantly pardon in those days.
4:25:18
Speaker 5: And in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of
4:25:21
Speaker 5: Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none,
4:25:24
Speaker 5: and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found.
4:25:28
Speaker 5: What assurance here of God's willingness to receive the repenting sinner?
4:25:32
Speaker 5: Have you, reader, chosen your own way? Have you wandered
4:25:35
Speaker 5: far from God? Have you sought to feast upon the
4:25:38
Speaker 5: fruits of transgression only to find them turned to ashes
4:25:41
Speaker 5: upon your lips? And now your substance spent, your life,
4:25:45
Speaker 5: plans thwarted, and your hopes dead. Do you sit alone
4:25:48
Speaker 5: and desolate? Now that voice which has long been speaking
4:25:52
Speaker 5: to your heart, but to which you would not listen,
4:25:54
Speaker 5: comes to you distinct and clear. Arise ye and depart,
4:25:58
Speaker 5: for this is not your rest. Because it is polluted.
4:26:01
Speaker 5: It shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. Return
4:26:05
Speaker 5: to your father's house, he invites you, saying, return unto me,
4:26:09
Speaker 5: for I have redeemed thee. Do not listen to the
4:26:13
Speaker 5: enemy's suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have
4:26:15
Speaker 5: made yourself better, until you are good enough to come
4:26:18
Speaker 5: to God. If you wait until then, you will never come.
4:26:21
Speaker 5: When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise
4:26:25
Speaker 5: of Jesus, him that cometh to me, I will in
4:26:28
Speaker 5: no wise cast out. Tell the enemy that the blood
4:26:32
Speaker 5: of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer
4:26:36
Speaker 5: of David your own. Purge me with hissop and I
4:26:38
Speaker 5: shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter
4:26:41
Speaker 5: than snow. Arise and go to your father. He will
4:26:45
Speaker 5: meet you a great way off. If you take even
4:26:48
Speaker 5: one step toward him in repentance, he will hasten to
4:26:50
Speaker 5: infold you in his arms of infinite love. His ear
4:26:54
Speaker 5: is open to the cry of the contrite's soul. The
4:26:57
Speaker 5: very first reaching out of the heart after God is
4:26:59
Speaker 5: no to him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering.
4:27:04
Speaker 5: Never a tear is shed, however secret, Never a sincere
4:27:08
Speaker 5: desire after God is cherished, however feeble. But the spirit
4:27:11
Speaker 5: of God goes forth to meet it, even before the
4:27:14
Speaker 5: prayer is uttered, or the yearning of the heart made known.
4:27:17
Speaker 5: Grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that
4:27:20
Speaker 5: is working upon the human soul. Your heavenly Father will
4:27:25
Speaker 5: take from you the garments defiled by sin. In the
4:27:28
Speaker 5: beautiful parabolic prophecy of Zachariah, the high priest Joshua, standing
4:27:33
Speaker 5: clothed in filthy garments before the Angel of the Lord,
4:27:36
Speaker 5: represents the sinner, and the word is spoken by the Lord.
4:27:40
Speaker 5: Take away the filthy garments from him and unto him.
4:27:43
Speaker 5: He said, behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass
4:27:46
Speaker 5: from THEE, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
4:27:49
Speaker 5: So they set a fair miter upon his head and
4:27:51
Speaker 5: clothed him with garments. Even so God will clothe you
4:27:55
Speaker 5: with the garments of salvation and cover you with the
4:27:58
Speaker 5: robe of righteousness. Though ye have lien among the pots,
4:28:02
Speaker 5: yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove
4:28:04
Speaker 5: covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. He
4:28:08
Speaker 5: will bring you into his banqueting house, and his banner
4:28:11
Speaker 5: over you shall be love. If thou wilt walk in
4:28:14
Speaker 5: my ways, he declares, I will give THEE places to
4:28:16
Speaker 5: walk among these that stand by, even among the holy
4:28:20
Speaker 5: angels that surround his throne. As the bridegrew, rejoiceth over
4:28:25
Speaker 5: the bride, So shall thy God rejoice over thee he
4:28:28
Speaker 5: will save. He will rejoice over THEE with joy. He
4:28:31
Speaker 5: will rest in his love. He will joy over THEE
4:28:34
Speaker 5: with singing, and heaven and earth shall unite in the
4:28:37
Speaker 5: Father's song of rejoicing. For this, my son was dead
4:28:41
Speaker 5: and is alive again. He was lost and is found.
4:28:45
Speaker 5: Thus far in the Saviour's parable there is no discordant
4:28:48
Speaker 5: note to jar the harmony of the scene of joy.
4:28:51
Speaker 5: But now Christ introduces another element. When the prodigal came home,
4:28:55
Speaker 5: the elder son was in the field, and as he
4:28:57
Speaker 5: came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music
4:29:00
Speaker 5: and dancing. And he called one of the servants and
4:29:02
Speaker 5: asked what these things meant. And he said, unto him,
4:29:07
Speaker 5: thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the
4:29:09
Speaker 5: fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
4:29:13
Speaker 5: And he was angry and would not go in. This
4:29:16
Speaker 5: elder brother has not been sharing in his father's anxiety
4:29:19
Speaker 5: and watching for the one that was lost. He shares not. Therefore,
4:29:22
Speaker 5: in the father's joy at the wanderer's return, the sounds
4:29:26
Speaker 5: of rejoicing kindle no gladness in his heart. He inquires
4:29:30
Speaker 5: of a servant the reason of the festivity, and the
4:29:32
Speaker 5: answer excites his jealousy. He will not go in to
4:29:36
Speaker 5: welcome his lost brother. The favor shown to the prodigal
4:29:39
Speaker 5: he regards as an insult to himself. When the father
4:29:43
Speaker 5: comes out to remonstrate with him, the pride and malignity
4:29:46
Speaker 5: of his nature are revealed. He dwells upon his own
4:29:49
Speaker 5: life in his father's house as a round of unrequited service,
4:29:53
Speaker 5: and then places in mean contrasts the favor shown to
4:29:56
Speaker 5: the son just returned. He makes it plain that his
4:29:59
Speaker 5: own service has been that of a servant rather than
4:30:02
Speaker 5: a son, when he should have found an abiding joy
4:30:05
Speaker 5: in his father's presence. His mind has rested upon the
4:30:08
Speaker 5: prophet to accrue from his circumspect life. His words show
4:30:12
Speaker 5: that it is for this he has forgote the pleasures
4:30:15
Speaker 5: of sin. Now, if this brother is to share in
4:30:17
Speaker 5: the father's gifts, the elder son counts that he himself
4:30:20
Speaker 5: has been wronged. He grudges his brother the favor shown him.
4:30:24
Speaker 5: He plainly shows that had he been in the father's place,
4:30:27
Speaker 5: he would not have received the prodigal He does not
4:30:30
Speaker 5: even acknowledge him as a brother, but coldly speaks of
4:30:32
Speaker 5: him as thy son. Yet the father deals tenderly with him. Son,
4:30:37
Speaker 5: He says, thou art ever with me, and all that
4:30:40
Speaker 5: I have is thine. Through all these years of your
4:30:43
Speaker 5: brother's outcast life, have you not had the privilege of
4:30:46
Speaker 5: companionship with me? Everything that could minister to the happiness
4:30:50
Speaker 5: of his children is freely theirs. The son need have
4:30:53
Speaker 5: no question of gift or reward. All that I have
4:30:56
Speaker 5: is thine. You have only to believe my love and
4:30:59
Speaker 5: take the gift that is freely bestowed. One son had
4:31:03
Speaker 5: for a time cut himself off from the household, not
4:31:06
Speaker 5: discerning the father's love. But now he has returned, and
4:31:09
Speaker 5: the tide of joy sweeps away every disturbing thought. This
4:31:13
Speaker 5: thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was
4:31:15
Speaker 5: lost and is found. Was the elder brother brought to
4:31:19
Speaker 5: see his own mean, ungrateful spirit. Did he come to
4:31:22
Speaker 5: see that though his brother had done wickedly, he was
4:31:25
Speaker 5: his brother. Still did the elder brother repent of his
4:31:28
Speaker 5: jealousy and hard heartedness. Concerning this, Christ was silent, for
4:31:33
Speaker 5: the parable was still enacting, and it rested with his
4:31:36
Speaker 5: hearers to determine what the outcome should be. By the
4:31:40
Speaker 5: elder son were represented the unrepenting Jews of Christ's day,
4:31:44
Speaker 5: and also the Pharisees in every age, who look with
4:31:46
Speaker 5: contempt upon those whom they regard as publicans and sinners,
4:31:51
Speaker 5: because they themselves have not gone to great excesses and vice.
4:31:54
Speaker 5: They are filled with self righteousness. Christ met these cavillers
4:31:58
Speaker 5: on their own ground. Like the elder son in the parable,
4:32:01
Speaker 5: they had enjoyed special privileges from God. They claimed to
4:32:05
Speaker 5: be sons in God's house, but they had the spirit
4:32:07
Speaker 5: of the hireling. They were working not from love, but
4:32:10
Speaker 5: from hope of reward. In their eyes, God was an
4:32:14
Speaker 5: exacting taskmaster. They saw Christ inviting publicans and sinners to
4:32:19
Speaker 5: receive freely the gift of his grace, the gift which
4:32:22
Speaker 5: the rabbis hoped to secure only by toil and penance,
4:32:25
Speaker 5: and they were offended. The prodigal's return, which filled the
4:32:28
Speaker 5: Father's heart with joy, only stirred them to jealousy. In
4:32:32
Speaker 5: the parable, the Father's remonstrance with the elder Son was
4:32:36
Speaker 5: Heaven's tender appeal to the Pharisees. All that I have
4:32:39
Speaker 5: is Thine, not as wages, but as a gift. Like
4:32:42
Speaker 5: the prodigal, you can receive it only as the unmerited
4:32:45
Speaker 5: bestowal of the Father's love. Self Righteousness not only leads
4:32:50
Speaker 5: men to misrepresent God, but makes the cold hearted and
4:32:53
Speaker 5: critical toward their brethren. The elder Son, in his selfishness
4:32:57
Speaker 5: and jealousy, stood ready to watch his brother, to criticize
4:33:01
Speaker 5: every action, and to accuse him for the least efficiency.
4:33:05
Speaker 5: He would detect every mistake and make the most of
4:33:07
Speaker 5: every wrong act. Thus he would seek to justify his
4:33:11
Speaker 5: own unforgiving spirit. Many to day are doing the same thing.
4:33:16
Speaker 5: While the soul is making its very first struggles against
4:33:19
Speaker 5: a flood of temptations. They stand by, stubborn, self willed, complaining, accusing.
4:33:25
Speaker 5: They may claim to be children of God, but they
4:33:27
Speaker 5: are acting out the spirit of Satan by their attitude
4:33:31
Speaker 5: toward their brethren. These accusers place themselves where God cannot
4:33:35
Speaker 5: give them the light of his countenance. Many are constantly questioning,
4:33:40
Speaker 5: wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself
4:33:42
Speaker 5: before the High God? Shall I come before him with
4:33:45
Speaker 5: burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the
4:33:48
Speaker 5: Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten
4:33:51
Speaker 5: thousands of rivers of oil? But He hath shown thee,
4:33:55
Speaker 5: O man, what is good? And what doth the Lord
4:33:57
Speaker 5: require of thee But to do justly, and to love mercy,
4:34:00
Speaker 5: and to walk humbly with Thy God. This is the
4:34:04
Speaker 5: service that God has chosen to loose the bands of wickedness,
4:34:07
Speaker 5: to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed
4:34:11
Speaker 5: go free, and that you break every yoke, and that
4:34:14
Speaker 5: thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. When you
4:34:18
Speaker 5: see yourselves as sinners, saved only by the love of
4:34:21
Speaker 5: your heavenly Father, you will have tender pity for others
4:34:24
Speaker 5: who are suffering in sin. You will no longer meet
4:34:27
Speaker 5: misery and repentance with jealousy and censure. When the ice
4:34:31
Speaker 5: selfishness is melted from your hearts, you will be in
4:34:34
Speaker 5: sympathy with God and will share his joy in the
4:34:37
Speaker 5: saving of the lost. It is true that you claim
4:34:40
Speaker 5: to be a child of God. But if this claim
4:34:42
Speaker 5: be true, it is thy brother that was dead and
4:34:45
Speaker 5: is alive again, and was lost and is found. He
4:34:48
Speaker 5: is bound to you by the closest ties, for God
4:34:51
Speaker 5: recognizes him as a son. Deny your relationship to him,
4:34:55
Speaker 5: and you show that you are but a hireling in
4:34:57
Speaker 5: the household, not a child in the family of God.
4:35:01
Speaker 5: Though you will not join in the greeting to the lost,
4:35:03
Speaker 5: the joy will go on. The restored one will have
4:35:06
Speaker 5: his place by the Father's side and in the Father's work.
4:35:09
Speaker 5: He that is forgiven much the same loves much but
4:35:12
Speaker 5: you will be in the darkness without for he that
4:35:15
Speaker 5: loveth not knoweth not God, For God is love. End
4:35:20
Speaker 5: of Chapter sixteen, Chapter seventeen. Spare it this year. Also, Christ,
4:35:28
Speaker 5: in his teaching, linked with the warning of judgment the
4:35:30
Speaker 5: invitation of mercy. The Son of Man is not come,
4:35:34
Speaker 5: he said, to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
4:35:37
Speaker 5: God sent not his son into the world to condemn
4:35:40
Speaker 5: the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
4:35:44
Speaker 5: His mission of mercy, in its relation to God's justice
4:35:47
Speaker 5: and judgment, is illustrated in the parable of the barren
4:35:50
Speaker 5: fig tree. Christ had been warning the people of the
4:35:54
Speaker 5: coming of the Kingdom of God, and he had sharply
4:35:57
Speaker 5: rebuked their ignorance and indifference in the sky which foretold
4:36:01
Speaker 5: the weather. They were quick to read, but the signs
4:36:03
Speaker 5: of the times, which so clearly pointed to his mission,
4:36:06
Speaker 5: were not discerned. But men were as ready then as
4:36:10
Speaker 5: men are now to conclude that they themselves are the
4:36:12
Speaker 5: favorites of Heaven, and that the message of reproof is
4:36:15
Speaker 5: meant for another. The hearers told Jesus of an event
4:36:18
Speaker 5: which had just caused great excitement. Some of the measures
4:36:22
Speaker 5: of pontious Pilot, the governor of Judea, had given offensive people.
4:36:26
Speaker 5: There had been a popular tumult in Jerusalem, and Pilot
4:36:29
Speaker 5: had attempted to quell this by violence. On one occasion,
4:36:33
Speaker 5: his soldiers had even invaded the precincts of the Temple
4:36:37
Speaker 5: and had cut down some Galilean pilgrims in the very
4:36:39
Speaker 5: act of slaying their sacrifices. The Jews regarded calamity as
4:36:44
Speaker 5: a judgment on account of the sufferer's sin, and those
4:36:47
Speaker 5: who told of this act of violence did so with
4:36:50
Speaker 5: secret satisfaction. In their view, their own good fortune proved
4:36:54
Speaker 5: them to be much better and therefore more favored by
4:36:57
Speaker 5: God than were these Galileans. They expected to hear from
4:37:01
Speaker 5: Jesus words of condemnation for these men, who they doubted
4:37:04
Speaker 5: not richly deserved their punishment. The disciples of Christ did
4:37:09
Speaker 5: not venture to express their ideas until they had heard
4:37:12
Speaker 5: the opinion of their master. He had given them pointed
4:37:15
Speaker 5: lessons in reference to judging other men's characters and measuring
4:37:19
Speaker 5: retribution according to their finite judgment. Yet they looked for
4:37:23
Speaker 5: Christ to denounce these men as sinners above others. Great
4:37:27
Speaker 5: was their surprise at his answer, turning to the multitude.
4:37:32
Speaker 5: The Savior said, suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners
4:37:35
Speaker 5: above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things. I
4:37:39
Speaker 5: tell you nay. But except ye repent, ye shall all
4:37:42
Speaker 5: likewise perish. These startling calamities were designed to lead them
4:37:46
Speaker 5: to humble their hearts and to repent of their sins.
4:37:50
Speaker 5: The storm of vengeance was gathering, which was soon to
4:37:53
Speaker 5: burst upon all who had not found a refuge in Christ.
4:37:57
Speaker 5: As Jesus talked with the disciples and the multitude, he
4:38:00
Speaker 5: looked forward with prophetic glance and saw Jerusalem besieged with armies.
4:38:05
Speaker 5: He heard the tramp of the aliens marching against the
4:38:07
Speaker 5: Chosen City, and saw the thousands upon thousands perishing in
4:38:11
Speaker 5: the siege. Many of the Jews were like those Galileans,
4:38:15
Speaker 5: slain in the temple courts in the very act of
4:38:17
Speaker 5: offering sacrifice. The calamities that had fallen upon individuals were
4:38:21
Speaker 5: warnings from God to a nation equally guilty. Except ye repent,
4:38:27
Speaker 5: said Jesus, ye shall all likewise perish. For a little time,
4:38:31
Speaker 5: the day of probation lingered for them. There was still
4:38:34
Speaker 5: time for them to know the things that belonged to
4:38:36
Speaker 5: their peace. A certain man, he continued, had a fig
4:38:40
Speaker 5: tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought
4:38:42
Speaker 5: fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the
4:38:46
Speaker 5: dresser of his vineyard. Behold these three years I come
4:38:49
Speaker 5: seeking fruit on this fig tree, and fine none cut
4:38:51
Speaker 5: it down. Why cumbereth at the ground. Christ's hearers could
4:38:56
Speaker 5: not misunderstand the application of his words. David had sung
4:39:00
Speaker 5: of Israel as the vine brought out of Egypt. Isaiah
4:39:03
Speaker 5: had written, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is
4:39:05
Speaker 5: the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his
4:39:07
Speaker 5: pleasant plant. The generation to whom the Savior had come
4:39:12
Speaker 5: were represented by the fig tree in the Lord's vineyard,
4:39:15
Speaker 5: within the circle of his special care and blessing. God's
4:39:19
Speaker 5: purpose toward his people, and the glorious possibilities before them
4:39:23
Speaker 5: had been set forth in the beautiful words, that they
4:39:26
Speaker 5: might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord,
4:39:29
Speaker 5: that he might be glorified. The dying Jacob, under the
4:39:33
Speaker 5: spirit of inspiration, had said of his best loved son Joseph,
4:39:37
Speaker 5: is a fruitful bow, even a fruitful bow by a
4:39:39
Speaker 5: well whose branches run over the wall and he said,
4:39:43
Speaker 5: the God of thy Father shall help thee. The Almighty,
4:39:46
Speaker 5: shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above blessings of
4:39:49
Speaker 5: the deep that lieth under. So God had planted Israel
4:39:53
Speaker 5: as a goodly vine by the wells of life. He
4:39:56
Speaker 5: had made it his vineyard in a very fruitful hill.
4:39:58
Speaker 5: He had fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof,
4:40:01
Speaker 5: and planted it with the choicest fine. And he looked
4:40:05
Speaker 5: that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth
4:40:07
Speaker 5: wild grapes. The people of Christ's day made a greater
4:40:11
Speaker 5: show of piety than did the Jews of earlier ages,
4:40:14
Speaker 5: but they were even more destitute of the sweet graces
4:40:16
Speaker 5: of the spirit of God. The precious fruits of character
4:40:20
Speaker 5: that made the life of Joseph so fragrant and beautiful
4:40:23
Speaker 5: were not manifest in the Jewish nation. God and his
4:40:27
Speaker 5: son had been seeking fruit and had found none. Israel
4:40:30
Speaker 5: was a cumberer of the ground. Its very existence was
4:40:33
Speaker 5: a curse, for it filled the place in the vineyard
4:40:36
Speaker 5: that a fruitful tree might fill. It robbed the world
4:40:39
Speaker 5: of the blessings that God had designed to give. The
4:40:42
Speaker 5: Israelites had misrepresented God among the nations. They were not
4:40:46
Speaker 5: merely useless, but a decided hindrance. To a great degree,
4:40:49
Speaker 5: their religion was misleading and wrought ruin instead of salvation.
4:40:54
Speaker 5: In the parable, the dresser of the vineyard does not
4:40:56
Speaker 5: question the sentence of the tree. If it remained fruitless,
4:40:59
Speaker 5: should be cut down. But he knows and shares the
4:41:02
Speaker 5: owner's interest in that baron try. Nothing could give him
4:41:06
Speaker 5: greater joy than to see its growth and fruitfulness. He
4:41:09
Speaker 5: responds to the desire of the owner, saying, let it
4:41:12
Speaker 5: alone this year also till I shall dig about it
4:41:14
Speaker 5: and dung it, and if it bear fruit well. The
4:41:18
Speaker 5: gardener does not refuse to minister to so unpromising a plant.
4:41:22
Speaker 5: He stands ready to give it still greater care. He
4:41:25
Speaker 5: will make its surroundings most favorable, and will lavish upon
4:41:28
Speaker 5: it every attention. The owner and the dresser of the
4:41:32
Speaker 5: vineyard are one in their interest in the fig tree.
4:41:35
Speaker 5: So the father and the son were one in their
4:41:37
Speaker 5: love for the chosen people. Christ was saying to his
4:41:41
Speaker 5: hearers that increased opportunities would be given them. Every means
4:41:46
Speaker 5: that the love of God could devise would be put
4:41:48
Speaker 5: in operation, that they might become trees of righteousness, bringing
4:41:52
Speaker 5: forth fruit for the blessing of the world. Jesus did not,
4:41:56
Speaker 5: in the parable tell the result of the gardener's work.
4:41:59
Speaker 5: At that point, his story was cut short. Its conclusion
4:42:03
Speaker 5: rested with the generation that heard his words to them
4:42:06
Speaker 5: the solemn morning was given. If not then after that,
4:42:10
Speaker 5: thou shalt cut it down upon them. It depended whether
4:42:14
Speaker 5: the irrevocable words should be spoken. The day of wrath
4:42:17
Speaker 5: was near in the calamities that had already befallen Israel.
4:42:21
Speaker 5: The owner of the vineyard is mercifully forewarning them of
4:42:23
Speaker 5: the destruction of the unfruitful tree. The warning sounds down
4:42:28
Speaker 5: along the line to us in this generation, Are you, o,
4:42:31
Speaker 5: careless heart of fruitless tree in the Lord's vineyard? Shall
4:42:34
Speaker 5: the words of doom ere long be spoken of you?
4:42:38
Speaker 5: How long have you received his gifts? How long is
4:42:40
Speaker 5: he watched and waited for a return of love planted
4:42:44
Speaker 5: in his vineyard under the watchful care of the gardener.
4:42:46
Speaker 5: What privileges are yours? How often has the tender gospel
4:42:51
Speaker 5: message thrilled your heart? You have taken the name of Christ,
4:42:54
Speaker 5: You are outwardly a member of the Church which is
4:42:57
Speaker 5: His body, And yet you are conscious of no living
4:43:00
Speaker 5: connection with the great Heart of Love. The tide of
4:43:03
Speaker 5: his life does not flow through you. The sweet graces
4:43:06
Speaker 5: of his character, the fruits of the spirit are not
4:43:08
Speaker 5: seen in your life. The barren tree receives the rain
4:43:12
Speaker 5: and the sunshine in the gardener's care. It draws nourishment
4:43:16
Speaker 5: from the soil, but its unproductive boughs only darken the ground,
4:43:20
Speaker 5: so that fruit bearing plants cannot flourish in its shadow.
4:43:24
Speaker 5: So God's gifts lavished on you convey no blessing to
4:43:27
Speaker 5: the world. You are robbing others of privileges that but
4:43:30
Speaker 5: for you, might be theirs. You realize, though it may
4:43:35
Speaker 5: be but dimly, that you are a cumberer of the ground.
4:43:38
Speaker 5: Yet in his great mercy, God has not cut you down.
4:43:41
Speaker 5: He does not look coldly upon you. He does not
4:43:44
Speaker 5: turn away with indifference or leave you to destruction. Looking
4:43:48
Speaker 5: upon you, he cries, as he cried so many centuries ago,
4:43:51
Speaker 5: concerning Israel. How shall I give thee up Ephrium? How
4:43:54
Speaker 5: shall I deliver thee Israel? I will not execute the
4:43:57
Speaker 5: fierceness of mine anger. I will not turn to destroy Ephrium,
4:44:01
Speaker 5: for I am God and not man. The pitying Savior
4:44:05
Speaker 5: is saying, concerning you, spare it this year also till
4:44:08
Speaker 5: I shall dig about it and dress it with what
4:44:12
Speaker 5: unwearied love did Christ minister to Israel during the period
4:44:15
Speaker 5: of added probation upon the cross, He prayed, Father, forgive them,
4:44:19
Speaker 5: for they know not what they do. After his ascension,
4:44:22
Speaker 5: the Gospel was preached first at Jerusalem. There the Holy
4:44:25
Speaker 5: Spirit was poured out There, the first gospel church revealed
4:44:29
Speaker 5: the power of the risen Savior. There Stephen, his face
4:44:32
Speaker 5: as it had been the face of an angel, bore
4:44:35
Speaker 5: his testimony, and laid down his life. All that Heaven
4:44:39
Speaker 5: itself could give was bestowed. What could have been done
4:44:43
Speaker 5: more to my vineyard, Christ said that I have not
4:44:45
Speaker 5: done in it. So his care and labor for you
4:44:48
Speaker 5: are not lessened, but increased. Still, he says, I the
4:44:52
Speaker 5: Lord you keep it. I will water at every moment,
4:44:54
Speaker 5: lest any hurt it. I will keep it night and
4:44:57
Speaker 5: day if it bear fruit well, and if not, then
4:45:00
Speaker 5: after that the heart that does not respond to define
4:45:04
Speaker 5: agencies becomes hardened, until it is no longer susceptible to
4:45:07
Speaker 5: the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then it is that
4:45:10
Speaker 5: the word is spoken cut it down. Why cumbereth at
4:45:13
Speaker 5: the ground today. He invites you, oh Israel, return unto
4:45:18
Speaker 5: the Lord thy God. I will heal their backsliding. I
4:45:21
Speaker 5: will love them freely. I will be as that Jew
4:45:23
Speaker 5: unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily and cast
4:45:26
Speaker 5: forth his roots as Lebanon. These it dwell under his
4:45:29
Speaker 5: shadow shall return. They shall revive us the corn and
4:45:33
Speaker 5: grow as the vine. From me is thy fruit found
4:45:37
Speaker 5: end of chapter seventeen.
4:45:40
Speaker 8: Chapter eighteen, Go into the highways and hedges. The Savior
4:45:46
Speaker 8: was a guest at the feast of a pharisee. He
4:45:50
Speaker 8: accepted invitations from the rich as well as the poor,
4:45:53
Speaker 8: and according to his custom, he linked the scene before
4:45:58
Speaker 8: him with his lessons of truth. Among the Jews, the
4:46:02
Speaker 8: sacred feast was connected with all their seasons of national
4:46:07
Speaker 8: and religious rejoicing. He was to them a type of
4:46:11
Speaker 8: the blessings of eternal life. The great feast at which
4:46:15
Speaker 8: they were to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
4:46:20
Speaker 8: while the gentiles stood without and looked on with longing eyes,
4:46:25
Speaker 8: was a theme on which they delighted to dwell. The
4:46:28
Speaker 8: lesson of warning and instruction which Christ desired to give.
4:46:33
Speaker 8: He now illustrated by the parable of a great supper,
4:46:37
Speaker 8: the blessings of God, both for the present and for
4:46:40
Speaker 8: the future life. The Jews thought to shut up to themselves.
4:46:45
Speaker 8: They denied God's mercy to the gentiles. By the parable,
4:46:49
Speaker 8: Christ showed that they were themselves at that very time,
4:46:53
Speaker 8: rejecting the imitation of mercy the call to God's kingdom.
4:46:58
Speaker 8: He showed that the which they had slighted was to
4:47:02
Speaker 8: be sent to those whom they despised, those from whom
4:47:06
Speaker 8: they had drawn away their garments, as if they were
4:47:09
Speaker 8: lepers to be shunned. In choosing the guests for his feast,
4:47:14
Speaker 8: the Pharisee had consulted his own selfish interest. Christ said
4:47:18
Speaker 8: to him, when thou makest a dinner or a supper,
4:47:22
Speaker 8: call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen,
4:47:27
Speaker 8: nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also bid THEE again,
4:47:31
Speaker 8: and a recompense be made THEE. But when thou makest
4:47:34
Speaker 8: a feast, call the poor, the name, the lame, the blind,
4:47:40
Speaker 8: and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense THEE.
4:47:44
Speaker 8: For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
4:47:49
Speaker 8: Christ was here repeating the instruction he had given to
4:47:52
Speaker 8: Israel through Moses at their sacred feasts. The Lord had
4:47:57
Speaker 8: directed that the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow,
4:48:02
Speaker 8: which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat
4:48:06
Speaker 8: and be satisfied. These gatherings were to be as object
4:48:10
Speaker 8: lessons to Israel, being thus taught the joy of true hospitality.
4:48:15
Speaker 8: The people were throughout the year to care for the
4:48:18
Speaker 8: bereaved and the poor, and these feasts had a wider lesson.
4:48:22
Speaker 8: The spiritual blessings given to Israel were not for themselves alone.
4:48:27
Speaker 8: God had given the bread of life to them that
4:48:30
Speaker 8: they might break it to the world. This work they
4:48:33
Speaker 8: had not fulfilled. Christ's words were a rebuke to their selfishness.
4:48:38
Speaker 8: To the Pharisees, his words were distasteful. Hoping to turn
4:48:42
Speaker 8: the conversation into another channel, one of them, with a
4:48:46
Speaker 8: sanctimonious air, exclaimed, blessed is he that shall eat bread
4:48:51
Speaker 8: in the Kingdom of God. This man spoke with great assurance,
4:48:55
Speaker 8: as if he himself were certain of a place in
4:48:58
Speaker 8: the Kingdom. His attitude was similar to the attitude of
4:49:01
Speaker 8: those who rejoice that they are saved by Christ when
4:49:05
Speaker 8: they do not comply with the conditions upond which salvation
4:49:09
Speaker 8: is promised. His spirit was like that of Balaam when
4:49:13
Speaker 8: he prayed, let me die the death of the righteous,
4:49:17
Speaker 8: and let my last end be like his. The Pharisee
4:49:21
Speaker 8: was not thinking of his own fitness for heaven, but
4:49:24
Speaker 8: of what he hoped to enjoy in heaven. His remark
4:49:28
Speaker 8: was designed to turn away the minds of the guests
4:49:30
Speaker 8: at the feast from the subject of their practical duty.
4:49:34
Speaker 8: He thought to carry them past the present life to
4:49:37
Speaker 8: the remote time of the resurrection of the just Christ.
4:49:42
Speaker 8: Read the heart of the pretender, and fastening his eyes
4:49:46
Speaker 8: upon him, he opened before the company the character and
4:49:50
Speaker 8: value of their present privileges. He showed them that they
4:49:53
Speaker 8: had a part to act at that very time, in
4:49:57
Speaker 8: order to share in the blessedness of the few. Cure
4:50:01
Speaker 8: a certain man, he said, made a great supper and
4:50:05
Speaker 8: bade many. When the time of the feast arrived, the
4:50:09
Speaker 8: host sent his servant to the expected guests with the
4:50:12
Speaker 8: second message, come, for all things are now ready. But
4:50:16
Speaker 8: a strange indifference was shown. All with one consent began
4:50:21
Speaker 8: to make excuse the first said, unto him, I have
4:50:24
Speaker 8: bought a piece of ground, and it must needs go
4:50:27
Speaker 8: and see it. I pray THEE have me excused. And
4:50:32
Speaker 8: another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and
4:50:36
Speaker 8: I go to prove them. I pray THEE have me excused.
4:50:40
Speaker 8: And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore
4:50:44
Speaker 8: I cannot come. None of the excuses were founded on
4:50:49
Speaker 8: a real necessity. The man who must needs go and
4:50:53
Speaker 8: see his piece of ground had already purchased it. His
4:50:57
Speaker 8: haste to go and see it was due to the
4:50:59
Speaker 8: fact that his interest was absorbed in his purchase. The oxen,
4:51:03
Speaker 8: too had been bought, The proving of them was only
4:51:07
Speaker 8: to satisfy the interest of the buyer. The third excuse
4:51:11
Speaker 8: had no more semblance of reason. The fact that the
4:51:14
Speaker 8: intended guests had married a wife need not have prevented
4:51:19
Speaker 8: his presence at the feast. His wife also would have
4:51:22
Speaker 8: been made welcome. But he had his own plans for enjoyment,
4:51:26
Speaker 8: and these seemed to him more desirable than the feast
4:51:29
Speaker 8: he had promised to attend. He had learned to find
4:51:32
Speaker 8: pleasure in other society than that of the host. He
4:51:36
Speaker 8: did not ask to be excused, made not even a
4:51:39
Speaker 8: pretensive courtesy in his refusal. The I cannot was only
4:51:44
Speaker 8: a veil for the truth. I do not care to come.
4:51:49
Speaker 8: All the excuses betray a preoccupied mind to these intended guests.
4:51:54
Speaker 8: Other interests had become all absorbing. The invitation they had
4:51:58
Speaker 8: pledged themselves to accept was put aside, and the generous
4:52:03
Speaker 8: Friend was insulted by their indifference. By the Great Supper,
4:52:08
Speaker 8: Christ represents the blessings offered through the Gospel. The provision
4:52:12
Speaker 8: is nothing less than Christ himself. He is the bread
4:52:15
Speaker 8: that comes down from Heaven, and from him the streams
4:52:19
Speaker 8: of salvation flow. The Lord's messengers had proclaimed to the
4:52:23
Speaker 8: Jews the advent of the Savior. They had pointed to
4:52:27
Speaker 8: Christ as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
4:52:31
Speaker 8: sin of the world. In the feast he had provided,
4:52:34
Speaker 8: God offered to them the greatest gift that Heaven can bestow,
4:52:38
Speaker 8: a gift that is beyond computation. The love of God
4:52:42
Speaker 8: had furnished the costly banquet and had provided inexhaustible resources.
4:52:47
Speaker 8: If any man eat of this bread, Christ said, he
4:52:51
Speaker 8: shall live forever. But in order to accept the invitation
4:52:55
Speaker 8: to the Gospel feast, they must make their worldly interests
4:52:59
Speaker 8: subordinate to the one purpose of receiving Christ and his righteousness.
4:53:04
Speaker 8: God gave all for man, and he asked him to
4:53:07
Speaker 8: place his service above every earthly and selfish consideration. He
4:53:12
Speaker 8: cannot accept a divided heart. The heart that is absorbed
4:53:16
Speaker 8: in earthly affections cannot be given up to God. The
4:53:20
Speaker 8: lesson is for all time. We are to follow the
4:53:23
Speaker 8: lamb of God. Whithersoever he goeth. His guidance is to
4:53:27
Speaker 8: be chosen, his companionship valued above the companionship of earthly friends.
4:53:33
Speaker 8: Christ says, he that loveth father or mother more than
4:53:37
Speaker 8: me is not worthy of me, and he that loveth
4:53:40
Speaker 8: son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
4:53:45
Speaker 8: Around the family board, when breaking their daily bread, many
4:53:49
Speaker 8: in Christ's day repeated the words, blessed is he that
4:53:53
Speaker 8: shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God. But Christ
4:53:56
Speaker 8: showed how difficult it was to find guests for the
4:53:59
Speaker 8: table provided at infinite cost. Those who listened to his
4:54:03
Speaker 8: words knew that they had slighted the invitation of mercy
4:54:07
Speaker 8: to them. Worldly possessions, riches, and pleasures were all absorbing
4:54:12
Speaker 8: with one consent. They had made excuse. So it is
4:54:16
Speaker 8: now the excuses urged for refusing the invitation to the
4:54:21
Speaker 8: feast cover the whole ground of excuses for refusing the
4:54:25
Speaker 8: gospel invitation. Men declare that they cannot imperil their worldly
4:54:29
Speaker 8: prospects by giving attention to the claims of the Gospel.
4:54:33
Speaker 8: They count their temporal interests as of more value than
4:54:38
Speaker 8: the things of eternity. The very blessings they have received
4:54:41
Speaker 8: from God become a barrier to separate their souls from
4:54:45
Speaker 8: their creator and redeemer. They will not be interrupted in
4:54:49
Speaker 8: their worldly pursuits, and they say to the Messenger of Mercy,
4:54:53
Speaker 8: go thy way, for this time, when I have a
4:54:56
Speaker 8: convenient season, I will call for thee. Others urge the
4:55:00
Speaker 8: difficulties that would arise in their social relations should they
4:55:04
Speaker 8: obey the call of God. They say they cannot afford
4:55:07
Speaker 8: to be out of harmony with their relatives and acquaintances.
4:55:12
Speaker 8: Thus they prove themselves to be the very actors described
4:55:15
Speaker 8: in the parable. The Master of the feast regards their
4:55:18
Speaker 8: flimsy excuses as showing contempt for his invitation. The man
4:55:23
Speaker 8: who said I have married a wife, and therefore I
4:55:27
Speaker 8: cannot come represents a large class. Many there are who
4:55:32
Speaker 8: will allow their wives or their husbands to prevent them
4:55:36
Speaker 8: from heeding the call of God. The husband says, I
4:55:39
Speaker 8: cannot obey my convictions of duty while my wife is
4:55:43
Speaker 8: opposed to it. Her influence would make it exceedingly hard
4:55:47
Speaker 8: for me to do so. The wife hears the gracious
4:55:49
Speaker 8: call come for all things are now ready, and she says,
4:55:54
Speaker 8: I pray THEE have me excused. My husband refuses the
4:55:58
Speaker 8: invitation of mercy. He says that his business stands in
4:56:02
Speaker 8: the way. I must go with my husband, and therefore
4:56:06
Speaker 8: I cannot come. The children's hearts are impressed. They desire
4:56:10
Speaker 8: to come, but they love their father and mother. And
4:56:14
Speaker 8: since these do not heed the gospel call, the children
4:56:17
Speaker 8: think that they cannot be expected to come, They too say,
4:56:21
Speaker 8: have me excused. All these refuse the Saviour's call because
4:56:27
Speaker 8: they fear division in the family circle. They suppose that
4:56:30
Speaker 8: in refusing to obey God, they are ensuring the peace
4:56:34
Speaker 8: and prosperity of the home. But this is a delusion.
4:56:37
Speaker 8: Those who so selfishness will reap selfishness. In rejecting the
4:56:42
Speaker 8: love of Christ, they reject that which alone can impart
4:56:46
Speaker 8: purity and steadfastness to human love. They will not only
4:56:51
Speaker 8: lose heaven, but will fail of the true enjoyment of
4:56:54
Speaker 8: that for which Heaven was sacrificed in the parable, the
4:56:58
Speaker 8: giver of the feast learn and how his invitation had
4:57:01
Speaker 8: been treated, and, being angry, said to his servant, go
4:57:05
Speaker 8: out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city,
4:57:08
Speaker 8: and bring in hither the poor and the maimed, and
4:57:11
Speaker 8: the halt and the blind. The host turned from those
4:57:16
Speaker 8: who despised his bounty and invited a class who were
4:57:20
Speaker 8: not full, who were not in possession of houses and lands.
4:57:24
Speaker 8: He invited those who were poor and hungry, and who
4:57:27
Speaker 8: would appreciate the bounties provided. The publicans and the harlots.
4:57:32
Speaker 8: Christ said, go into the Kingdom of God before you.
4:57:36
Speaker 8: However wretched be the specimens of humanity that men spurn
4:57:40
Speaker 8: and turn aside from. They are not too low, too
4:57:43
Speaker 8: wretched for the notice and love of God. Christ longs
4:57:47
Speaker 8: to have care worn, weary, oppressed human beings come to him.
4:57:52
Speaker 8: He longs to give them the light and joy and
4:57:54
Speaker 8: peace that are to be found nowhere else. The various
4:57:58
Speaker 8: sinners are the objects of his deep earnest pity and love.
4:58:02
Speaker 8: He sends his Holy Spirit to yearn over them with tenderness,
4:58:08
Speaker 8: seeking to draw them to himself. The servant who brought
4:58:12
Speaker 8: in the poor and the blind, reported to his master,
4:58:15
Speaker 8: it is done as thou hast commanded, And yet there
4:58:18
Speaker 8: is room. And the Lord said, unto the servant, go
4:58:21
Speaker 8: out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to
4:58:25
Speaker 8: come in, that my house may be filled. Here Christ
4:58:30
Speaker 8: pointed to the work of the Gospel outside the pale
4:58:33
Speaker 8: of Judaism in the highways and byways of the world.
4:58:38
Speaker 8: In obedience to this command, Paul and Barnabas declared to
4:58:42
Speaker 8: the Jews, it is necessary that the word of God
4:58:46
Speaker 8: should first have been spoken to you. But seeing ye
4:58:49
Speaker 8: put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. Lo,
4:58:56
Speaker 8: we turn to the gentiles, For so hath the Lord
4:58:59
Speaker 8: commanded us, saying I have set thee to be a
4:59:02
Speaker 8: light of the gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation
4:59:06
Speaker 8: unto the ends of the earth. And when the gentiles
4:59:09
Speaker 8: heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of
4:59:13
Speaker 8: the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal
4:59:17
Speaker 8: life believed the gospel message proclaimed by Christ's disciples was
4:59:23
Speaker 8: the announcement of his first advent to the world. It
4:59:26
Speaker 8: bore to men the good tidings of salvation through faith
4:59:30
Speaker 8: in him. It pointed forward to His second coming in
4:59:33
Speaker 8: glory to redeem his people. And it set before men
4:59:37
Speaker 8: the hope through faith and obedience of sharing the inheritance
4:59:41
Speaker 8: of the saints in light. This message is given to
4:59:45
Speaker 8: men to day, and at this time there is coupled
4:59:48
Speaker 8: with it the announcement of Christ's second coming. As at
4:59:51
Speaker 8: hand the signs which He himself gave of his coming
4:59:54
Speaker 8: have been fulfilled, and by the teaching of God's word
4:59:58
Speaker 8: we may know that the Lord is at the door.
5:00:01
Speaker 8: John in the Revelation foretells the proclamation of the gospel
5:00:06
Speaker 8: message just before Christ's second coming. He beholds an angel
5:00:10
Speaker 8: flying in the midst of heaven, having the Everlasting Gospel
5:00:14
Speaker 8: to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
5:00:18
Speaker 8: to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, saying
5:00:23
Speaker 8: with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him,
5:00:27
Speaker 8: for the hour of his judgment is come. In the Prophecy,
5:00:32
Speaker 8: this warning of the judgment, with its connected messages, is
5:00:36
Speaker 8: followed by the coming of the Son of Man in
5:00:39
Speaker 8: the clouds of heaven. The proclamation of the Judgment is
5:00:43
Speaker 8: an announcement of Christ's second coming as at hand, and
5:00:46
Speaker 8: this proclamation is called the Everlasting Gospel. Thus, the preaching
5:00:51
Speaker 8: of Christ's second coming the announcement of its nearness is
5:00:55
Speaker 8: shown to be an essential part of the gospel message.
5:01:00
Speaker 8: Bible declares that in the last days men will be
5:01:03
Speaker 8: absorbed in worldly pursuits, in pleasure and money getting. They
5:01:07
Speaker 8: will be blind to return