Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I had it on my heart there, young people, this afternoon to speak about devotedness and obedience. I believe it's very important that those two things should be combined if we are to go on for the Lord in these last days. I think it has been brought before us very specially in the meeting this morning. Devoted us to the Lord, giving Him His rightful place, and then obedience to His precious word.
And with the Lord's help, I'd.
To look at some scriptures that have to do with this subject, first of all I'd like to turn to four different scriptures in Second Corinthians chapter 5, Second Corinthians chapter 5, and the 14th verse. For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves.
But unto him which died for them, and rose again, Then would you turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 5, and verse one. Be ye therefore followers of God, or the new translation reads imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us.
An offering.
And a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.
And then in.
Timothy, Second Timothy, chapter 3. Second Timothy, chapter 3 and verse 13. But evil men and seducers shall wax 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, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works.
And then in the Epistle of Jude, the Epistle of Jude.
And verse 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints. Well, in these Scriptures you notice how we have brought before us devotedness, that is, the love of Christ constraining us and walking in love. And then.
We have also the importance of the word of God and of going on in that which God has marked out in his word and have earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints. As I say, I believe it's so important in these days and that these two things should be combined. We find a great deal about us have devotedness. We spoke a little bit about it this morning. We can see with many dear Christians who are not.
Talking in the full revelation that God has given of his truth and devoted in us an energy that really puts us to shame. There is a real energy and love for souls, a desire to be an encouragement to other Christians, and that which we can see is most encouraging. But then very often, as we become a little better acquainted, we find.
That they are not walking in the truth. There is energy, there is devoted.
Goodness, but there is not that carefulness to walk according to the truth of God's Word, as we had brought before us this morning. But then is there not a danger for us who know a great deal of God's truth, who have been taught the truth of God as in His Word, that there should be with us a lack of devotedness and lack of energy?
And love for souls, love for the people of God.
And reaching out, that would be a real testimony in these last and closing days of the church's history. And how often we find that it's because we have gone from one extreme to the other that we have really missed the path that God has marked out in His Word. And that is, there can be that devotedness which would overlook obedience.
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Or there can be that care to stick to the word of God?
And yet a lack of affection and love that would seek sinners, and that would seek the blessing of the people of God. But it's wonderful to see how all this was perfectly combined in the Lord Jesus. He would never do one thing that was not according to the word of God his Father. He said, man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Shall man live not is his whole pathway, as he says in another place? I do always those things that please the Father.
He could say to the good pleasure of Thy will, O God, is my delight. So that there was in the pathway of the Lord Jesus that full that perfect obedience to His Father. But surely He never lacked in devotedness to the will of His Father. All we find him as we trace His pathway of love, how He was unwearied in reaching out to the needs of sinners.
How he would preach to them and perhaps not be invited to anyone's place. He would sleep in the Mount of Olives, but the next day found him again in that, telling out the words that his father had given him to speak. We find how he never wearied in that path. When the disciples misunderstood and were quarrelling one with another. Who should be the greatest? All the love that shone out when?
Said he, Are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed me, just on the eve of the night. That they were all going to forsake Him and flee, It tells us, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. He was truly the fine flower. For I might say that in the meat offering or the meal offering, the Lord has spoken.
The fine flour. And that means that every virtue in the Lord Jesus was equally perfect. Quite often with us there is some virtue perhaps that is more outstanding than another. And so you'll hear it said, well, that's a very faithful brother, that's a very devoted brother, that's a very kind brother. But with the Lord Jesus everything was in perfection.
If devotedness was needed.
Who was so devoted to the will of his Father, untiring in his service to mankind and to His Father? And yet when faithfulness was required all, how he could say to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. When he saw those who would hinder the blessing, he could look round about upon them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their hearts.
Yes, if faithfulness was needed, he was faithful. But if.
If love was to be shown, He was perfect in that too. Oh, isn't it lovely to see this? And I believe, dear young people, that this is what we need in these last days. I believe that there is a great tendency with us to lose the enjoyment of the precious truth of God and to lack in devotedness to the Lord.
And with the Lord's help, I'd like to just speak a little bit about these the afternoon as I remember.
First of all, in Second Corinthians 5, we see that it tells us the love of Christ constraineth us. Now that is, what is it that causes this devotedness in our lives? Oh, if it's going to be real, it flows from a response in our hearts to that love that has been shown to us. Oh, how marvelous the love that has been shown and as many of us look back on our lives.
How the Lord?
Lord has borne with us how He has continued to display His love to us even when we have failed, even when we have wandered away from Him. What has touched our hearts? His, as the little hymn says, And yet to find Thee still the same. Tis this that humbles us with shame. And I want to say to each dear young person this afternoon.
It's my desire, first of all, that your heart would be concerned.
By the love of Christ, and that your heart would burn again as you think of how much He loved you. When we think of what we deserved. And to think that He came down here, and that He went to Calvary's cross and took our place and bore the judgment so that we might be so supremely blessed. Oh, doesn't it create a thrill or response in your heart and mind?
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I've often commented about that verse.
It doesn't say the love of Christ ought to constrain us. It says the love of Christ constraineth us because it's a, it's a statement of what the love of Christ does. Let me illustrate it like this. If I had a magnet and I had some nails here, I don't say that magnet should pick up the nails. I said this magnet will pick up nails. It's what it does.
And so why would those nails remain unmoved on the table when there's?
There's a magnet nearby, or just because the magnet wasn't close enough to create a response. And sometimes you and I have got away from the Lord and we don't feel that response. But there's love in His heart that is sufficient to draw every heart in this room to Himself.
His love to sinners that led him to go to Calvary and his love to his own. I have been so struck of late by those 3 words unto the end. He loved his own to the end. Because in these Laodicean days as we were reminded how easy it is for our affections to grow cold, but the Lord's love is to the end. I've enjoyed how when the Lord spoke in those letters to the churches too.
In the first one what he felt grieved about was Thou hast left thy first love. But in the last one he mentions his love to them. Isn't that remarkable? His love to them mentioned and only mentioned in the letter to Laodicea? Surely when there was such coldness and indifference, why should he speak of his love? All he says, As many as I love, I rebuke and.
Some He hadn't left His first love never does never. Well, may that love stir your heart and mine. It constrains us and what to do. And we should not live unto ourselves, but unto Him. How lovely doesn't say in that verse at all about what we should do, but just that we wouldn't live to ourselves, but unto Him.
That is, you say, where are those nails going to go? I say, well, wherever the magical magnet.
Them, they'll go because they're attracted to the magnet. And so it is, if you and I feel the constraint of the love of Christ wherever He wants us to go now, that's where we'll want to go too, because His love constrains us that we should live unto Him.
And then the verse that we read in Ephesians there speaks about being imitators of God as dear children, and it says walk in love. How much we need this, how much we need it individually in our dealings with one another, how much we need it In a world like this. We can get so occupied with the evil brethren that our affections don't flow out to sinners in their sins.
And isn't it remarkable in the gospel?
Who find the Lord Jesus and his affection flowing out to the vilest of sinners as he met them in their need. It may be that faithfulness is required, and it is required in the things of God, for God never lowers the standard of holiness. But we find that they condemn the Lord Jesus on this count. They said this man.
Receive us sinners, and eateth with them.
Does your heart and mind just say, well it's no use, they're so far sunk in sin that there's no use all then we aren't walking in love as the Lord Jesus went through this world all how that love reached out. He looked down upon the crowd that had shouted away with him, crucify him and he said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
And then too, as I said toward his own, he loved them, and in spite of all their failure, that love was unchanged. Brethren, isn't this what we need? Isn't there a need of more of that love that would seek the good and blessing of sinners and that would seek the good and blessing of one another? Oh, how many a heart would be touched by love that was shown if love was shown in the path of obedience. And I believe that we often lack in.
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Yes, we we have a tendency perhaps to speak of these things, but how often we fail to have that love that would perhaps bridge the gap and reach someone, perhaps a wayward Christian, who has got away. Well may the Lord give us to know what it is to walk in love, and what kind of love has Christ also hath loved us?
How did he love us when there was nothing in us to like at all when we didn't?
Respond to his claims.
All how I'm sure that there's going to be many young people who are going to look back in their lives and say, well, it was the kind word that that brother said or that sister said that was the turning point in my life. And we've often failed to speak that kind word. We've often failed to walk in love. And dear young people, you can do this too with one another. You can do it. I can look back and I can think of young.
People that had a tremendous influence in my young life, things that they said to me and things that they encouraged me, perhaps even meant more to me than ones that were older.
Yes, there's a little work for you to do, walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and offered himself a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. May there be that walking in love.
What is this ever to be at the expense of truth? Are we to say, well, I love that person, and I just can't be faithful with him? No. When Paul writes to Timothy now, he has to remind him that in an evil day, when evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse, that he is not to go along with them. And dear young people, is there not a tendency in this day?
As there is a lowering standard of what is right and wrong, a lowering standard of morals, things seem to be breaking down. Is there not a tendency that we should sort of go along with public opinion instead of following the word of God?
Well, Paul told Timothy that he could expect things not to improve, but to get worse. But he said, Continue thou in the things which thou hast heard, and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And he said, You were a child, you have grown up, and things were worse than when you were a child.
But he said God's word hasn't changed. God's word hasn't changed.
Change, he said. Continue thou and the things which thou hast heard.
And I beseech of you, dear young people, in these days of lowering standards, to remember that God has given us His Word, that we have learned certain things from his Word, and God would have us to continue in those things. And that the Word of God is profitable for instruction, for reproof, for all that we need, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto.
All good works. There isn't a bit of instruction that you or I need for our life. There isn't a bit of, shall I say, standards that we need that we won't find an answer for in the word of God. It's all there. And if we're acquainted with this, we just don't need to say, well, everybody's doing it. No, we may have to stand alone.
Sometimes, but nevertheless, isn't it well worthwhile?
To please our blessed Savior. Well, Timothy was encouraged about this. And that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. And then the last passage that we read in Jude, it speaks about earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints. You'll notice here that when Jude was going to write this epistle, he wanted to.
Write about the common salvation. It's to me quite striking here that this comment he gave, it says he, He gave all diligence to write unto them of the common salvation. Now, that is, He would much preferred to have talked to them about those things that would be accepted that would not be in the way of a rebuke.
But the Lord said, no, Jude, I am going to give you the words to speak. And what I want you to do is to earnest to to exhort them, to earnestly contend for the faith which is once delivered to the Saints. It's very easy often to pass over things, to be indifferent to the Lord and to His claims and to what His word says in order to just talk about the things that we have in common.
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But there was a little more than this. It tells us here that.
He exhorts them that they would earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints. That is, if God's moral standards haven't changed, neither has the truth, which is the foundation of our faith, changed. And it's most important, dear young people, in these days, that we are firm for the precious truth of God.
I must say that it does amaze me as I have had occasions to.
Read books that are written by some who are not gathered to the Lord's name, to find how little by little things creep in which lead to the giving up of the truth of God. It has thoroughly amazed me to find in these last days how many there are who we profess to be sound in fundamental truth, who believe that our precious Lord Jesus Christ could have sinned.
Yes, men who are.
Looked up to as religious leaders and who are well known, whose names are well known and the evangelical world. And yet they have given up this truth. And yet if you said to somebody, well, I couldn't go along with that person, they would say, but he is doing a great work. Well, remember what I said at the beginning.
Devotedness is very blessed, but devotedness must be characterized by obedience.
To be pleasing to God. It's true that as gathered to the Lord's name, there tends to be, and I hang my own head in shame and own my part in it. A lack of devotedness to the Lord, a lack of real affection for Him, An outgoing and seeking the blessing of others. But I do say how that its most precious and that we should.
Hold to the precious deposit of truth that has been committed to us.
And not give it up in these last days. And so Jude was told and instructed by the Spirit of God that he was to exhort the Saints to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints. Everywhere around us we see calls to activity where you can be associated with all kinds of groups which are mixtures of truth and error.
And you say, aren't they doing a good work? Yes, many of them. God has been pleased to use them and the salvation of souls. But we have to remember this, that very often those men who were much used of God were also associated with things that were not according to the word of God, and God would have us.
To value obedience, first of all, God is sovereign and He may use.
Whomsoever he will, I have no doubt that God used Martin Luther. I have no doubt that God used John Calvin. I have no doubt he used many of these men. But there are systems that are called by their names, and I believe if we examine them in the light of Scripture, we would find many things that are not according to the word of God. Was their devotedness? Yes, devotedness that would put us to shame. But there needs to be devotedness.
And obedience. God would have the two to be brought together in our lives.
I'd like to look at a few instances if you'd turn back with me to Judges. Judges Chapter 6.
In verse 12.
And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him.
And said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, O my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And whereby all his miracles, which our fathers told us of saying, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
And the Lord looked upon him and said.
Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least of my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one.
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One man.
Here was a day of declension in Israel's history.
We find a sad declension from that energy that we were speaking a little bit about this morning. They crossed the Jordan, they entered the promised land. They went out, and God used them to subdue their enemies and gave them possession of the land. But they had neglected the Lord and His interest. Departure had come in.
The Angel of the Lord had left Gilgal and gone down to Boca Raton.
And I might say that Gilgal was the place of self judgment. It was the place where circumcision took place. And bulk him means weeping. And it's just this, I believe that if we don't practice self judgment in our lives that we'll end up at Bochim. There will be weeping, there will be sorrow because if we have neglected that.
Bringing the Word of God to bear upon our lives.
Now there will be weeping, there will be sorrow, but isn't it nice? The Angel of the Lord went down to bulk him. He met them in their tears. And if there's anyone here and you say, well I've got away from the Lord, I want to tell you that he'll meet you right where you are. He wants to bless you. He went down there. Well, departure came in and they went on. If you read in the beginning of this chapter, 7 years, they were in the under the hand of Midian about the Lord.
Lord raised up this young man, Gideon, and he didn't figure that he was very much. He said his family was poor in Manasseh, and he was the least of his father's house. There might be someone here and you might say, well, I don't think I could do anything. I don't think I'm very much use. Well, that's the way Gideon felt, but it tells us that he was thrashing wheat by the winepress. Now that is, it shows us that he he valued.
His portion and was feeding upon it, and the result was that he was in a fit state that the Lord could use him.
It looked absolutely hopeless. They were all under the hand of Midian. There didn't seem to be too much desire to get out, shall I say, and fight and seek to be faithful. But the Lord came and spoke to Gideon and tells us that Gideon was concerned. He asked why they didn't see the miracles that they had seen in times gone by.
And perhaps.
You look around in the little meeting and you say there's nothing doing. They talk about things that happened in the past, but there's certainly not much going on now. We don't seem to see very much blessing. This is just exactly the way Gideon felt. And he was so cast down and discouraged. And he says, why is all this? And the Lord said, Gideon, I'm going to use you.
I'm going to use you, Gideon. Well, isn't this beautiful to say?
Now when Gideon was willing to be used, how the Lord used him, and he didn't have to have a big crowd, first of all, we find him bringing his offering. And we had this morning about the importance of giving the Lord Jesus His rightful place. Are you and I giving the Lord His rightful place when we get along with him? Do we really seek to give Him His rightful place in our lives? Is it our desire all?
Surely done everything to win first place. He's worthy of it, brethren. Are we seeking to give him that place? Well, Gideon brought his sacrifice. Then the Lord said Gideon, there's something else. There's an altar that has to be thrown down.
Are you going to throw down that altar? Oh, my father wouldn't like it if I did that. My father would be very much opposed to me throwing down the altar. But he did get the courage and he threw down the altar and he built an altar for the Lord in the appointed place.
And then he found his faith was pretty weak and he said, if the Lord will deliver Israel by my hand. And isn't it Saul that very often? And I might hear some young person say, well, I've tried, but all when the time comes, I just feel that I can't do anything. That's just the way Gideon felt. And he said, Lord, if if you're going to deliver Israel by my hand, you'll have to give me some signs.
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So the Lord gave him 2 signs.
And so he started out with 32,000, and then the Lord reduced his army to 22,000 to 10,000, and then he reduced it again to 300.
As though the Lord were saying, Gideon, you have to learn to rely wholly upon me, and you have to be willing to be associated with the company that I have chosen for you. Because the Lord said to Gideon, Whom I say shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. Whom I say shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. He didn't choose his own company.
He didn't say I'd like to be with this group.
If I can pick out 300 strong men in my company, that will be good warriors. Now the Lord said, I'll do that for you, Gideon, You just leave that to me. And he got his army reduced down to 300. And then the Lord used him and there was a great victory in Israel, as we know. Well, what I am seeking to bring before you is.
How no matter how dark and difficult the day, no matter how trying.
It is in your little assembly and there seems to be such a lack of concern about things. Perhaps the Lord is saying to you that he's going to make you a blessing. He's going to use you for Gideon had to go through a great deal of exercise and then the Lord did use him. And as I say, there was a a great victory and God delivered his people.
It's true that afterwards they didn't fully appreciate.
Appreciate what Gideon had done, but never mind, dear young people, sometimes you may not be appreciated, but the Lord's well done is what counts. And when we turn to the faith chapter in the 11TH of Hebrews, Gideon's name was mentioned. The time would fail to tell me of Gideon and of Barack, and of Samson and of Jephthah. He asked. The Lord took notice of it, even though it may seem.
That he wasn't too much appreciated in his own time.
Let's turn over to another one in the.
First Samuel chapter.
15 I believe it is through Samuel 14 and the sixth verse, first Samuel 14 and verse 6. And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, come, and let us go over under the Garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.
And his armor bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart.
Turn thee, Behold, I am with thee, according to thy heart.
Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will Passover unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
Well, I don't intend to read a great deal and this portion here, but just to mention the devotedness of Jonathan here was another time in Israel's history when things were at a very low ebb. They had asked to have a king, and God had given them Saul, a man who really didn't have the energy of faith to deliver the people of God.
And it was very difficult for Jonathan because Saul was his.
Father, and it was, shall I say, a stand that was hard for him to take because his father was the king and his father had all the company seemingly with him. And now was Jonathan going to be willing to deliver the people of God, even though it meant that he had to do it on that individual devotedness and faith and confidence in God.
I've often thought of Jonathan and how hard it must have been for him when he thought of going over against these philistines, it says he told, not his father.
His father didn't have the faith to take this stand. We never read of Saul ever winning a victory over the Philistines, and so Jonathan must be before the Lord on his own.
Well, he didn't have very many friends in this stand that he was taking. All that we read of that he had with him was his armor bearer. He had one who was willing to stand with him and to go along with him in this desire not to make a great man of himself, but to deliver the people of God. This was on his heart that they might be delivered from the Philistines.
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And so the day came when he said to his armor bearer, come and let us go over to this Garrison of the Philistines. He said, the Lord doesn't have to have numbers. He is able to save by many or by few. He could have looked back and said, well, Gideon had 300, but I've only got 1 and what can two of us do?
And may I encourage you, dear young people, if you have a close friend, be sure that.
Friend is an armor bearer, someone who is of one mind with you in seeking to go on for the Lord. And this applies particularly if you're thinking of marriage, if you're going to have a partner in life.
Is that 1 going to encourage you in the things of God, or is that one going to discourage you in following Christ? Here we find that Gideon had at least Jonathan had an armor bearer, and this armor bearer was one who encouraged him when all the odds seemed to be against him. And I've even noticed here that it appears at this point.
When Jonathan saw the power of the enemy that he actually.
Return back, because his armor bearer said to him, Behold, I am with thee, or the 7th verse. And his armor bearer said unto him, Do all that is in my heart turn thee, Behold, I am with thee.
According to thy heart now that is. It looks as if when Jonathan saw the power of the enemy, he turned back, but his armor bearer said turn around Jonathan, this isn't a time to turn back. So he did turn around, and there was a wonderful victory. God granted a victory here again, he didn't get any credit for it.
As far as his father was concerned, he tried to take all the credit for the victory and was even going to put Jonathan to death. But God used him. And we have to be content, dear young people, to be satisfied with the Lord's approval. We have to be content to go on. The love of Christ needs to constrain us. And if it does, then we'll be.
A real help among the others. And as I say, there is such.
In need of devotedness. And I thought of these instances as being ones that particularly picture to us devotedness. Gideon's great desire was in devoted love for the Lord and for his people to deliver them. Jonathan's great desire was in devoted love for the people of God. He couldn't bear to see them under the ******* of the Philistines. He wanted to help them. He was content to be nothing himself. He didn't.
Talk about what he was going to do. Didn't tell his father. They didn't even know he was missing. In the latter part of the chapter, you'll see that they decided to number and see who was missing because they didn't even know who had gone out. But the Lord knew, and the Lord recorded it. And the Lord knows every desire that springs in your heart to be a help and a blessing. Every desire to speak for the Lord, to encourage other young people.
To win friends to the Lord Jesus. He knows all about every one of those desires and he's pleased with it. He's recorded these things in his word. Now there's two other that I'd like to speak of that seem to me to be more associated with obedience, particularly if you'll turn over now to Daniel. Daniel chapter 3.
And verse.
14 Daniel chapter 3 and verse 14.
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Now, if you be ready that at what time ye shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sack, but sultry and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, he fall down and worship the image which I have made. Well, but if ye worship not, he shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
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Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Answered and said to the King, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
This seems to me a very striking instance of obedience. These three men could have easily found a way of compromise. I've often said. They could have said to one another, we don't need to worship that image. All we need to do is put our heads down and he'll think we're worshiping, but we're really not. And they could have planned some way, some path of compromise, but.
No, they were going to be obedient.
God had said that they were not to worship any graven image. They were not to bow down or serve such, and this was a deciding factor for them. It didn't matter whether there was an easy way out. They didn't look around to see what others were going to do.
They saw the word of God for themselves and obedience was of all importance to them. So we've been Speaking of.
The devotedness of Giriam. We've been Speaking of the devotedness of Jonathan, but now perhaps we have emphasized in this portion obedience. We don't see any particular result from these ones who were unwilling to bow down, and that is, perhaps no one was very much affected by what they had done.
Although the king did have to say that he realized.
That the Lord was with them. But it seems to me that the deciding thing in their lives was obedience. And there are times when we're put to a similar task. Are we going to obey? It says, behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken on the fat of Rams. There come times in our life when we have to make a decision.
As to whether.
Going to obey the word of God or not. And these three young men, they were in good positions in Babylon. They had done well in their school life. They were not ones that were not intelligent. They were, if you read in the 1St chapter, they were very intelligent and came out at the top of their classes. But they were willing to be obedient at all costs. They wouldn't bow down.
Now, nor did they necessarily expect that the Lord would deliver them for their obedience.
If the Lord doesn't deliver us, we still won't bow down. Because they were willing and they were cast into the fiery furnace. But oh, the Lord was with them. The Lord walked in the fire with them. And I've often said when we meet them in heaven.
If we were to say to them, don't you think there was an easier path? Don't you think you could have compromised a little? Do you think they will tell us? We wish we had, it would have been much easier. No, I believe they would. Their faces will glow with the knowledge of the Lord's approval. While they say the Lord was with us in the fire, He walked with us and that was enough for us.
Oh dear young people.
May the Lord encourage us in the path of obedience. He values obedience. I'm struck as I read in the New Testament how much emphasis God lays on doing the will of God.
It says the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And I just want to say to you, if there comes a decision in your life, you can do like one young person said, well, I asked a number of people what their opinion was and he said I got a great many different answers. Well, if that's the way it settles it for you.
Why? I'm sorry for you because you probably.
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Cast a vote and see how many go one way and how many go another to make your decisions. But it's what the word of God says that counts. They didn't ask anybody's opinion. They said we must do what God says. They would not bow down.
They were obedient, they were devoted, but they were also obedient. And so how lovely it is to see these three young people in a very difficult day, a day when morals had gone to pieces and a day when God's people were in ruins because they had been carried captive into Babylon. But nothing changed the word of God for these three young men. And they said, we're going to obey our.
God and the Lord was with them.
Now let's turn to one more in the New Testament in Second Timothy chapter 1.
Second Timothy, chapter one, verse 12 For the which 'cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto them unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in.
Jesus, that good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all lay which are in Asia be turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
Here is Paul exhorting Timothy. It was a day, as we read, when all those in Asia had turned away from Paul. Now it doesn't say they had turned away from Christ. I don't believe they had. I believe that in many ways they had a desire for the Lord. I believe that many of these that he might speak of here were devoted.
But they weren't going on in Paul's doctrine.
They weren't going on in obedience and they turned away from Paul because the path in which he was walking was a little too narrow. And he writes to Timothy and encourages him. He says, Timothy, I have to just commit everything until that day to the Lord.
That is when he says, I know whom I believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
He didn't mean just the salvation of his soul.
We have committed this matter to the Lord. If we're truly saved, if there's anyone here that's not saved, may the Lord bring you to himself. But it isn't just that Paul had sought to go on in the path of obedience, and he sought to commit his whole life to the Lord. And even when those in Asia turned away from him and wouldn't walk in Paul's doctrine, he still could say, I have fought.
Fight he still sought to stand for the truth of God and he writes to Timothy knowing that soon he was going to be taken away and he says Timothy.
Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me. And dear young people, that's what I would like to encourage you to do, is to hold fast to the precious deposit of truth that has been committed to us.
I know that it's going to be more difficult. I know. And I have to confess, I say again, the lack of devotedness among us and that there isn't that energy that there should be so often, that lack of love very often. But I do say that God has marked out a path in His Word. He has given us the path of obedience.
And it doesn't matter how dark and difficult the day.
May become all my prayer for you, dear young people, is that the Lord would keep you and that you would value obedience to His word. Go on, be content with the Lord's approval. And I'm sure that if there is a stirring up in our hearts to more devotedness to the Lord, there will be blessing. There will be blessing in our among our young people. There will be blessing in our assemblies. I've been struck by.
What it says in First Corinthians 14.
Spoke about the assembly there at Corinth, and it said that if they went on according to the divine pattern, it said there would come in one that was unlearned or one that believeth not, and falling down in his face he would confess that God is in you. Of a truth. It is very much struck me because it wasn't that they told him why the Lord is here, but the man coming in was convicted.
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Of the Lord's presence. And I feel how important it is that we should be so going on together that others coming into our assembly might recognize and feel the Lord's presence. And dear young people, you can be a blessing. You can be a help. You may feel that there's not much that you can do. Gideon didn't think he could do very much.
His family was poor in Manasseh, he was the least of his father's house, but the Lord used.
Him Jonathan might have said, I can't do anything, my father is against me, I can never do anything. But the Lord used him. Those three Hebrew children might have said, there's no you standing alone, no one stands with us. But they were obedient and God honored them by the presence of the Lord with them in the fire. Timothy might have said, oh, what's the use in these last days? But Paul said.
Old fast Timothy, hold fast, and may the Lord keep us, and may he stir each one of us up to that path that he has marked out in his word, that path of obedience, that path of devotedness to the Lord. Oh, and dear young people, the Lord's coming is soon. We do believe that it's near at hand.
Many of you may not live to be as old as some of us are, but.
How lovely you can have fruitful, useful years in your life. May the Lord grant it to be so. As I go around and meet young people, I rejoice to find many young people who have a real heart for the Lord. I thank God for it, and I would just want to encourage you to keep on. Continue thou in the things which thou hast heard and hast been assured of. May the Lord give us each grace.
Go on in that path until we hear the shout, because it might be today.