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This is the voice of Wilbraham. The Eastern Christadelphian Bible School presents a series of Bible addresses recorded at the 23rd annual convocation of the Eastern Christadelphian Bible School. Brother Edgar Willey of Dudley, England is the guest speaker. Many know Brother Willey through his writings in the Christadelphian and as secretary of Glad Tidings. He is also organizer of the annual Oxford Conference in Oxford, England. During his first visit to Wilbraham in August 1969, Brother Willey chose as his theme the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship. We hear Brother Willey now as he begins his first address upon the subject, truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Good morning, brethren and sisters. Certainly nice to be starting on this series. Can you see the board? If you can't, you'll have to do an inspection later. But all the week, this left-hand board, my left hand, coupled with that one, will be the center themes that I'm dealing with. This is, as it were, my program and I'll be having those up each morning so that we've got something that we can fix our minds on. Now I'm going to start straight in. My object this week is to ask ourselves the question, what is the center of the Gospel? Where does the very heart of the Gospel lie? Having got the very heart of the Gospel, which of course is none other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen, then we want to move on into a little bit of greater depth on some of the power of the Gospel and finish up the week with what it does to us. As you remember those seven rules that we had yesterday, it's all got to do something to us. Well now, just giving you a summary in a little bit greater depth, today and tomorrow, where's my program? Because I'm one of those people that can never keep to a program. I'm told I've got to keep to time and I suppose only we'll see I do that. But if you've got your program, item number three and four are coming up to be numbers one and two. So I'm going to start really with no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, what Peter preached, rolled in with according to my Gospel, what Paul preached. So that'll be the area of the first two talks. And in these, you won't have to work too hard. In fact, you might even say, well, we know all that. I don't know why he spent all that time going through that. But this is laying the foundations. This is looking in a very simple way at what the apostles taught, preached as the simple Gospel. Then having got the simple Gospel as they preached it, I'm then going on to what I would call their teaching. I'm even putting a little distinction between preaching and teaching. Preaching is what they said to those outside. That's the way I'm going to use the word, preaching. That's our first two talks. That's the lectures, as it were, that they gave to people who hadn't got the truth, both Jews and Gentiles. And then once people have got hold of the truth, they taught them in letters and in little circles, the various towns. And so then I move on in greater depth to the teaching. And my three themes are number one on your program. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, which is going to aim at exalting Jesus, showing how great he really is, showing the God side of Jesus. And then my fourth talk, which is number two on your program, will be the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. This will be the man aspect of Jesus in which he was totally involved in our sin and sorrow for our redemption. This will also move on to the resurrection of Jesus. And then chapter number five will be number five of the talks. Abide in him the fruits of the apostles doctrine and will aim at showing that although the Lord Jesus may be thought of as being at the right hand of God and therefore you might feel a trillion miles away, yet in fact he dwells in the believer if the believer will open up to him. Abide in me and I in you. And then we shall finish off by showing how this abiding presence of Jesus now transforms our attitude to behavior. And instead of us trying hard in our own strength to achieve, we trust to receive. And having trusted and received the grace of God in Christ Jesus for all our mortal days there is the consummation when that fellowship shall be eternal and all sin and sorrow and sadness and weakness and failure a thing of the past. So in other words I'm going to aim to put the Lord Jesus Christ in the very center of our faith. Now in order to establish where we go, first we ask where do we look for the essential gospel, the essential good news of salvation. And you could say well surely it starts in the Old Testament and you would be absolutely right. You can't understand the New Testament without the old and you might say woe betide anybody at Wilbraham who belittles the Old Testament. I know we have in the world quite a lot of New Testament Christians who don't take any notice of the Old Testament at all and it's a job to know how they can even understand Matthew 1 verse 1, Jesus Christ the son of Abram the son of David. So you see we must have the Old Testament and yet without in the slightest belittling the Old Testament if we want to know the full gospel for our time we really have to go to the New Testament and understand it in the light of the old. Similarly we must understand the Old Testament in the light of the new. Without the New Testament if we only go as far as Malachi in our main studies we're still left waiting. We're still left with the feeling he is coming one day. God's provisions are going to be made at some time in the future. When we come to the New Testament the message that rings through the voice of the apostles is he's here, he's come. Now that doesn't mean to say that everything is fulfilled. We still await the consummation. The kingdom of God was inaugurated in individuals in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of the apostles. But it wasn't consummated. We were translated into the kingdom or the rulership of his dear son but the kingdom of God in all its fullness lies yet in the future. So that when we say that the message of the New Testament is one of fulfillment he's here, we don't mean to say it's all fulfilled. We still await the consummation. We're still conscious of sin. We're still conscious of weakness. So really you know just as yesterday we had three elements so here again we can use the platform as our visual aid. We've got the Old Testament which says one day he's coming. We've got the New Testament which says he's here. And then we've got the future when he's really here fully, finally and completely and everything's going to be marvelous in that day when the glory of God in Christ will fill the earth as the water covers the sea. So there we are. He's coming. He's here. And then finally he's even more here. So that's the picture. Now the New Testament starts in fact with the message from Jesus. I don't know if you have proof texts in Sunday school in the United States and Canada. Many Sunday schools do in England. And when I was moving house the other day and trying to throw away as much paper as possible particularly the argumentative sort of paper I got rid of a real lot I can tell you. Never had so many bonfires in my life. But I came across my first Sunday school proof book and the first proof I ever had to learn was that Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. And it ran after that John was put into prison. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. I think it's about the only verse in the Bible that I've got word perfect. There it was and underneath was a little tick and five out of five because I said it right. Well you see that then goes on. Mark 1 verse 14 goes on into what he actually said in Mark 1 15. The time has come the kingdom of God is upon you. Repent and believe the gospel. That was the message that Jesus came with. And the very first words in the Greek of that are fulfilled is the time. Got it? Fulfilled is the time. And so the whole message of the teaching of Christ was fulfilled right through. He says I'm the one the Old Testament spoke about. And the apostles come on and they explain that Jesus in many respects fulfilled what the Old Testament talked about in an unexpected way. So you see if you really want the full gospel you must include the New Testament. This is why the Jews still lag behind for a full gospel. You must go to the New Testament. Against the background of the old. I mean we can't understand what's fulfilled unless we've got the knowledge of the old. And this is the wonderful contribution to understanding that our Christadelphian community makes. Most other church people when you talk to them they seem to know very very little about the Old Testament at all. We've got to be careful that we don't go to the other extreme and have it all Old Testament and forget that the heart of the gospel is Jesus himself. Of course also how you present the gospel sometimes depends upon the kind of people you're dealing with. I mean if you're in Mormon country where most people seem to if you you would say in Utah where I understand there's still a lot of Mormons about then your gospel would have a certain slant. If you're in an area where everybody's very very keen on believing in the immortality of the soul and a future destiny which is going to be sitting upon a cloud playing a harp forever and ever then you give them the more solid realities that the good hope of Israel offers. But whatever the emphasis you have to give because of the time you live in and the people in the midst of whom you live that emphasis must never displace the Lord Jesus Christ from the center. He is the fulfillment. And so it is that the Old Testament scriptures on their own are not able to make you wise unto salvation in this present time. You all know that other proof text which runs from a child, what is it? Well I'm not going to tell you what it is because I don't want you to look it up. From a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Now don't look at the passage, got it? From a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Hands up those who can finish it. Can finish that verse. From a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Nobody finish it. Now that's what goes before it. He's got the grandmother lowest bit. Come on, who's going to? From a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Well that just proves it, doesn't it? Through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That's how it finishes. In other words, the Old Testament scriptures, because that's what he was talking about, are able to make you wise unto salvation now. Through faith which is in Christ Jesus. So when you see the Old Testament scriptures in the light of Christ, then the Old Testament scriptures make you wise unto salvation. So this is the great theme of scripture. Well now there are other scriptures which convey this same thought and perhaps I'll just content myself with one other, Hebrews chapter 1, which relates the Old and the New Testament. I'm going a little bit to town on this because I want us to see the relationship of the Old Testament to the apostolic preaching. I'm reading here from my little pocket New English Bible. Lots of people have said, where can you get them? I can only say you can get them from England and that'll be good for our export drive. I should think you'd get them about three dollars and two and a half and it fits very nice in your handbag. Well I don't have a handbag, I keep them in my pocket. But it's very nice when I'm driving on our subway, we call it underground in London, and I've got three stations to go, I can whip it out of my pocket, read ten verses and I feel a little bit better and when I get to the next business appointment, well I'm less tempted to do the things I shouldn't do because I've had a little read on the train. Hebrews 1 then says, when in former times, this is in the New English Bible, God spoke to our forefathers, he spoke in fragmentary and varied fashion through the prophets. You see there was a bit here and a bit there, doesn't mean to say that the fragments are lacking in truth, but you know so often when you're reading the prophets, you get ten verses and they're quite isolated from the next ten verses, it's just a little fragment and yet in that little fragment, you have a little note of hope that something that's gone wrong then is one day going to be put right, we saw that in some of the wonderful fragments we had from Hosea yesterday. So in fragmentary and varied fashion, yes varied because there were men who prophesied, there were men who did great deeds, there are bits of poetry, there are wise sayings, God speaks all kinds of ways in these fragments that we have, which when we see them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, are able to make us wise unto salvation. And so Hebrews goes on to say, but in this, the final age, he has spoken to us in the Son. So God's final word is in the Son, and the word was made flesh and he dwelt among us, John 1.14. What God had been saying through prophets, through the experiences of Israel, through the deeds that he performed for Israel, he now said in the most perfect and complete way in a Son. And so our gospel, when we come to consider the apostolic doctrine and fellowship, is the message of the Son. Now there's one other thing that I want to say, having got the relationship of the Old and the New Testament, I want to go back to this relationship between preaching and teaching. The whole of the Bible consists of the Old and New Testament, but we're particularly concerned with the New Testament, with two great strands, S-T-R-A-N-D-S, you know, like somewhere inside this wire that's tying me up, there are presumably two or three strands of wire. Well, there are two or three, no, two main strands that I want to mention here. It's what I said just now about teaching and preaching. There is that strand of truth which is clear and unmistakable. There is the basic first principles of God's working that go right through. There's really no arguing about them. They're that clear. So it seems to us that they really hit us in the face and these are what the apostles preached. And the beauty of the great truths of our salvation is that they are not theological propositions. They are not complicated creeds like the Creed of Athanasius. They are straightforward facts about acts, the acts of God here, not the acts of the apostles. God is a God who does things and the things that he's been doing are the basis of the gospel facts. Everybody can understand that God went forth to deliver Israel from Egypt, for example. Everybody can understand that the Lord Jesus Christ came from God. They might not quite understand what way he came from God and certain confusions often arise even in our minds about the mode in which God was represented in Jesus. But the fact is there that God was in Christ. Then you come into the facts that Jesus died as a representative of the sinner. However, you might get into complicated difficulties when you try to explain why. Yet the plain fact that he is the sinner's representative who died for us and was victorious over sin and victorious over death and that we can share his victory. Those are simple facts. Some of these facts that we've got on the board here. Those simple facts don't need you to be a genius of exposition, don't need you to be in the slightest bit clever. They're there. All you've got to do is commit yourself to them. And so it is with the fact that he is at present in heaven presiding over affairs. So is the fact that he is at present in you and me if we'll only open the door. Those are simple facts. Mind you, it's not always easy to open the door because somehow the door gets stuck and it's not always easy to open it to the Lord Jesus Christ. And similarly, it's a very simple fact of gospel preaching that he's coming again to take over the whole government of mankind. Those are simple basic gospel facts. But more of the Bible is occupied with what I would call growth material teaching. What I've just been talking about is preaching the basic facts. Now we look on teaching. You can't really justify making these definitions. I'm making my own rules up in a sense. I'm saying I'm going to call preaching that which concerns those basic facts and I'm going to call teaching that which concerns the growth material. Because if you're baptized, for example, shall we say at the age of 16 and you live to the age of 96, we've got one or two, what do they call them? Nonagerians here, people who live to the age of 90 beyond and how wonderful it is to meet them. Well, you might be a Christian, Christadelphian, a brother in the Lord Jesus Christ for 80 years. Well, you've got to be kept fed all that time and you can't just keep going on the same facts in the same way as they were originally preached to, you've got to build on them. And so there's got to be this growth, this material, this material that enriches you. So we need the teaching of the apostles to give us this growth material. So we have Old Testament and New Testament. Old Testament say he's going to come, New Testament saying he's here. And we have teaching material which gives you the basic facts about the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to human salvation, preaching material, and then we've got teaching material which builds us up. And I've got a passage already written out for me to save me looking out here, which tells you in Ephesians 1, this is the New English Bible, Ephesians 1 verse 17, I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the all-glorious Father, may give you the spiritual powers of wisdom and vision by which there comes the knowledge of him. I pray that your inward eyes may be illumined so that you may know what is the hope to which he calls you. We had a bit about the word no yesterday, didn't we? What the wealth and glory of the share he offers you among his people in their heritage and how vast the resources of his power open to us who trust in him. They are measured by his strength and the might which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead, when he enthroned him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. Isn't that lovely? I mean, it's lovely in the King James version, but because this brings it up to date a bit, I'm thrilled with that, how vast the resources of his power open to us who trust in him. And so these resources are available direct from the Lord Jesus, but one of the great means whereby these resources of his power are open to us is by listening to the teaching, building upon the preaching. Now first then the preaching. What was the apostolic gospel? What did the apostles preach about? Well, just using my little new English Bible here, let's have a look at these simple essentials and find what they have to tell us. Well, Acts chapter 2 is the day of Pentecost, isn't it? You remember the circumstances, remember our seven rules yesterday, and so all through my talks I'm going from time to time to see pictures and I love to see this picture of all this hubbub and noise occurring so that in the big areas just outside the centre part of the temple there were little groups gathered around me. And if you'd have been in that group over there who were listening to somebody speaking in the Median tongue, over there there'd have been somebody else, one of the apostles, talking in the Cappadocian tongue. If you'd have been on the edge of the Median crowd, you could understand that, you were pretty marvelling at the fact that that man who was just an ordinary man suddenly started jabbering in the Median language, but your other ear might have heard somebody going over here and you wouldn't have understood a word of it because he was speaking in the Cappadocian language. Everybody thought this was a real sensation. If there'd been a Jerusalem Post it would have been the main headline. Fishermen suddenly start speaking every language. Well, they'd have had a better headline than that. The great Jesus sensation or something they'd have had, I suppose, as the headlines because these men were preaching Jesus. Well, of course, there's always the disbelievers and so a great argument started. How on earth was it that these men managed to speak in all these foreign languages although they'd never been to university and never learnt these other languages? Somebody says, oh, they're drunk. And so Peter comes in with all this noises. You couldn't hear yourself think. And Peter comes in and he lifts up his hand and he says, men and brethren. He evidently got a loud voice. Perhaps I've borrowed it from him. And he manages to get silence. This is verse 14. Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice. Now, you see, you never thought of that, perhaps. What's it say in the authorised version? The king lifted up his voice, you know, lifted up his voice. Now, we don't say that nowadays. We say raised his voice, don't we? In the moment you get that picture, you can hear him shouting to get them quiet. That's seeing pictures, you see. So he raised his voice and addressed them. Fellow Jews and all you who live in Jerusalem, mark this and give me a hearing. Let me speak. These men are not drunk, as you imagine, for it's only nine in the morning. That's real modern, isn't it? It's only nine in the morning, 9.20, you see. Now, none of us have really had time to get drunk, have we? Not even on that lovely orange juice and those cups of tea and milk. I've had three cups of tea, but that doesn't make you drunk. Well, there you are. He says, it's only nine in the morning. Public houses, the inns aren't open yet, so they haven't had a chance to get drunk. That fits in, doesn't it, with Peter's practical sort of way. He's always right on the ball in a practical sort of way. Then it goes on straight away to tell them that what you are seeing is fulfilment. You are seeing the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel. Now, I can't go back to the prophecy of Joel, but for the Bible students, can I give you a hint in the prophecy of Joel against the background of a great tragedy that occurred in Israel's history when the locusts came and decimated the whole land and ruined it. When they turned to God, then things began to be better and God's Spirit was poured out upon just ordinary young people and old men and even the servants. God's Spirit was poured upon them. And that happened once in Israel's history and was taken hold of by the prophet Joel as a prefigurement of what was going to happen in the last days. Now, when did the last days start? Did they start here when Jesus and the apostles were at work or are they going to start up here when Jesus comes back? Well, in one way, the last days started when Jesus was in the earth. Fulfilled is the time. The last days were inaugurated. When Jesus was in the earth. The last days are consummated there when Jesus comes back. This is important to realize this. And so this explains why so many kingdom passages, passages which we say yet lie in the future, like the wolf lying down with the lamb passage in Isaiah 11 even. The apostles get hold of it and they say, this is now being fulfilled. You look at it and you say, well, it doesn't. Some people even say apostles misquoted. Of course, they didn't misquote. When the apostle said, this is now being fulfilled, he meant that it was being inaugurated. The fulfillment was starting. And of course, we standing where we stand say, it's still got to be fulfilled. He will come again. So it has been fulfilled. It will be fulfilled as though it was with the prophecy of Joel. When the spirit was outpoured upon ordinary folk, fishermen and ordinary folk in this day of Pentecost, then this was a fulfillment of the last day prophecy of Joel. The fact is it's going to be poured out again when Jesus comes back. So that just in passing a little bit of exposition, which I can never resist the temptation of doing because there's an important principle there. Whenever you see these green flags as it is written, this is that which was spoken, then you will usually find that the two beginnings, the beginning of the work of Christ and the beginning of his future fulfillment are both incorporated in the same set of words in the prophets. Well, having dealt with that, Peter, I have to come to the light here. Peter begins in verse 22 to set forth the great preaching facts. I think, you know, sometimes when you come to Bible school, you might feel a bit overwhelmed with some of the information that brethren throw at you. We'll all be doing it. We're trying to stretch all our minds to the maximum. Keep in mind all the time that the basic gospel facts are simple. Men and brethren, listen to me, verse 22. I speak of Jesus of Nazareth, a man singled out by God and made known to you through miracles, portents and signs, which God worked among you through him, as you well know. When he had been given up to you by the deliberate will and plan of God, you used heathen men to crucify and kill him. But God raised him to life again, setting him free from the pangs of death because it could not be that death should keep him in his grip. That's the start of Peter's gospel preaching. And you have there the first four of these facts. That Jesus came from God, a man sent from God. Later on in address number three of this series, we're going to expand that, came from God. That's just why I've switched around one and two and three and four, because I thought if we got the simple facts first and then plunged into a little more depth, this might be the best way of doing it. Then he went on, didn't it, talking about the signs and portents and the miracles he performed. This is the ministry of Jesus. For three years, he ministered to men. And these are parts of gospel preaching. In our lectures, even though we've got a hammer away at man mortal and hammer away against the Mormons and the Jehovah witnesses from time to time, we must never lose sight of the fact that in our environment, our preaching must nevertheless run along parallel lines with that of Peter and of Paul. So Jesus, seven facts about Jesus, I've called these, came from God, ministered to men. And then he comes on, you took him when you crucified him, died. And I've put in a bit here from Paul, 1 Corinthians 15, died for our sins. We should be going into that later on this week. And then he says, but it wasn't possible for him to stay there. God raised him from the dead, it wasn't possible that he should be holden of death in the King James Version, raised. And I brought in there a little bit from the apostle Paul for our justification. And get the word justification clear right from the start. The word justification simply means to be put in the right. We're all in the wrong with God, but through sharing the victory of Christ, we're put in the right with God. That's all justification means, to be put in the right. Now that's as far as Peter goes in this first bit. He gives us the first four facts. And then he goes on and quotes from the Psalms, another one of the passages, which he's able to see new light in. He's able to read the Old Testament through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You remember when nobody was willing to put their hands up and finish it, able to make us wise under salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That's why the apostle used the Old Testament brought to bear upon it faith in Christ Jesus and it reached its real meaning and fulfillment. So in verse 32, Peter goes on after quoting the several Psalms, So he now moves on. Not only was Jesus raised from the dead, you know, I mean, Lazarus was raised from the dead. Even Elijah and Elisha raised people from the dead, but he ascended to the right hand of God. So fact number five is the follow-up of the resurrection that he ascended to the right hand of God and what Peter means and he's there now. 2000 years ago, he was there and today he's there, ascended to the right hand of God. So from that lofty place, he is our mediator. He's the one we go to through whom our prayers are mediated to God. We have in the inner counsels of the Almighty, one who has shared our weakness. And if we find it difficult to believe that God could understand our problems, we know that Jesus can understand our problems because he's been through it all. Tempted in all points, not just some points, tempted in all points as we are yet without sin. So we have Jesus ascended to the right hand of God. That was fact number five, which he brings out. He mentions that as ascended to the right hand of God, Jesus has in his hand, as it were, the Holy Spirit. Then he makes an appeal. Let all Israel then accept as certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah. The Jesus who was crucified is the one who was spoken of right through the Old Testament. And he is the Lord and the Messiah. He is the fulfillment. Peter is always talking in terms of the Old Testament pointers to Christ. Do you notice those little words, whom you crucified? Because here is another great element of gospel preaching. And we ought not to miss it out of our preaching of the gospel. Everything that Peter said we can say today. Our brethren here who give lectures, who speak everything that Peter said, it's still appropriate, isn't it? But could you stand in front of an audience in United Kingdom or the United States or Canada and say Jesus who you crucified? You might say, of course I couldn't. Of course I couldn't because I didn't. But you see, we did. There's that spiritual, isn't there? Where were you when they crucified my Lord? The plain fact is we were there in principle. Where were you when they crucified my Lord? You see, because ringed around the council chamber of the high priests and of Pilate and around the cross was every form of scene in which we can engage. You think about it sometime. I can only just draw your attention to it. There were the Sadducees. It were the people who said, look, if we let this man go, this Jesus, the Romans will come and they'll take away our job. They'll take away our good place for promise. We don't want that. So he'll have to go to the wall. We'll have to get rid of him. In other words, they put human comfort, their own comfort, they put their own material position before the things that ought to have been first. Straight away, we know. I never thought I was like the Sadducees before. We say, but we do just that. And it was that attitude of putting self first in a material sense that caused the Sadducees to bring Christ to his cross. And then there were the very religious people, the Pharisees, the traditionalists, who because he didn't seem to say things the way they were used to it, they said he's got to go. We can't have that. They were intolerant. Now although we must stand up for the standards of Christ, intolerance, that kind of attitude which nearly hates somebody, be it a brother or somebody outside who thinks differently from us, it was intolerance that nailed Jesus to the cross. So that when perhaps in our ecclesial life we show intolerance of a brother who's got a different slant on something or other, got to stand up for the principles of the truth, don't misunderstand me. But a brother has a different slant. It might even be a seriously wrong slant. We've got to show loads of patience. We're not always ready to do that. Now it was the fact that they hadn't any patience with this man that came along with what seemed to be some new ideas, the Lord Jesus Christ that caused the Pharisees to nail him to the cross. And of course there's the self-righteousness that went along with it. And we sometimes share that, don't we? As we look down upon others and say, I thank my God, I'm not as other men are. And then there was Pilate there. He could have let him go. But he too didn't like to make the decision because it was an awkward decision to make. There are times in our business, ecclesial and private life when we don't like to make an important decision and we pass the buck. I think that's an American phrase as well, is it? We all know what passing the buck is. It isn't giving somebody a dollar, is it? It's passing the buck, letting somebody else make the decision and take the blame. Pilate brought Jesus to his death by passing the buck. And these are things that we all do every day of our lives or are tempted to do. Then who else was there? Well, there was a crowd, wasn't there? The crowd did one thing today and another thing tomorrow. The crowd is fickle. They brought Jesus to his death by shouting, crucify him. Because fast operators got to work upon and our television sets and our radios and our newspapers and our acquaintances at work and at school and college get to work on us and turn us so often into the way of the world. And when we are turned into the way of the world, we are joining the mob who cried, crucify him. And what about the believers themselves, the disciples who ran, who were cowards when they should have spoken? So you see, somewhere or other, and there were some other people around the cross of Jesus and around those council chambers, every kind of human sin met around the council chamber and the cross. Your sin and mine met there. Whenever we sin, in a sense, we're sharing a little bit of the blame for the crucifixion of Jesus. That's what happened when man met God, because Jesus was God's representative and he was our representative. And when man met God, manifested in Jesus, then man tried to kill God's representative. And in killing God's representative was trying to kill God. And every time we sin, that's really what we're trying to do. And so the cross of Jesus shows up the enormity of sin and it makes you say, oh dear, what can I do? And that's just what happened when they realized. That's why bringing over the conviction of sin to people is an important thing in our preaching. By all means, give them the doctrine of sin and explain to them about Genesis and explain to them about Adam and Eve and explain to them the sorry story of Israel's history. But when you've done all that, you've got to bring it right home. And we must always include ourselves in it. Mustn't say who you crucified, it's whom you, me too, crucified. We're all involved in this general sin of human nature, which brought Jesus to his death. So immediately they said, friends, what are we to do? They were really smitten with a consciousness of sin. What are we to do? And then Peter told them, those who are over on the other board, their response, repent, let's turn around, take a new line, commit yourself to a new power and be baptized. Every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. So repent and be baptized. This was the way in. To reorient themselves, as we say today, repent is a much better word, isn't it? You imagine, reorient and be baptized. It's much better, repent and be baptized. That's what it means. Get yourself sorted out and in a new direction, committed to Jesus. Because it's repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah. And then you immediately start getting gifts. You don't have to wait till then when he comes back. That's the fullness. But even right now, you start getting something. Do you remember Edward said last night, Brother Edward Whittaker, that he didn't like, though our pilgrimage be dreary, he just wanted it there for those who felt that way, if our pilgrimage be dreary. Well, I know what he meant. It doesn't matter what troubles you have, it doesn't matter what your problems, if you're in Christ, then you have the peace of God. And you have the knowledge that although you're a sinner, and how awful we all felt when we thought that in some way we were mixed up in the crucifixion of Jesus, yet we have forgiveness of sins. Immediately, we have that sense, not of presumption, because we know we can drop back, we have that sense of amazing, behold the amazing gift of God. You know, sometimes I think we put all our emphasis on being saved from death. When I was a youngster and first came into the truth, I have a feeling that I tended to look at the truth as a kind of eternal life insurance policy. I didn't want to die, therefore I wanted to take out my eternal life insurance policy so that when I died, it would be all right. But that isn't really it, is it? Straight away, we get something, and that something we get is salvation from sin in its first stages. And right through the apostolic preaching and teaching, the emphasis lies on deliverance from sin. Now remember that, brethren who prepare lectures, get that in your lectures, deliverance from sin. And then because you're delivered from sin, then there's deliverance from death. It wouldn't be much good being delivered from sin if after a few years you died and that was the end of it. So obviously the deliverance from death follows, but the apostles always start with deliverance from sin. And so our preaching first has to get people realizing they are sinners and then showing them the antidote, the deliverance from sin. So forgiveness of sins, and then it goes on, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far away everyone whom the Lord our God may call. Now you can say that's a bit difficult. And I wouldn't hope in two minutes to put it right. But can I just suggest to you that the word Holy Spirit in the New Testament is used for the total resources of God in Christ being made available to men. I'll try to say that again. The total resources of God in Christ being made available to men. And they were made available these resources of power, this Holy Spirit in the first century in many miraculous ways so that men had supernatural knowledge so that men could work miracles, so that men could give messages that they had received direct from the Lord Jesus Christ. That was supernatural. But the effect of it was to bring Christ right home into the believer. And so we still have the Holy Spirit at work in our day, not because we can work miracles because we know we can't, but because the effect of the working of God in Christ Jesus through the Bible, through the answers to prayer, through the ways of providence where God works in our lives, through the angel of God that encamps round about us, through all those ways God still works in our lives. And that is the Holy Spirit of God at work. And I know we're frightened of the term but we've really no need to be when you explain it like that. And so although Peter had in mind particularly the special gifts of the first century, yet we can say with Paul, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. I think that's fairly simple, isn't it? But I've avoided here the use of the word the Holy Spirit because it can be confusing. And I put seven facts about Jesus, he dwells in the believer. Over here I've been a bit bolder and I put the Spirit within. And I was asking Brother Russ in New York, do you think that might give rise to a bit of misunderstanding? And when we talked about it we agreed that as long as it was properly explained it needn't give rise to any misunderstanding. In fact it can give joy to us. But we haven't got to wait till here for everything we've got something now. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in the believer. It's a real power and a real force that transforms our lives and gives us peace and joy and is like as Brother Ted said yesterday a dynamo working within. So that's fact number six. Now I've just got three minutes in which to just get in fact number seven. I'm very glad I had those extra five minutes. Well now Acts chapter three is the next speech and I shall have to skip my little picture because I could never read Acts chapter three without seeing that poor cripple's face. You know when he was sitting in the gate called Beautiful and as he stood there I don't know what he held out whether he held his cap out or what he held out but he sat there and Peter comes up and says silver and gold have I none. Poor man's face went like that. Nothing coming but what I have got I'll give you. Oh what's he got? His face lights up. He didn't realize what he was going to get. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth stand up and walk and he didn't walk he ran and he danced and he was full of joy and then there was another crowd scene. Everybody came to look there's the man that used to sit there he's running he's walking let's go see what it's all about big crowd comes and Peter has to go forth and meet them he says now now just a minute just a minute and you read about this in Acts chapter 3 as they come running Peter saw them coming verse 12 Acts chapter 3 and met them with these words men of Israel why be surprised at this why stare at us as if we'd made this man walk by some power of our own the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the God of our fathers has given the highest honor to his son Jesus so he started his preaching this time with fact number five and then he went on and told them how they crucified him again how God had raised him from the dead how God had awakened faith in the heart of this man by the living Jesus then he tells them to repent verse 19 so that their sins may be wiped out then the Lord will grant you a time of recovery and send you the Messiah he has already appointed that is Jesus he must be received into heaven until the time of universal restoration comes time of restitution of all things you've got in the King James Version so he finishes up this gospel preaching with the fact that what he had done in the power of God in healing this man was something that was going to be seen on a universal scale at the day when Jesus would come back so fact number seven came out he will come again in a later talk Peter was able to say he is the judge of the quick and dead he will come again to restore all things he will come again to be the judge of the quick and dead so that was the great seven fact about Jesus which was the gospel preaching so there it is we've seen just in a couple of speeches from Peter the seven great facts about Jesus man's response and the results because when Jesus comes again then eternal life will become a complete fact and not only a partial fact already there is the life of the age at work within the believer in whom Christ dwells but it's partial when Jesus comes again this eternal life of God will be complete in the believer so he came from God he ministered to men if you want to know what God is like look at him ministering to men he died for our sins crucified through our sinfulness he was raised for our justification his victory we can share he ascended to the right hand of God and from the right hand of God he controls all things he is our high priest and mediator and dwells right in you and I if we will open the believer if we will open our hearts he dwells in the believer and the end of the story he will come again and all things will be made new and perfect well there we are that'll have to do for this morning we've got our introduction tomorrow we'll have a little bit more about Peter we'll have a little look at what Paul preached and then we'll go on to the teaching and look at it in its deeper aspects God in Christ reconciling the world to himself

Transcript

This is the voice of Wilberham. The Eastern Christadelphian Bible School presents a series of Bible addresses recorded at the 23rd annual convocation of the Eastern Christadelphian Bible School. Brother Edgar Willey of Dudley, England is the guest speaker. We hear Brother Willey now as he begins his second address upon the subject, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. I like being first, you get a few extra minutes. Just to waste one or two of them, and not really waste them, and mention the translation that was just read. Those who were in Ron Abel's discussion group last night will recall that we talked about tongues and you'll notice that all the newer versions do take it for granted that they were tongues of ecstasy rather than foreign languages. That doesn't prove anything at all because when you translate a part of the Bible you translate it according to what you understand. That's why there's things wrong with the King James version where they all believed in some kind of hell fire torment and translated accordingly. I just thought I'd better make that clear that I didn't have that read just to present the opposite view to Edward on that particular subject. On singing I chose that hymn, or David kindly let me choose it, because really all our seven facts about Jesus are there in that hymn. I have a hunch that Brother Edward will be knocking us into shape a bit more about the way we sing that hymn because I was waiting for that. Thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity. You know if you were going to leave the country and never see if you're a young man, your favorite girl again, you'd say I'll, would you say I'll never, never forget you? Or would you say I'll never, never forget you? Well it's obvious which one isn't it? Anyway that's Edward's job and he'll say I'm poaching on his preserve. That's right though isn't it Edward? Yes he approves. Well now back to our subject then, and anybody who comes in isn't really coming in late, it's just that I've started early, so don't feel bad about it. Remind us first of what we were trying to do yesterday. We were trying to get the simple foundation, you could almost say to me, well it's so simple that you know, we know all this, the simple foundation of the apostolic preaching. If you want to know what the basic gospel is, then it is to the apostles you go, because when Jesus himself preached, he preached as it were an emerging gospel. You remember how we used this platform and we said you've got the Old Testament and then comes Jesus fulfilled, he says. Fulfilled is the time and I notice that today's wayfarer has got the point, that's the inauguration of the kingdom and then you come to the consummation of the kingdom that we're still waiting for and therefore that is especially the burden of our message. So we have the Old Testament giving us the foundation and the preparation of one who should come. The New Testament is the message of the one who has come, he's here it says and then when the Lord returns, fact number seven, he's here again to finish the job. Well that's really the whole of scripture revolves around that and that is how Jesus is the very centre of the whole of the Bible and that is how Christianity is Christianity. That's what it is isn't it, Christianity. We can't put Jesus out of the centre of Christianity. So we related the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament with its emphasis on human need, God kept on moving to save Israel but each time they had been saved, they needed saving again. You get it in the book of you get it right through the period of the kings again and again God moves to save Israel. But there comes a time when Jesus is in the earth when he creates that sacrifice as a result of which God wouldn't have to do anything more to save, that was the salvation. Although of course it has got to be applied to all mankind during the thousand years. So the Old Testament leads us and promises the way of salvation. The New Testament says here is the way of salvation and so we have a completion in the New Testament so that we can read the Old Testament in the light of Christ and then those holy scriptures of old are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You remember the verse that we weren't able to complete, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The Old Testament as well as the New can then make us wise unto salvation. Now the other distinction that I made was between preaching material and teaching material. Now of course unless any should be a bit worried about that there is no clear cut hard and fast line of division between these things but there are certain elements of the gospel which are appropriate in initial preaching to the unconverted and then once they have been converted then there is the rest of the Bible as an open field in which to graze and draw pasture and that's a lifetime's work to graze in that pasture. Well now yesterday we started off with Peter's speeches in Acts 2 and 3 and as well as seeing pictures of what was happening we also saw the way in which this message about Jesus was emerging that everything that Peter preached was Jesus centered. We came out with these seven facts that the origin of Jesus was in God which we're going to talk more about tomorrow that he showed what God was like in things that he did among men we shall talk about that as well tomorrow. He then in spite of his divine ancestry his divine origin though rich yet for our sakes he became poor even to the extent of dying on a gibbet or gibbet I don't know how you pronounce it here which was the translation here in this New English Bible and to complete that sacrifice and triumph as we've been singing of he was raised from the dead as I say we'll talk about that on Thursday God willing having been raised from the dead he ascended to the right hand of God where he's in control of everything and yet at the same time from that seat of power he dwells in the believer. We're going to talk a lot about that later on in the week and then to crown it all he's going to come again and apply the results of his work to all mankind and this very simple message emerged from Peter and there were really four points that we had in mind there and that is that when Peter was speaking and this is true of the other apostles of whom we're going to talk he they don't work in the usual human way and the 20th century way different ages do things different ways of presenting a series of theological propositions for intellectual ascent you know now we very definitely tend to do that and probably rightly so as long as we don't forget that here is a saving converting message in fact this struck me last night that we're having a most fascinating session on rested scriptures but one can if one's not careful in seeking to get people's knowledge accurate on the mortality of man and whether Jesus personally pre-existed or whether there is a place of hellfire torments whether the book of mormon is a valid part of scripture you know all the funny ideas as we see it that other people have got we can so concentrate on that I remember when I was working in agriculture in farming during the war instead of going into the horses and there was a whole crowd of us digging ditches to drain off the excessive rainfall which I thought only applied to England until I came here and as we dug these ditches I've told some of you this before and I'd probably forget what I've told who so if I get it like an old man repeating myself you'll forgive me but as we dug these ditches there were the Pentecostals and Baptists we'd even got a Catholic there and then there were the Socialist Party of Great Britain who won't fight and there were five Christadelphians and you know as we dug away so you get texts slinging up the ditch somebody say ah but what about to depart and be with Christ somebody else say ah but what about the soul that's in it it shall die and I call it spiritual you know because for every text that a Pentecostal gave we'd always got another one to lob back at him we don't really get far that way because as we were learning last night in our session you've really got to sit down and quietly discuss the the whole background of scripture in order to get a proper valid understanding but I remember the occasion when one a new Christadelphian joined the gang who were digging these ditches and and somebody said well what do you Christadelphians believe to this particular chap he was the one that was asked and I remember him saying well we don't believe you go to heaven when you die we don't believe that you've got an immortal soul we don't believe in the Trinity we don't believe that hell is a place of flaming torments we don't he said hey just a minute what do you believe now what don't you believe you know so there is always this danger isn't there of being too purely negative now the negatives are important and incidentally the negatives vary from generation to generation I was speaking to some young people the other day way back in England and they were saying we ought to be very strict about the statement of faith I said yes very good particularly the positive part I wondered however whether the negative part of the statement of faith they they necessarily would understand of course we do I said right oh doctrines to be rejected you tell me what a free life is they had all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas and then I had to tell them you know why that was there and what truth it was seeking to preserve well now so it is that creeds and statements of faith and propositions have their place but we must remember that they are really a clearing of the ground in order to enable that gospel which converts men and turns them from darkness to light that's the object of gospel preaching so that if we don't follow the example of Peter and create in people from the word of God a sense of sin a sense of need to be delivered from sin and then present them the antidote in the Lord Jesus Christ if we don't do that and then the hope of the completion and consummation of all things then we are not really preaching that gospel or good news which converts and this is partly why I chose to speak on these things because I do think we need to keep our positive drive of a message which converts and so this we learned yesterday and we'll continue to learn today now yesterday I also in this connection you'll remember pointed out that the great message of salvation as Peter presented it was salvation from sin rather than salvation from death though if you are saved from sin then you will be saved from death in that connection therefore the forgiveness of sin was never absent from any of the preaching that Peter and Paul did and should not be absent from our preaching also one noticed that in the first preaching of Peter there is an absence of what you might call theory he simply says Jesus died and triumphed over that which holds us in its grip if you really think about that that is it and of course half our trouble in life is that we have to spend a lot of patient time getting rid of ideas hacking away through the jungle of undergrowth so that we can get back to that simple message that Jesus came fully into our situation that he might triumph over it and lead us out of it you see when we have to discuss the nature of Jesus and his complete association with us we have to do that in order that we may realize that he has come into our problems that he may deliver us from them well now the first passage I want to go to today is Acts chapter 8 and in Acts chapter 8 Philip is our preacher and in his preaching we have two or three phrases which will show us where the shall we use the phrase center of gravity or if you're balancing things you have a fulcrum which is the center point upon which everything hinges what is the center of gravity of Philip's preaching well verse 4 I'm reading from the Little New English Bible I've got here as for those who had been scattered they went through the country preaching the word Philip came down to a city in Samaria and began proclaiming the Messiah to them that means to say he began to say that the one that was promised in the Old Testament has come the crowds to a man listened eagerly to what Philip said when they heard him and saw the miracles that he performed for in many cases of possession the unclean spirits came out with a great outcry and many paralyzed and crippled folk were cured and there was great joy in that city and that's what Christianity gives us this is what the gospel gives us as several speakers have said joy so that we're not a long-faced community and this is one of the beauties of these schools you don't see many long faces about well then you get the question of Simon brought in so that later on you can learn about the way in which he tried to buy the ability to pass the Holy Spirit onto other people and we have our famous proof text verse 12 of Acts 8 when they came to believe Philip with his good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized men and women alike and that's one of our key verses in the old declaration and in many other of our publications could I in passing just stimulate you to thought and suggest that what we used to do I haven't heard it done so much but I think it is still do it done we usually say that the things concerning the kingdom of God are the things about when Jesus comes again to restore the tribes of Israel and fulfill the promises to Abraham and the things concerning the name of Jesus Christ are the things about his sacrifice his death and resurrection I would doubt but by all means in later sessions today disagree with me whether when Philip spoke he'd got the truth cut up into two pieces one that talks about the kingdom and the other that talks about the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ because you see the word kingdom in the New Testament is a Greek word which means the kingly reign now obviously when Christ is in the earth that's the fullness of the kingly reign of God but insofar as men and women get hold of the message of Christ then as some of our hymns says he reigns as king right now you see you might say oh brother egg has gone off the lines there he's preaching the reign of grace in the heart as the kingdom of God well I think most of us have come to realize that when people teach that the kingdom of God is a reign of grace in the heart right now or is the church right now they're not entirely wrong where they are wrong is they say it's only that and they forget about the fullness of it that lies in the future so that as Paul says writing to the Colossians chapter one we have been translated into the kingdom of his dear son Alfred Norris does a little pamphlet on it the kingdom of God red cover in the book room there are there's some more trade for the book room but this is therefore what Philip was teaching he was teaching the kingly reign of God which could begin to be tasted then and there by men and women who came into this covenant in Christ and then of course the great hope to those who were ground down with sorrow that one day they would share the resurrection of Christ they would share the throne of God in Christ and enjoy the beauties of the fullness of the kingdom now there's a big study there that's a whole week study the kingdom of God but I've just given you a couple of sentences of it because I think you might like to follow that out so when Philip preached the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ that incorporated the whole purpose of God to redeem men in Christ and bring them into the perfection of the kingdom now as you go through the Acts of the Apostles I hope you're noticing these little subsidiary addresses you're getting 10 addresses for the to notice and our subject is the Apostles doctrine and fellowship the way in which there is a movement right through the Acts you start with all Jews being preached to and all Jews coming into the church and accepting Jesus as the Messiah you finish with fewer and fewer Jews and more and more Gentiles coming into the church and as you move so you move through the Acts of the Apostles away from Judaism towards the universal appeal of the Gospel that when you start all the preaching is done in the temple when you finish you're in Rome we have a poem in England about one of the Napoleonic Wars how they brought the good news from Gaunt to Ay I don't know if you know it Robert Browning or somebody they jumped to the stirrup and galloped or something or that I can never remember poetry some of you might know it but how they brought the good news from Gaunt to Ay it's called now I reckon you could say that the Acts of the Apostles is how they brought the good news from Jerusalem to Rome now that's the Acts of the Apostles if you want one phrase for the Acts of the Apostles it's how they brought the good news from Jerusalem to Rome it's not a biography of Paul it's not a biography of Peter it's a story of the outward movement of this Gospel and you see already in Acts chapter 8 because of the persecution that arose about Stephen we've already left Jerusalem and we're there in Samaria and Jews would have no dealings with Samaritans now this outward move takes a further step and the Jerusalem church gets involved in the work of Peter in preaching to a complete Gentile he wasn't a proselyte he was a God-fearer now a God-fearer was a man who liked you often read it don't you who feared God in the Acts of the Apostles a God-fearer was a man who who liked the Jewish religion thought it was great compared with the dissolute and immoral ways of the heathen but he didn't want to become a complete Jew even as far even as to be circumcised so he'd go along to the reading of the word and listen to the expounded law in the synagogue without completely committing himself and Cornelius was one of these God-fearers but he was a Gentile and here Peter is sent to learn that God regards all as equal and that the Jews although they had been the channel of God's purpose were not a cut above everybody else but God is calling men into his glorious purpose and so that passage that we had read from Acts chapter 10 where Peter in verse 34 began I now see how true it is that God has no favorites I like the way that's translated what is it in the King James version God is no specter of persons that's lovely language but when you just hear it is God has no favorites it's just got that bit of a bite on it hasn't it but that in every nation the man who is God-fearing that's that little play on that word Cornelius was one of the God-fearers you see who used to come to the synagogue every man who is God-fearing and does what he's right is acceptable to him now then he outlines this gospel verse 36 he sent his word to the Israelites and gave the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all so when he says who is Lord of all he is reminding his hearers of the lofty origin of the Lord Jesus Christ no mere man although a man and then I need what happened lately all over the land of the Jews starting from Galilee after the baptism proclaimed by John you know about Jesus of Nazareth how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power and he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed with the devil for God was with him and we can bear witness to all that he did in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem so that's number two he really goes to town on that ministered to men so that it is not to be excluded from our preaching we should include in our preaching a vivid picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and the things that he did when he ministered among men we shouldn't get so bogged down in what we might call the purely doctrinal issues that we can't find room to to show to men what God is like by telling them what Jesus did so a good Christo-Levian lecture ought to be a blend of the facts about what Jesus actually did with the interpretation which is the doctrinal part of why he did it what it meant and how it affects you and me I think that would make quite a difference to some of our lectures now I don't want the other extreme where somebody just gets up and tells a nice story about Jesus and that's all there is to it there's got to be a bite there's got to be a therefore there's got to be a men and brethren what shall we do about it and so Peter then moves on in his orderly way to the next fact about Jesus fact number three he was put to death by hanging on a jibbit now I like that translation I don't know whether you ever in this country were ever so barbaric as we were in England but where I've just moved from cherry tree cottage that it talks about in the program unfortunately for the writers of the program I'm not there anymore in fact when you get the august glad tidings on the back you'll find edgar willey box two canic staffs horrible isn't it but you see the main thing is I must have that money out of all of you for glad tidings so I mean if I put cherry tree cottage you might say isn't that a lovely address but I might not get the contributions which I hope are going to double this year that's the first plug I've made for glad tidings there are many others to follow but seriously this word jibbit cherry tree cottage stands on a hill it's a white cottage of the old-fashioned kind no modern conveniences that's partly why after 10 years of no modern conveniences we've decided perhaps we better have a bit of this affluent society and some of these modern conveniences and so on but under smaller house and it looked down on two lanes that went in two different directions and the one that wasn't made up you know with tarmac or whatever you call it was called jibbit lane and the main road from yorkshire to bristol used to run just about a mile from where we are passing jibbit lane so that the high women ancestors of edward who used to come from yorkshire would sometimes get caught in the midlands as edward sometimes gets caught in the midlands and you know I've got to really have have my gentle revenge on him for one or two things but we're great friends edward and I anyway they'd catch these high women and they string them up on a jibbit until there wasn't anything left of them and that was a terrible business now when you have in your local history stories about jibbits and here we really are serious and you think of that nasty word associated with the lord Jesus Christ you see crosses are respectable people wear them as kind of lucky charms around their necks and they put them up very nicely carved outside their churches and you don't get the full horror of what Jesus underwent for us from the word across always or even crucified well that comes a bit nearer to it but when you think of that ugly word jibbit and those high women being strung up there hayman was hung on a jibbit then it's terrible and when you think of the lord there for us you know we had one or two hot days before I came away from England and that there were quite a lot flies about and you know you kept on doing that to get rid of the flies and while I was doing that one hot day that very same day I happened to read a book which was called whom ye crucified so now you know where I got my idea yesterday about us all being involved in the crucifixion of Jesus it suddenly occurred to me that as he lay there mangled and bleeding for us one of the most torturing things he must have had to have endured was a massive flies around him makes you feel horror-stricken doesn't it of our lord enduring all these terrible things for us and maybe the darkness which came down was a bit of a merciful relief from that particular agony that he was enduring well I only mentioned that in passing just to illustrate the the absolute horror of the death of the lord Jesus Christ right down to a little detail like that of swarms of flies around him as his body still bled suffered and bled for us you know love so amazing so divine which I'm sure we shall sing at some stage during this week so it was Peter brings to their notice the fact that he was put to death by hanging on a gibbet and then the note of joy but God raised him to life on the third day and allowed him to appear not to the whole people but to witnesses whom God had chosen in advance to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead and he commanded us to proclaim him to the people proclaim him that's what we're doing when we're preaching however we do it and whatever we have to talk about whatever our ASK correspondence course is dealing with in the end it has one objective whatever glad tidings is talking about in any particular month because those are our two I think as I see it the two main prongs for preaching the truth today and it's gradually getting over to England that the ASK correspondence course is a fine way where anybody whether they are orators or not can can go into people's houses and get things moving the ASK course and then glad tidings is a regular magazine to follow it up is a fine way of preaching the truth all the time we must remember we're aiming to bring the lord Jesus Christ into the center of people's lives so that he may stay in the center of their lives not only in this life but eternally in the day that is to come and incidentally I'll make a deal with Al Pride and all of you that if if you'll plug glad tidings over here I'll go back and plug ASK it's already coming in England brother Charles Sermain is going about England trying to get the brethren and sisters doing the ASK system well now in in this address then proclaim him to the people and affirm that he is the one who has been designated by God as judge of the living and the dead so here the particular aspect of his coming again you remember we had universal restoration now the particular aspect is judge of the quick and the dead then we go on and Paul is our next preacher our next worker in the advancement of scripture knowledge in those days and we get Paul in Acts chapter 13 I'm obviously in spite of my extra 10 minutes going to have to get my skates on a little bit if we're going to do all I want to do this morning in the remaining 25 minutes in Acts 13 I just want to pick out one or two verses to show you the same seven facts you see if you think about these seven facts anybody who want to follow this system is a lecturing brother you can take any one of them give the facts then explain any difficulties like the mortality of man that might interfere with the understanding of it and then go back finally to the to the appeal so we have a lot to learn from the apostles well now Paul in Acts 13 started with the problems that existed he started with the need that a people with a wonderful heritage of history like the Jews among whom God had been working had now put the stone on his work of salvation through Israel and so he he tells them verse 26 my brothers you who come of the stock of Abraham and others among you who revere our God we are the people to whom the message of this salvation has been sent and he goes on then to say that although this message of salvation right through Israel's history had been given yet when the one who was foretold by all the prophets actually came they condemned him they fulfilled the very scriptures they had read by condemning him and they asked Pilate to have him executed verse 29 when they'd carried out all that the scriptures said about him they took him down from the gibbet and laid him in a tomb but God raised him from the dead every time there's that note of triumph we ought to feel that note of triumph it isn't just a doctrinal fact that God raised him from the dead because it's a living fact he's a living Lord Jesus because he was raised from the dead to die no more and then in verse 31 the second half of it speaking of the apostles he says they are now his witnesses before our nation verse 32 and we are here to give you the good news that's the spirit of the preacher that God who made the promise to the fathers has fulfilled it for the children by raising Jesus from the dead then he goes back to Psalm 2 you are my son this day have I begotten you he shows how in the very promises that God made to David that there should be a messiah raised up who should be the son of God this in the resurrection of Jesus and his elevation to the right hand of God was being fulfilled it's rather strange isn't it that that Peter should use a passage in the Old Testament that talks about the throne of David which we know is going to be in Jerusalem when the kingdom of Israel is restored and yet he says for the moment the throne of David is in exile and Christ is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God and so he uses throne of David passages to describe Jesus sitting at the right hand of God you can see how the orthodox churches can find verses which get them mixed up because they think that because Jesus is on the throne already but that's where the throne is always going to stay instead of recognizing that fact number seven he's coming back and the throne of God which is at present in heaven shall be with man all there's lots of things in these green flags these quotations between the old and the new testament then he goes on having spoken a little bit more about the promises to David and how they had been partly fulfilled and fulfilled in a sense in the things that had happened in the death and resurrection of Jesus he then goes on having got Jesus raised verse 38 you must understand my brothers that it is through him him again that forgiveness of sins is now being proclaimed to you forgiveness of sins see i know i'm laboring it i'm saying it again and again forgiveness of sins is there as part of the key message and he goes on to say of course that in christ there is a lifting of the load of sin and the burden that oppresses there is a sense of joy and lightness instead of a sense of oh i'll never get into the kingdom see that we often find brothers and sisters getting depressed and saying that that's when your pilgrimage gets dreary when you start saying i'll never get into the kingdom fear not little flock it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom i know there's the other side of it we mustn't just get too confident because we haven't got there yet in all its fullness i'll talk about that uh one of the later mornings god willing this theme of grace and the mercy of god well then i must dash over into acts chapter 17 following paul now into the gentile territories and he's no longer talking to the jews he's speaking to gentiles in acts chapter 17 having preached to the thesilonians i am proclaiming to you the messiah having been accused of preaching another king one jesus because there are political implications in the gospel if we serve another king one jesus then he's our king and no human king or president has our undivided allegiance this is really one of our basic reasons for objecting to military service it isn't only that we object to the use of violence this is an important principle of christian living but also we serve another king one jesus that's in acts chapter 17 and then you 16 i meant to mention but i'll mention it from memory when that earthquake occurred in the prison remember when paul and silas sang hymns with the understanding and with great feeling i imagine as they sat there in the stocks and then there was that earthquake and the poor jailer he was going to commit suicide and that very night he was baptized and that often occasions difficulties to people but you see basically that that man he had a bit of instruction that night there was just one thing as far as he was concerned he learned that night that there was a mighty power in the earth the power of one jesus whom paul had been preaching for several weeks after all and he'd read about it in the in the philippi news or whatever newspaper they had there he knew all things that were happening and then he saw it firsthand and there he was in a great problem and just about to commit suicide and his needs were met by a man paul who in the strength of another one jesus had got the power to control the whole situation he says my word that's it i'm going to give myself heart and soul to that one when somebody's prepared to give himself heart to jesus he's got a child mind and he's he's prepared to be sorted out on all his complications well the main complication for a man like that was a that he probably lived a pretty violent and dissolute life and b he probably went along from time to time to whatever temple it was to worship idols once he'd seen the supremacy of the power and the moral supremacy also of jesus then what must i do to be saved i want that power believe on the lord jesus christ and now shalt be saved and they had a bit of a chat and his whole mind and his whole thinking was reoriented and there he was baptized that very night now in acts chapter 17 the situation is rather different because um he's in the university city he's in yale or harvard or yale and harvard and what's princetown did him a homework you know and oxford and cambridge all rolled into one athens that was the university city and there he was preaching preaching to gods they thought they kept on heard he heard paul saying jesus and anastasis and jesus that was a man's name and anastasis that was a lady's name you know that was the gender of the word anastasis and there ladies around who were called anastasis or anastasia and oh he's got two new gods a man god and a lady god we must hear about this but wait a minute has he got a license to preach you see because in athens anybody could preach but they had to go up to the court to get their license a bit like here and in england you have to have a license for all sorts of things don't you have to have a license for fishing perhaps if you're going to fish in certain parts of the here you had to have a license for preaching as long as you've got your license i don't think there was a fee then you were all right but you've got to go to the court of the ariopagus and this is you don't get this point clearly in the king james version and so he would appear to be they said a propagandist for foreign deities this is verse 18 because he was preaching about jesus and resurrection jesus and anastasis so verse 19 so they took him this is act 17 verse 19 so they took him and they brought him before the court of ariopagus and said may we know what this new doctrine is that you propound you are introducing ideas that sound strange to us and we should like to know what they mean now the athenians in general and the foreigners there had no time for anything but talking or hearing about the latest novelty i reckon that's a great translation isn't it because we know a lot of people like that talking or hearing about the latest novelty in fact sometimes we're tempted to be like that even in the brotherhood aren't we then paul stood up before the court of the ariopagus and said men of athens i see that in everything that concerns religion you are uncommonly scrupulous what does it say in the james version superstitious doesn't it you see and now here's another hint from the apostles as to how to preach you don't go before people when you know you're in a town where there's a lot of episcopal people you don't go up there and give your lecture and say now you know the episcopal church it's a synagogue of satan you might think that and you might be right but you don't go and say it you don't hit them over the head you see paul never did in fact one of the their deities so there is christian wisdom following there's a time don't mistake me there's a time for a bit of hard hitting but you don't start that way and so men of athens i see that in everything that concerns religion you are uncommonly scrupulous not superstitious they were very conscientious about their religion what he meant was they were so scrupulous that they were a bit bothered that they might have left one of the gods out because they believed in the lot like people do today they say we're all going different ways to the same place don't they well certainly they were like in athens he said now that god that you've put an altar to the unknown god the one you don't know about that's the one i preach now that was a very very subtle and a very proper way of introducing the thing and then he has to start with god and so before he can get onto the facts about jesus he's got to go to the fact before god now i want to draw a deduction here about our preaching in relation to getting over to men and women that god is a lot of people just don't believe there is a god or or they don't know if they don't believe there is a god they're atheists if they just don't know they're agnostics and most people nowadays are either atheists or agnostics really and they ask you to prove there is a god now you can't you can bring some very useful points you can bring points about you know paley's watch where paley in the two centuries ago said if you saw a watch in a field you'd never seen one before and you opened it up you'd say well somebody must have made this you couldn't have a watch without a watchmaker so you couldn't have the wonders of nature without a god who made it all that's a very good argument but if you don't want to believe it won't convince you and i was telling the brethren and sisters down at washington and i don't think i've mentioned it here forgive me if i have i was in a restaurant in london the other day where two lads were talking one didn't believe in jesus and the other did and he was trying to prove just by a logical sequence of arguments that god existed and the more he went on the more the other chap was winning the argument because he was a quite a clever university chap well they were at the next table to me and they were they were speaking pretty loud and i couldn't you know resist it i had to join in in fact one or two things i've done since i've been here i mentioned to you the other day about amos the prophet who came from the two tribes to the ten tribes and didn't mind his own business and they sent him back one or two people have started nicknaming me amos the brother who doesn't mind his own business because i tell people how far to stand away from the microphone but anyway i couldn't mind my own business on this occasion and i joined in this little chat at the next table we have a saying in england which i think some of you have picked up from me that if you want to find out what something is like you suck it and see every time some strange american dish comes onto our table they tell me well you'll have to suck it and see when i ask them what it's like well i went i i joined this conversation i said look you will never convince your friend logically he's got to try it out he's got to suck it and see well he was very quick this friend of the man who was defending christ he said oh i see i've got to suck the christian lollipop have i i said that's right you suck the christian lollipop well what about the hindu lollipop and the mohammed and lollipop i said that's right you suck those as well if you've got time but i've doubt which one you'll find most satisfying but mind you you've got to do it properly you've got to not only read what you say you've got to put it into practice i suggest you start with matthew because you'll agree that jesus christ was a very good man when oh yes yes he'd agree that most people do sometimes they add if he existed but at least they think he's a good it's a good idea jesus christ nobody ever runs him down so i said well skip the bits you don't like early in matthew but it won't be long before you come to the sermon on the mount and you'll find that fine i know you will and then you'll come to various things but if you're going to suck it and see you've got to try it out so when you come to as you would that men should do to you you've got to try it out you've got to do it yes he said that's fair enough i'll say well you'll find you don't do it for five minutes you'll find too that before long you don't even want to it then a little bit later in the day you may even find that you're kidding yourself that you do do it and you might even end up saying well perhaps it doesn't matter and there's no need to do it we'll have all sorts of problems but if you face up to that verse as you would that men should do to you do you even so to them you'll make a great discovery on the first day of your reading of the bible you'll discover you're a sinner and then you'll have a need and when you've got a need then you may realize the the fact that that need has been met in other words you just send him away to suck it and see that's biblical isn't it oh taste and see that the lord is gracious send him away and say well either you'll have a go or you won't and all the arguing in the world you know so it is that the apostles simply asserted god who made the heavens who created mankind asserted it and you take it or leave it this isn't to say that you for certain types of minds try to help them with the understanding of the fact of god but conviction won't come unless they sample it well now we're getting quite a lot about our preaching this morning aren't we a lot of tips from the apostles about how to handle things and of course in this axe chapter 7 when he was before the court of the areopagus the apostle paul finishes up that god's overlooked the times of ignorance verse 31 x 17 but now he commands all mankind everywhere to repent then he brings in fact number seven act 17 verse 31 because he has fixed the day on which he will have the world judged and justly judged by a man of his choosing of this he has given a assurance to all by raising him from the dead we all know who that man is he's fixed the day in which he will judge the world and judge it righteously that means judgment and rulership the second coming of jesus is where he finishes in axe chapter 17 now i've got about another half hour down here on my notes but um you'll have to be compressed into five minutes because i resolved that one little crime i wouldn't commit would be of overstepping the time which i have been known to do um well now i would like to move on for this last few minutes into one or two bits in the epistles you see i'm talking all the time about what the apostles preached to unbelievers not what they taught to believers but you can get a lot of hints in the epistles about the way in which they preached now theme is the apostles doctrine and fellowship now the way in which they preach often comes out by the apostle referring back for example in romans don't turn it up there isn't time this gospel god announced beforehand in the sacred scriptures through his prophets it is about his son it is about jesus christ our lord so straight you learn the kind of gospel that paul preached it was about jesus christ our lord again in romans one by preaching the gospel of his son those kind of phrases you constantly get romans two a day when god judges the secret of human hearts through jesus christ so my gospel declares so he included the judgment seat in his gospel god is going to judge the secrets of human hearts and in romans 10 he sums up the the total power of his gospel although he took it all sorts of different roads although he's quite prepared to discuss detailed things yet the sum total of what he was aiming at in his gospel was that which he speaks of in romans chapter 10 romans chapter 10 he's referring back to the words of moses speaking of justification by faith what does it say verse 8 romans 10 the word is near you it's upon your lips and in your heart this means the word of faith which we proclaim so their gospel preaching was the word of faith if on your lips and here's the word of faith is the confession jesus is lord that's all the in those three words let's never forget it in all our various argumentations that we have to carry out in all our correspondence courses in all our articles in glad tidings in all our discussion with our friends never never never forget that the object of it all is that message that we keep on singing about in our hymn book we get so near to the lord jesus christ the object is christianity is about christ jesus is lord if on your lips is the confession jesus is lord and in your heart the faith that god raised him from the dead then you will find salvation everything's locked up there because i know some people think if you just say jesus is lord you're there well you've got to understand what you're saying obviously that's the the depth of commitment you see we we quite have an interview don't we and and i i can remember way back 40 or 50 years ago in england the interviews for baptism they used to go all through it's a good thing in a way you know the kings and then what king came next and then what king came next and they go through all the whole of the declaration and the christened elfin instructor and before and unless you answered all those questions you hadn't passed your examination it used to be said you see well now i think is the wrong phrase because it gives the idea that you're sitting a university examination in bible knowledge all that knowledge is at various levels to different mentalities necessary you've got to have your background but you mustn't in seeking to get that wealth of understanding into people's heads just stop there with an intellectual understanding the most important thing about an examination for baptism i dare say they're still called examinations or interviews or chats or conversations call them what you will and actually robert roberts had got this point in the good confession which was his little specimen interview their most important point is to make sure that that person is aware that when he goes into the waters of baptism he or she goes into the waters of baptism they are aware of the total commitment to the lord jesus christ in which they have engaged so if in your heart the faith that god raised him from the dead then you will find salvation for the faith that leads to righteousness is in the heart and the confession that leads to salvation is upon the lips as it is written in the scriptures verse 13 everyone who is in those two words is the whole purpose of god jesus yaweh the savior christ the anointed one promised through all the prophets anointed to what to be a king to be a king in men's hearts to be a king on the throne of david in the great millennial reign jesus the savior saving how by his death by his resurrection by his triumph over all the things that hold us in their grip jesus christ it's all there and often while you're carving that path through the jungle of human ideas to get there never forget that this is the object the object to teach men that they are sinners who need forgiveness who must repent who must allow christ to take over the complete direction of their lives christianity is christianity if we get hold of that then i'm sure they will come as we move towards the kingdom in these exciting times and we look forward to him being actually in the earth they will come if we take this positive aspect a new dynamic into our preaching may god grant that we learn something from the apostles and that as we go forward from this school to carry on with the round of proclaiming christ to mankind we may feel that it has been good to be here and that we've learned something from the apostles and that we're going to fellowship their activities as we proclaim christ to men

Transcript

This is the voice of Wilbraham. The Eastern Christadelphian Bible School presents a series of Bible addresses recorded at the 23rd annual convocation of the Eastern Christadelphian Bible School. Brother Edgar Willie of Dudley, England is the guest speaker. We hear Brother Willie now as he begins his third address upon the subject, No other name under heaven, whereby we must be saved. What Peter preached. I've got a lot of notes today because it's a difficult subject. It's a beautiful one though. But I'm going to ask something very special of you, brothers and sisters. You're wonderfully sympathetic listeners. I want even more sympathy this morning because I have before me the actual notes that I used at a certain gathering in England where I attempted to explain the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as Brother Edward knows, got myself in quite a bit of trouble. Well of course you always learn by your experiences. So I'm using the actual same notes that I had there. I'm hoping that I'm wiser. But of course whenever you talk about the Lord Jesus Christ, he is so far above our concepts that how to find words to express the lofty thoughts that Scripture gives about him, well it just beats you. That's why I'm asking not for your sympathy to anything wrong that I say. If I say something wrong, you put me right because that's all I want. But nevertheless, let us all recognize the limitations of human language to really plumb what the Apostle Paul calls the mystery of godliness. So I'm sure that we'll all work together because I'm going to work you. And I'm actually going to call up from the dead as it were, Brother Roberts and Dr. Thomas. I don't know why we call him Dr. Thomas, Brother Thomas. I'm going to call them up as witnesses but the things they're going to say are really going to ask you to put your thinking caps on. And if as a result we leave you with a determination to see God in Christ as well as man in Christ, then that's all I'm seeking to do today. That hymn that we had for example, I think Brother Edward was pointing out the other day, hymn 99 is our Trinity hymn. Not the Athanasian Creed which so confuses and darkens men's minds when they bother to read it, which not many people do nowadays, but the Bible sort of Trinity, which you get for example at the end of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. You've got a very, very threefold sort of phrase there. And I don't think it occasions us any difficulty at all. 2 Corinthians 13, verse 14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. When you and I were baptized, the brother said, you are baptized or I baptize you into or in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And some brethren have tried to get rid of that phrase and say it wasn't in the original, but that won't work, it was in the original. So that we have Father, Son and Holy Spirit portrayed for us in the very last words of Jesus in Matthew and we have this grace of the Lord Jesus, love of God and communion of the Holy Spirit presented in 2 Corinthians 13. And it is of this that in the next three talks, I want to speak. And this is really amplifying, as I said, we've been doing the preaching so far, where the Apostles just preached the basic facts that Jesus came from God and ministered to men, died and was raised, ascended to God, dwells in the believer and will come again. And these facts group themselves together really in three or four groupings. And today we're looking at this first one, that he came from God and ministered to men. Tomorrow we're going to look at ministered to men again, died for our sins and raised for our justification. And then we look at him ascended to the right hand of God and dwelling in the believer. And finally we look for his reappearance. So we're now going from preaching into teaching, where in the epistles, the Apostle Paul particularly, but also Peter and James, dive more deeply into things. I say particularly Paul, but I've forgotten one, haven't I? The Apostle John, who is perhaps the deepest of them all. And remember that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the basic material which were used in the early church after the first few years when things began to get written down. There they've got their basic material about the life of the Lord. And John's particularly giving this exalted picture of the one who came from God and yet got involved totally in our situation. And I think what happens in this topic is that we get one side or the other out of balance. This is the problem, how to stay in balance. And this is why I asked for your sympathetic listening. And if at any stage I get a bit out of balance, well, I'll try to put it right in the next talk. Because this morning's talk is out of balance. There's no doubt about it. By virtue of dealing with one subject at a time, you get out of balance. I'm going to stress the divine origin of our Lord. And as the Wilbraham Wayfarer says this morning that when men saw Jesus, they saw God. Now that's the emphasis that's going to be this morning. And that's why we had Hymn 99 with the Heavenly Father, then the Savior, and then the grace at work in the hearts of the believer. Now, plenty of Scripture then this morning. And first I would like to just read you a few verses from the New English Bible rendering of 1 John 1. Perhaps I'd rather you didn't turn your Bibles up for this. If you want to, I mustn't dictate to you whether you do or not. But I'd like you to imagine you've never heard the Epistle of John before. And you're way back in the first century. And you have a visit from the Apostle John. And this is what he says to you. He starts his excitation on the Sunday morning like this. It was there from the beginning. We have heard it. We have seen it with our own eyes. We looked upon it and felt it with our own hands. And it is of this we tell. And you say, what's he talking about? What is this it that he's touched and felt? And he goes on. Our theme is the Word of Life. This life was made visible. Got the idea of something called the Word of Life. And that something called the Word of Life that was almost personal in its power because it was linked with God, became visible. We have seen it and bear our testimony. We here declare to you the eternal life which dwelt with the Father and was made visible to us. So there's something called eternal life. And it isn't the same word as immortality. There's something called eternal life. That's the quality of the life of God. You know, we tend to use the word eternal life of the quantity of life that we hope to have. Immortal is really the right word there. And sometimes the word eternal is used in the Bible to mean immortal. But here he's using the word eternal of the quality of the divine life. And that divine life, it dwelt with the Father and was made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you and we together may share in a common life. That life which we share with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And we write this in order that the joy of us all may be complete. I think that's lovely. You know, there you've got it. You've got that eternal life which was with the Father. That's the first stage of the right sort of trinity. That eternal life which was with the Father made visible in the Lord Jesus Christ and then passed on to us so that we share it too by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Those are the three aspects. Came from God. Died for our sins as a man. Dwells in the believer. All to be made perfect when he comes again. If only we can have these lovely positive concepts then a lot of the problems of pre-existence passages, that kind of thing, they go. But I recommend to you the New English Bible translation of those first few verses of John. It's all there. You know, I almost need not say anything else. But I will. Well now, let's think about why it's important that we should get the God side of Jesus clear. Well, it is important because flesh, human nature, is so constructed that it can't save itself. Human nature is of such a character that it always tends toward the earth and requires lifting up toward the heavenly things. Now man can't lift himself up. Or he can go to the moon and he can do all sorts of wonderful things. But when in Washington about a week ago I gave a lecture from earth's orbit to heaven's orbit. And although man can get out of earth's orbit into moon's orbit, I can't really get into heaven's orbit on the spiritual level by their own efforts. This is why God is the source of salvation. And that's why it's so important to recognize that as 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19, puts the whole theme of redemption, 2 Corinthians 5, 19, I've been asked to say my passages loud and clear so that anybody who wants to note them can do so. 2 Corinthians 5, 19, To wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the apostles the word of reconciliation. God was in Christ. And then he goes on to speak of the way in which this manifestation of the Eternal Father descended, as Brother John Carter used to say, He came down into the evil from which He came to save us. For He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that He who was in heaven's orbit, as it were, comes down into earth's orbit, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him to lift us up to what God is. Jesus was sent down into what we are. That's why it's important to see the heavenly side. And this is why, of course, Paul writing to Timothy in his first letter, chapter 3 and verse 16, on Timothy 3 verse 16 says, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, about which there's been more controversy than any other one subject. Paul didn't mean that. He simply means there's no argument that it's a great secret. As we'd say in England, you can say that again. Without controversy, great is the mystery or the secret of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. This is where we get our Christadelphian phrase God manifestation from. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Now I know there are other translations which say just He was manifest. I think we usually tend to favour the King James Version here. But if you do, you've got the situation that God was manifest in the flesh, God was justified in the spirit, God was seen of angels, God was preached unto the Gentiles, God was believed on in the world, and God was received up into glory. Then you've really got a problem, haven't you? Obviously we have to expand our understanding of the word God. Not only speaking of the eternal, great uncreate Himself, usually denoted in the Old Testament by that Hebrew word Eel, but we have to recognise that the word translated God in our Bibles takes in all the various manifestations of God, even down to Jewish judges, which as we had yesterday morning, Psalm 82, I said ye are gods. The very word God branches out. And as we study our Bibles, we come to realise that even we are called to deification. That's just staggering, that ordinary men and women like you and I are called to become partakers of the very divine nature. And the way this happened was that God involved Himself in human nature, in the person of His Son, that we might ultimately be involved in the divine nature. So the theme is the theme of the Lord Jesus Christ. When I think of the Lord Jesus Christ in three aspects, I think of Him divine in origin, two, I think of Him as the sin bearer, and three, I think of Him as indwelling of the saints. And I saw a very beautiful phrase in the writings of Bishop Gore. I know some brethren don't like you to refer to where you got an idea from because they think you're encouraging people to read a lot of things that might lead you off the line. But I think in all honesty, I ought to say where I got this phrase from. And he portrays, and this was strange, I mean he believes, I don't know, what he does believe quite, or he's dead now, but you know some of his chapters, when I read them, they seem so near to our understanding of God manifestation, I found myself going along very happily for the bits I wasn't quite so happy in. When he tried to just explain how the Athanasian creed, although it was a muddle and he admitted it was, yet somehow said the truth. But leaving that aside, he put Jesus in three phases. Speaking of the divine origin of Jesus, he said we have Christ in front of us and above us. And then he said, speaking of Jesus as a man, we have Christ for us. And then speaking of Jesus by the Spirit in the believer, we have Christ in us. So it's Christ above us and beyond us and above us. This is the God side. And then we have Christ for us, dying for our sins. And then we have Christ in us, above us, for us, in us. I think that's very lovely. You see, often we speak of Jesus as our example, and of course Peter said that, leaving us an example. And yet in a sense, Jesus is more than an example because we cannot attain. And yet we've got to let him work in us to lift us up a little bit to what he was. But he is above us. And if we think that the only purpose that God had in sending Jesus was to give us a good moral example, well then we really are in trouble because we'll never make it. And I think it's because we think sometimes that he was just a good moral example that we've got to copy and if we don't, woe betide us, that we sometimes get some of the worries where we feel we'll never make it. He is above us, he will remain above us, but he's lifting us up a little bit all the time. Now I want to speak of his greatness. I want to speak of when he came from God and ministered to men without turning up a lot of passages. I want to, for just ten minutes, remind you of his greatness. I want you to go back to the first century there, to when he walked among men. Let us stand with his disciples. Let us be one of the twelve, if you like, and let us think of how at first they would have thought, well John the Baptist says this is the Lamb of God, we will follow him. You remember how they went, come and see, he says, come and see. Brother Roberts in Nazareth we visited says, how we'd love to have been there. When to Peter and John it was said, was it Peter and John? Well, whichever two it was, come and see. And they went and spent hours with him. And they were really immediately drawn to him. They wouldn't have realised that they were really talking in a manner of speaking to God, walking among men. Or as Dr Thomas would have put it, the deity tabernacling in the son of David's daughter. That's how Dr Thomas used to put it in those old phrases which come ringing down with such beauty, even if we don't always quite understand some of those long phrases that he uses. And there they were, talking to God, walking among men. They didn't know it. But little by little it would dawn on them that there was something remarkable, something greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist said, I must decrease, he must increase. He spake as one, having authority. He could say, it was said of old time, but I say unto you. You can understand how the Jews were puzzled by him. If I said to you this morning, it was said in the New Testament, so and so, but I say unto you, that would be the last time I spoke at Wilbraham. They would, wouldn't they? And rightly so. But the Lord Jesus Christ suddenly standing in the midst and saying, it was said of old time, but I say unto you, and somehow the authority came over. And we read again and again, you start ticking them off in your Bible, the number of times that it says, they were amazed, and what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the waves obey him. And how casually, and it is this casualness with which the Lord Jesus says these things that is simply staggering. He'd say, in that day many will say unto me, Lord, Lord, and I will say unto them. Nobody ever thought, well, some people said he has a devil, but the disciples never did. They just took it in their stride. It seemed so natural for him to say things like that. Many will say to me in that day, he was the judge. All judgment is committed unto the Son. His message all the time pointed to himself, that they were to trust in him as their unfailing guide, as their never ceasing resource. And all his words to them were training them to put their total trust in him. Have you ever thought, I know I let myself go a little bit last night and I wondered whether I was quite right afterwards and I started talking about me. Well, I only did it to kind of share experiences with one another, but if I'd done any more of it, you'd have began to say to yourself, I wish he'd stopped talking about himself. Do you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ talked all the time about himself and never sounded conceited. He said, I'm the bread of life. I am the bread of life. I am the truth. I am the resurrection and the life. And yet nobody really felt, who'd got any sympathy with him, that this was contradictory when he said, you be humble. So on the one hand here was somebody who talked about himself all the time and he said to other people, you be humble. And it didn't sound a bit contradictory. There was a man, looked just like a man, who said, Abram, rejoice to see my day. This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Again and again, particularly in the Gospel of John, you have it portrayed that to believe on him was man's main duty. And not to believe on him was man's chief sin. Quiet assumption, just taking it for granted that he was something more than a man came over all the time. And it hurts me anyway, and I don't say it hurts you, when you sometimes hear, brethren and sisters, in their eagerness to correct men's errors, swinging right over the other way and almost making Jesus appear merely a man. And I would recommend great care when sincere people who really are seeking to serve Christ, although they are in error on various things, when they come up to you and say, do you believe in the divinity of Jesus? Be careful how you answer it. Don't just say, no. They think that you think he's just a mere man, and I can understand them being a bit horrified, can't you? So find some words, or say yes, when they ask you to believe in the divinity of Jesus. Say yes, but I'd like to have a bit of a chat sometime so that we can sort out just what I mean when I say yes. But don't say no, otherwise you will convey a very unchristian sort of approach. There were the direct claims of Jesus, Jesus who called himself the Son of Man, Jesus who said, my Father, my Father. And there were the indirect claims where he forgave sin, something that God only could do, where he said, I will bestow life, something that God only could do, where he said, I will judge the world, something which God only can do, all together above us, above us, and yet for us and finally in us. Which of you, John chapter 8 verse 46, which of you convinced me of sin? In verse 29, I do always those things which please the Father. We're used to those words. You just think, if you could manage to get through today, even in the wonderful fellowship of Wilbraham, if you could manage to get through today without one thought that was just a little bit not quite right, you'd think it was a marvelous triumph of Christ dwelling in you, wouldn't you? We've probably already thought some little thought, or done some little thing that's not quite up to standard. Don't let it oppress you, don't let it depress you. This is what we are. Here was somebody who, while all other men needed saving, he himself was the Savior without sin. Other men were sheep, he was the shepherd. All other men were dead, he was the life. Other men were in darkness, he was the light. Other men were hungry, he is the bread. No consciousness of sin, yet such a sympathy with sinners. No sense of moral failure at all. In contrast with us. Oh, what a great one the Lord Jesus was. And yet, not superior, not a crank, not eccentric. Have you thought about that? There's nothing odd about Jesus. You know, when people try hard, and that's a danger of course, trying hard, try hard to be like him, sometimes they somehow turn out as cranks and eccentric. No self-importance, and yet his teaching was self-centered, but the self that he centered on was God. And yet, not up there in the clouds, play with the children. Knew all about their playing at weddings and funerals, the friend of lepers and harlots and sinners. Is it any wonder that after he had been raised from the dead, Thomas said, my Lord and my God. I want us to feel, but without feeling any necessity for explanation that we do, and come to the feet of Jesus and say, as we sing some of these hymns, my Lord and my God, and we know just what we mean without explaining it. Jesus was and is divine. He was also human. I was going to say was and is human, and if I said that, I would mean that he took back to heaven with him. And you know how I use the word back in inverted, in quotes, I mustn't say inverted commas in the States, we have to say quotes, don't we? That he took back, inverted commas, quotes, to heaven with him the experience of having been human. That's why he, as we shall see tomorrow, is able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. But he was and is rightly called God. You know those passages such as when Paul is writing to the Hebrews, he quotes from Psalm 45 in Hebrews chapter 1, God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son. Goes on to speak of how the Son was the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person. Goes on to speak then unto which of the angels said he, eventually in verse 8, but unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O God. Then of course if you go back to Psalm 45, you'll find that God in Psalm 45 and also God in Isaiah 64, because he goes on, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. So there in verse 9 is a God who has got a God. So Jesus is a God who has a God. So there is unity and yet in one sense there is separateness. Isn't too deep for us is it? God, it says that Jesus is God. I've been asked by orthodox friends, do you believe that Jesus is God? I say, well Hebrews 1 tells us he was. Also John tells us that he says, my father is greater than I. Great is the mystery of godliness. And I sometimes get into a little bit of difficulty because I'm so thrilled with just what it actually says about Jesus that I don't do enough explaining. This is so much open to misunderstanding, but I think we're all agreed, aren't we, that in Jesus we have no mere man. You look at Luke chapter 1. You look at Luke chapter 1. And verse 68, when the old man Zechariah holds the baby Jesus in his arms. Oh no, that's a bit later. I've got the wrong one there. Yes, Zechariah did hold the baby Jesus in his arms and he knew that he held the Lord's Christ and he said, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. That's in Luke 2, thy salvation. But the one I wanted was Luke 1. The other Zechariah, Simeon was the one I was talking of there. Now Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, when he held his own baby in his arms, John the Baptist, he started off in verse 68. And this is one of the, some of the churches, the Orthodox churches use this as one of their regular pieces that they recite. Don't they call it the Benedictae? I'm not very well up on all that. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Visited. When Jesus was among men there was God on a visit to Israel. God on a visit to mankind in the person of his son. Now I suppose we have something in the direction of a bit of explanation of this great and marvelous thing in Luke chapter 1. And please, don't anybody say, well this isn't quite fair because it gives Jesus an unfair advantage over us. If he was guard walking among men, then of course he couldn't sin. Don't forget that he was in the flesh. That's the other side. And therefore he was tempted in all points like us and he had greater problems than we have. He had more to fight than we have. But it isn't a matter of being fair. Jesus was God's arm. God saw there was no arm, no man. Isaiah 59, therefore his arm brought salvation. There it is. It's all of God, this work. So it isn't a matter of saying, well Jesus had a chance that we didn't have. He had problems that we didn't have as well. But God didn't give him to us to just do the things that we can do, but to do something that we can't do. And that's why he had no human father. We read in Luke chapter 1, verse 31. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son. Luke 1.31. And thou shalt call his name Jesus. Jehovah, which of course is bad Hebrew. Yahweh, we know. Yahweh the Savior. The he who shall be the Savior. Probably the word Yahweh doesn't only mean the he who shall be, but really means the he who was and is and will be. There's past, present and future in that great name of God. So that when you come to the book of Revelation you have who is and who was and is coming. Past, present and future all wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yahweh the Savior. The who is and who was and is coming. So there was Mary. Now those of you who are mothers, just think how she must have felt with this strange salutation. You are going to be the mother of the one promised. What a thrill. How her heart must have leapt. If the babe in the womb of Elizabeth leapt, how must Mary's heart have leapt? He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end. You Mary are going to bear in the normal process of childbirth that one. Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be seeing I know not a man, I'm not married? The angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee. And then Hebrew parallelism saying the same thing a different way. The power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. And I think we have a glimmering of the explanation but it's only a glimmering there. In ordinary human birth there is substance from the father goes forth to cause the germination process to commence. The child that is conceived begins to grow. Then all holiness and purity of thought power from God went forth and operated upon the substance of Mary to begin a new life. A new life that was directly connected with the God who sent forth that power. So that God really did extend himself in producing this son but he extended himself more than we human fathers do. Why we can't even say, well we've got two boys, let's have a girl this time. We can't say that. In Japan they're trying to experiment to see if they can't control the sex of the child that you have. How about if we could say, now we'll have another child, little John is old enough, now we'll have another child, we'll have all your good qualities dear and we'll have all my good qualities and none of our bad ones. And we'll wipe out all grandfathers bad qualities and grandmothers bad qualities and you know, we just can't do it can we? But in all reverence when God himself is the father he can ensure that right balance of qualities, potential in the child that will respond so that it's no marvel that at the age of 12 he was able to say, didn't you know I must be about my father's business? I think you begin to just get a glimmering but it's only a glimmering because you see, human children have a kind of sympathy with father if they get on well together, a sort of feeling for father, but that's only a dim reflection of the feeling that Jesus had for his father. Fancy at the age of 12 saying, wish she not that I must be about my father's business. Yet he was a child and he grew, grew in favor with God and man. There were times when he played and there were times when he went that little bit further and became a little more mature, always perfect at the stage of his development. The explanation, well the explanation, we've seen it in Luke 1, we see it in Micah chapter 5 as translated in the revised standard version. Micah chapter 5, where we have about that one that was going to be born in Bethlehem, thou, Micah 5 verse 2, jot it down if you can't find it quickly, those minor prophets are always a problem just to drop on, aren't they? Micah 5 verse 2, thou Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth to me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth, it says in the King James version, whose origin has been from of old, from everlasting. So Jesus originated in God from of old, from everlasting. Can we get that? His origin was there in God. I'm not saying anything about him having an eternal consciousness, but once he came, then somehow there was in him a, have you ever had that feeling I've been here before? You know, that feeling I've been here before. Well, there was something about Jesus that when he thought of God in heaven, he got that feeling I've been there. He can't understand it, can't explain it, but I think that just gets a little bit near to what Jesus meant when he said in John chapter 3, in John chapter 3, was it Jesus that said it? And verse 31, well, it wasn't actually Jesus who said it. It was either John the Baptist saying it or it was John the Gospel writer saying it. It doesn't matter anyway for our present purposes. John chapter 3, verse 31. Using that, this little example of where you feel you've been somewhere before and yet you know you've never been there before, do they call it a perception or something? Well, Jesus had a divine, not only a perception, but a perception. That is, a perception of what goes before. He who comes from above is above all others. He who is from the earth, like John the Baptist, belongs to the earth and uses earthly speech. He who comes from heaven bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his witness. Now, it is true that Jesus right through his ministry was in daily contact with God. He used to go up into the mount and learn new things from God. Each time he had that wonderful communion and when he'd learn some new things from God, he'd teach his disciples new things as he drew upon his father's reservoir of strength and power. But somehow in addition to that and beyond it, we've got to face up to these words that he who has come from heaven bears witness to what he has seen and heard. So there was in the consciousness of Jesus a sense of things that went before that almost as it were seemed to have been implanted in him by the fact that his origin was of old. So that when he said before Abram was, I am, he had a sense and a feeling for the eternal past. I'm struggling for words because I know not how to say this without being misunderstood, but I don't think anybody is misunderstanding me. We're trying to get that feeling of this divine eternity that was somehow built into the person of Jesus so that he had a sense of having been involved in the creation of all things because God was his father, was the eternal pre-existing deity. His father was and that God, as Brother Thomas puts it, tabernacled in Jesus. Don't you see the greatness of Jesus? Don't you see the explanation of his uniqueness? Let's just look at one or two more passages in John just to get this idea. And I know not how to explain them and when I read them privately as part of my personal devotion I don't try and explain them. I'm just thrilled to them as I'm sure you do. John chapter, I've got little marginal notes, G, M, God manifest by the side of them. Look at John 3 verse 13 which may be a comment of John's or may be actually what Jesus said. Bishop Temple in his readings from John's Gospel which is one of those writings which I think one could safely recommend. There are a few things that are not quite right in it but rather fewer than most orthodox books. He comments on this, if you remember what the verse is, no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven. Bishop Temple or Archbishop Temple, I think he was anyway, doesn't matter what he was, he said that Jesus said those words. And although Jesus was on earth, yet while on earth he was able to speak that he was in heaven because heaven was his home, the source of his life. Mind you that carries on when Christ is in the believer that according to Paul in Ephesians we too are in heaven, we're here on the earth. And yet this week as we talk about the things of God we have a sense of being with God, at home in God, sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. As Brother John Thomas put it in Eureka, on earth bodily his thinking concentrates beyond the veil where Christ is. It's a lovely phrase isn't it? Speaking of the saints, on earth bodily his thinking concentrates within the veil, beyond the veil where Christ is. We get little glimmerings of this don't we as we talk about these joyous things. So there it was, Jesus was on the earth and in heaven at the same time. You see when we talked about this at Oxford, one sister brought up in discussion that sometimes we're too space conscious and we're too time conscious. And I think several of you have said this to me in conversation during this week when we've talked about, we're too bothered to get, now did Jesus pre-exist before he was born? And obviously in one sense no. We're so concerned with getting the time factor right. And then we were saying, was he in heaven before he was born on earth? And there we're concentrating on the space factor. Well once you wash time and space out and get into the heavenly things, once you've done that then you can say yes to both those questions. Because to God, time is just nothing and space is just nothing. And to him, ignoring time and space, Jesus is an eternal presence. Well I don't understand what I mean really when I say that, neither do you. Because we're out of our depth and we try to do without time and space. We don't really know what we mean. But Jesus obviously as he talked was oblivious to time and space and before Abram was, I am. And that is the memorial name being worked in there, translated I am there, but perhaps it ought to be I was am and will be. Oh yes, John 3, we've had John 3. John 5.23, all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. That's John 5.23. John 5.26, as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. That eternal life which was always with the Father, which became visible. Moving on, John 6, just to give you the flavour of it. I sometimes get criticised for using that word flavour, but don't I, Edward, yes. But it's the only word I know. If you just sit down and try and draw up a few cold propositions on this subject, you're soon in chaos. You get the feel of it. Verse 38, John 6, I came down from heaven. Forget space, you see. Just think of His divine origin and what it felt like to be Jesus. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. You're in no problem, are you? None of us are. We're all together on it. In this context of sitting at the feet of Jesus, we know just what it means, even if we couldn't explain it. And when we come to chapter 6, verse 51, I am the living bread which came down from heaven. We don't need to explain it. We can sense it. We can feel with Jesus. And what about verse 62 of chapter 6? What and if ye see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? In God, His Father, there He dwelt, as it were, from all eternity, whose origin was of old. And yet, of course, as I completely knew, being dwelt among men. There is the complexity of it. There He was, the Lord Jesus Christ, born like a baby. And yet, as He walked among men, He had a sense of His eternal antecedents. You know that word, antecedents? His beforecomings, that's what antecedents meant. And He had that sense of it in His very own being. Oh, well, you know all the rest of these passages, don't you? John, chapter 8, verse 23. Ye are from beneath. I am from above. And all those phrases where He keeps on saying, the Father sent me. He got the feeling almost as if God had said to Him, and that feeling, I have been there before. He got that feeling in such heightened form that it was almost as if God had said to Him, My son, I want you to go forth and become a man. Now, we know that's how the orthodox people put it, and we feel they've got it crude and badly put. We don't accept that. But Jesus felt like that. He felt as if God had said, I want you to go on a mission to man. And God in heaven, the Eternal Father, was so with Jesus, like Abram, you know, he spared not his own son, that when Jesus hung upon the cross, God felt as if He was there with him. That's the unity of the Father and the Son. We can only just touch on it. We can't grasp it all fully. You know all those passages then in John 8 where he says, verse 42, the middle of verse 42, But Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God. I proceeded forth. I went on a journey. I left heaven. I came from God and I came to you. That's the words. Now, we know that we mustn't understand them crudely. We've got to understand them in terms of this feeling for the Father that the Son had, and this feeling for the Son that the Father had, a unity that we are being taught little by little to share in. Now, I'm going to really do this last minute or two that puts you into problems of understanding what our pioneers said. Can you understand this now in the light of what I've just been saying? This is Nazareth Revisited. If you haven't got it, there'll probably be some brisk business in the book room. Now, he's been speaking of the glory that I had with thee before the world was. He's been trying our usual explanation of in the mind of the Father, and that's partly right. In a sense, that's what I've been saying, isn't it? I've been trying to fill out, not just that God had a purpose, but that there was a feeling for each other that seemed to leap over time and space. Having explained it as in the mind of the Father, then Brother Roberts goes on, but this is not necessarily inconsistent with the other view to which Dr. Thomas was always inclined to accord weight and prominence, and which it is impossible to dismiss with a full regard to the grounds on which it rests. It is not an alternative view, but one that may rest co-ordinately with it, namely that Jesus being what He was, the Word made flesh, the manifestation of the God of David in the seed of David, and therefore David's Lord, it is impossible, this is page 481 for those who want to go and read it for themselves, NASA 3 visited, it is impossible to disconnect His mentality from the eternal power in which He was rooted. Got that? Impossible to disconnect His mentality from the eternal power in which He was rooted. And that although as son of David and the man Christ Jesus, His existence dates from His conception of the Holy Spirit, the consciousness within Him whose foundation was laid by the Holy Spirit may have reflected previous relations in a way of which pure earth-borns like ourselves have no experience. His consciousness may have reflected previous relationships in a way of which pure earth-borns like ourselves have no experience. The facts stated in the words, I and my Father are one, and the words that I speak are not mine, but the Fathers who dwelleth in me would necessarily carry such an idea and involve a state of mind requiring expressions like that to describe it that could not be applicable to us. There was just no other way for Jesus to say how He felt to the Father, but these expressions, you see, of pre-existence. Then He goes on, page 482, only on such a principle does it seem possible to attach a natural meaning, and we do a lot of wriggling on this subject, don't we? A natural meaning to the statement He makes in His prayer, they, the disciples, have known surely, surely after our chat today, and we know surely, that of Jesus I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send me. And again, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world. Again I leave the world and go unto the Father. And again, Jesus knew that His hour was come, that He should depart out of this world unto the Father. Jesus, knowing that He was come from God and went to God. Also the expressions, I came down from heaven, before Abram was I am, and his question, what and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before. Now you listen to this sentence. I think we can just get a glimmer at what Brother Roberts meant. All these expressions imply reminiscence of the pre-existing relation of things. Reminiscence of the pre-existing relation of things. That idea I've tried to express, I have been here before, I have been there before, that was the feeling built into Jesus as a result of God dwelling in Him. All these expressions imply reminiscence of the pre-existing relation of things, which cannot be surprising if we realize that all wisdom and knowledge and memory are stored in the eternal Father Spirit of whom Jesus was the expression. It may be there is an ingredient of it in the allusion to the glory God had with the Father before the world began. The Father element in Jesus must always be kept in view in judging the expressions that came from His lips. Now brothers and sisters, I don't think we've misunderstood any of that, have we? We've been really in the deepest waters that it's possible to swim in, in the divine waters of life. We've been lifted by these scriptures so that we have indeed sat in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We have seen our Lord in all His loftiness. We've seen that He came from God. We want to go on to see that although He was rich, heir of all things, came from God, whose origin was of old, yet for our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might become rich. And that's what we're going to talk about for the rest of this week. And may our consideration of our Lord fill us with love and reverence for Him so that a little of His greatness, just a little, may rub on us and that we may dwell in Him as He dwells in the Father.

Transcript

this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern christadelphian bible school the eastern christadelphian bible school presents a series of bible addresses presents a series of bible addresses recorded at the 23rd annual convocation recorded at the 23rd annual convocation of the eastern christadelphian bible of the eastern christadelphian bible school school brother edgar willey of dudley england brother edgar willey of dudley england is the guest speaker is the guest speaker we hear brother willie now we hear brother willie now as he begins his fourth address as he begins his fourth address upon the subject upon the subject according to my gospel according to my gospel what paul preached what paul preached we sang brother and sisters we sang brother and sisters a hymn that once i was full of prejudice a hymn that once i was full of prejudice against against because it was an orthodox hymn and because it was an orthodox hymn and because because in the third line in the orthodox in the third line in the orthodox version version it speaks about the gate of heaven it speaks about the gate of heaven when do i think now i could nearly when do i think now i could nearly sing about the gate of heaven with the sing about the gate of heaven with the understanding that paul had as sitting understanding that paul had as sitting in heavenly places in christ jesus in heavenly places in christ jesus however it's obviously better to remove however it's obviously better to remove ambiguity and we have the gate of life ambiguity and we have the gate of life but that hymn but that hymn in its second verse really says what in its second verse really says what we're going to try in some small measure we're going to try in some small measure to talk about together today to talk about together today we may not know we cannot tell we may not know we cannot tell what pains he had to bear what pains he had to bear but we believe it was for us he hung and but we believe it was for us he hung and suffered there suffered there we're going to just try and make a we're going to just try and make a little little progress in progress in understanding a little of the understanding a little of the depths into which the lord jesus was depths into which the lord jesus was plunged plunged for our sakes for our sakes now so far this week to give you the now so far this week to give you the usual usual early morning recap revision early morning recap revision we've we've seen the way in which the apostles seen the way in which the apostles preached about facts preached about facts we've summed them up in seven facts and we've summed them up in seven facts and there was a response and there was a there was a response and there was a result result the facts about jesus were the heart of the facts about jesus were the heart of the gospel the gospel so that christianity is christianity so that christianity is christianity they told men they told men how that jesus had come from god to how that jesus had come from god to minister to men minister to men had offered himself as a sacrifice for had offered himself as a sacrifice for sins and been raised from the dead and sins and been raised from the dead and triumphed over the grave and ascended to triumphed over the grave and ascended to the right hand of god and yet while so the right hand of god and yet while so far away was yet so near and could dwell far away was yet so near and could dwell in the believer in the believer that the believer in whom christ so that the believer in whom christ so dwelt dwelt could look forward to the coming again could look forward to the coming again of the lord whom not having seen he of the lord whom not having seen he loved loved and so the final hope of the believer is and so the final hope of the believer is to be reunited and completely one with to be reunited and completely one with the lord the lord having heard these mess these messages having heard these mess these messages this message from paul this message from paul and from peter and from peter men and women were led into the way of men and women were led into the way of repentance repentance manifested that repentance in the waters manifested that repentance in the waters of baptism received here and now the of baptism received here and now the wondrous forgiveness of sins so they wondrous forgiveness of sins so they could walk in peace and in unity could walk in peace and in unity with god with christ with god with christ with the spirit of christ dwelling with the spirit of christ dwelling within them within them with the with the very life of god at work within them very life of god at work within them that eternal life which was with the that eternal life which was with the father which was made visible and father which was made visible and available available and that eternal life and that eternal life which in quality they begin to have now which in quality they begin to have now they look forward to having in quantity they look forward to having in quantity and in perfection and in perfection in the day that is to come in the day that is to come so that was the simple message the so that was the simple message the simple series of facts simple series of facts which we have on our notice board and which we have on our notice board and then we moved from preaching yesterday then we moved from preaching yesterday to teaching to the deeper application of to teaching to the deeper application of these things we went back to our first these things we went back to our first two facts two facts and in reverence and love before him we and in reverence and love before him we tried falteringly tried falteringly to glimpse some of the greatness some of to glimpse some of the greatness some of the the majesty of christ we tried to see how he majesty of christ we tried to see how he was was in origin divine in origin divine how he came from god how he was sent how he came from god how he was sent from god from god and how there was within jesus a sense and how there was within jesus a sense of of linkage with the eternal things and the linkage with the eternal things and the eternal one who had gone before eternal one who had gone before so we saw christ above us so we saw christ above us we saw christ in all his majesty we saw we saw christ in all his majesty we saw christ christ in the words of thomas in the words of thomas my lord my lord and my god and my god if we left it there if we left it there we should be unbalanced we should be unbalanced if we only had yesterday's study if we only had yesterday's study then we should have only got part of the then we should have only got part of the story story because we should be left with a kind of because we should be left with a kind of gulf between us gulf between us the great the great lord jesus christ the manifestation of lord jesus christ the manifestation of the eternal god the eternal god so we hinted at the end of our talk so we hinted at the end of our talk yesterday yesterday on the on the way in which way in which the lord jesus christ those so high in the lord jesus christ those so high in glory glory although he was although he was rich rich the son of the proprietor of the whole the son of the proprietor of the whole universe universe yet for our sakes he became poor yet for our sakes he became poor we want to look at the lord jesus in his we want to look at the lord jesus in his days of poverty against the background days of poverty against the background of his greatness we want to consider of his greatness we want to consider the way in which he humbled himself the way in which he humbled himself and became obedient and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross unto death even the death of the cross as paul puts it in philippians 2. as paul puts it in philippians 2. of all the chapters that we might have of all the chapters that we might have chosen we thought that perhaps 2 chosen we thought that perhaps 2 corinthians chapter 5 corinthians chapter 5 was most expressive we should go back to was most expressive we should go back to it several times it several times as our brother was reading it i looked as our brother was reading it i looked at it in my little new english bible at it in my little new english bible here here and there were one or two phrases and there were one or two phrases which help us to see which help us to see that when we are discussing the that when we are discussing the sacrifice of the lord jesus christ sacrifice of the lord jesus christ we are not discussing an academic theory we are not discussing an academic theory in fact one of the sad things about in fact one of the sad things about men men in their studying of the lord jesus in their studying of the lord jesus christ is that they have forgotten what christ is that they have forgotten what his sacrifice is to do to them his sacrifice is to do to them and all too often and all too often in the in the church in general the various orthodox church in general the various orthodox churches and alas in our own community churches and alas in our own community in discussing the death of the lord in discussing the death of the lord jesus christ we have shown an attitude jesus christ we have shown an attitude that has been exactly opposite that has been exactly opposite to the spirit of the master who we've to the spirit of the master who we've been been discussing now i've got discussing now i've got to know the brethren sisters here well to know the brethren sisters here well enough to know that whatever we discuss enough to know that whatever we discuss this morning this morning about the death of the lord jesus christ about the death of the lord jesus christ will be in reverence and in love will be in reverence and in love and if there should be any little ways and if there should be any little ways of putting it that are not quite right of putting it that are not quite right even even you will understand that we are seeking you will understand that we are seeking we are grasping once more to find human we are grasping once more to find human words to express thoughts to lofty for words to express thoughts to lofty for mere earthborns mere earthborns that we are grappling with something that we are grappling with something that has that has bothered and been found difficult by bothered and been found difficult by some of the noblest minds some of the noblest minds in christ in christ in all ages something that has caused in all ages something that has caused faithful saints to ponder deeply faithful saints to ponder deeply and in 2 corinthians 5 as rendered in and in 2 corinthians 5 as rendered in the new english bible we have this the new english bible we have this phraseology phraseology in verse 15. in verse 15. his purpose in dying for all his purpose in dying for all was that men while still in life was that men while still in life should cease to live for themselves and should cease to live for themselves and should live for him should live for him who for their sake died who for their sake died and was raised to life that's the and was raised to life that's the purpose of it all purpose of it all that men while still in life that men while still in life should cease to live for themselves and should cease to live for themselves and should live for him who for their sakes should live for him who for their sakes died and was raised to life died and was raised to life now if it doesn't do that for us you now if it doesn't do that for us you remember those seven rules of bible remember those seven rules of bible study let it do something to you then study let it do something to you then our study is in vain our study is in vain later on that same chapter says in later on that same chapter says in telling us what the purpose of the telling us what the purpose of the lord's death was lord's death was and i'm avoiding the use of the word the and i'm avoiding the use of the word the atonement not because it isn't a good atonement not because it isn't a good phrase but because it's become perhaps a phrase but because it's become perhaps a bit too technical among us bit too technical among us and we think of the atonement as an it and we think of the atonement as an it instead of a he who died for us instead of a he who died for us however the phrase the atonement however the phrase the atonement in its very english form at one month in its very english form at one month in its greek form a covering in its greek form a covering is a very beautiful phrase is a very beautiful phrase so it is he implores them so it is he implores them in verse 21 in verse 21 in christ's name we implore you in christ's name we implore you be reconciled to god christ was innocent be reconciled to god christ was innocent of sin of sin and yet for our sake god made him one and yet for our sake god made him one with the sinfulness of men with the sinfulness of men so that in him we might be made one with so that in him we might be made one with the goodness of god himself there it is the goodness of god himself there it is god made him one with the sinfulness of god made him one with the sinfulness of man so that in him we might be made one man so that in him we might be made one with the goodness of god with the goodness of god himself himself it is that being made one of christ with it is that being made one of christ with us us that we might be made one that we might be made one in him with god that is the purpose of in him with god that is the purpose of our discussion this morning our discussion this morning and it is quite definite that you cannot and it is quite definite that you cannot go to any one place in the new testament go to any one place in the new testament or the old of course which prepares the or the old of course which prepares the way way and find what i would call a nice little and find what i would call a nice little knee package knee package and say well there it is and say well there it is it's all settled there there is the it's all settled there there is the sacrifice of the lord jesus christ all sacrifice of the lord jesus christ all set out one two three four five six set out one two three four five six that's it learn that often you know all that's it learn that often you know all about it about it rather instead of giving you neat little rather instead of giving you neat little theories about the sacrifice of the lord theories about the sacrifice of the lord jesus christ jesus christ there is power as one old hymn said there is power as one old hymn said wonder working power wonder working power in the blood of the land now i know you in the blood of the land now i know you can go too far in that kind of approach can go too far in that kind of approach but let us not be frightened of this but let us not be frightened of this wonder working power that we can wonder working power that we can experience experience and let us recognize that whatever way and let us recognize that whatever way you might like to put it or i might like you might like to put it or i might like to put this wondrous work of the lord to put this wondrous work of the lord jesus jesus there's always another way of putting there's always another way of putting the wonderful theme the wonderful theme now remember brother tom barling you now remember brother tom barling you know fred barling many of you tom know fred barling many of you tom barling is his barling is his slightly older brother you know as slightly older brother you know as edward whittaker is to harry whitaker so edward whittaker is to harry whitaker so tom barling is to fred barling tom barling is to fred barling well you know i don't know whether well you know i don't know whether they'd agree with that but uh that's the they'd agree with that but uh that's the age relationship anyway age relationship anyway well tom barling was introducing one well tom barling was introducing one afternoon at the oxford conference and afternoon at the oxford conference and by the way can i uh by the way can i uh as well as inviting you all to come to as well as inviting you all to come to the oxford conference whenever you're in the oxford conference whenever you're in england england can i just get rid of the idea that some can i just get rid of the idea that some of you seem to have about the oxford of you seem to have about the oxford conference that it's an eggheads conference that it's an eggheads conference conference it's just a bible school the same of it's just a bible school the same of this the only thing is we're tucked away this the only thing is we're tucked away in a small college in a small college we can just about squeeze 120 in so we can just about squeeze 120 in so we're not quite able to take whole we're not quite able to take whole families in any way it'll be a bit of families in any way it'll be a bit of problem to know what to do with them in problem to know what to do with them in the afternoon because we haven't got the afternoon because we haven't got playing fields that's the only playing fields that's the only difference really it's just will abraham difference really it's just will abraham perhaps the other thing is if we have to perhaps the other thing is if we have to work hard on our bible studies here work hard on our bible studies here because we can relax and i've really because we can relax and i've really enjoyed this relaxing i think i've had enjoyed this relaxing i think i've had more shall we say good honest fun and more shall we say good honest fun and recreation in a week here than i've had recreation in a week here than i've had in two years at home i feel years in two years at home i feel years younger younger but but at the oxford conference because we at the oxford conference because we can't do this we tend to fill up can't do this we tend to fill up most of our afternoons and all our most of our afternoons and all our evenings as well although we have plenty evenings as well although we have plenty of fun with more study and more study of fun with more study and more study until you nearly stagger out at the end until you nearly stagger out at the end of the week so you know if you do come i of the week so you know if you do come i warn you well there's no it isn't a warn you well there's no it isn't a snobs gathering it's just the same snobs gathering it's just the same ordinary brethren and sisters like all ordinary brethren and sisters like all of us with all kinds of understanding we of us with all kinds of understanding we just get together and we study the word just get together and we study the word for a week for a week so there you are open invitation so there you are open invitation find you you have to pay unless you're find you you have to pay unless you're one of the speakers one of the speakers um um well now uh what i was saying oh yes well now uh what i was saying oh yes brother tom barling gave us an afternoon brother tom barling gave us an afternoon and he said that and he said that one of the great problems of discussing one of the great problems of discussing the lord's death is that people think the lord's death is that people think that the particular avenue down which that the particular avenue down which they look is the only one they look is the only one if we want to get the most out of his if we want to get the most out of his redemptive work we have to think of the redemptive work we have to think of the cross of the lord jesus and you cross of the lord jesus and you understand the sense in which i'm using understand the sense in which i'm using the cross not as a symbol not as a piece the cross not as a symbol not as a piece of wood but as the phrase the apostles of wood but as the phrase the apostles used to sum up the whole work of jesus used to sum up the whole work of jesus there in the middle is the cross of there in the middle is the cross of christ christ and you're walking around and you're and you're walking around and you're looking down this avenue through this looking down this avenue through this window and then you walk around a little window and then you walk around a little further and you look down this avenue further and you look down this avenue and you see this vista and by the time and you see this vista and by the time you've been right round and look down 15 you've been right round and look down 15 different avenues through 15 different different avenues through 15 different windows or more then it begins to get windows or more then it begins to get hold of you hold of you and then 10 years and then 10 years later you discover yet later you discover yet another 10 avenues down which you look another 10 avenues down which you look in order to get looking down these in order to get looking down these avenues at the cross avenues at the cross you have certain basic ideas to get you have certain basic ideas to get clear clear you have certain basic errors to avoid you have certain basic errors to avoid but we shouldn't spend all our time but we shouldn't spend all our time getting rid of the basic errors we getting rid of the basic errors we should spend our time letting the love should spend our time letting the love of of christ constrain us christ constrain us but now to just get rid of some of the but now to just get rid of some of the jungle that enables us to start looking jungle that enables us to start looking down these avenues on the cross down these avenues on the cross there have been theories men can't rest there have been theories men can't rest content unless they've got some theories content unless they've got some theories and so right down the ages men and and so right down the ages men and perhaps you will know the names of some perhaps you will know the names of some of these great churchmen like anselm who of these great churchmen like anselm who was archbishop of canterbury abhillard was archbishop of canterbury abhillard the the man that they do films about because man that they do films about because although he was a monk and not allowed although he was a monk and not allowed to marry he had this famous love affair to marry he had this famous love affair with eloise with eloise and all his spiritual torture it was and all his spiritual torture it was brought upon him really by a false brought upon him really by a false concept forbidding to marry abelard he concept forbidding to marry abelard he had a theory and then later on you get had a theory and then later on you get um various great names um various great names uh uh those who've dabbled in this will know those who've dabbled in this will know names like the american mcleod campbell names like the american mcleod campbell of the last century and mobily of the last century and mobily and uh in england or other scotland dr and uh in england or other scotland dr james denney and all these great james denney and all these great theologians theologians of wrestle of wrestle with the great subject of the lord's with the great subject of the lord's death and if you were to pile up all the death and if you were to pile up all the books that have been written upon this books that have been written upon this subject even this room could not contain subject even this room could not contain them perhaps even what john says even them perhaps even what john says even the world could not contain them the world could not contain them it's amazing isn't it it just shows the it's amazing isn't it it just shows the tremendous ways of god that tremendous ways of god that men write all those books in trying to men write all those books in trying to understand them and here i am just for understand them and here i am just for 45 minutes trying to just talk a little 45 minutes trying to just talk a little bit about our lord perhaps not with the bit about our lord perhaps not with the wisdom of this world but with the wisdom of this world but with the foolishness of the cross foolishness of the cross as paul puts it in one corinthians 1. as paul puts it in one corinthians 1. but all these theories that men have but all these theories that men have talked about talked about in their endeavors to explain why jesus in their endeavors to explain why jesus died really probably get themselves died really probably get themselves sorted out into three or four main areas sorted out into three or four main areas there are the legal views there are the legal views there are the example views there are the example views and there are the representation views and there are the representation views and there are variations under those and there are variations under those views views and we in our community and all these and we in our community and all these terrible divisions and controversies terrible divisions and controversies that we've had that we've had we haven't been doing anything new we've we haven't been doing anything new we've just been coming along and having one or just been coming along and having one or the other of these particular views and the other of these particular views and putting all the emphasis on one or the putting all the emphasis on one or the other just looking down one avenue other just looking down one avenue instead of looking around because instead of looking around because there's an element of truth in all these there's an element of truth in all these views views now the legal view now the legal view way back in the days of anselm round way back in the days of anselm round about the year 1000 that talked in terms about the year 1000 that talked in terms of of god making a payment of the sacrifice of god making a payment of the sacrifice of jesus to the devil to buy the devil off jesus to the devil to buy the devil off now that was very very very crude now that was very very very crude and so of course it later became and so of course it later became in evangelical theology around about the in evangelical theology around about the time of wesley that jesus died as the time of wesley that jesus died as the sinners substitute to appease the wrath sinners substitute to appease the wrath of an angry god of an angry god he came along like sydney carton in tale he came along like sydney carton in tale of two cities of two cities and said look you i'll die instead of and said look you i'll die instead of them them now that view is not generally held now that view is not generally held lecturing brethren usually unless you lecturing brethren usually unless you happen to know you've got a particular happen to know you've got a particular kind of audience all the theologians kind of audience all the theologians today disapprove very strongly of this today disapprove very strongly of this view that there was a kind of a division view that there was a kind of a division between god and christ how can there be between god and christ how can there be after what we was thought we were after what we was thought we were talking about yesterday talking about yesterday god was and brother edward whittaker god was and brother edward whittaker pointed out to me you can read that pointed out to me you can read that verse another way god was comma in verse another way god was comma in christ christ reconciling the world to himself i'm reconciling the world to himself i'm happy with or without the commas there happy with or without the commas there but god was in christ reconciling the but god was in christ reconciling the world to himself so the two were hand in world to himself so the two were hand in hand together and you just cannot have hand together and you just cannot have if you believe in god manifestation if if you believe in god manifestation if you believe in the divinity of jesus in you believe in the divinity of jesus in the way we were talking about it the way we were talking about it yesterday you cannot believe in any yesterday you cannot believe in any clash clash in an angry god and a merciful jesus in an angry god and a merciful jesus that is out but nevertheless that is out but nevertheless even brethren have come along and have even brethren have come along and have had an element of legalism had an element of legalism so that so that there were these catch phrases of the there were these catch phrases of the last century and even over here in the last century and even over here in the states one still hears echoes of them in states one still hears echoes of them in certain quarters catchphrases like certain quarters catchphrases like adamic condemnation and racial adamic condemnation and racial alienation alienation you won't find them in the bible you won't find them in the bible and these are the idea that we were all and these are the idea that we were all held in some kind of legal held in some kind of legal uh grip uh grip that god had said we'd got to die and so that god had said we'd got to die and so here was a law and somehow god had got here was a law and somehow god had got himself into almost if we might himself into almost if we might reverently say it into a fix where he reverently say it into a fix where he didn't know how to escape from his own didn't know how to escape from his own laws to show us mercy laws to show us mercy the strange thing is it's just a grain the strange thing is it's just a grain of truth in that not that god couldn't of truth in that not that god couldn't escape from his own laws but because he escape from his own laws but because he is righteous because he is just he isn't is righteous because he is just he isn't a god who can just ignore sin a god who can just ignore sin but may have but may have made it mechanical and legal and we must made it mechanical and legal and we must never be mechanical when we think of the never be mechanical when we think of the lord jesus christ lord jesus christ and so there was an attempt in these and so there was an attempt in these legal views to preserve the holiness of legal views to preserve the holiness of god and his law god and his law but it became too legal but it became too legal then there is the example view the then there is the example view the exemplary view as it is called of the exemplary view as it is called of the sacrifice of the lord jesus christ sacrifice of the lord jesus christ where he is regarded as just a martyr where he is regarded as just a martyr well almost it wasn't by the well almost it wasn't by the predetermined purpose of god it wasn't predetermined purpose of god it wasn't it pleased the lord to bruise him it pleased the lord to bruise him but that the lord jesus but that the lord jesus came into touch with wicked men and they came into touch with wicked men and they did a wicked thing did a wicked thing they killed him but his attitude in they killed him but his attitude in putting up with it was an example to us putting up with it was an example to us and by his example we are saved and by his example we are saved now there's a grain of truth in that now there's a grain of truth in that leaving us an example says peter that we leaving us an example says peter that we should follow in his footsteps it's just should follow in his footsteps it's just that grain of truth there that grain of truth there but if the only purpose of the death of but if the only purpose of the death of jesus was to give us an example jesus was to give us an example i'm afraid that instead of i'm afraid that instead of saving us it would condemn us because saving us it would condemn us because none of us can rise up fully to that none of us can rise up fully to that example so there must be something else example so there must be something else and then the third great group of views and then the third great group of views is the representation view is the representation view where jesus stands as the sinner's where jesus stands as the sinner's representative that we are in him and representative that we are in him and that when he died upon the cross as it that when he died upon the cross as it were we died there with him in his death were we died there with him in his death our sins are dead as an anthem bread of our sins are dead as an anthem bread of the world in mercy broken puts it in his the world in mercy broken puts it in his death our sins are dead that that when death our sins are dead that that when he died we died there with him all he died we died there with him all humanity died there with him humanity died there with him and that becomes operative when in the and that becomes operative when in the waters of baptism we pledge ourselves to waters of baptism we pledge ourselves to him and we make his death ours so we him and we make his death ours so we have died to see say a bit more about have died to see say a bit more about that aspect one of the other mornings that aspect one of the other mornings but that's the general concept that he's but that's the general concept that he's our representative that we're in him at our representative that we're in him at the time that he dies the time that he dies now now some make that legal say oh yes we were some make that legal say oh yes we were in him and he was in us because he came in him and he was in us because he came under the sentence of death the original under the sentence of death the original sin sin of adam of adam jesus jesus legally because he was born of a woman legally because he was born of a woman legally inherited that sin and had to legally inherited that sin and had to die for that sin die for that sin that's a bit too mechanical that's a bit too mechanical others have said yes he was our others have said yes he was our representative and he substituted for us representative and he substituted for us now generally that's now generally that's unsatisfactory and in our statement of unsatisfactory and in our statement of faith we reject it you know i have read faith we reject it you know i have read a book a book where james denney where james denney in his book the death of christ in his book the death of christ the way he explains what he means by the way he explains what he means by substitution substitution is such that i could say well if if is such that i could say well if if that's what he means i wouldn't argue that's what he means i wouldn't argue with him so you see when you discuss with him so you see when you discuss this you don't start throwing texts at this you don't start throwing texts at one another and phrases one another and phrases you have to explain what you mean by you have to explain what you mean by your phrase and if you find in your phrase and if you find in discussion of the lord's death such a discussion of the lord's death such a holy ground you're treading upon that holy ground you're treading upon that you've got a phrase like racial you've got a phrase like racial alienation or you've got a pet text like alienation or you've got a pet text like declare god's righteousness that is declare god's righteousness that is proving an impediment to understanding proving an impediment to understanding and say we won't use that word let's and say we won't use that word let's find some different words find some different words work at it in love do you find that all work at it in love do you find that all sorts of misunderstandings go if only we sorts of misunderstandings go if only we could do that in the whole of our could do that in the whole of our community then some of our regrettable community then some of our regrettable divisions would disappear divisions would disappear well now in the well now in the uh uh dealing with the representative view dealing with the representative view which i think is the one that uh which i think is the one that uh preserves most of the truths preserves most of the truths even there you have all kinds of aspects even there you have all kinds of aspects to look at to look at sometimes we are told that human nature sometimes we are told that human nature is depraved is depraved but in one way it is but in one way it is we all know the sin and the plague of we all know the sin and the plague of our own heart our own heart and yet there must be something in human and yet there must be something in human nature that is re responsive when nature that is re responsive when touched by the appeal of christ touched by the appeal of christ so be careful that we just don't treat so be careful that we just don't treat human nature flesh as a total mass of human nature flesh as a total mass of ugliness ugliness incapable of responding there's incapable of responding there's something there god said let us make man something there god said let us make man in our image after our likeness that in our image after our likeness that touched by the lord jesus christ can touched by the lord jesus christ can respond respond doesn't usually that's why we say tend doesn't usually that's why we say tend to say it's deprived depraved but you to say it's deprived depraved but you see there is one view under the see there is one view under the representative view that thinks of the representative view that thinks of the lord jesus when he came in the flesh lord jesus when he came in the flesh that he too then was an ugly mass of that he too then was an ugly mass of depraved flesh depraved flesh and sometimes brethren in trying to and sometimes brethren in trying to explain it have said and when the lord explain it have said and when the lord jesus hung upon the tree the devil was jesus hung upon the tree the devil was there condemned and that's right in a there condemned and that's right in a certain way but the language is perhaps certain way but the language is perhaps not too happy not too happy that this was the condemnation of sin in that this was the condemnation of sin in the flesh another biblical phrase but the flesh another biblical phrase but they're almost in the kind of words they they're almost in the kind of words they use bring jesus right down use bring jesus right down until there's a kind of until there's a kind of stigma of stigma of unwholesome uncleanness attaching to him unwholesome uncleanness attaching to him and yet he did share and yet he did share our whole situation with all its our whole situation with all its uncleanness and its weakness but try and uncleanness and its weakness but try and understand the other brother's point of understand the other brother's point of view when he shudders when he hears view when he shudders when he hears christ being spoken of christ being spoken of in such terms that it seems that he's in such terms that it seems that he's being made unclean in character as well being made unclean in character as well as sharing our poverty-stricken nature as sharing our poverty-stricken nature just always bear in mind how the other just always bear in mind how the other person is thinking about it person is thinking about it well now that's just general terms to well now that's just general terms to try and get rid of some of the try and get rid of some of the the jungle that seems to impede proper the jungle that seems to impede proper understanding and now we want to move on understanding and now we want to move on to to various aspects various aspects i'm going first to look down the avenue i'm going first to look down the avenue upon the cross upon the cross over which is written the phrase over which is written the phrase voluntary voluntary jesus was defined jesus was holy jesus was defined jesus was holy jesus was the was the son of god jesus was the was the son of god the heir of all things the heir of all things and we must preserve the truth that it and we must preserve the truth that it was a free and voluntary and willing was a free and voluntary and willing offering so that we may preserve our offering so that we may preserve our love of christ and our love of god love of christ and our love of god we get this in john chapter 10. we get this in john chapter 10. john chapter 10 john chapter 10 where therefore doth my father love me because i laid down my life that i might because i laid down my life that i might take it again take it again no man taketh it from me no man taketh it from me but i lay it down of myself but i lay it down of myself i have power to lay it down i have power to lay it down i have power to take it again i have power to take it again this commandment of i received of my this commandment of i received of my father father power to take it again power to take it again power to lay it down power to lay it down it's a voluntary offering it's a voluntary offering now sometimes we have a catch phrase now sometimes we have a catch phrase jesus had to die because he had seen jesus had to die because he had seen nature we say he had to die nature we say he had to die the moment we've said had to the moment we've said had to then we've got away a bit from the then we've got away a bit from the voluntary aspect that he wanted to voluntary aspect that he wanted to now i know why we say that we say that now i know why we say that we say that he was in human nature and human nature he was in human nature and human nature is something which is condemned to the is something which is condemned to the dust and so he came into our situation dust and so he came into our situation and we're frightened of getting him away and we're frightened of getting him away from our situation he must be totally from our situation he must be totally involved with us in order to die for us involved with us in order to die for us perhaps it would be better to say perhaps it would be better to say he shared our nature that he might be he shared our nature that he might be qualified to die for us then we'd get qualified to die for us then we'd get rid of that ugly little phrase had to rid of that ugly little phrase had to which we know what it means we know what which we know what it means we know what it's trying to do it's trying to do but it isn't a matter of but it isn't a matter of jesus jesus just saying well you know i've got to just saying well you know i've got to die i'm human and that's that that isn't die i'm human and that's that that isn't the approach the approach is i have the approach the approach is i have power to lay it down i have power to power to lay it down i have power to take it again and it isn't profitable to take it again and it isn't profitable to speculate what might have happened if speculate what might have happened if jesus had been the only one involved jesus had been the only one involved could god have given him eternal life could god have given him eternal life without him having to die if he'd been without him having to die if he'd been the only one involved that's the only one involved that's unprofitable because you can't think of unprofitable because you can't think of jesus other than the fact that god jesus other than the fact that god provided him as the sinner's provided him as the sinner's lamb so you've got to think of him in lamb so you've got to think of him in the context of saving me the context of saving me and therefore you can say that he had to and therefore you can say that he had to die in the sense that it was totally die in the sense that it was totally essential for our redemption that he essential for our redemption that he should voluntarily lay down his life should voluntarily lay down his life they all got involuntary and inevitable they all got involuntary and inevitable at one in the same time at one in the same time and and peter in one peter two gives us the same peter in one peter two gives us the same i have that pet word flavor i have that pet word flavor because i do think that we don't just because i do think that we don't just have so many catch texts and catch have so many catch texts and catch phrases we have to get the whole thread phrases we have to get the whole thread as i put in rule number one as i put in rule number one and in one peter 2 and in one peter 2 we get this we get this voluntary kind of voluntary kind of thought and the example one here thought and the example one here which of course links us up with isaiah which of course links us up with isaiah 53 53 even here unto verse 21 of 1 peter 2 even here unto verse 21 of 1 peter 2 were we called because christ also were we called because christ also suffered for us suffered for us leaving us an example that she should leaving us an example that she should follow in his steps who did no sin follow in his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth as neither was guile found in his mouth as we saw yesterday we saw yesterday who when he was reviled reviled not who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously judgeth righteously even here unto verse 21 of 1 peter 2 even here unto verse 21 of 1 peter 2 were we called because christ also were we called because christ also suffered for us suffered for us leaving us an example that she should leaving us an example that she should follow in his steps who did no sin follow in his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth as neither was guile found in his mouth as we saw yesterday we saw yesterday when he was reviled reviled not again when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth committed himself to him that judgeth righteously righteously who his own self bear our sins who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree the emphasis in his own body on the tree the emphasis is is not in him bearing some sin of his own not in him bearing some sin of his own although the nature that he shared although the nature that he shared wore over it the word sin wore over it the word sin came into that situation came into that situation bear our sins in his own body on the bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins they are tree that we being dead to sins they are in whose death our sins are dead in whose death our sins are dead should live unto righteousness should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed by whose stripes ye were healed a voluntary offering for a voluntary offering for us us that's where the accent ought to be that's where the accent ought to be there are senses in which we can say there are senses in which we can say that having received a commandment of that having received a commandment of his father he was involved his father he was involved therefore having received the therefore having received the commandment of his father to lay down commandment of his father to lay down his life for us his life for us it was it was vital vital for his own entry into glory that he for his own entry into glory that he should obey the father's will should obey the father's will therefore sometimes we say it was for therefore sometimes we say it was for himself that it might be for us but himself that it might be for us but we've got to be careful there that we we've got to be careful there that we don't get it out of balance and make it don't get it out of balance and make it sound as if it was a an offering that he sound as if it was a an offering that he was looking after himself he was looking was looking after himself he was looking after us after us that was the object it was for us that was the object it was for us though in sharing our situation in though in sharing our situation in having this commandment of the father it having this commandment of the father it was necessary that he should was necessary that he should go forward with it he would not have go forward with it he would not have been our lord and savior if he had taken been our lord and savior if he had taken those legions of angels and drawn those legions of angels and drawn back back and so it is that this altruism i seem and so it is that this altruism i seem to remember hearing some tapes of to remember hearing some tapes of brother fred barling of several years brother fred barling of several years ago ago speaking in this very place will abraham speaking in this very place will abraham where he used this word altruism that where he used this word altruism that means for others means for others this is the emphasis of the cross this this is the emphasis of the cross this altruism is in that passage that we had altruism is in that passage that we had though though he was rich he was rich he got a divine heritage yet for our he got a divine heritage yet for our sakes he became poor for those who want sakes he became poor for those who want to note that that's two corinthians to note that that's two corinthians eight i'm not turning it up you'll have eight i'm not turning it up you'll have to find the verse for yourself two to find the verse for yourself two corinthians eight god i'll help you two corinthians eight god i'll help you two corinthians eight i could hear somebody corinthians eight i could hear somebody saying go on tell us saying go on tell us verse 9 you know the grace of our lord verse 9 you know the grace of our lord jesus christ that though he was rich jesus christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich you ye through his poverty might be rich you notice how it keeps on like he came down notice how it keeps on like he came down to you that you might come up to him to you that you might come up to him that's the picture all the time he that's the picture all the time he shared our situation that we might be shared our situation that we might be lifted up to his and then philippians 2 lifted up to his and then philippians 2 that wonderful hymn that wonderful hymn and do you notice how that and do you notice how that these expositions these avenues upon the these expositions these avenues upon the cross cross they spring out of an exhortation they spring out of an exhortation paul doesn't say now look the sacrifice paul doesn't say now look the sacrifice of the lord jesus means this and this of the lord jesus means this and this and this therefore and this therefore now he works the other way around he now he works the other way around he says brother and sisters you ought to be says brother and sisters you ought to be generous and do you know why he says you generous and do you know why he says you ought to be generous because look at the ought to be generous because look at the generosity of christ who though he was generosity of christ who though he was rich gave it all away for our sakes that rich gave it all away for our sakes that we might be made rich we might be made rich so he works from the exhibition so he works from the exhibition to the theory and if we want to get the to the theory and if we want to get the theory we sometimes have to work theory we sometimes have to work backwards from the exhortation to the backwards from the exhortation to the theory so we learn of this altruism this theory so we learn of this altruism this doing it for others doing it for others that comes out in that particular avenue that comes out in that particular avenue of the cross and so in philippians 2 of the cross and so in philippians 2 what he's saying is don't argue what he's saying is don't argue don't be nasty with one another don't be nasty with one another be lowly be lowly think of others all the time think of others all the time why should you think of others all the why should you think of others all the time and this is how the apostles use time and this is how the apostles use the cross of christ throughout the cross of christ throughout let this mind be in you let this mind be in you which was also in christ jesus who which was also in christ jesus who being in the form of god we had that being in the form of god we had that yesterday his divine status yesterday his divine status thought it not something to be grasped thought it not something to be grasped at to be equal with god he didn't like at to be equal with god he didn't like adam and eve seek that uh equality adam and eve seek that uh equality during his human period during his human period but made himself of no reputation but made himself of no reputation emptied himself emptied himself repudiated the very heritage that he had repudiated the very heritage that he had and took upon him the form of a servant and took upon him the form of a servant that links you up with isaiah 40 to 55 that links you up with isaiah 40 to 55 the great servant chapters of isaiah the great servant chapters of isaiah took upon him the form of a servant and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man was made in the likeness of man and and this is that from heaven's orbit to this is that from heaven's orbit to earth's orbits earth's orbits and being found in fashion as a man he and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross death even the death of the cross he was great becomes little for our he was great becomes little for our sakes that's the message there he's sakes that's the message there he's altruistic he's not thinking of himself altruistic he's not thinking of himself he has no interest in his own personal he has no interest in his own personal and selfish interests he's thinking and selfish interests he's thinking solely of us and he he solely of us and he he willingly and voluntarily goes without willingly and voluntarily goes without what he might have thought was his could what he might have thought was his could he not have said he not have said father i am your son father i am your son i am your heir i am your heir need i do this will it not be enough if need i do this will it not be enough if i just give them a good example but no i just give them a good example but no not a thought of himself willingly he not a thought of himself willingly he becomes obedient even unto the death of becomes obedient even unto the death of the cross the cross so there we have this great so there we have this great avenue on the cross of for avenue on the cross of for us not once does he complain he goes straight forward to create this he goes straight forward to create this new center of righteousness new center of righteousness so that we can indeed share his so that we can indeed share his sacrifice and make his crucifixion ours sacrifice and make his crucifixion ours so that in the words of paul i have been so that in the words of paul i have been crucified with christ crucified with christ yet i live yet i live and of all the avenues on the cross and of all the avenues on the cross moving on to the next one which springs moving on to the next one which springs from that one just going around the from that one just going around the circle as it were one more avenue to circle as it were one more avenue to look down at one more window to look look down at one more window to look through the sin bearer one particularly through the sin bearer one particularly impresses me it's not complete none of impresses me it's not complete none of these are complete on their own it's these are complete on their own it's difficult to find words to describe it difficult to find words to describe it but but if only in the remaining 20 minutes we if only in the remaining 20 minutes we can just get a little flavor a little can just get a little flavor a little feeling of that uh feeling of that uh what it meant to jesus to bear our sins what it meant to jesus to bear our sins now we just seen now we just seen he bore our sins for he bore our sins for with his stripes we are healed with his stripes we are healed let's take them from isaiah 53 isn't it let's take them from isaiah 53 isn't it isaiah 53 on the basis of the law isaiah 53 on the basis of the law i speak to those who know these things i speak to those who know these things to some degree remind you stir up your to some degree remind you stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance you pure minds by way of remembrance you know that uh sin bearer in the know that uh sin bearer in the wilderness that the animal symbolically wilderness that the animal symbolically went into the wilderness taking the sins went into the wilderness taking the sins of israel with him against that of israel with him against that background we then have a human sin background we then have a human sin bearer in isaiah 53. bearer in isaiah 53. and how beautiful these words are how and how beautiful these words are how how solemn how holy is the ground on how solemn how holy is the ground on which we tread which we tread he is despised verse 3 and rejected of he is despised verse 3 and rejected of men men a man of sorrows a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and acquainted with grief here is the complete involvement of here is the complete involvement of jesus in our woes jesus in our woes and we hid as it were our faces from him and we hid as it were our faces from him we thought he was a leper we thought he was a leper he was he was despised despised and we esteemed him not and we esteemed him not surely he hath borne our griefs how surely he hath borne our griefs how often the word our occurs there often the word our occurs there and carried our and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of god smitten of god and afflicted and afflicted but he was wounded for our but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed yet verse 10 it pleased the lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the lord shall prosper in pleasure of the lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see of the travail of his hand he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied it's all his soul and shall be satisfied it's all for a purpose that out of this birth for a purpose that out of this birth pang of the new creation a new child a pang of the new creation a new child a new multitude of children might be born new multitude of children might be born for god's glory for god's glory but what travail we cannot know we but what travail we cannot know we cannot tell cannot tell the pains he had to bear now how was he the pains he had to bear now how was he the sin bearer how was he in the words the sin bearer how was he in the words of 2 corinthians 5 our reading how was of 2 corinthians 5 our reading how was he made sin for us who knew no sin he made sin for us who knew no sin he shared brethren and sisters our whole he shared brethren and sisters our whole situation situation now we usually tend to restrict that to now we usually tend to restrict that to the fact that he bore our nature this is the fact that he bore our nature this is the platform this is the start yes he the platform this is the start yes he bore our nature bore our nature he was therefore in the words of hebrews he was therefore in the words of hebrews tempted in all points like us though he tempted in all points like us though he was so great was so great although he was the son of god although although he was the son of god although he was divine in origin though he could he was divine in origin though he could say at the age of twelve wish you not say at the age of twelve wish you not that i must be about my father's that i must be about my father's business yet side by side and one or two business yet side by side and one or two mentioned this yesterday there is the mentioned this yesterday there is the inescapable fact that he knew just what inescapable fact that he knew just what it was like to be human because he was it was like to be human because he was human human he was tempted in all points he was tempted in all points not just some there isn't a there isn't not just some there isn't a there isn't a little bit of our natures a little bit of our natures he might not have been in the exact he might not have been in the exact situation but in principle there isn't a situation but in principle there isn't a temptation that we can have temptation that we can have that he hasn't known the pull of it that he hasn't known the pull of it because he shared these basic impulses because he shared these basic impulses of human nature you know if you think of of human nature you know if you think of all the impulses we've got hunger thirst all the impulses we've got hunger thirst uh sex uh sex love of children love of children determination ambition determination ambition but they're all quite neutral there's but they're all quite neutral there's nothing good there's nothing bad about nothing good there's nothing bad about them and god's law restricts them and them and god's law restricts them and says you mustn't go over the line if you says you mustn't go over the line if you go over the line that's transgression go over the line that's transgression we do go over the line we do go over the line men for example say yes it's all right men for example say yes it's all right to drink and then they drink too much to drink and then they drink too much and they become drunkards they go over and they become drunkards they go over the line the line but paul says whatsoever you do in word but paul says whatsoever you do in word or deed do all to the glory of god or deed do all to the glory of god join the line don't go over it look at join the line don't go over it look at sex for example what a power that is and sex for example what a power that is and how it's beautiful within the line how it's beautiful within the line within marriage and it's ugly when it within marriage and it's ugly when it goes over the line and gets outside goes over the line and gets outside marriage but jesus had an even marriage but jesus had an even straighter line within that field in straighter line within that field in that marriage wasn't for him at all that marriage wasn't for him at all you know he mingled with these you know he mingled with these lovely women and some of them not so lovely women and some of them not so lovely well they became lovely under his lovely well they became lovely under his influence and yet not for him was the influence and yet not for him was the joy of married life added temptations a joy of married life added temptations a greater burden than we have to bear greater burden than we have to bear than it all tempted in all points yet than it all tempted in all points yet without without sin sin so we cannot to strongly emphasize that so we cannot to strongly emphasize that by having our nature with all its by having our nature with all its impulses impulses but he could desire this and that so he but he could desire this and that so he could want to go beyond the line but could want to go beyond the line but always said no not my will always said no not my will but i will be done but i will be done but not only did he share but not only did he share our sin situation as i would term it by our sin situation as i would term it by his nature his nature but he shared it by being in our but he shared it by being in our environment environment not half the trouble isn't it you're not half the trouble isn't it you're surrounded by evil there is temptation surrounded by evil there is temptation within and there is temptation without within and there is temptation without and into the ugly human situation and into the ugly human situation mingling with men not staying on the mingling with men not staying on the mountain top all the time though he had mountain top all the time though he had to go there to renew to go there to renew the divine power the divine power yet mingling with men there he was yet mingling with men there he was sharing our environment sharing our environment and perhaps thirdly you could say he was and perhaps thirdly you could say he was made sin for us by choice made sin for us by choice by the things that he did by the things that he did not only did that then behold him to be not only did that then behold him to be made like unto his brethren made like unto his brethren to share our nature to share our nature but also there was the deliberate choice but also there was the deliberate choice where he could have avoided it do you where he could have avoided it do you remember in luke chapter 9 remember in luke chapter 9 where where we read that although he could have gone we read that although he could have gone north north or east or east or even deep south or even deep south yet when the time was come luke 9 verse yet when the time was come luke 9 verse 51 this is jesus deliberately choosing to be the sin deliberately choosing to be the sin bearer bearer luke 9 51 luke 9 51 we've got john we've got john you read these words you read these words and it came to pass and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be when the time was come that he should be received up he received up he steadfastly steadfastly set his set his face toward jerusalem steadfastly set face toward jerusalem steadfastly set his face his face he chose to go he chose to go the disciples said look don't go there the disciples said look don't go there lord they'll kill you lord they'll kill you he he took himself to the cross no man put him took himself to the cross no man put him there he went there he went if you go through the gospel of john the if you go through the gospel of john the gospel of john just a hint for further gospel of john just a hint for further study is the record of five visits to study is the record of five visits to jerusalem jerusalem and each visit he deliberately says and each visit he deliberately says things in contending with the jews which things in contending with the jews which bring him a stage nearer bring him a stage nearer to his cross to his cross in john 5 there was the occasion of the in john 5 there was the occasion of the man that he healed man that he healed on the sabbath on the sabbath when he goes there about six months when he goes there about six months later instead of forgetting it all he later instead of forgetting it all he says now you remember last time i was says now you remember last time i was here we had an argument here we had an argument because he starts it all up again because he starts it all up again he brought the cross on himself he brought the cross on himself because when god and man coming to clash because when god and man coming to clash a clash which he could have avoided a clash which he could have avoided when they come into head-on clash then when they come into head-on clash then man wants to get rid of god man wants to get rid of god that's what man tried to do that's what man tried to do when man crucified jesus so there was when man crucified jesus so there was this deliberate acceptance that this deliberate acceptance that deliberate deliberate judas for example judas for example with all that knowledge that he could with all that knowledge that he could have got he could have easily dealt with have got he could have easily dealt with judas judas he could have gone somewhere else when he could have gone somewhere else when he knew where judas was taking him and he knew where judas was taking him and how lovingly he gave judas the how lovingly he gave judas the opportunity not to go ahead with it opportunity not to go ahead with it right up to the moment when he gave right up to the moment when he gave judas that honor of sharing the sock judas that honor of sharing the sock with him with him you read those wonderful words you read those wonderful words and judas went out and judas went out and it was night and it was night wonderful those words and it was night wonderful those words and it was night judas judas having been given that last opportunity having been given that last opportunity went out into the night and as the door went out into the night and as the door opened as bishop temple puts it as the opened as bishop temple puts it as the door opened the disciples would see out door opened the disciples would see out of the light of that room into the of the light of that room into the darkness outside and they would see the darkness outside and they would see the figure of judas figure of judas receding into the darkness of night receding into the darkness of night oh it's almost touching episode and oh it's almost touching episode and jesus knew from that very moment that it jesus knew from that very moment that it was settled now was settled now it was settled now it was settled now and yet knowing what was going on and yet knowing what was going on knowing that he was come from god and knowing that he was come from god and went to god as it puts it in john 13 he went to god as it puts it in john 13 he took a towel took a towel gained this voluntary humility and gained this voluntary humility and washed his disciples feet and spoke washed his disciples feet and spoke those wondrous words of 14 15 and 16 of those wondrous words of 14 15 and 16 of john and that wondrous prayer of john john and that wondrous prayer of john 17. 17. yes brethren and sisters yes brethren and sisters we must see how he identified himself we must see how he identified himself with us how he went all the way with us with us how he went all the way with us you couldn't go any further in sharing you couldn't go any further in sharing our sin situation our sin situation than by going to death than by going to death where he voluntarily and freely accepted where he voluntarily and freely accepted in total in total the consequences of human transgression the consequences of human transgression perhaps one simple avenue of looking at perhaps one simple avenue of looking at this accepting of the consequences of this accepting of the consequences of human transgression just another avenue human transgression just another avenue as we move down is that simple one that as we move down is that simple one that brother roberts puts in the blood of brother roberts puts in the blood of christ christ where you have where you have three courses open to god faced with three courses open to god faced with human sin one destroy them all human sin one destroy them all two two let them all off let them all off neither of those are very good we neither of those are very good we destroyed them all god has failed if he destroyed them all god has failed if he lets them all off then he's an indulgent lets them all off then he's an indulgent father with no moral principles father with no moral principles so what does he do so what does he do god god provides that's why we emphasized that provides that's why we emphasized that yesterday god provides the one who yesterday god provides the one who sharing our full situation yet triumphs sharing our full situation yet triumphs in the strength of god in the strength of god over that which slew us over that which slew us and so you see one one and so you see one one one member of the human race one member of the human race has gained a victory has gained a victory where all others has failed where all others has failed so god is not then saying oh well i so god is not then saying oh well i don't worry about sin don't worry about sin i'm ignoring it and god has not failed i'm ignoring it and god has not failed and saying well i'll have to destroy you and saying well i'll have to destroy you all all uh uh instead of that god is in that situation instead of that god is in that situation where he can point to the to the one who where he can point to the to the one who has triumphed and says has triumphed and says you come under his wing you come under his wing you share you share his victory his victory if you come to me in his victory i will if you come to me in his victory i will receive you receive you you see there that's the point of a sin you see there that's the point of a sin bearer bearer he's the one under whose wing we come he he's the one under whose wing we come he is the one who has done what no other is the one who has done what no other man has done that's why it's so man has done that's why it's so important to see him as totally involved important to see him as totally involved with us that's why it's so important to with us that's why it's so important to see him not as a demigod see him not as a demigod but that although divine yet he was but that although divine yet he was totally human and if you still have totally human and if you still have problems with these two problems with these two sides of the lord jesus christ then sides of the lord jesus christ then just go on thinking about them and as just go on thinking about them and as time goes on they come closer and closer time goes on they come closer and closer together until you can see these two together until you can see these two beams of light the divine and the human beams of light the divine and the human in jesus you could see them at the same in jesus you could see them at the same time time we want to leave this lovely solemn we want to leave this lovely solemn topic topic of jesus making himself so much one with of jesus making himself so much one with us us with us sinners as to plunge into the with us sinners as to plunge into the very shadows of the divine judgment very shadows of the divine judgment which rests on sin which rests on sin we want to leave it not with theories we we want to leave it not with theories we want to leave you with a few pictures want to leave you with a few pictures of this identification of this identification of jesus with us of jesus with us we bring before you we bring before you jesus in the waters of baptism jesus in the waters of baptism thus it becometh us to fulfill all thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness righteousness that was the occasion when to use the that was the occasion when to use the isaiah 53 phrase for the first time isaiah 53 phrase for the first time jesus jesus numbered himself with the transgressors numbered himself with the transgressors john said look i need to be baptized of john said look i need to be baptized of you cometh thou to me you cometh thou to me jesus jesus goes ahead with it he is one with us all goes ahead with it he is one with us all these sinners coming to be baptized and these sinners coming to be baptized and jesus shares it he proclaims himself one jesus shares it he proclaims himself one with the total situation of sinners who with the total situation of sinners who were coming for a baptism of repentance were coming for a baptism of repentance and he who had no sins to repent of yet and he who had no sins to repent of yet joined joined the baptism of repentance the baptism of repentance then you have him in the temptation then you have him in the temptation still still still still stripping himself of the glory that stripping himself of the glory that might legitimately have been his we see might legitimately have been his we see him being tempted to be a bred king a him being tempted to be a bred king a messiah who would dole out material messiah who would dole out material benefits benefits get there behind me satan get there behind me satan we see him and that's a none of us could we see him and that's a none of us could be a bread king none of us have the be a bread king none of us have the power to turn stones to bread see how power to turn stones to bread see how much greater were his temptations much greater were his temptations we see him being tempted to be a a we see him being tempted to be a a mighty wonder worker who would just get mighty wonder worker who would just get people gasping and get the throne that people gasping and get the throne that way way we see him saying we see him saying get there behind me satan we see him get there behind me satan we see him being tempted to be a politician being tempted to be a politician and fall down before satan's ways and and fall down before satan's ways and get the kingdom that way get the kingdom that way we see him saying get thee behind me we see him saying get thee behind me satan at every step he is repudiating satan at every step he is repudiating glory glory and accepting the path of shame we see him involved with our sorrows in that wonderful verse in matthew in that wonderful verse in matthew chapter 8 where he quotes from isaiah 53 chapter 8 where he quotes from isaiah 53 and there's some little and there's some little idea there that idea there that when he healed men when he healed men and cured them of their evils and cured them of their evils virtue went out of him virtue went out of him he felt drained he felt drained he felt weakened he felt weakened he felt the burden he felt the burden you know as we say you do certain things you know as we say you do certain things you feel like a wet rag particularly at you feel like a wet rag particularly at the weather last weekend the weather last weekend after activity now now jesus without after activity now now jesus without high temperatures around felt absolutely high temperatures around felt absolutely drained drained and i don't think it was just a physical and i don't think it was just a physical draining draining he felt so tenderly he felt so keenly the sorrows of those around him and the greatest sorrow is around him and the greatest sorrow is the sorrow that slays us all the sorrow the sorrow that slays us all the sorrow of the sin which leads to death of the sin which leads to death and so you get it when the evening was and so you get it when the evening was calm calm at him that brother edwards talked about at him that brother edwards talked about once or twice they brought unto him many once or twice they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils and that were possessed with devils and various sick folk that it might be various sick folk that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by isaiah the fulfilled which was spoken by isaiah the prophet saying himself took our prophet saying himself took our infirmities and bear our sicknesses yes infirmities and bear our sicknesses yes not only in his death even before his not only in his death even before his death he was being death he was being touched with the feeling of our touched with the feeling of our infirmities in the sense that he really infirmities in the sense that he really felt one with us so lofty was his mind felt one with us so lofty was his mind so great was his awareness of the divine so great was his awareness of the divine things that he he felt bitterly things that he he felt bitterly the load of human suffering the load of human suffering if you felt like that if you felt like that in relation to the load of human in relation to the load of human suffering in relation to sickness suffering in relation to sickness how did the sinless one feel how did the sinless one feel when he shared the judgment upon sin when he shared the judgment upon sin when he came and shared that consequence when he came and shared that consequence of god's judgment upon sin he who knew of god's judgment upon sin he who knew no sin no sin and yet who knew how god felt upon about and yet who knew how god felt upon about sin sin made sin for us who made sin for us who knew no sin knew no sin and somehow it is in the garden of and somehow it is in the garden of gethsemane gethsemane that one sees the sinless one they're that one sees the sinless one they're feeling with all the power of his very feeling with all the power of his very being what sin means what sin has robbed us of what sin has robbed us of how hateful sin is to god how hateful sin is to god and when he sweat as it were drops of and when he sweat as it were drops of blood blood do you think it was just because he was do you think it was just because he was frightened of dying lots of people have frightened of dying lots of people have died mind you don't belittle the agony died mind you don't belittle the agony and the terror of his death and the terror of his death the whipping the crown of thorns the whipping the crown of thorns the torture of being upon that cross the torture of being upon that cross don't belittle the physical agony don't belittle the physical agony but the moral agony the spiritual agony but the moral agony the spiritual agony we can only dimly glimpse it that he was we can only dimly glimpse it that he was perfect stood there perfect stood there as our representative in our as our representative in our situation groaned under the load of our situation groaned under the load of our sins or doesn't it constrain us doesn't sins or doesn't it constrain us doesn't it move us doesn't it pull out of us it move us doesn't it pull out of us that that that that longing desire that we will not let him longing desire that we will not let him down down there there as it were drops of blood as he feels as it were drops of blood as he feels the weight the weight of god's judgment upon our sins and as of god's judgment upon our sins and as he he bears our load father if it be possible if it be possible let this cup let this cup this cup of bearing our load of sin of this cup of bearing our load of sin of bearing the divine judgment against sin bearing the divine judgment against sin of declaring god's righteousness of of declaring god's righteousness of condemning sin in the flesh that birth condemning sin in the flesh that birth for one who was in complete accord with for one who was in complete accord with the father's mind it it brought him to the father's mind it it brought him to breaking point in a way that we can breaking point in a way that we can scarcely grasp scarcely grasp and he shares and he shares in our load of sin i have a baptism to in our load of sin i have a baptism to be baptized with how i am straightened be baptized with how i am straightened till it be accomplished oh we can till it be accomplished oh we can this is the greatest avenue of them all this is the greatest avenue of them all when we just dimly begin to apprehend when we just dimly begin to apprehend what it cost the lovely lonely perfect what it cost the lovely lonely perfect lamb of god lamb of god to carry upon his shoulders to carry upon his shoulders the birth the birth of humanity's sin humanity's rebellion of humanity's sin humanity's rebellion triumph over it move it out of the way triumph over it move it out of the way and rise again and rise again the third day to the fullness and the the third day to the fullness and the gladsomness of light gladsomness of light and joy and joy well brethren and sisters well brethren and sisters there i fear we must leave it there i fear we must leave it god entering into human life god entering into human life in the person of jesus and think of it in the person of jesus and think of it brethren sisters while this great sorrow brethren sisters while this great sorrow is upon the shoulders of jesus is upon the shoulders of jesus so close are the father and the son so close are the father and the son that god too is bearing the burden with that god too is bearing the burden with jesus jesus so that we read it please to the lord to so that we read it please to the lord to bruise him he spared not his own son bruise him he spared not his own son like abraham and isaac he spared not yes like abraham and isaac he spared not yes god was involved in it god has feelings god was involved in it god has feelings god was giving god was giving jesus was giving and we were receiving jesus was giving and we were receiving brethren and sisters the love of christ brethren and sisters the love of christ constraineth us constraineth us when we see our lord when we see our lord upon that cross upon that cross writhing in the agony too terrible to writhing in the agony too terrible to describe describe how how can we let him down can we let him down the love of the love of christ constraineth us christ constraineth us so in the rest of these talks brethren so in the rest of these talks brethren and sisters we will seek to see how with and sisters we will seek to see how with this this wonderful message before us wonderful message before us with all these avenues upon the cross of with all these avenues upon the cross of christ before us christ before us we can allow we can allow his death his death and his resurrection to become a mighty and his resurrection to become a mighty transforming force in our lives so that transforming force in our lives so that constrained by the love of christ we constrained by the love of christ we will will not only accept the benefits not only accept the benefits but we will fill out the measure of his but we will fill out the measure of his sufferings sufferings and ourselves and ourselves die daily for others die daily for others that at last we may live that at last we may live everlastingly in the joy and fellowship everlastingly in the joy and fellowship of god of god with christ in eternal glory with christ in eternal glory and share the travail of his soul now and share the travail of his soul now that we too that we too in that day of glory may see the fruit in that day of glory may see the fruit of present travail of present travail and be satisfied

Transcript

this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern christadelphian bible school the eastern christadelphian bible school presents a series of bible addresses presents a series of bible addresses recorded at the 23rd annual convocation recorded at the 23rd annual convocation of the eastern christadelphian bible of the eastern christadelphian bible school school brother edgar willey of dudley england brother edgar willey of dudley england is the guest speaker is the guest speaker we hear brother willie now we hear brother willie now as he begins his fifth address as he begins his fifth address upon the subject upon the subject abide in him abide in him the fruits of the apostles doctrine the fruits of the apostles doctrine morning brothers and sisters we have to have our little drink of water first water first and uh and uh now we continue our theme now we continue our theme of the last of the last two days two days we've had the father we've had the father in jesus in jesus we've had jesus we've had jesus as man as man now we move on today now we move on today to jesus to jesus in us in us that hymn that we had was to remind us that hymn that we had was to remind us of what we have been talking about on of what we have been talking about on the two previous days the two previous days should think probably we ought to be should think probably we ought to be able to sing that hymn 155 with a little able to sing that hymn 155 with a little more understanding perhaps more understanding perhaps for example the phrase that christ the for example the phrase that christ the son of god son of god should take our lowly form for mortal's should take our lowly form for mortal's sake sometimes occasions a little bit of sake sometimes occasions a little bit of difficulty but if you read it in the difficulty but if you read it in the light of the light of the words we spoke the day before yesterday words we spoke the day before yesterday then i think we realize its meaning then i think we realize its meaning then yesterday's subject not as an angel then yesterday's subject not as an angel to our race to our race but son of man of lower place wearing but son of man of lower place wearing the robe of human frame to this the robe of human frame to this sad world of death he came sad world of death he came that he moves on through the that he moves on through the trials of his life and the tragedy of trials of his life and the tragedy of his death his death for us is the keynote for us for us is the keynote for us a voluntary and willing a voluntary and willing offering up offering up of himself in spite of his high heritage of himself in spite of his high heritage for us and then of course the the facts for us and then of course the the facts go on you see you've got fact number one go on you see you've got fact number one in uh in uh verse one facts number three in verse verse one facts number three in verse two died for our sins two died for our sins fact number two his ministry for us fact number two his ministry for us baptized his temptations in verse three baptized his temptations in verse three again fact number three the crucifixion again fact number three the crucifixion in verse 4 in verse 4 and then verse 5 and then verse 5 for us he rose from death again fact for us he rose from death again fact number four number four for us as priest on high to reign for us as priest on high to reign facts number five and perhaps six and facts number five and perhaps six and then for us on earth he sets his throne then for us on earth he sets his throne to make his ransom saints his own to make his ransom saints his own facts number six and seven his facts number six and seven his indwelling and finally indwelling and finally when he really completes the work he's when he really completes the work he's coming again coming again so that him really was chosen because it so that him really was chosen because it sums up all the things that we've been sums up all the things that we've been talking about together talking about together now first i want to go back this morning now first i want to go back this morning and just see if we can recapture a and just see if we can recapture a little of the mood of standing in the little of the mood of standing in the presence of the cross of christ presence of the cross of christ because because the present work of christ in the the present work of christ in the believer believer is the outflow is the outflow of what he has done upon the cross of what he has done upon the cross god god in jesus in jesus said to us said to us this is what sin does this is what sin does it breaks my heart it breaks my heart psalm 69 you remember sorrow hath broken psalm 69 you remember sorrow hath broken his heart his heart and in christ's heart as it were being and in christ's heart as it were being broken by the broken by the weight of sin that he bore by the weight weight of sin that he bore by the weight of his lovely pure character having to of his lovely pure character having to come right down with us into the come right down with us into the very depths of death as so vividly very depths of death as so vividly portrayed in some of those messianic portrayed in some of those messianic psalms psalms i say in so going through those i say in so going through those experiences not only did he represent us experiences not only did he represent us but he represented god but he represented god in his representing of us in his representing of us in the intensity of his oneness with us in the intensity of his oneness with us in his solidarity with us in his in his solidarity with us in his absorbing of our sinful situation and absorbing of our sinful situation and his his expiating putting it away upon the cross expiating putting it away upon the cross we were we were gripping and grasping and trying to gripping and grasping and trying to conjure words out of scripture to try conjure words out of scripture to try and get some idea of how close the lord and get some idea of how close the lord jesus christ the lord of glory yet felt jesus christ the lord of glory yet felt to our sinful situation to our sinful situation and looking through my notes i came and looking through my notes i came across a little illustration that i've across a little illustration that i've used once or twice used once or twice there was a sister in one of our there was a sister in one of our meetings meetings who got married rather late who got married rather late and at the age of 65 and at the age of 65 she had a son who was 20. i mean i don't she had a son who was 20. i mean i don't think i've got that wrong a bit [Music] [Laughter] oh there's this amazing when you're trying to be serious well what i mean is she married late and here at the age of 65 her son being 20 she was faced with a 65 her son being 20 she was faced with a terrific problem and i think you'll see terrific problem and i think you'll see the seriousness of it that um the seriousness of it that um this lad got in with bad company this lad got in with bad company and he got in with uh drug addicts and he got in with uh drug addicts and i remember him coming to our bible and i remember him coming to our bible class one night and asking a whole lot class one night and asking a whole lot of questions about sin and forgiveness of questions about sin and forgiveness we didn't know who he was because his we didn't know who he was because his mother's in another meeting mother's in another meeting and we said and we said to ourselves well this lad seems to know to ourselves well this lad seems to know a lot about the bible a lot about the bible but he you know he looked a a real but he you know he looked a a real hippie type in the way he was dressed hippie type in the way he was dressed and so on and so on and um and um after about three quarters of an hour after about three quarters of an hour during which he'd asked an awful lot of during which he'd asked an awful lot of very intelligent questions he said look very intelligent questions he said look i'll tell you why i'm asking these i'll tell you why i'm asking these questions we're on romans 7. he said i'm questions we're on romans 7. he said i'm a registered drug addict just out of the a registered drug addict just out of the blue blue and i was thrilled with the reaction of and i was thrilled with the reaction of our ecclesia our ecclesia we've been going through romans and we've been going through romans and learning about the forgiveness of god learning about the forgiveness of god and the patience of god and the patience of god and nobody blinked an eyelid he might and nobody blinked an eyelid he might just have said isn't it a nice day when just have said isn't it a nice day when he suddenly said i'm a drug addict he suddenly said i'm a drug addict registered by the state you know then registered by the state you know then you can get it on prescriptions and they you can get it on prescriptions and they try and get you off this drug business try and get you off this drug business i've seen him after the bible class have i've seen him after the bible class have to go out the back and do this awful to go out the back and do this awful injection with heroin and cocaine and injection with heroin and cocaine and eventually he he fell foul of the police eventually he he fell foul of the police with this with this and uh he had to go to prison for a and uh he had to go to prison for a fortnight and in prison we we visited fortnight and in prison we we visited him him and this was the background well and this was the background well one sunday at the ecclesia one sunday at the ecclesia there was a very very comforting there was a very very comforting exhortation given exhortation given and his dear mother said and his dear mother said ah that's one for me and my boy. she didn't say that's one for my boy she didn't say that's one for me one for she didn't say that's one for me one for me and my boy me and my boy she was in prison with her son she was in prison with her son his sin was her sin his sin was her sin she felt not only the shame of it you she felt not only the shame of it you know like some people if their children know like some people if their children go wrong they have a status shame go wrong they have a status shame they're not really sorry for the child they're not really sorry for the child they're sorry for themselves because they're sorry for themselves because what the neighbors are thinking she what the neighbors are thinking she wasn't meaning that she was right with wasn't meaning that she was right with him her sympathy was going right out to him her sympathy was going right out to him in his in his sin and it's the him in his in his sin and it's the nearest i've managed to get to nearest i've managed to get to somebody's somebody's really experiencing the sin of another really experiencing the sin of another that's one for me and my boy i'll never that's one for me and my boy i'll never forget that forget that and in some dim sort of way this and in some dim sort of way this portrays how the lord jesus christ portrays how the lord jesus christ felt felt even to even to sweat as it were drops of blood sweat as it were drops of blood that's how he felt that's how he felt toward us toward us that's how deeply united he was and this that's how deeply united he was and this comes out in the prophets doesn't it comes out in the prophets doesn't it nehemiah and daniel and others don't say nehemiah and daniel and others don't say concerning israel o lord they have concerning israel o lord they have sinned sinned and done wickedly in daniel chapter 9 and done wickedly in daniel chapter 9 daniel says we have sinned and done daniel says we have sinned and done wickedly well now daniel although he wickedly well now daniel although he wasn't uh perfect like the lord jesus wasn't uh perfect like the lord jesus really he was saying things that were really he was saying things that were not personally true of him because he he not personally true of him because he he personally had not done wickedly personally had not done wickedly but israel had and he associated himself but israel had and he associated himself completely and said we have done completely and said we have done wickedly so you might say that daniel wickedly so you might say that daniel was was made wicked made wicked for israel who wasn't wicked and so for israel who wasn't wicked and so jesus was made sin for us who knew no jesus was made sin for us who knew no sin and completely identified himself sin and completely identified himself with us with us that we in turn might be identified with that we in turn might be identified with him and that is how you can take hold of him and that is how you can take hold of some of those psalms that although some of those psalms that although originally about david are finally about originally about david are finally about the lord jesus christ the lord jesus christ my sins are more than the hairs of mine my sins are more than the hairs of mine hate hate i will be sorry for my sin that psalm 40 i will be sorry for my sin that psalm 40 psalm 38 psalm 18. and you say well psalm 38 psalm 18. and you say well these aren't about jesus and of course these aren't about jesus and of course initially they're not initially they're not they're about david and perhaps hezekiah they're about david and perhaps hezekiah wrote some of them wrote some of them and and really jesus couldn't say these things really jesus couldn't say these things how could jesus say i will be sorry for how could jesus say i will be sorry for my sin how could jesus say my sins are my sin how could jesus say my sins are more than the hairs of my head more than the hairs of my head but but jesus could make our load his jesus could make our load his and be one with us completely and be one with us completely having chosen this path having chosen this path having been given by god our nature having been given by god our nature having chosen our environment having having chosen our environment having chosen to go right through with the chosen to go right through with the sharing of the very experience sharing of the very experience of death which is the consequence and of death which is the consequence and punishment for sins punishment for sins to become to become the center of a new life the center of a new life to overcome the devil to overcome death to overcome the devil to overcome death to live as the center and head of a of a to live as the center and head of a of a church renewing it being with it acting church renewing it being with it acting as its high priest these are the things as its high priest these are the things that flow from that great act of sharing that flow from that great act of sharing that act of identifying with us that act of identifying with us and so we are moving on and this is why and so we are moving on and this is why we have chosen to stress this morning we have chosen to stress this morning his oneness with us we move on as john his oneness with us we move on as john 17 has been leading us that's why we had 17 has been leading us that's why we had john 17 read we move on to our oneness john 17 read we move on to our oneness with him there's a little verse with him there's a little verse in colossians we're in verse 20 well i don't know where you keep on going back verse back where you keep on going back verse back verse back verse verse back verse but but in verse 17 in verse 17 we read the we read the divinity of jesus divinity of jesus he is before all things and by him all he is before all things and by him all things consist things consist he is the head of the body verse 18 of he is the head of the body verse 18 of colossians 1 who is the beginning the colossians 1 who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence things he might have the preeminence for it pleased the father for it pleased the father that in him that in him should all fullness dwell should all fullness dwell and having made peace that's unity and having made peace that's unity oneness such the meaning of the word oneness such the meaning of the word peace peace through the blood of his cross through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him i say whether they be himself by him i say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven things in earth or things in heaven at last at last god and man heaven and earth angels and god and man heaven and earth angels and human beings brought into complete human beings brought into complete harmony harmony and you who were sometimes alienated in and you who were sometimes alienated in enemies in your mind by wicked works yet enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh his flesh our flesh his flesh through death to our flesh his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight brethren and unreprovable in his sight brethren and sister we know how rotten we are left to sister we know how rotten we are left to ourselves yet here is our destiny which ourselves yet here is our destiny which we begin to glimpse even now holy we begin to glimpse even now holy unblameable unblameable and unreprovable in his sights and unreprovable in his sights that's what we're coming to that's what we're coming to unreapprovable we know we're reprovable unreapprovable we know we're reprovable but but unreapprovable says paul unreapprovable says paul if he if he that's it continue hang on that's it continue hang on don't let even your sins and your don't let even your sins and your weaknesses put you off weaknesses put you off if you continue in the faith that trust if you continue in the faith that trust that that certitude that christ has died that that certitude that christ has died for you and that he who has begun a good for you and that he who has begun a good work will complete it work will complete it and be not and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard which you have heard and which was preached to every creature and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof i paul which is under heaven whereof i paul have made a minister who verse 24 have made a minister who verse 24 now rejoice in my sufferings for you now rejoice in my sufferings for you and and fill up fill up that which is behind that which is behind of the afflictions of christ in my flesh of the afflictions of christ in my flesh for his body's sake for his body's sake which is the church whereof i am made a which is the church whereof i am made a minister minister and so here you've got christ has and so here you've got christ has provided the one great offering for sin provided the one great offering for sin christ the suffering savior has done all christ the suffering savior has done all all that needs to be done all that needs to be done to secure our salvation and yet when he to secure our salvation and yet when he has done all he asks of us has done all he asks of us that we fill up the measure of his that we fill up the measure of his suffering suffering there as it were is a vessel of ours there as it were is a vessel of ours containing the sufferings of christ containing the sufferings of christ containing the redemptive work of the containing the redemptive work of the lord jesus christ and in one sense it's lord jesus christ and in one sense it's full the finished work of christ as some full the finished work of christ as some people call it and yet in another sense people call it and yet in another sense that vows containing the redemptive work that vows containing the redemptive work of christ has yet to be filled up of christ has yet to be filled up by the believer by the believer so that although the redemption is so that although the redemption is complete although there's one great complete although there's one great sacrifice for sins yet according to the sacrifice for sins yet according to the words of paul in various places we are words of paul in various places we are called upon to called upon to share it share it to continue it to continue it to make his sacrifice ours so that in to make his sacrifice ours so that in our relationship with one another our relationship with one another in our relationship with men and women in our relationship with men and women in general in general we are sharing in the at one moment the we are sharing in the at one moment the reconciliation reconciliation we too we too have our gethsemanes we too have our gethsemanes we too have a cross to bear but it isn't our have a cross to bear but it isn't our cross it's his cross so our theme today cross it's his cross so our theme today abide in me is the theme of a redemptive abide in me is the theme of a redemptive work which though complete is yet being work which though complete is yet being completed as saint after saint joins in completed as saint after saint joins in in the smallest of ways and the greatest in the smallest of ways and the greatest of ways none of which are anything of ways none of which are anything compared with his one great offering we compared with his one great offering we join in and we share join in and we share we take up our cross his cross we take up our cross his cross and follow him and follow him filling up filling up amplifying amplifying extending extending expanding expanding the work of christ so that when we the work of christ so that when we preach preach we are sharing if we have to suffer as a we are sharing if we have to suffer as a result of our proclaiming of christ we result of our proclaiming of christ we are as paul puts it writing to the are as paul puts it writing to the philippians fellowshipping the philippians fellowshipping the sufferings of christ sufferings of christ so you see it isn't just a matter of his so you see it isn't just a matter of his sacrifice but us sacrifice but us being being given the unspeakable honor of sharing given the unspeakable honor of sharing it it how can we complain how can we complain can't we understand how the apostle paul can't we understand how the apostle paul said i have learned in whatsoever state said i have learned in whatsoever state i am i am there with to be content now i know from chatting with some of you as you as i got to know you i got to know you during the week this has been one of the during the week this has been one of the great joys of the week the the bond of great joys of the week the the bond of love love we've actually got to know one another we've actually got to know one another many of us is to chat over our many of us is to chat over our particular problems particular problems well well here it is fellowshipping the sufferings here it is fellowshipping the sufferings of christ and are we going to complain of christ and are we going to complain are we going to be like israel of old are we going to be like israel of old and murmur of course not and murmur of course not i have learned in whatsoever state i am i have learned in whatsoever state i am said paul as we say said paul as we say there with to be content what honor that there with to be content what honor that i may share i may share his cross his cross now of course his cross was something he now of course his cross was something he voluntarily took voluntarily took you might say that the problems that you might say that the problems that we've got they come we've got they come but we can voluntarily take a certain but we can voluntarily take a certain attitude to them some of our problems attitude to them some of our problems are brought upon us are brought upon us by our faithfulness to christ by our faithfulness to christ some of our problems flow directly some of our problems flow directly because we have because we have said as for me in my house we will serve said as for me in my house we will serve the lord others of our problems come the lord others of our problems come either from the weakness of physical either from the weakness of physical frame illness frame illness or because of other people's attitudes or because of other people's attitudes or their illnesses and sicknesses and i or their illnesses and sicknesses and i have sometimes heard it said now those have sometimes heard it said now those are not your cross are not your cross in a way they're not in the sense that in a way they're not in the sense that we haven't chosen them we haven't chosen them but in our attitude to them but in our attitude to them they become our bearing they become our bearing of christ's cross of christ's cross well now how this transforms life how well now how this transforms life how this changes our very attitude to this changes our very attitude to everything everything and how for example when we come to and how for example when we come to those beautiful words in galatians 2 those beautiful words in galatians 2 verse 20 verse 20 we feel a thrill of amazement a sense of joy and sorrow intermingled joy and sorrow intermingled i have been crucified with christ i have been crucified with christ past tense and present tense past tense and present tense it's like the great memorial name it's it's like the great memorial name it's past present and future past present and future i have been crucified with christ i have been crucified with christ because it happened when we were because it happened when we were baptized his cross became ours but it's baptized his cross became ours but it's also i am being crucified with christ also i am being crucified with christ nevertheless i live nevertheless i live yet not i yet not i but christ liveth in me but christ liveth in me and the life which i now live in the and the life which i now live in the flesh flesh isn't me anymore i live by the faith of isn't me anymore i live by the faith of the son of god the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me who loved me and gave himself for me so brethren sisters throughout this week so brethren sisters throughout this week we have been we have been moving from the heavenly origin of our moving from the heavenly origin of our lord even with the difficulties that we lord even with the difficulties that we found there found there thinking of jesus as the high and the thinking of jesus as the high and the lofty one who shares the majesty of the lofty one who shares the majesty of the father who inhabits eternity father who inhabits eternity we've seen his uniqueness we've seen his uniqueness we've seen the way in which he is said we've seen the way in which he is said to have come from the to have come from the father father to be as it were god visiting his people to be as it were god visiting his people we've seen the intimate knowledge that we've seen the intimate knowledge that he had of the father's secrets we have he had of the father's secrets we have seen the daily access that he had to the seen the daily access that he had to the father with whom he spoke face to face father with whom he spoke face to face hand in hand we have hand in hand we have seen them come to the seen them come to the crucial moment to the cross to the crucial moment to the cross to the sacrifice to sacrifice to declare the father's righteousness so declare the father's righteousness so that at least out of all the human race that at least out of all the human race won won one one has triumphed has triumphed one has gotten the victory one has gotten the victory we saw him picking his path to the cross we saw him picking his path to the cross we saw him choosing his way so that no we saw him choosing his way so that no man put him there no man took him where man put him there no man took him where he didn't want to go he didn't want to go thank you not that i could have legions thank you not that i could have legions of angels but no of angels but no he accepted the role he accepted the role we have seen what his we have seen what his sorrow involved sorrow involved we have seen him coming down into the we have seen him coming down into the evil with us we have seen him plunging evil with us we have seen him plunging into the abyss into the abyss into the very shadows of the divine into the very shadows of the divine judgment that rests upon us judgment that rests upon us we didn't mention we'd mention we didn't mention we'd mention gethsemane gethsemane we didn't mention that cry of loneliness we didn't mention that cry of loneliness upon the cross upon the cross my god my god my my god god why hast thou forsaken me why hast thou forsaken me i think we want to avoid perhaps the the i think we want to avoid perhaps the the more cut and dried answers onto what more cut and dried answers onto what that means there are many little that means there are many little beautiful explanations that can be beautiful explanations that can be brought out there brought out there but basically this was a cry but basically this was a cry wrought and wrung from his heart as he wrought and wrung from his heart as he just felt just felt what our situation was like as he went what our situation was like as he went into the valley of the shadow of the into the valley of the shadow of the death death which hovers over all of us as he which hovers over all of us as he felt completely what it was like to be felt completely what it was like to be numbered with the transgressors knowing how god regards sin yet to dwell completely as he plunged into the jaws completely as he plunged into the jaws of death in the shadow of death of death in the shadow of death becoming utterly one becoming utterly one with our sin stricken state that's really where we left him yesterday yesterday we've gone on a bit this morning and we've gone on a bit this morning and seen that what he has seen that what he has shared with us shared with us we must share with him we must share with him we left him being taken off the cross we we left him being taken off the cross we left him with the weeping women left him with the weeping women around him around him we left him laid in a tomb we left him laid in a tomb he left him in the horror of great he left him in the horror of great darkness darkness of which abraham speaks in genesis 15. of which abraham speaks in genesis 15. could the altogether lovely brethren and could the altogether lovely brethren and sisters sisters could the only sinless one could yahweh could the only sinless one could yahweh the savior because that's what jesus the savior because that's what jesus means means could the heir of all things could the heir of all things be suffered be suffered to remain in that tomb to remain in that tomb that would have been the victory of sin that would have been the victory of sin so god raised him from the dead so god raised him from the dead and that's the note of triumph and that's the note of triumph hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah sing to jesus that's the note of triumph sing to jesus that's the note of triumph that we have today god raised him from that we have today god raised him from the dead and this note vibrated right the dead and this note vibrated right through the apostles doctrine right through the apostles doctrine right through their fellowship right through through their fellowship right through the early churches both in the preaching the early churches both in the preaching and in the teaching there comes again and in the teaching there comes again and again but god raised him from the and again but god raised him from the dead dead and it isn't just an academic fact it and it isn't just an academic fact it isn't just a completion of a theory it's isn't just a completion of a theory it's something they felt in the very fiber of something they felt in the very fiber of their being brethren and sisters as we their being brethren and sisters as we think of the resurrected lord it's not think of the resurrected lord it's not an argument to use when we prove to an argument to use when we prove to people that christianity is true it's a people that christianity is true it's a feeling feeling they had seen in the garden of they had seen in the garden of gethsemane gethsemane the little procession of torch bearers the little procession of torch bearers winding their way into the direction of winding their way into the direction of the garden perhaps they didn't realize the garden perhaps they didn't realize who it was jesus did he knew that those who it was jesus did he knew that those were those who were coming to arrest him were those who were coming to arrest him and they had seen these torches come and they had seen these torches come closer they had seen judas there portray closer they had seen judas there portray his master with his his master with his kiss his kiss of perfidy kiss his kiss of perfidy they had seen they had seen their lord arrested their lord arrested they had run they had run they had hidden they had hidden they had seen him there they had seen him there upon his cross they had seen him taken upon his cross they had seen him taken down some of them had prepared spices down some of them had prepared spices and bewildered and bewildered overwhelmed overwhelmed despairing they had scattered despairing they had scattered any wonder then that when they really any wonder then that when they really saw him and felt him as john says in one saw him and felt him as john says in one john and took hold of him john and took hold of him they came and they said we've seen the they came and they said we've seen the lord lord you know we read it so often that we you know we read it so often that we find it a job to to get into their skins find it a job to to get into their skins and feel what it felt like to be peter and feel what it felt like to be peter and john and mary magdalene we've seen and john and mary magdalene we've seen the lord and then when he'd been in the lord and then when he'd been in their midst the lord is risen indeed their midst the lord is risen indeed it's really true and so they were transformed and the men who ran were bold whom you crucified who ran were bold whom you crucified they were able to say as they pointed they were able to say as they pointed the finger of accusation the finger of accusation to those who in one way or another had to those who in one way or another had participated in the perpetration of this participated in the perpetration of this awful crime awful crime and so right through the the messages of and so right through the the messages of the apostles that we've looked at one the apostles that we've looked at one after another there's never a lecture after another there's never a lecture there's never a bit of preaching from there's never a bit of preaching from peter or paul that sooner or later peter or paul that sooner or later doesn't move from the minor key into the doesn't move from the minor key into the major key seeing we're having so many major key seeing we're having so many musical points this week musical points this week moved from the note of sadness into the moved from the note of sadness into the note of triumph so that for example note of triumph so that for example peter says in acts chapter 2 peter says in acts chapter 2 you crucified and slew him verse 24 you crucified and slew him verse 24 whom god hath raised up whom god hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should it was not possible that he should beholden of it beholden of it we usually misquote the words of the we usually misquote the words of the king james version and say the grave king james version and say the grave could not hold him well it's the same could not hold him well it's the same idea it was not possible idea it was not possible that he should be holding of it that he should be holding of it the next speech that we looked at just the next speech that we looked at just reminding you of our first talk acts 3 reminding you of our first talk acts 3 he killed verse 15 the prince of life he killed verse 15 the prince of life whom god has raised from the dead whom god has raised from the dead and we know it's true he says whereof we and we know it's true he says whereof we are witnesses this was the great are witnesses this was the great apostolic message the gospel of the apostolic message the gospel of the resurrection chapter 4 33 peter again resurrection chapter 4 33 peter again and with great power although this is and with great power although this is luke commenting gave the apostles luke commenting gave the apostles witness to the resurrection of the lord witness to the resurrection of the lord jesus and it did something to them rule jesus and it did something to them rule number seven of bible study it did number seven of bible study it did something to them great grace was upon something to them great grace was upon them all it wasn't just a fact jesus is them all it wasn't just a fact jesus is raised from the dead isn't that fine he raised from the dead isn't that fine he was there with them vibrating through was there with them vibrating through their lives great grace was upon them their lives great grace was upon them chapter 5 chapter 5 verse verse 30 30 the god of our fathers raised up jesus the god of our fathers raised up jesus says peter whom ye slew and hanged on a says peter whom ye slew and hanged on a tree tree him hath god exalted with his right hand him hath god exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance to israel and forgiveness of repentance to israel and forgiveness of sins and we're witnesses of these things sins and we're witnesses of these things we know we've seen him we know we've seen him and so there is that note of triumph and so there is that note of triumph running right through you can feel that running right through you can feel that there is being let loose upon the world there is being let loose upon the world a force greater than dynamites as a force greater than dynamites as brother ted said the other day dynamis brother ted said the other day dynamis dynamite dynamite was a power released was a power released and and whereas they were sad and and whereas they were sad whereas they ran whereas they ran now they were full of joy now they were full of joy and this is the theme that runs right and this is the theme that runs right through this if we get no other point through this if we get no other point over than the sheer joy of being a over than the sheer joy of being a christian of being one of christ's ones christian of being one of christ's ones then perhaps we've accomplished a little then perhaps we've accomplished a little great joy was upon them we read again great joy was upon them we read again and again in the acts of the apostles and again in the acts of the apostles and the apostle writing to the and the apostle writing to the philippians he says rejoice ever more philippians he says rejoice ever more and then he suddenly remembers some and then he suddenly remembers some problems in philippians chapter three problems in philippians chapter three right the beginning he says finally right the beginning he says finally rejoice rejoice he's like some of our brethren who say he's like some of our brethren who say finally about 25 minutes before they finally about 25 minutes before they finish their talk he says finally and then he goes on because somebody comes in while he's dictating that comes in while he's dictating that letter and that somebody comes in and letter and that somebody comes in and says look there's some bad news about says look there's some bad news about what's going on in philippi oh we'll what's going on in philippi oh we'll have to dictate a few more words about have to dictate a few more words about that but he's a bit like alfred norris that but he's a bit like alfred norris even if he interrupts himself and has a even if he interrupts himself and has a long series of sentences he remembers long series of sentences he remembers what he was going to say what he was going to say or should we put it the other way around or should we put it the other way around alfred's a bit like paul alfred's a bit like paul and and when he gets when he gets rid of this problem that was facing them rid of this problem that was facing them in philippi in philippi then he says then he says rejoice and again i say rejoice rejoice and again i say rejoice you can look that up in philippians two you can look that up in philippians two and three and four and three and four well there's a whole chapter in between well there's a whole chapter in between he doesn't forget that he wanted them to he doesn't forget that he wanted them to remember that christianity was a matter remember that christianity was a matter of rejoicing because we've got something of rejoicing because we've got something to rejoice about to rejoice about and so there is the rejoicing the the and so there is the rejoicing the the sense of assurance the sense of sense of assurance the sense of confidence and not the sense of confidence and not the sense of assuming not the sense of over assuming not the sense of over confidence not the sense of presumption confidence not the sense of presumption and so death was conquered and so death was conquered he ascended up on high he ascended up on high yes yes ephesians chapter 4 quotes ephesians chapter 4 quotes that wonderful psalm 68 that wonderful psalm 68 edward's been showing us psalm 68 in edward's been showing us psalm 68 in relation to what happened in the day of relation to what happened in the day of david when at last the ark was enthroned david when at last the ark was enthroned in triumph in zion and what's going to in triumph in zion and what's going to happen when the lord is enthroned in the happen when the lord is enthroned in the future in zion yes we've been seeing future in zion yes we've been seeing that that but paul used that same psalm 68 but paul used that same psalm 68 for the enthronement of the lord in for the enthronement of the lord in heaven heaven you know you don't just get double use you know you don't just get double use of scripture you get treble and of scripture you get treble and quadruple use of scripture this is the quadruple use of scripture this is the marvel and the richness of the word of marvel and the richness of the word of god and the apostles are constantly god and the apostles are constantly applying kingdom passages which in their applying kingdom passages which in their finality apply to something which is finality apply to something which is still future to us they're constantly still future to us they're constantly applying kingdom passages to the things applying kingdom passages to the things that went on in the first century we saw that went on in the first century we saw it in joel on our first day didn't we so it in joel on our first day didn't we so here psalm 68 is taken hold of here psalm 68 is taken hold of and we have him saying and we have him saying we can just drop on the verse we can just drop on the verse where is it where is it if i send it on high somebody give it to if i send it on high somebody give it to me that's right thank you verse 8 yes speaking of the gifts of the spirit in speaking of the gifts of the spirit in particular particular but a general sense i suppose of the but a general sense i suppose of the outflowing of god verse seven unto every outflowing of god verse seven unto every one of us is given grace one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of according to the measure of the gift of christ christ wherefore he saith when he ascended up wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he he led captivity captive he on high he he led captivity captive he was the ark of the covenant going before was the ark of the covenant going before the army the army leading them to triumph leading them to triumph he as laid captivity captive and gave he as laid captivity captive and gave gifts unto men now that he ascended what gifts unto men now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that he that descended is the same also that ascended up ascended up up up up far above all heavens up far above all heavens that he might fill all things that he might fill all things up up fact number five ascended to the right fact number five ascended to the right hand of god up hand of god up far above all things but far above all things but it isn't that we might feel of him as a it isn't that we might feel of him as a trillion miles away trillion miles away it is that he might fail it is that he might fail all things all things and this is the this is the and this is the this is the problem almost of thinking about christ problem almost of thinking about christ this has been our sole aim this week to this has been our sole aim this week to bring christ bring christ right into our midst he's a trillion miles away when we think of him of him for example hebrews 1 for example hebrews 1 those words that we had right at the those words that we had right at the beginning beginning god who at sundry times in divers god who at sundry times in divers manners hath in time past spoken unto us manners hath in time past spoken unto us unto the fathers by the prophets hath in unto the fathers by the prophets hath in this last day spoken unto us by his son this last day spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom he made the worlds things by whom he made the worlds jesus as the very center of all god's jesus as the very center of all god's activities who being the brightness of activities who being the brightness of his glory his glory and the express image of his person and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of and upholding all things by the word of his power his power when he had by himself purged our sins when he had by himself purged our sins these are the things we've been looking these are the things we've been looking at at sat down sat down on the right hand on the right hand of the majesty on high how can he be with us how can he fill all things how can he how can he fill all things how can he dwell in the believer dwell in the believer when he's a trillion miles away at the when he's a trillion miles away at the right hand of the majesty on high right hand of the majesty on high well he is with us he is close to us well he is with us he is close to us hebrews 7 tells us so hebrews 7 tells us so hebrews 7 verse 24 and onwards but this man because he continueth ever hath an because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood unchangeable priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost notice the words that to the uttermost notice the words that come unto god by him come unto god by him seeing he ever liveth seeing he ever liveth she isn't only a resurrected christ but she isn't only a resurrected christ but it's an ever living christ it's an ever living christ to make intercession for them to make intercession for them for such a high priest became us for such a high priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners although once he separate from sinners although once he was one with them was one with them made higher than the heavens made higher than the heavens who needeth not daily who needeth not daily as those priests to offer up sacrifice as those priests to offer up sacrifice he's done it once he's done it once so there is the parody the paradox high holy higher than the heavens yet able to save to the uttermost bringing able to save to the uttermost bringing those who were far off those who were far off bringing them nigh bringing them nigh we wonder how does he work how does this we wonder how does he work how does this priesthood operate priesthood operate there he is at the seat of power there there he is at the seat of power there he is at the right hand of god there he he is at the right hand of god there he is in the inner councils of the father is in the inner councils of the father he who once was down here in the evil he who once was down here in the evil with us with us took with him to heaven the sense of his took with him to heaven the sense of his oneness with us oneness with us and so although we might find god a bit and so although we might find god a bit overpowering to understand overpowering to understand yet we know yet we know that there at the right hand of god is that there at the right hand of god is one who has traveled this way with us one who has traveled this way with us and we can see in our imagination and we can see in our imagination god the eternal father god the eternal father and jesus the son and jesus the son lovingly discussing lovingly discussing your problems and mine your problems and mine oh it's beyond us how they can discuss oh it's beyond us how they can discuss all of us at once all of us at once they can they can as parents as parents discuss discuss their children and say their children and say what are we going to do what are we going to do about this problem of johnny or jane about this problem of johnny or jane how can we help how can we help must we use the heavy hand here or must must we use the heavy hand here or must we use the light touch we use the light touch this is fatherhood isn't it like as a this is fatherhood isn't it like as a father pitieth father pitieth so he knoweth we are but flesh he so he knoweth we are but flesh he knoweth our frame and we know he knows knoweth our frame and we know he knows because we have the assurance that the because we have the assurance that the lord jesus whom god sent lord jesus whom god sent into our situation knows all about it into our situation knows all about it and is with him there and is with him there so we're growing closer a trillion miles so we're growing closer a trillion miles away he might be but we're growing away he might be but we're growing closer we feel less far from god closer we feel less far from god so hebrews 4 tells us so hebrews 4 tells us verse 14 verse 14 seeing then we have a great high priest seeing then we have a great high priest and we're dealing with the and we're dealing with the implications of fact number five implications of fact number five it sounds you see as if jesus is so far it sounds you see as if jesus is so far away at the right hand of god yet it's away at the right hand of god yet it's the clue that brings us into oneness the clue that brings us into oneness with god this is the continuingness of with god this is the continuingness of his sacrifice his sacrifice seeing then that we have a great high seeing then that we have a great high priest priest that is past passed into the heavens that is past passed into the heavens jesus the son of god let us hold fast jesus the son of god let us hold fast our profession our profession for we have not a high priest which for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched cannot be touched touched with the feeling of our touched with the feeling of our infirmities infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin are yet without sin here's the bridge verse 16 here's the bridge verse 16 let us therefore come let us therefore come boldly boldly under the throne of grace under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help and find grace to help in time of need boldly we haven't got to in time of need boldly we haven't got to tremble before god not with christ in tremble before god not with christ in the vessel we do tremble brethren and the vessel we do tremble brethren and sisters perhaps sometimes in a way we sisters perhaps sometimes in a way we should tremble this is the great problem should tremble this is the great problem that i'm going to try to deal with that i'm going to try to deal with tomorrow tomorrow how at the one hand we can for example how at the one hand we can for example take brother ted's warnings i'm not able take brother ted's warnings i'm not able to hear his talk because i'm occupied to hear his talk because i'm occupied over with the teenagers but he's been over with the teenagers but he's been warning us from the word warning us from the word and sometimes perhaps we tremble and we and sometimes perhaps we tremble and we should tremble and yet side by side should tremble and yet side by side without trembling here's the antidote without trembling here's the antidote let us come boldly let us come boldly unto the throne of grace not unto the throne of grace not presumptuously yet boldly presumptuously yet boldly so you see the distance between heaven so you see the distance between heaven and earth is being bridged and earth is being bridged by the continuing work of the lord jesus by the continuing work of the lord jesus our friend in heaven our representative our friend in heaven our representative at the divine court at the divine court through whom ephesians 3 12 we have through whom ephesians 3 12 we have access access just what just think what access access just what just think what it means access to god it means access to god but not only have we a friend at court but not only have we a friend at court brethren and sisters brethren and sisters but jesus is right but jesus is right here here here in the minds and the hearts of the here in the minds and the hearts of the believers believers dwelling in our hearts by faith dwelling in our hearts by faith christ in you the hope of glory christ in you the hope of glory the living head of the church the living head of the church dwelling in the temple that temple of dwelling in the temple that temple of the holy spirit which he has created so the holy spirit which he has created so the power from on high can flow through the power from on high can flow through us if we'll only open up this is the us if we'll only open up this is the secret of power this is the secret of secret of power this is the secret of christian living not what we make up our christian living not what we make up our mind to do but what we let him do mind to do but what we let him do through us and in us through us and in us one of those messages to the ecclesia is one of those messages to the ecclesia is just slightly trespassing on brother just slightly trespassing on brother ted's ground behold i stand at the door ted's ground behold i stand at the door and knock and knock if any man open unto me i will come in if any man open unto me i will come in and sup with him and sup with him so our task is to open so our task is to open and sometimes hard and sometimes hard because the doors get stuck because the doors get stuck they get cloyed with our own they get cloyed with our own self-centeredness but once put christ at self-centeredness but once put christ at the center and the door moves freely and the center and the door moves freely and opens opens in christ in christ comes in comes in might say what's all that mean that's we might say what's all that mean that's we hear that kind of thing hear that kind of thing in uh some of the very earnest chapels in uh some of the very earnest chapels around us we as christadelphians are not around us we as christadelphians are not accustomed to that kind of language all accustomed to that kind of language all right i mustn't put in right i mustn't put in what isn't in the word of god so have we what isn't in the word of god so have we got that kind of language have we got it got that kind of language have we got it in any other places or besides i stand in any other places or besides i stand at the door and knock yes we've got it at the door and knock yes we've got it in romans 8 in romans 8 ye are not in the flesh ye are not in the flesh you don't stand on your own two feet you don't stand on your own two feet he's saying he's saying but in the spirits that's where your but in the spirits that's where your source of strength comes from source of strength comes from if so be the spirit of god dwell in you if so be the spirit of god dwell in you we're a bit timid of this phrase the we're a bit timid of this phrase the spirit spirit be frightened that somebody might think be frightened that somebody might think we mean that we expect to be able to we mean that we expect to be able to work miracles work miracles that we expect to be able to speak with that we expect to be able to speak with tongues somebody might confuse us with tongues somebody might confuse us with the pentecostal movement the pentecostal movement well if we're explicit about it and we well if we're explicit about it and we recognize that the pentecostal movement recognize that the pentecostal movement is looking for something in this age is looking for something in this age which it is not the intention of god to which it is not the intention of god to donate let us not therefore cease to donate let us not therefore cease to rejoice rejoice in the scores of scriptures which speak in the scores of scriptures which speak of the indwelling spirit now of the indwelling spirit now not some mystical magic kind of not some mystical magic kind of influence but something that is real and influence but something that is real and known to each one of us as god comes known to each one of us as god comes into our lives really and powerfully if into our lives really and powerfully if any man have not any man have not the spirit of christ the spirit of christ he is none of his he is none of his and if christ be in you and if christ be in you the body the body is dead is dead because of sin because of sin no hope in just me as me no hope in just me as me but the spirit is life but the spirit is life and because of righteousness but if the and because of righteousness but if the spirit of him that raised up jesus this spirit of him that raised up jesus this is the implication of the resurrection is the implication of the resurrection dwell in you dwell in you the spirit of him that raised up jesus the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead from the dead dwell in you dwell in you he that raised up christ from the dead he that raised up christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you and you his spirit that dwelleth in you and you see the continuity there the spirit in see the continuity there the spirit in the believer now developing a reflection the believer now developing a reflection of the character of god and of christ in of the character of god and of christ in us now us now will then be perpetuated will then be perpetuated will then be made permanent in the will then be made permanent in the future new bodies for new men and women future new bodies for new men and women that's the theme of scripture that's the theme of scripture so there is a continuity between now and so there is a continuity between now and then and that's why so often words that then and that's why so often words that really apply in their fullness to the really apply in their fullness to the future the kingdom of god eternal life future the kingdom of god eternal life are used of the now are used of the now because now is the time when we begin to because now is the time when we begin to be translated into the kingdom now is be translated into the kingdom now is the time when we begin to grasp that the time when we begin to grasp that eternal life which is to know eternal life which is to know thee and jesus christ whom thou hast thee and jesus christ whom thou hast sense sense ephesians another one of these in christ ephesians another one of these in christ passages and christ in you passages and christ in you ephesians chapter 1 ephesians chapter 1 verse 17 verse 17 that the god of our lord jesus christ that the god of our lord jesus christ the father of glory the father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him and revelation in the knowledge of him practical you've got to read your bibles practical you've got to read your bibles you can't put your bibles away and just you can't put your bibles away and just sit under a tree and say lord calm sit under a tree and say lord calm we've got to take some positive action we've got to take some positive action but then he will come but then he will come the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you understanding being enlightened that you may know may know what is the hope of his calling and what what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his the riches of the glory of his inheritance inheritance in the saints in the saints something we begin to have now this something we begin to have now this inheritance and what is the exceeding inheritance and what is the exceeding greatness of his power greatness of his power to us lord who believe according to the to us lord who believe according to the mighty working of his power or the mighty working of his power or the working of his mighty power which he working of his mighty power which he wrought in christ wrought in christ when he raised him from the dead and set when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the him at his own right hand in the heavenly places it's a power that flows heavenly places it's a power that flows from a resurrected and an ever-living from a resurrected and an ever-living christ christ well there we are brethren and sisters well there we are brethren and sisters and there are many more and there are many more eat my flesh and drink my blood eat my flesh and drink my blood john 6 and john 17 that we had read john 6 and john 17 that we had read those wonderful words of that lovely those wonderful words of that lovely prayer of jesus prayer of jesus yes we ought to quote those didn't we yes we ought to quote those didn't we john chapter 17 john chapter 17 because it's the whole of our week's because it's the whole of our week's theme in that prayer theme in that prayer you notice how it started with you notice how it started with with the divinity of jesus with the divinity of jesus the one who had that sense of the one who had that sense of relationship with the eternal relationship with the eternal pre-existing father the one who verse 6 pre-existing father the one who verse 6 i have manifested thy name i have manifested thy name all that thou god art all that thou god art unto the men which thou gavest me out of unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world the world 17 6 17 6 verse 8 i have given unto them the words verse 8 i have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that received them and have known surely that i came out from thee don't we know that i came out from thee don't we know that a little bit more surely brethren the a little bit more surely brethren the sisters as a result of our chats sisters as a result of our chats together this week together this week i came out from thee they know it surely i came out from thee they know it surely he goes on to pray that now he's going he goes on to pray that now he's going to the father to the father that the father will keep them that the father will keep them through his own name that they may be through his own name that they may be one one as the father and the son are as the father and the son are that christ's joy end of verse 13 might that christ's joy end of verse 13 might be fulfilled in them joy there it is be fulfilled in them joy there it is again again and we and we ourselves some 150 saints of the 20th ourselves some 150 saints of the 20th century sitting in the chapel at century sitting in the chapel at wilbraham academy in 1969 wilbraham academy in 1969 are actually prayed for are actually prayed for in chapter 18 verse 20 and all our in chapter 18 verse 20 and all our brethren and sisters all over the world brethren and sisters all over the world neither pray i for these alone neither pray i for these alone but for them also which shall believe on but for them also which shall believe on me through their word me through their word that they all may be one as thou father that they all may be one as thou father art in me art in me and i in thee and i in thee that they also may be one in us that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has that the world may believe that thou has sent me the father in christ we saw that sent me the father in christ we saw that didn't we and now we have moved on to didn't we and now we have moved on to see see christ in the believer you know christ in the believer you know sometimes brethren and sisters when they sometimes brethren and sisters when they first come to understand a little bit first come to understand a little bit about god manifestation when they first about god manifestation when they first come to the wondrous teachings of come to the wondrous teachings of brother thomas in eureka and phanerosis brother thomas in eureka and phanerosis about the great memorial name the name about the great memorial name the name of yahweh of yahweh they say oh i didn't understand that they say oh i didn't understand that when i was baptized when i was baptized because we're baptized into the name because we're baptized into the name i've actually had cases i've actually had cases of brethren and sisters in an overflow of brethren and sisters in an overflow of enthusiasm and anxiety say i didn't of enthusiasm and anxiety say i didn't know anything about the name of yahweh know anything about the name of yahweh when i was baptized i ought to be when i was baptized i ought to be baptized again baptized again and some brethren and sisters when they and some brethren and sisters when they hear hear brethren expounding the wonderful brethren expounding the wonderful memorial name get a bit worried to think memorial name get a bit worried to think that they don't know much about it that they don't know much about it now brothers and sisters the whole of now brothers and sisters the whole of the wonderful teaching locked up in the the wonderful teaching locked up in the name of yahweh name of yahweh is there is there the one who will be the one who will be the one who wasn't is and will be it's the one who wasn't is and will be it's all locked up there in verse 12 all locked up there in verse 12 21 sorry 21 sorry of john 17 the one i've just read of john 17 the one i've just read as thou father art in me as thou father art in me god said i will be god said i will be jesus jesus and i in thee and i in thee jesus said i will be jesus said i will be them them the believers it is the progression the the believers it is the progression the the the outflowing divinity the the outflowing divinity from god to jesus from god to jesus from jesus to us from jesus to us oh brethren and sisters it sends a oh brethren and sisters it sends a a thrill through you to think that a thrill through you to think that that's what we've been called to that's what we've been called to not to do it in our own strength but to not to do it in our own strength but to to be the recipients of such grace and to be the recipients of such grace and the glory which thou gavest me i have the glory which thou gavest me i have given them that they may be one even as given them that they may be one even as we are one i in them and thou in me we are one i in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect that they may be made perfect in one in one what's it mean in action brethren what's it mean in action brethren sisters sisters is it just a kind of mystical way of is it just a kind of mystical way of putting things putting things well just think about what we've been well just think about what we've been doing together brothers and sisters doing together brothers and sisters we've walked with jesus haven't we he's we've walked with jesus haven't we he's leapt out of the black and white print leapt out of the black and white print of this of this pages of the bible and pages of the bible and as we've meditated and our minds have as we've meditated and our minds have come together come together we've been in his presence that's how you do it at least we don't do it that's how he at least we don't do it that's how he does it we just open the door it starts does it we just open the door it starts with opening the pages of this book with opening the pages of this book it doesn't just rest there it doesn't just rest there god ministers to us christ looking after god ministers to us christ looking after us his hand is upon us he brings us into us his hand is upon us he brings us into touch with brethren and sisters touch with brethren and sisters who could help us who could help us who've been that way before who've been that way before he gives us experiences unhappy ones and he gives us experiences unhappy ones and happy ones happy ones that may make this black print on the that may make this black print on the white page become graven in our hearts white page become graven in our hearts so that he writes his new covenant upon so that he writes his new covenant upon our hearts our hearts and it isn't and it isn't mysticism mysticism it's real it's real that we feel his touch that we feel his touch brethren sisters if will abraham can brethren sisters if will abraham can have helped us just a little bit this have helped us just a little bit this week week so that throughout the days that may so that throughout the days that may remain to his reappearing when remain to his reappearing when he whom not having seen we love he whom not having seen we love then we shall see him face to face if we then we shall see him face to face if we shall shall find him a little more in us find him a little more in us not just saying i must follow his not just saying i must follow his example example but i must let him take over the running but i must let him take over the running of my life see if i say i must follow of my life see if i say i must follow his example we must his example we must don't misunderstand me but if we think don't misunderstand me but if we think that's what it is we're going to be that's what it is we're going to be disappointed continually it's more than disappointed continually it's more than that it's he i must let him take me over that it's he i must let him take me over completely i must receive him he will completely i must receive him he will achieve achieve we must open our hearts and our minds as we must open our hearts and our minds as we prayerfully read this word as we seek we prayerfully read this word as we seek his fellowship his fellowship i sometimes think of it like this i sometimes think of it like this brethren and sisters brethren and sisters as in these last two or three minutes i as in these last two or three minutes i would like to try and just bring it a would like to try and just bring it a little bit to a focus paul writing to the corinthians corinthians in the second of corinthians this is how in the second of corinthians this is how this sacrifice becomes ours this is how this sacrifice becomes ours this is how christ dwells in us now that he may christ dwells in us now that he may dwell with us then dwell with us then he he says do we begin to commend ourselves says do we begin to commend ourselves to corinthians three verse one or need to corinthians three verse one or need we are some others epistles of command we are some others epistles of command commendations to you or letters of commendations to you or letters of commendation from you commendation from you ye are our epistle ye are our epistle oh he says to the corinthians you are a oh he says to the corinthians you are a letter letter an epistle an epistle ye are our epistle ye are our epistle written in our hearts known and read of written in our hearts known and read of all men all men for as much as you are manifestly for as much as you are manifestly declared to be a letter from christ declared to be a letter from christ that's what it means that's what it means ministered by us paul was the pain ministered by us paul was the pain written not with ink written not with ink but with the spirit but with the spirit of the living god that's the ink of the living god that's the ink that's the carving tool that carves out that's the carving tool that carves out but it isn't a carving tool because it's but it isn't a carving tool because it's not in tables of stone but in fleshy not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the heart tables of the heart and i think our lives brethren and and i think our lives brethren and sisters as sisters as paige is in a book paige is in a book there is the life of the lord jesus there is the life of the lord jesus christ you've read nazareth revisited christ you've read nazareth revisited perhaps you've read pharah's life of perhaps you've read pharah's life of christ and celie's christ and celie's behold the man you've read these lives behold the man you've read these lives of christ we have the life of christ of christ we have the life of christ before us before us and day by day he's giving us pages out and day by day he's giving us pages out of his biography for us to bind of his biography for us to bind in our own autobiographies in our own autobiographies and the object of will abraham this week and the object of will abraham this week has been that all the brothers and has been that all the brothers and sisters who've expounded to one another sisters who've expounded to one another and all of us who have talked to each and all of us who have talked to each other other have been helping some new chapters to have been helping some new chapters to be written be written in the life of christ in the life of christ because we are an epistle we are because we are an epistle we are chapters in the book that is being chapters in the book that is being written that life of christ written that life of christ and this is why as pages are transferred and this is why as pages are transferred from his biography into our from his biography into our autobiographies autobiographies for each of us there must be a sharing for each of us there must be a sharing a fellowshipping of the sufferings of a fellowshipping of the sufferings of christ christ so that for each of us there will be so that for each of us there will be lonely walks along the galilean highways lonely walks along the galilean highways and among the judean hills and among the judean hills as we sorrow at the hardness of men's as we sorrow at the hardness of men's hearts hearts for us there will be encounters with the for us there will be encounters with the devil in the wilderness of judea as we devil in the wilderness of judea as we are tempted and tested to take the are tempted and tested to take the world's way world's way in the strength that comes from him as in the strength that comes from him as pages from his life are bound into ours pages from his life are bound into ours and in his strength we triumph and in his strength we triumph so the book gets written the book that so the book gets written the book that will be opened in the day of judgment we shall be achieving we shall be achieving not in our own strength but his and we not in our own strength but his and we shall be received not because the pages shall be received not because the pages of our particular book are full of our of our particular book are full of our glory but because they're full of his glory but because they're full of his glory glory for each of us at some stage in life for each of us at some stage in life there will be a gethsemane there will be a gethsemane when we shed tears of sorrow when we shed tears of sorrow over some whom we love over some whom we love who for the moment who for the moment can't see him as he is can't see him as he is and when there is rung out of our hearts and when there is rung out of our hearts sorrow for others sorrow for others then indeed we are becoming then indeed we are becoming little bit like him and he is in us little bit like him and he is in us all things were made by him all things were made by him all things were made through him on all things were made through him on account of him account of him you might really say that at the end of you might really say that at the end of the matter there will only be christ the matter there will only be christ the world will just be the world will just be christ because christ because we shall be in him we shall be in him so we sum it all up so we sum it all up in the lovely words in the lovely words of paul of paul to the philippians to the philippians read in the revised standard version philippians chapter 3 chapter 3 sum it all up sum it all up and leave us ready to and leave us ready to tomorrow to tomorrow to just bring some of the final comfort just bring some of the final comfort that comes from christ that comes from christ as we round off this series as we round off this series philippians philippians chapter 3 chapter 3 verse 7 verse 7 revised standard version revised standard version whatever gain i had i counted as loss whatever gain i had i counted as loss for the sake of christ for the sake of christ indeed i count everything as loss indeed i count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth because of the surpassing worth passes everything passes everything of knowing of knowing remember our talk on hosea remember our talk on hosea of knowing of knowing christ jesus my lord christ jesus my lord for his sake i have suffered the loss of for his sake i have suffered the loss of all things have we all things have we and count them as refuse in order that i and count them as refuse in order that i may gain christ and be found in him not may gain christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own based having a righteousness of my own based on law on law but that which is through faith in but that which is through faith in christ the righteousness from god that christ the righteousness from god that depends on faith depends on faith on our own strength you see on our own strength you see that i may know him that i may know him and the power and the power dynamics dynamics of his resurrection of his resurrection and may and may share his sufferings share his sufferings becoming like him in his death becoming like him in his death that if possible i may attain the that if possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead not that i resurrection from the dead not that i have already obtained this or am already have already obtained this or am already perfect not even poor perfect not even poor but i press on but i press on to make it my own to make it my own because christ jesus because christ jesus has made me has made me his own his own christ jesus christ jesus has made me has made me his own