Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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First of all, we will speak of the one who had no beginning, and that's in John's Gospel chapter 1, John's Gospel chapter 1 and verse one. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of man.
Well, this first carries us back, this first verse to eternity. Our minds can't take any eternity. It's not possible for our minds with their limitations to really take in eternity. So in order to describe it to us, the Spirit of God says in the beginning was just like if you were in a certain place and you wondered when that little town or that area began.
And someone was there.
Who was there when the first building was put up Well, then you'd know that that man was there before anything that had a beginning in that place began. And so this passage here shows us the eternity, the eternal glory of the person of the Lord Jesus the Son, the word of God, so it says in the beginning was think of anything that had a beginning and at that moment he.
Was and it says and the word was with God and the word was God, someone has said in the beginning was the word tells us of the eternity of his person. The word was with God shows us the distinctness of his person and the word was God, the deity of his person. How wonderfully the Spirit of God can bring together just in one short verse, such a wonderful.
Circle of Truth. And oh, how blessed to know that that's the one whom every one of us in this room tonight who know, know him as Savior can say. He's the one who died for me. He's the one who took my place, loved me enough to go to Calvary in order that I might be redeemed.
And then it says the same was in the beginning with God, so that blessed one who came down into this world is a man, is the one who is from all eternity was with God.
The Father had all those counsels and purposes of blessing and the Lord Jesus that blessed 1 He was the one who could say, here am I send me. There was no one else that could fulfill all God's eternal counsels and purposes, only that blessed One. And he was willing to come down. The cost was great. The cost will never be able to measure, but oh how wonderful he came, He came.
To fulfill those counsels in the heart of God, all things were made by Him. Everything that we see around us in the material creation, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. So you know, it's good for us as we look at the creation to think of it as the handiwork of God. As it says in Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament show.
But His handiwork it tells us also in the 8th Psalm, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, tells us in another place He spake, and it was done. So we have this one brought before us, this one who is without beginning, who came down into this world. But let's turn back to Genesis chapter 1. And then we see.
The beginning of the creation as we know it, Genesis chapter 1.
In the beginning God created the heaven or the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Here we have the beginning of all that universe as we know it. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. We might like to know a great deal more about this. There's been a great deal of speculation, as we know in the minds of man, of just how long ago that was and all about it, and all about the different things that are found in God's creation.
But we know that it's very simply stated here in the beginning.
God created the heavens and the earth. Why didn't He tell us more? Well, brethren, it wasn't His purpose just to satisfy our curiosity to tell us all the things that we would like to know. His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Supposing that He told us that the earth was 10 million years old, or that He told us it was 1,000,000 years old or less.
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How would that?
Anymore godly would it help us to know His heart or anything more about Him? So He only tells us what is good and necessary for us to know.
Buddy leaves room for all that men can find out about God's creation, that there was One who made it and made it all and made it perfect too. As we learn from Isaiah chapter 45, God doesn't even tell us what it was that brought in the ruin described between the first and second verse, only to tell us in the second verse that it was in a state that He describes as being without form and void.
And darkness upon the face of the deep. Everything had been spoiled. He doesn't tell us how. Perhaps through the fall of Satan he hasn't been pleased to answer all our questions. But what He tells us in the remaining of the remainder of the chapter is how in 6th day is God made the earth a suitable dwelling place for man, and placed man at the head of His creation?
We learned from the 8th chapter of Proverbs that when all these things were formed, his delights were with the sons of man. He was rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth. Oh, how beautiful this is, to think that God.
Planned all that is in this world in order for the good and for the blessing of his creature. As someone has said, he could have made all our food taste alike. He could have made it so it nourished our body without different tastes. He could have made it all one color. He could have made it so different so that we wouldn't find any pleasure in eating or in the natural joys of life. But he was interested in his creature. Man is so ungrateful to his Creator.
Lord God in those six days made it a beautiful dwelling place for man and placed man at the head of the creation to enjoy it. He intended that the heavens would declare His glory. That's why I believe that He has never allowed man, even with their powerful telescopes, to come to the extent of the creation, because we can never measure His glory.
And saw that the more powerful telescopes only show.
That there's more beyond.
Because we can never measure the glory of God, but He has given us all these things in His Word in order to show us the purpose that He had in connection with all this world, for the good and the blessing of man. And you notice the way He describes it.
He created the heaven or the heavens and the earth. He singled out this planet on which you and I lived to be the platform upon which you would make all His displays of His character. Because, you know, creation doesn't really reveal the character of God. It doesn't measure show us His goodness, but it doesn't show us fully His character as light and love.
For that we must come to know him.
As He has revealed Himself, and He has made Himself known, no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared him. I might look at this piece of furniture here and say, Well, I think that was a good Workman that made it, but I don't know his character by looking at it. He might be a kind man, he might not.
The world and all that we see doesn't really.
They tell us of the character of God, but if I were to meet the man who made this, then I would know his character. And God has been pleased to make his character known to man. God himself became a man in the person of Christ.
But it wasn't until, as we find later on in this opening part of Genesis, how that man spoiled the whole creation, didn't he? Yes. It wasn't long until he chose to go in rebellion against his creator. How sad this is. And yet we all have to acknowledge that that is our natural hearts.
Isaiah 53 says all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. People may boast and say, well I'm not as bad as somebody else, but we all turn our own way. That's the heart of man. When God placed the lower creation, why He gave them instincts, instincts that have remained the same all through the years.
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You we read in the back of our Sunday school paper about the habits of animals and birds and so on Those habits and all have remained constant. If it was written 100 years ago or 200 years ago there wouldn't be any change because they're the lower creation is operating with God-given instincts and so those instincts keep them constant in that which God has ordered for them, but man.
Didn't intend him to be guided by instincts, he intended him to be guided by commands from God that he would obey intelligently in love. And so he gave a very simple command to Adam. He told him not to eat of that tree wasn't good for him. It would bring sorrow into his life. But he thought he knew better than God.
Did you ever ask yourself, why do I disobey the word of God? Well, it's very simple. The same reason that Adam did. You think you're going to get something or we think we're going to get something good by disobeying God. We think that our own wills are a little bit wiser and better than what God said. That's exactly what Adam and Eve thought. And what did they do? We hear people say, well, I'll try anything once. That's all Adam did. That's all Eve did. They tried something once.
Thought it was an act of rebellion against God. You know what sorrow it brought into their lives and into this world?
Oh, it's our wills, brethren, that are the whole problem. But God has given us His precious Word, He has given us direction. And so Adam and Eve, as we know, spoil the creation. But as soon as God, as soon as they had spoiled the creation, then God gave a promise. Because God is never going to be frustrated in His purposes. He intended the blessing of man.
And when he made this world, as I said, his delights were.
Sons of men, was he going to let Adam spoil it totally? Was he going to let the serpent spoil the results of what God had created? It says that the Lord Jesus was manifested that He might undo the works of the devil. He came down into this world in gracious love because He still loved his creature. And oh, we all know that wonderful promise given there in the Garden of Eden.
It says that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head. Yes, God had those purposes. And as time went on, man didn't improve 4000 years of his history with all those displays of God's goodness which he made toward man, what did they do?
When the Lord Jesus came down into this world, they said, this is the air. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. That's the heart of man. And you know that. For it has been said that the strongest condemnation of man in the whole Bible is found. Let's turn to it and.
John, Chapter 15.
And verse 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. Notice not sins, but sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. That's the fallen nature. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.
But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father?
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled, which is, that is written in their law. They hated me without a cause when the Lord Jesus came into this world as we have in the 1St chapter it says.
No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. There was One Who perfectly in everything that He did and said, in the tone of His voice and everything, He perfectly displayed the heart of God His Father. And what did this world decide? He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He cleansed the leper.
When a woman was brought to him taken in sin, He said, neither do I condemn thee. We must be careful. He didn't say He didn't condemn her sins, but He didn't condemn her Father. He came to bear her condemnation. He came to bear and my condemnation too. God doesn't condemn me, but not because he doesn't condemn my sins, but he put my sins upon the head of His own Son.
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And punished him in my place. But he was in this world, as it says. He didn't come to condemn the world. He came to save. And after that pathway of perfect love, that pathway where he was showing grace to the lowest of mankind and showing out the heart of God in all its perfection, what did the world say? Well, if I could put it in these words they said.
If that's what God is like, we don't want it.
Is there anything worse?
When they couldn't deny his works they said that he did them by the power of Satan and at the end of his life they said if that's what God is like, we just don't want him and that's why it says they have no cloak for their sin.
Now there's no clothes. People have reason to dislike me sometimes. I'm not always what I should be, but they have no reason to dislike my Lord. He was perfect in everything. Oh, what a wonderful Savior He is. But that was the heart of man. It was your heart and mine. Brethren, that's what we are by nature. And the Bible shows us that the cross was the end of man's trial. That's why the Lord Jesus said this before He went to the cross.
Now is the.
Judgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out. Now that is a man had been tried in every way, but in this last trial, so to speak, when the Lord Jesus was presented, then man showed not just how bad his actions were but how bad his heart was. He didn't want perfect goodness and So what did the Lord Jesus do? He passed judgment. But then the next verse says and I.
If I be listening.
From the earth will draw all men unto me.
That is.
When the Lord Jesus was rejected, when the world says we have no place from here, and they lifted him up between heaven and earth, He said I'll die there to be a gathering center of blessing for all Jew or Gentile who will come to me. Well, that's the heart of God, brethren. So we see the one who is from eternity. We see the creation of this world. We see them coming down into this world and the attitude of men. So God.
All over again. Let's turn to John. First Epistle of John and the 1St chapter. First Epistle of John in the first chapter.
First verse. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life.
For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear, record and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.
That which we have seen heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things rightly unto you, that your joy may be full. Verse 7.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. Verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Well, as I said, God begins over again now He begins here with his own blessed Son. And so it says that which was from the beginning. That's not talking here about eternity. This is talking about the Lord Jesus humanity, because it says our hands have handled of the word of life. Everything under the first man failed, so God himself became a man.
The first man.
Of the earth, earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven. Weren't there many other men in the meantime? Or thousands, millions of them?
But in God's account there are two There is the first man who brought in all the ruins, and then there's the second man, the Lord from heaven. And John is talking about that blessed one, that one who is the beginning of new creation. That's the meaning of that expression, the beginning of the creation of God.
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First creation was spoiled, so God begins all over again, and there's a new creation. In the beginning of that new creation is his own beloved Son, the One who was.
From all eternity. But who is the beginning now of new creation? And we think of how John knew that one is a man down here. He laid on his bosom. He knew that one as he walked through this world. And he said the life was manifested, and we have seen it. His eyes had looked upon that Blessed 1. He had seen him. He had touched him.
After his resurrection, His disciples ate and drank with him. Brethren, the head of new creation is a real man. He's God and man in one person.
And so it tells us here in this third verse, he's saying this, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
What word fellowship means common thoughts? You know God wants us to share His thoughts. He wants us, brethren, to have common thoughts with him. I don't think there's anything more wonderful. If I was to share the thoughts of the president of this land, I would think that he must consider me quite an important person, that he would make known all his plans to a person like me.
But is far more wonderful a place that you and I are brought into.
God has made known all his counsels and purposes to us. He hasn't just called us, He said. I haven't called you servants, I've called you friends. For all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
1 is often said, the Christian is the only person who has an intelligent outlook on what's going on in the world. And why? Because we're wiser by nature than other people? No, but because the one who moves all the things in this world has told us what he's doing.
He hasn't told us every detail, but He's told us all what He is going to do, the purposes and counsels in regard to the nations. And as we see them moving into their God-given places and we see events shaping up for the return of our blessed Savior, we don't look about on out in 1987. If we're left here with uncertainty, we know who controls it all. We've been brought into His secret.
Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
There's a little hymn says even when we get to glory, there are no stranger. God shall meet thee. God will not be a stranger to us. As another little hymn says, our God whom we have known, well known in Jesus love, rest in the blessing of his own before himself above. So he's made himself known. And so we have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Now under the devil. So busy.
To try and get us occupied with all that's going on in the world, get us upset with world events, get us upset with all the things that come up in our personal lives. Because if you can only distract us from all that we have in Christ and God's eternal purposes in which we're going to share why He's robbed us of what the next verse says that your joy may be full.
God wants us to be happy Christians. Who you say, even in the midst of sorrow.
Well, Paul said as sorrowful yet alway rejoicing. It's not wrong to feel things. Jesus felt them. He wept. He wept over Jerusalem as he saw the condition that was there. And it's not wrong for us to feel those things. But we have a joy that the world doesn't know anything about, a joy the world can't give and the world can't take.
Because we know those councils and purposes and they're absolutely sure.
They're going to be accomplished that your joy might be full.
Well, as I say, we have the one who's without a beginning. We have the beginning of creation there in Genesis 1. And now we have this one who came into this world, who went into death and rose again. And now he takes his place at the head of new creation, and it tells us here.
In this seventh verse that we're fitted for the light of His presence.
And the cost was the precious blood of Christ.
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This I might say that this expression, if is not the thought of uncertainty as regards the believer. It's the contrast with the unbeliever. The unbeliever walks in darkness. He is darkness.
When he says if we walk in the light, he's not saying some Christians walk in the light and some don't. He's saying that sinners walk in darkness and believers walk in the light.
Someone said to Mr. Darby, But what if a Christian turns his back on the lake? Well, he said, the light will shine on his back.
We're in the light, brethren, we're there and we're fitted for it. It's a sad thing for us when we turn our back on it, but there we are and fitted for it. Nothing can change our standing. It's in Christ, and so that's where the believer walks. It should certainly make us conscious of whose presence we're in, and that's why it says if we walk in the light is Eve in the light? We have fellowship one with another.
That is, if you meet another Christian who is.
Enjoy the light of God's presence. Why you share common thoughts about the Lord Jesus. But that's where we're brought, and what fit it is for the light. Some actions of our own, something that we did because we belong to a certain group. No, the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
I believe it's in Colossians. It says that we're children of light and then we're told.
To walk as children ablaze. We don't always walk as children of light, even though we have been brought into the light and fitted for the light through the blood. All that I might say, and you might say, all that I fail. Isn't it lovely that God then shows us that He has made provision for our failure as believers? And so in that ninth verse he says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us.
Sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That ninth verse is not properly talking about an unbeliever, it's talking about a believer.
Because an unbeliever has he needs to come before God and acknowledge his total ruin. It's not a question for an unbeliever confessing his sins. That's his whole life before he's saved. They are in the flesh. Cannot please God. If an unbeliever confessed his sins, all he could say to God is, well, I never did anything but what was bad and here I am.
A bankrupt Sinner like that man who wouldn't so much as lift up his eyes.
Mowed on his breast, he didn't try to remember all the bad things that would be his lifetime history, and all he said was God be merciful to me, a Sinner.
The ones we have been brought in to the light and quitted for the light. Then, as I say, God has made provision for our failure. Someone has said a pig lives in the mud. A sheep might fall into the mud, but that's not its character. And you and I are no longer pigs. We're no longer sows that have been just outwardly washed. We have a new light.
Where his sheep, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
So here we have, perhaps I might say, the beginning of Christianity through the person of the Lord Jesus. He is the Head, as we sang in our opening hymn with Christ, our theme begins, the Lord of truth and love. And so we begin with Him. He's our salvation. He's our strength. He's our gathering center. He's everything.
Let's not forget our presence we sometimes.
Imprison them. You hear the expression, well now you're saved. Go to the Church of your choice. To me it's like saying, well, you're saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, but now you just have to choose what name you would like the best. But God has chosen the name he's given that blessed Savior, a name which is above every name. And he says were two or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them. He didn't leave it to us.
To make a choice about whether we wanted Christ as our Savior. He wrought in our hearts and drew us to Himself by cords of love. And I believe if we're submissive to His will, He'll draw us to Christ. He's the true gathering center.
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So then he's the he's the beginning, as I say, of new creation. Let's turn to Luke, chapter 15.
In Luke chapter 15.
Verse 18 will begin.
I will arise and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.
And I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hit her the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
Perhaps we could look at this as the beginning of blessing for our souls. We know that Christianity begins with a person who has fitted us for His presence. But we were just like this prodigal. We were far from him. We wandered into the far country. We were away from God. But God brought in our hearts, just like I believe God worked in the heart of this boy.
And caused him to come.
To himself, to realize his true condition, to realize that what he had done for he had taken from the father his living. Sometimes I think those two boys just pictured to us the Jew and Gentile who've taken over this world.
God wanted man to enjoy what he had given to him, but man decided that he would enjoy what God gave, but independent and independent.
Of His creator so this boy goes as far as he can away from his father, but his father wants him back and so he allows a famine to come in that land where he is. And some of us can look back and perhaps think God a lot of problem to come into our lives like a young man that I remember meeting down in Kentucky many years ago.
And there he was sitting in a wheelchair with a broken back, and he said to me.
God had to break my back to save my soul. God did that in order to bring him to himself. God allowed a famine in this boy's life to bring him back.
Zoe comes back. How did his father receive him?
Oh, we know the story so well. The father saw him afar off.
And ran. There's only one thing God's in a hurry to do, and that's to bless. Never in a hurry to judge. Judgment is a strange work.
When Isaiah talks about finding himself guilty in the presence of God, it says, Then flew under the seraphim with a live coal from off the altar, saying, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. God's in a hurry to bless. Did any Sinner in this room that's not saved in the last day of 1986? God's in a hurry to bless you. He wants to bless you.
Will the father ran?
Fell on his neck. He didn't ask him to 1St change his clothes. God loves us when he couldn't like us. He loves us when we're in our sins. And so he fell on his neck and kissed him. Now the boy comes forth with his confession. As I said, he doesn't enumerate everything. He couldn't probably remember all the things that he had done in the far country, but he just said, Father, I've sinned against heaven and before thee.
And I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. A real recognition of his true condition in the eyes of his father. Well, as we know the story well, his Father didn't let him finish what he had planned to say. He had planned to say, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. And he had a little addition there.
Make me as one of thy hired servants.
But his father interrupted him. He didn't want him to say that because he had no such plan, that he was going to make him his servant. He was going to receive him as a lost son. And you know, we have the privilege of serving, but God doesn't look upon us as servants, but as children.
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Some of the best service that I've ever had is from my children. They didn't serve me as servants. They served me as children. And that's what God wants. He wants us to do things out of love, but He doesn't receive us back. I saw a person who had a button on save to serve. I thought, oh, I'm glad the Lord didn't just save me to serve. He saved me because He won my company. He saved me because He loved me and that He could share.
All the result of the toil and.
Victory of Calvary, but it's our privilege to serve him, but not as servants, but as sons.
So as soon as he had said this, the father interrupted him, and said unto the servants.
Bring forth the best rub and put it on him. Well, we know what this is.
Brethren are not just forgiven, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. You and I have been brought into a position of favor and acceptance before God, far better than Adam ever had before he fell. Some people think when you're saved you're put into the position of unfallen Adam to start all over again. They say justification means just as if I'd never sinned, and they come to the position of unfallen Adam.
Well, I'm sorry for them when they have that outlook because God gave me a better position than that. He made me the righteousness of God in Christ, something far better than unfallen Adam, Addison. Adam had an innocent nature, but we have a holy nature, a nature that can't sin, the same life that we're going to have in heaven.
The best role?
As Paul said, I'm not having mine own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God through faith. So he said, bring forth the best robe and put it on him, put a ring in his hand, endless love shoes on his feet, brought into the dignity and relationship of being sons and.
Brain head of the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. God wants us to find delight in the same thing that He finds delight in. His delight is in His Son. His delight is in the work that his Son has accomplished for His glory and for your blessing and mine. And He wants us to share that. He wants us, I say, to enjoy the things that He enjoys.
If we have someone we love, we like them to enjoy the things we enjoy.
If there's something that you enjoy, it's a pleasure to share it with somebody else that you love. And you say I've really enjoyed this and I'd like you to enjoy it with me. And God is finding His delight in His Son and He wants us to enjoy the things that He enjoys.
And that's what he was saying, Let us eat and be merry. And then he says.
For this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and he's found. And they began to be merry. It's often commented. Never says it ended. They began to be married.
But we've been talking about different beginnings. This is the beginning in our, shall I say, our history in the family of God.
And God received you or me in all our sins and all our guilt. Then we could enter into and enjoy these things. And so it says, not just the Father, but they began to be merry.
We have a little hymn that says He and I, in that great glory 1 deep joy shall share.
Mine to be forever with him, his that I am there. It's going to be a shared joy in that coming day and so.
It says they began to be merry. Well, this is a beginning, and I trust everyone in this room has had that beginning. That is, that you have come to the Lord Jesus as a prodigal, as a guilty one, having no righteousness of your own, having found yourself as one who had sinned against heaven and before God. And now.
Comes back.
And so this is the way he's received. This is the way God receives sinners. This man receive us sinners and eateth with them. Oh, how beautiful, this story of grace. And we love to retrace that. We're not going to forget it, brethren, for all eternity in heaven. The opening song, first song recorded of heaven, and I believe the eternal song is.
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Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain and hast redeemed.
God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. So now we have the boy beginning in his life. That's why it says in 2nd Corinthians 5, any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. For I believe the other translation is if any man be in Christ, there is a new creation. There is a new creation. The Lord Jesus is the beginning. He's the first born among many brethren.
You and I, we share in this new creation of blessing.
You know, let's turn over to Second Chronicles chapter 29.
I'd like to notice another little beginning here.
Perhaps it could begin from the 24th verse. And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar to make an atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
And he set the Levites in the House of the Lord with symbols, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king Seer. And Nathan the prophet for soul was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets, particularly this 27th verse. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar.
And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets and with the instruments ordained by David, King of Israel.
And all the congregation worshipped in the singer sang, and the trumpeter sounded. And all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. When they had made an end of offering, the King and all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
We know this is a Jewish scene because God gave much in the Old Testament that was only a type and a shadow of better things.
But I believe it's a very beautiful picture for us of true worship. And you know, when we have been brought to know the Lord Jesus, when we like the prodigal have been, have returned and have the best robe and have the ring and the shoes, what is the result? Worship.
So here we find that.
They're gathered here, back to Jerusalem, to God center.
And now everything is set in order according to what God had planned in Israel.
And it tells us here about the blood, because that's the ground of all blessing. But now coming to this 27th verse.
And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also.
I just wanted to call attention to this beautiful thing that is brought before us here about when the burnt offering began, the Psalm of the Lord began.
I think we're all aware that there were five different offerings in the first part of Leviticus. There was the burnt offering, there was the meat offering, there was the peace offering, the sin offering and the trespass offering. There were five different offerings, the first one being the burnt offering, and that is always what comes first in worship.
I can remember when I was younger hearing people say in the meetings we worship in the burnt offering character especially, and I have to confess I didn't understand what was meant because I expect I didn't. Perhaps there's some here that don't just understand what that expression means.
When it's when that person said we worship in the burnt offering character. But perhaps I could use an illustration.
And maybe this might help to.
Help us understand what the burnt offering really pictures.
Sometimes we don't go much farther than the thought of the sin offering because the sin offering and the trespass offering have to do with meeting our need as sinners. The burnt offering has to do with God being glorified in the work.
And let's put it this way. Supposing I have a great debt and I'm not able to pay the debt, and a friend of mine comes along and says, Gordon, I know you're in debt and I know you can't pay those debts, just give me the bills and I'll pay them for you.
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This friend of mine takes the bills and he pays them, comes back, and they're all marked paid in full. It's a grand feeling to know I'm out of debt. It's a grand feeling to know that this whole thing has been settled and the Lord Jesus made a payment in all the debt of our sins was fully met at Calvary. But perhaps to use an illustration, I could put it another way.
Let me suppose that my creditor.
Looked on his books and saw this great debt and he said to his son, I love Gordon Hayhoe.
Would you be willing to sell your house so we can raise the money? And if you'll do that, we'll be able to take this debt off our books. And I'll send a receipt to him and I'll mark on the receipt paid in full through the kindness of my son.
So one day to my amazement I get this receipt in the mail and it says paid in full through the kindness of thy son.
Oh, it is not a different thing than just knowing that my creditors satisfied.
Oh, I say, I know he was satisfied when the friend was willing to pay it, but to think that he loved me enough to do that and that he had a son who was willing to do that, to show out his heart toward me?
Wouldn't I feel altogether differently toward my creditor? Before, I was afraid to meet him on the street. Now he's my best friend. I just love to go up to him. Now let's carry the illustration a little farther. Supposing when I go to him, I say, oh, I don't know what a grand feeling it is to be out of debt. It's just so wonderful to be out of debt. But I don't talk about what his son did in pain. My dad, it's just.
My feeling being out of debt.
Or supposedly I go to him and I say, oh, I want to tell you what I think of your son.
I think he's a wonderful boy and I just think of your love and asking him to do that and that he was willing to do it. I just want to thank you and thank you again. It was you that was the one who asked your Son to do this and He was willing to do it. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Brethren, I don't believe we'll ever worship like we should.
Until we come to understand and enter into the blessedness of the burden offering.
When the burn offering began, the saying of the song of the Lord began.
And you know, sometimes we're so selfish that all we're thinking about is that our sins are gone. But God likes to hear us speak well of His Son. I'm sure that man would like to have me speak well of His Son. And God delights to have us enter into his thoughts and His love that were displayed. And so here, when the burnt offering began, that's when the song of the Lord began.
And I think if you and I sit in the presence of the Lord on Lord's Day morning, and we realize that we're sitting in the presence of God who loved us enough to send his Son to die for us, and that Son has told out the heart of God that God is looking down. Like the little hymn says the Father's face, a radiant grace shines now.
In light on me, I don't think it's possible to sift.
In his presence on Lord's Day morning and not have a song of the Lord in our hearts.
It's, well, it's what He means to the heart of God. God delights to have us. Oh, I'm sure He likes me to know that I'm out of debt. He wants me to know that, all right. But He wants me to know His heart too. He wants me to think as much of His Son as He does. And so God would have us to enter into His thoughts concerning His beloved Son so we can see here.
The congregation worship. A singer sang, the trumpeters sang, the sounded.
And all is continued until a burnt offering was finished. It will never be finished. It's finished in the sense that the work of atonement has been accomplished, but the joy of the results of it will never end.
Little song says on earth, the song begins in heaven, more sweet and loud to him that cleanse our sins by his atoning blood. So all this one went on, and they bowed themselves, and they continued in worship. This was a wonderful time. Well, brethren, you and I are like prodigals who have wandered away. As the little hymn says, once his prodigals we wandered in our folly far from thee.
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But he's brought us now into this place where we know his heart.
We know the sacrifice of His Son and God delights to have us enjoy this, and He wants it to result in worship in our hearts. That's why it says none shall appear before me empty. You can imagine me going to this person whose son had paid my debt and just standing there and not saying a word.
It's a how ungrateful, how ungrateful. Lord, the Lord delights to have our feeble notes of praise. Let me hear thy voice, Let me see thy face, for Thy voice is sweet, and Thy countenance is comely. Let's just turn to Ezra, chapter 5.
Little passage here I just like to call attention to.
That's the next book right after Chronicles.
Ezra, Chapter 5.
First one.
Then the prophets Haggai.
At the prophet and Zechariah, the son of idol, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of God, the God of Israel, even unto them.
Then rose up to Rubibola son of Shealdiel, and Joshua the son of Jozadek, and began to build the House of the Lord, a House of God, which is at Jerusalem. And with them were the prophets of God helping them.
Well, I believe this brings before us another little beginning. It brings before us a little remnant.
It isn't like the days of Hezekiah there when there was such a vast number, so many there together and all rejoicing together and entering into that worship and praise. And we might look back to brighter days in the church's history. We can think of a time when there was much deeper stir in the hearts of God's people of the past. Are we to get discouraged, brethren, because we're living in 1986?
In perhaps 1987, are we?
Well, here God speaks about another beginning. This little remnant had been in Babylon, and God had brought them back to Jerusalem.
They might have looked back onto the brighter days of the past, but we see them here.
Shall I say, putting their efforts to build again, they began to build the House of God which is at Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them. Well, you know, we might become discouraged as we see the weakness.
We see the enemies of Israel were saying why it's nothing.
What do these feeble Jews? And you know there is a reproach in being gathered to a rejected Christ. But was it worth this effort? Did God value the effort of these dear ones?
In this day of weakness, we're seeking to build a house.
Some of the older ones looked on and they said, is there anybody here that saw the house in its former glory? How do you see it now?
Now, I say a little word to those who are older. I'm one of them myself. But may I say a little word? You know, we who are older tend to make comparisons of the past. Our young people can't. They didn't see the past. All they know is the present. And so when they laid the foundation of this house, there were the ancient men. And they said this house doesn't look like anything in comparison to what it was in the past.
But the younger ones hadn't seen it in the past, and they were just rejoicing to see a feeble effort to rebuild the House of God. And so it tells us, some were weeping and some were shouting.
Understand, Mr. Darby made the comment. God understands both.
And so isn't it lovely? Sometimes we who are older tend to think of what was in the past and we get discouraged because we see weakness. But let's be thankful for every effort put forth, even in our day, to go on with the truth of God, to walk. Isn't this lovely? They're all working together, the prophets of God. And if you're to read in the book.
The Book of Zechariah and Haggai, you'd find that.
They were all working there, old and young, trying to rebuild this house. Well, may the Lord give us grace to seek to go on. There's a kind of a second beginning here. What began when?
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You might say in the days of Israel's glory, but now here we see a state of weakness, a little remnant, but there's another beginning, a restoration perhaps we could call it. And they're working together. Well, may the Lord give us grace. Brethren, we are in the last days. There is weakness. We can't help but feel it, but.
Isn't it lovely that we can go on and in this beginning value those precious things that God has given to us in His Word, and not give up, but seek in our weakness?
Well, just let's turn over to Second Timothy chapter 3 and we'll see a similar thing in the churches history.
Second Timothy, chapter 3.
Verse 13.
But evil men and seducers shall act worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God in his profitable.
For doctrine. For reproof. For correction. For instruction, Instruction.
In righteousness.
And the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Perhaps some of us remember the character of Second Timothy. The house had become a great house. There were vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor. All those in Asia had turned away from Paul. What is Paul saying to Timothy? Has no use. There's no such thing as a collective testimony anymore. Is that what he's saying? No, he says, Timothy, Continue thou in the things which thou hast heard.
Many in this room, young people.
Boys and girls brought up in a Christian home, we've heard the truth from our childhood. Are we going to give it up because evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse? Are we going to say it's no use because there's such weakness? Well, I think it's lovely to hear Paul saying that, Timothy continued. In the things which thou hast heard he might have said. But Paul, look, all the people that have been turned aside and they've left, Look at the darkness of the day.
God still have a collective testimony continue that.
The Word of God is our guide, and it's our guide through the whole Christian dispensation. We can be absolutely sure of this, that God will, in His faithfulness, preserve a testimony. Hey people.
May you help us to value the deposit of truth committed to us. Continue Thou in the things that thou hast heard. As I said, we're about to begin another year and we see young people getting discouraged, perhaps older ones too, but young people especially. We find them getting discouraged. But let us remember that there is a path marked out for faith. That's going to be so until the end. May the Lord help us to continue.
Just one more.
Verse before we close in 2nd Corinthians 5.
Verse 14 Come.
For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all. That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Here we find henceforth we've been talking about beginnings of different kinds as they're brought before us in the Scripture. But now perhaps we're taking a little look forward. Now it says henceforth.
How much longer do we have? Well, none of us know. We believe the Lords coming is getting near.
All we have is the henceforth, whether it's short or long. We do have a henceforth, even if it's only a few hours, even if it's only a few days, if the Lord in His patience waits longer still. May it be our desire, brethren, that we would henceforth live unto Him. What will constrain us to do this?
Because we think we can work a revival. No, that's not what it says.
The love of Christ constraineth us. That's the only thing that will keep you and I going in these last days.
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We are seeing things going to pieces everywhere, but the love of Christ remains the same, a constant and everlasting love right to the end. And it says this is what constrains us.