Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn first of all to a verse in Job Job chapter 22. Job chapter 22.
And verse 21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. Well, what I was thinking of, especially for those who are young here this afternoon, is some passages that bring before us about the Lord's presence.
And how important and blessed this is in connection with everything.
In our pathway here we've been singing in our little hymn, our God the center is his presence fills that land and countless myriads owned as his round him adoring stand. And I'm sure every one of us who know the Lord is our Savior are just looking forward to that day when we'll be in His presence where there is fullness of joy. We know that that's the answer to all our souls need and that's what we look forward to.
Because of what? The Lord?
Jesus has done for us.
But I believe, dear young people, that it is possible for us to enjoy in our measure the Lord's presence even here. And I don't know of anything sweeter upon earth. We know that when sin entered the world, we read about Cain, and Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. That's the natural heart of man. He doesn't like to be in the presence of God.
He fears that because he knows that he is unfit. But as soon as we are saved, there's a change takes place. As someone has said, the Sinner hides from God and the believer hides in God. Your life is hid with Christ in God. But you know, there's always a tendency for us to want our own ways, and in that measure we get away from the enjoyment of His presence.
But surely we can say in the words of the psalmist.
In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. And if we truly believe that heaven is going to be a place of supreme happiness, it will not be because we're away from His presence, but it will be because we're in His presence. They are to enjoy all that His love has provided for us. In the last chapter of Revelation, it says, And his servants shall serve him, and they shall see His face and his name.
Shall be in their foreheads. So what a glorious future is ahead of us. Well, as I said, I'd like to look at a few scriptures and show the result of getting into the presence of the Lord in connection with different things in life. And first of all, I'd like to speak of it in regard to salvation. You turn to Acts chapter 22, Acts chapter 22 and verse 6 and it came to pass that as I made my journey and was come.
Damascus About noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light about me, round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice.
Of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
Well, here we have someone who got into the presence of God for the first time. We know a little bit about this man Saul of Tarsus, and how he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. A very religious man, knew all about the ordinances and rules in connection with God's earthly people, but he had never had any acquaintance with the Lord of glory, with Jesus of Nazareth.
In fact, so much did he hate that blessed name that he received a thought.
From the chief priests, and he was on his way down to Damascus to persecute those who called upon the name of the Lord. When Stephen was stoned, he kept the raiment of those that slew him, and he actually thought that he was doing right, because the Bible tells us later on he made the comment, he said, I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He was something like what we heard about last.
Last night about Naomi and the Syrian, he had thoughts, all his own thoughts, but he didn't desire the presence of the Lord Jesus. But here on his way down to Damascus, he is introduced to that Blessed One, shall I say. He makes his acquaintance with him because the great effort of the enemy is to keep souls from a true acquaintance with God. In fact, that's what repentance really is, because men and women have wrong thoughts about God.
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God and it isn't until we get into his presence that we get right thoughts, and we find that alone we are sinners, He loves us, and that He has provided A Savior. And that's what Saul of Tarsus found on that day when that light above the brightness of the sun shone down upon him. He said, Who art thou, Lord? He was beginning thou to make acquaintance with that one. And his answer was, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou.
Accurate us. He didn't understand, I suppose at first just what that meant, because perhaps he thought he wasn't really persecuting Jesus of Nazareth, only those who called upon his name. But you know this, Perhaps we could say this is one of the first intimations in the Bible that Christ and His church are one, because the Scripture tells us that we are members of His body, and when soil of Tarsus was persecuting those who were members of the body of Christ.
He really was persecuting Christ, but here he finds him, and the result was total change in his life, completely round about. This man who hated the name of Jesus and all those who loved that blessed name, Immediately there's a change takes place. He has been brought into his presence. He becomes acquainted with him. He learns to know him from that day on as his Lord and as his Savior. And I hope for any young people.
People here that don't yet know him. Perhaps you have been brought up, you've read the Bible, you've been to the meetings. You may be very devoted as far as coming to the meetings is concerned. But I ask you, have you had a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus? It's always a personal matter to get saved, to get into his presence, to find that we're sinners and to find what he has done for us. But oh, what a blessed moment that is. And I say again, if there's a young.
Person here this afternoon who has never yet made that acquaintance. You don't yet know him as your Savior. There's no better time than today. What wonderful, what a wonderful thing it would be if this very afternoon was the time when you made your acquaintance with him as your Savior. And you could say I know him as the one who went to Calvary and bore my sins in his own body on the tree.
Well, this was the first time for this.
This man, Saul of Tarsus, to become acquainted with him, to get into his presence, and later on you can see the result of it. He called himself the chief of sinners. It's always that way. And a Sinner gets into the presence of God. Maybe previously he thinks he's not too bad, he compares himself with others, but in the presence of God he has different thoughts about himself.
He compares himself with infinite holiness, and he finds how sure he.
He has come, and so Saul of Tarsus afterwards.
Calls himself the chief of sinners. He says this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And you notice what he says to the Lord when he found out who he was, when he found himself in his presence, he said, What shall I do, Lord? What shall I do, Lord?
Previous to this he had done as he liked, and I suppose there's nothing more natural to us.
Someone has said, if we're honest with ourselves, what we like most of all is to do our own thing, to do our own will. But you know, when we get saved, there's a new will that comes into our lives. And as I've often said, there is someone who has a right to tell me what to do from the beginning of the day to the end. And I'm glad to recognize him as such because I know he loves me and he'll never ask me to do anything that is not for my own good. Because.
He loves me so much that he's not going to be satisfied with anything less than having my company company and making me supremely happy forever. He loved me enough to go to Calvary. Are you afraid, dear young person, to acknowledge his claims? Are you afraid to say this afternoon if you really know him? Lord, what shall I do? Oh, I hope that if you have never acknowledged Him a Savior, you'll do so today.
And if you haven't given him his rightful place in your life?
That today you will do what Saul of Tarsus did and say, what shall I do? Lord? Did the Lord say, well, Saul, you're going to have a life of fun. It's a good thing and it's a happy thing to be a Christian, and you'll really have a good time. All in all, his life wasn't like that. He was told that he would go into Damascus and find out what he should do. And in another place it tells us that he was told how many things he must suffer.
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My name's sake and I can't promise you that if you accept the Lord Jesus that it's going to be a smooth path, but I can tell you 1000 times that it's a happy path.
As a dear servant of the Lord, Mr. Darby said that the path of the Christian is worthwhile if it were 1000 times harder than it is. Because when He saves us, He always promises to be with us. And I'd rather go over a rough Rd. in good company than over the best Rd. in the whole of America and without the company that I love. Yes, it's blessed to be in good company, and you can be.
It's true that we may not always.
Be conscious of His presence, and that's a thing to be desired. But he has promised, dear young person, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So this first acquaintance that we have brought before us here in this passage is the acquaintance with the Lord is our Savior. And owning him as Lord, that is, owning Him as the one who has authority over our lives to tell us what to do.
And I trust that this will be so that you.
One. Well, now I'd like to turn to Matthew, the 28th chapter.
Matthew chapter 28 and verse 16.
Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them, and when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always unto the even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
Well, we've been talking about the Lord's presence. Saul of Tarsus got into the Lord's presence. There he was brought to know him as his Savior. There he was brought to acknowledge him as his Lord. But here we find the Lord Jesus had gone into death. He had risen again. Oh, what a marvelous death that was. That was the work of redemption. That was the center of two eternities. The whole of a past eternity looked forward to that.
House of Calvary and the whole of a coming eternity is going to look back to it, because the Lamb was foreordained before the foundation of the world, and the song of the redeemed is worthy is the Lamb. That's the center, I say, of two eternities. The Lord Jesus had accomplished that mighty work and had risen again from the dead. He had gone there to die in our place, but now He immediately wanted to have.
The company of those for whom he had died. And it's always so when there's somebody that we love, we want to be in their company. That's what we desire above everything else. If we love somebody. I've often said that the test of true love is that you don't tire of a person's company. You get tired, then there's something that just isn't right.
But you know when there's real love flowing between 1:00 and another, why you just love to be in their?
Their company. It's so in marriage, it's so in the home, and above all, it's true with the Lord Jesus. You can't have a happier path than to walk in His company.
Well, as I say, I hope each one knows him a savior. But now.
The Lord didn't tell him. Well, you can just meet just as you like, and in the place and in the way that you like, that isn't this nice here? After he rose from the dead, the Lord's appointed a place where he would meet with them.
You know, they could listen carefully to those directions and so that they would know just exactly where he wanted them to go. And after you're saved, there is a common expression that is often used to go to the Church of your choice. But here you could certainly say that these disciples didn't go to the mountain that they chose. It was a mountain that Jesus appointed them. And I want to say that if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, have you searched his word? Have you?
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That He would show you how you could meet, for here they came and they worshiped Him. I believe it's a very, very important and precious thing for us that we should seek His direction in this. And I believe that it's an immense privilege that we have here in this world to seek together. Not according to our own thoughts, not according to our own plans, not according to the way we choose the people we'd like to be with.
They had nothing to do with even choosing the people.
That they would like to be with. It was the mountain where Jesus appointed them. And if you had asked anyone of that that day, why are you going to that particular place, I believe every one of them would have said we're going to meet the Lord.
Perhaps you say, I don't understand how it is that you folks say going to meeting. It's a very common expression, going to church. But what is this about going to meeting? Well, I'm sure that's exactly the answer you would have got from those who were going to this place that the Lord had appointed. They were going to meeting. They were going to meet the Lord. A friend of mine back in Ottawa, he's now with the Lord.
He was on his way to gather with a few who were gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And as he was passing by the corner, there was a lady waiting for the bus. It was a neighbor. And so he asked her if she'd like a ride and she said thank you very much and I'm going to church this morning. And she said, and Mr. Devlin, where do you go to church?
Well, he hesitated a minute and he said, well, the place where I go, the church goes.
To the meeting, well, that's the way we're part of the Church of God and we just go to meet the Lord. And you know, this was the purpose that these had when they came. It was a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And I am not going to outline the truth of gathering this afternoon, but I'm sure of this one thing that the Lord has promised. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.
God, or whether I speak of myself, if the Lord really wants to meet you, and he does, and you want to meet him, you can be quite sure that He will direct you. And He says also in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Well, they came to that place and it says when they saw him, I don't know what kind of.
A gathering place it was.
It doesn't even describe it here because the building is not important, it's just a convenient meeting place. But it says when they saw Him, and I think this morning in the measure in which we saw the Lord, the same result was produced in us. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him. The measure in which we see the Lord calls forth worship from our hearts. How can we help but worship and thank Him when we think of Him?
I'm sure that as they saw that blessed Savior for in this occasion it was.
By sight, they would see those nail prints in his hands, they would see that mark in his blessed side and their hearts would be just overwhelmed. And it says and they worshipped him. But it wasn't a perfect group, as you know. If you were looking for a perfect group, why you would be disappointed because.
I'm not perfect and you're not perfect and so I never have looked for a perfect group, but I have a perfect savior and I have his word and here we find there is some doubted I often.
And say some people tell their feelings and others don't. We know Thomas doubted because he said he did. He said he wouldn't believe unless he saw the marks in the Lord's hands and feet. But here the scripture says some doubted. So Thomas wasn't the only one. Perhaps you have inner feelings. Not perhaps doubts about your salvation, but doubts about all kinds of things.
Why did this happen this week? Why did this take place and all those kind of things?
Because then they come in, right when we sit in the Lord's presence. We wish they didn't, but they do, They do. It doesn't change the fact that the Lord is there. But poor humans as we are, those kind of things come in to spoil. And what did Jesus say? Isn't this lovely? What he said? He just, it says, Jesus came and spake unto them. And he said, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Brethren, young people, isn't this the answer to every doubt?
Why do we doubt? Well, because we doubt His power. We say, why, if He has power, does He not remove or change this situation? But He does have all power. Angels and authorities and powers are subject to Him. And so if there is a doubt in your mind, there's something that's troubling you, let me tell you this. All power is given unto the Lord. He could change it in a moment if it were His will. And this gives us peace.
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Acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace. Don't just have him as an acquaintance that you know as your Savior, but one who you know as the gathering center, one who cares about you. And so it says in heaven and in earth. Well, this was a, shall I say, a preliminary to their service, because I believe in the Scripture we find that principle that worship precedes service.
Their service, their public service, really has.
Hadn't begun after the Lord Jesus was taken up. Then he did say before he left them going into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He gave them a large parish. He told them that the message was to go out. But first of all, he had them around himself. There they were as worshippers, learning his power, learning that he was the one who had accomplished redemption.
And just quietly sitting and enjoying his presence.
And now after this, they can go forth and serve Him and serve him in an acceptable way. Perhaps he could turn over to Exodus here and we'll find the Lord's presence in connection with service.
It also is preceded by.
Says here in the seventh verse of Exodus chapter 33, verse 7. And Moses took the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out into the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
There was a place where they too could meet the Lord.
But now in the 12TH verse.
And Moses said unto the Lord, See thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast found grace in my sight. Now therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight. And consider that this nation is thy people.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Isn't this supremely beautiful? Here we find Moses.
And the Tabernacle of the congregation had been pitched without the camp. Those that sought the Lord went out there. But there was a service for Moses to do, and it wasn't an easy one. We're told that those people that he was called upon to lead were a disobedient and rebellious people. And you know, it's not easy often to serve the Lord. There are many trials. Paul spoke of the trials and affliction that came upon him.
And not only from without. He said that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
He said, who is weak and I am not weak, Who is offended and I burn not. He felt for God's people. He entered into what they were passing through because he loved them. And it's right if we're going to serve the Lord that we have a love for God's people because they're so dear to him. I used to wonder at that little verse that says if a man desire the office of a Bishop or an overseer, he desireth a good work. I thought. I wondered why it said that because.
Thought it seemed like he wanted to put himself up, that he would be an overseer over God's people. Why? It said it was a good work. But as you read other scriptures, you find that the thought is that the Lord finds joy in anyone who has an interest and care for his people. It says neither is being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock. And you know, if you show a kindness to one of my children, you show a kindness to me because I love.
Children and kindness shown to my children really is much appreciated. Well, the Lord loves his people and any kindness that you show to the Lord's people, the Lord values it. And what the Lord is really saying, if you have an interest in my people and if you're trying to watch them and help them and care for them, he said, that's a good work. It's a good work in my eyes. And Moses was called upon to lead the people and dear young people to have an interest in the other young people.
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And to seek their good you may not always be appreciated. Moses wasn't there was a time that they spoke of stoning him. And he said to the Lord, Lord, what shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me. And did the Lord say, give up, Moses, it's no use. They don't appreciate you. Is that what the Lord said? Now listen to these words. Let them sink deeply into your hearts. The Lord said, go on.
Before the people, go on before the people.
Brother said many years ago, he said there's 3 words, there's 2 words that the servant of the Lord must never forget. And those who are go on, go on. And so here we find that the Lord was going to use Moses and Moses said, who are you going to send with me? Because I, I just can't, He said in another place.
I'm not able to bear the burden of this people alone.
And a brother said to me, well, he said, the Lord never asked him to bear it alone, did he? And you know, sometimes we think that too. He said, how are we going to handle this alone? But we're never asked to do it alone. And so when Moses said, Lord, who will you send with me? The Lord didn't appoint some human arm that he could lean upon. But oh, how beautiful, how lovely, his answer.
He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee.
Rest. That is, the same one who met us when we found Him as our Savior, who washed away our sins in his precious blood. The same one who has given us the immense privilege of gathering around him in simplicity in his appointed way, is the same one who also says, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And never, never undertake any service that you think you have to do.
Alone, because I'll assure you of this, he'll make a mess of it.
Anything I've ever tried to do by myself, I have always done just that. But you know, if the Lord is there to help you, why you can turn. He understands, He enters into all that you have to do.
We sometimes say when we're going to try and undertake some little service for the Lord, the question is not are we able to do it, but does the Lord want us to do it? Because if He wants us to do it, then he's going to be the one who's going to provide in every way. And above everything else, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Now this isn't the rest of salvation.
But I think it's the little thought that Mister Darby had in that beautiful hymn.
Rest, Lord, in serving thee. When we get home to glory, there will be a service that will go on continually in his presence, but it'll be eternal rest. And I believe there's some measure in which we can enjoy something of that down here too. And so it tells us here that Moses replied, and he said unto him, If thy presence, go not with me.
Carry us not ah. Hence, he said. Well, I just don't want to undertake.
Anything without thy presence. And I say to you, dear young people, how do you believe the Lord has something for each one of you to do? Every Levite had a service and a burden, and you're going to find those two things. If you try to follow the Lord, you'll have a service and you'll have a burden. You might like the service, but maybe you don't like the burden. But they always go together. Everyone was appointed to his service and to his burden, and they knew what they were going to do.
Because they were appointed to that by Aaron. Well, you and I don't have an Aaron on earth that we can go to, but we can look up to the Lord, like Saul of Tarsus, and say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Well, He will appoint to you that.
And it speaks of this, that in Galatians chapter 6, it says that every man shall bear his own burden, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. That is, there's a certain joy in doing what the Lord wants you to do.
You may, you can spend your life wishing that you were doing something that somebody else is doing, but you know, the importance of the work is not in what's done, but whether it's what the Lord wants you to do. So let's remember this to in every service of the Lord, just have him so very near to you that you feel his presence right there. And I'll tell you it'll be a happy service.
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Sometimes when there's a little job to be done, why it's nice.
Just to have my wife come along and say I'll help you. And you know, it's an awful lot in doing something for the Lord. Just to feel the Lord right there and he knows all about our needs and about our service. And he said to Paul one time when he felt that he had a thorn that made his service difficult, he said.
My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. So we have His presence then in worship. Now we have His presence in service. Any little thing that we undertake to do for Him. I'd like to turn to another one now in Matthew chapter 14.
Just notice the 15th verse.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him saying, This is a desert place, and the time has now passed. Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and by themselves victuals.
And Jesus said unto them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have but 5 loaves and two fishes. He said, Bring them, hit her to me.
Now passing on to the 24th verse.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tasked with waves.
For the wind was contrary, and in the 4th watch of the night.
Jesus went unto them walking on the sea, And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is the Spirit. And they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said come, and when Jesus was come, and when Peter was come down out of the ship.
He walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink. He cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were coming to the ship, the wind ceased.
Well, here we find in the beginning of the chapter something of the weakness of the disciples, something that we all feel at times.
Here was the end of the day and they wanted to send the multitude away. We get pretty tired sometimes of service when we undertake to do it. And they looked at their little resources that they had, and they didn't know how they could ever feed that great multitude of people. And the Lord said they need not depart. Give ye them to eat.
And when they looked at their feeble resources, just five loaves and two fishes, why, they thought, what's that among so many? And perhaps some little services opened up to you. And you say, well, I don't have anything, I can't do anything.
But are we willing to give what we have to the Lord? That was the great question. 5 loaves and two fishes given to the Lord was enough to feed this whole multitude of about 5000, besides women and children. And you know who can tell a blessing of a willing heart.
We find that when Andrew was brought to the Lord that he found his brother Peter and brought him to the Lord.
And we don't read of Andrew in any great event of blessing like Peter. But you know, we can say this, that Andrew was the one that brought Peter to the Lord, and then Peter was afterwards mightily used. And perhaps when we get to glory, we're going to find someone whom God mightily use. And perhaps that person was brought to the Lord by a person you didn't know anything about, nor did I.
Are we willing to just do that little quiet service the Lord wants us to do, even if it seems hidden and not noticed?
You say, well, I can't, I don't have much. They only had five loaves and two fishes. What were they among so many that when they brought them to the Lord, then it was sufficient. He took that little bit they had and used it. Oh, may we be willing to present the little we have to the Lord? Who can tell the blessing that will result? Who can tell a blessing? If all of us here were just willing to say, well, I'm willing to give my time and energy.
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And all that I have.
To the Lord, oh what a blessing it could be. Don't look at yourself and just say what can the Lord do? Because the Lord was the one who did it. But now what I particularly want to bring before you was this occasion when the Lord let them go out in the boat and they went out and a big storm arose. The Lord Jesus, it says, went into a mountain apart to pray. Little picture of how the Lord Jesus is now gone up on high.
He went away to pray, and it says when the evening was come, he was there alone. And there's my precious Savior and yours up there in the glory. And here we are toiling and rowing. Here we are in all the storms of life. Does he care? Is he concerned about all this?
Is it just happening by chance that all these storms come into life? No. The Lord allowed these storms in order to teach the disciples that dependence upon Him and how He was sufficient. They were to learn something of what we've been talking about. His presence, His presence. And oh, let me say again, is there any young person here and you're really in a turmoil. And I think it's interesting here that it says it was in the 4th.
Watch that Jesus came. You know there were 4 watches. Why didn't He come in the first? Why didn't he come in the second? Why didn't he come in the third? It wasn't until the 4th watch that He came. Doesn't the Lord seems to let things go sometimes and lets it come to the 4th watch when it just seems that He doesn't care. He isn't concerned. But the Lord was up there praying. Perhaps He was praying for them. At least I'm sure in His blessed heart He was.
Thinking about them and seeking their good and their blessing. But it wasn't until the 4th watch that the Lord came. And when they saw the Lord walking on the sea, it says they were terrified, they were afraid. And sometimes when we see things happen in our lives and we think, why did the Lord allow this? I acknowledge that it was the Lord the one who has all power and who loves me and who died for me, that He's the one who has allowed.
Nevertheless, sometimes we just look at things in a natural way, but sometimes we're even more terrified when we realize it's the Lord that's allowed it because all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth. And so and they looked out, and they saw the Lord walking upon the sea. It says they were afraid, they thought it was a spirit. And it says here straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying.
Saying.
Be of good cheer. It is I be not afraid. Oh, what a what a moment that must have been to their hearts. And I want to say if there's anyone here and you're just in that situation, perhaps you say the problem that concerns me is not so much that of worship, because I believe that I have sought to respond to the Lord's desire. I am gathered to his name.
Perhaps you say I have tried to do some little service for the Lord, but things have just all gone.
Wrong in my life and I don't know why, and it just seems that the Lord has allowed me to be tossed upon the waves. Well, isn't this beautiful? May this speak to your heart, and to mine it is. I be not afraid. Be of good cheer. So if there's some discouraged young person here, may those words sink down into your heart, the Lord Jesus.
Blocking on top of all this trouble on the waves and saying be of good cheer.
It is I be not afraid.
So Peter said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come, And the Lord said, come.
And so he started out and he was starting on the water, walking to go to Jesus, but you know, he got his eyes off the Lord.
He lost, as it were, a sense of what we've been talking about, the divine presence. Some of you may have heard me say something that I think affected my life when I was a young person that a brother, an older brother said to me. He said I never asked the Lord to be with me because he's promised to be with me. He's promised never to leave me nor forsake me. But what I ask him is for a sense of His presence. And that's what we need, dear young people.
To feel that he's always near, to feel that he's there, that he cares. And so Peter thought, well, if it's the Lord who is there, then I can go out and walk upon the waves. And perhaps you started on some venture. You have done just that. You've stepped out of the boat, as it were, and you started and you thought that you were really trusting the Lord. But you know, even in our service.
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We fail even in our service. We can get our eyes off the Lord.
We can. It tells us that there were those in Philippi that were preaching Christ even of envy and strife. It's an amazing thing how even in our service we can get our eyes off the Lord. We can think about ourselves. We can be concerned about what other people say and think about us more than having the Lord's approval. Paul's great desire in his life was that he might have the Lord's approval. I don't mean that we shouldn't listen to advice from others.
We need it at times and it's good for us.
But I say that we need to seek the Lord's approval. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Well, Peter started out walking on the waves, and then when he saw those waves so boisterous, then he began to sink.
Well, you know, why should we think, as another has said, we couldn't walk on smooth water any better than on rough water with our eyes off the Lord. We have to have our eyes upon the Lord to walk on the very smoothest water. And I can't handle the easiest things of life without the Lord.
The children of Israel, after they entered the promised land, they thought, we can't handle Jericho, That's a big city, but we can handle AI. That's just a little thing. And isn't it just like us, We say, well, there's some things I think I can handle, but there's some things I can't. But dear young people, we can't handle even the small things.
It's often we go down to defeat like they did at AI. We go down to defeat in the small things. It's the things that we thought we could handle, the things that we thought we had good enough character and stability to handle. But the Lord has to show us that we can't do one thing in our own strength. Jesus said without me, he can do nothing. And so here we find this storm. And I say again, because I want to apply these things.
Practically, to myself and to you, there may be some young person here and it's not so much the problem of service, but it is that something has happened in your life that's just like what we have here and there's a storm come up in your life.
And you've really tried. You said, well, I'm going to try to step out of this problem and really go to Jesus. But still, there was something of that confidence that didn't thoroughly and entirely count upon him. And so the Lord didn't let him sink, did he? And the Lord will never let us sink down either. As soon as he cried out, Lord.
Save me. The Lord reached out his hand and caught him.
And the precious Savior is up there on high. He knows just a moment that we need his help in a special way, and he ever lives to make intercession for us. And if there's a young person who's in this situation, would you just look up and say, Lord help me? The Lord may not remove the trouble at once. He didn't hear the storm didn't stop when the Lord put out his hand and caught Peter. Now it wasn't until they got.
The ship that the Lord, the storm's depth when they gone to the ship and you know, when we get, so to speak, safely home to glory, then all the storms will be over then. But down here, that's the way the Lord has allowed it. And some things, it's just a question of having that confidence in him. He doesn't always remove the difficulty, but he's with us in it. And there was the Lord so close to Peter that he just reached out his hand and.
Again, he's close by. Do you do you feel his presence in the trial? Well, then it's going to be a blessing because when Paul was in prison, he said the Lord stood by me and said, be of good cheer Paul, for as thou hast born witness testimony for me at Jerusalem, Thou must also bear testimony at Rome was at the end of his trouble and trial.
Not by any means, but the Lord stood by him.
And that was a moment I'm sure that he never could forget. Later on, when the ship was tossed in the waves in the 26th chapter of Acts, he again had that beautiful experience. And he said, There stood by me this night the Angel of the Lord, whose I am and whom I serve, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. Oh, how good it is when in these trials we feel His presence. Oh, you say, but I got into the problem by my own.
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Sake Well, Paul was Paul was told not to go to Jerusalem. And that's why I've always thought it was so wonderful. There he was. He shouldn't have been there because he was told by the Spirit not to go. And the Lord knew just how down he would feel. He would say here, it's my own fault I'm in this situation, I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have come here. But the Lord stood by him.
And so it is in all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saved them. Even in the troubles we bring on ourselves, the Lord never forsakes us. He's there ready to help. And that brings us to another one where we have restoration, I believe, and that's in John 21.
John, Chapter 21.
Verse 2. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus, Nathaniel of Canaan, Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing.
And that night they caught nothing. And when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, and the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore. And now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith.
Unto Peter it is the Lord.
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he gird his Fisher's coat about him, for he was naked and had cast himself into the sea.
In the 15th verse. So when they had died, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yeah, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith unto him again the second time. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yeah, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me, Peter? It was grieved because he said unto him, the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Well, here we find Peter, a leader in taking these other disciples off on a fishing trip long before the Lord Jesus had called them. And he had said, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. But the Lord Jesus had gone to the cross, and now he was risen, and they felt they had really lost him. And now Peter thought, well, I guess I'll just go back to fishing again. And he took the other.
Disciples with him.
That sometimes happens when we get away from the Lord. We influence other people. You know, Peter had denied his Lord, as you know before, and now he's an influence on all these five other people. You know what I want to say to you, dear young person? If you're away from the Lord, maybe you're affecting somebody else too. Scripture says none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
So Peter, here was an effect upon these others, and he led them away.
Too, but again I say the Lord hadn't forsaken them.
And when they spent that whole night and caught nothing, it tells us here that in the morning the Lord Jesus stood upon the shore. He knew all about that venture that they went out to fish. He didn't allow any fish. As our brother Brown used to say. He told all the fish there in that lake, don't swim into Peter's net tonight. He's the one who's the Lord of creation. And they didn't swim into Peter's net and he caught nothing.
And now I guess he's feeling quite down and discouraged. And it says the Lord was there. He didn't recognize him at first. Sometimes when we get away from the Lord, we don't recognize him. We don't realize his love. We don't realize that he's seeking to restore us. The 23rd Psalm says he restoreth my soul. And this is what's going to take place with Peter.
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There's going to be this public restoration and.
So Peter was naked on the ship and so it is, you know, we can get away from the Lord, and it's sad how far away we can get. But still Peter's heart responded when he realized it is the Lord.
When they were toiling and rowing, he said it is I, but John said it's the Lord.
That's the very start of Christian life, is to own him as the Lord and as the way to get restored too. It's to come back and own his Lordship, his authority, his rights in our life. And so he said, John said it's the Lord. And Peter now jumps in and goes in the water to go to Jesus. And then the Lord deals with Peter publicly here. I believe he was restored privately, but now publicly the Lord talks to him and he.
Asked them three times. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
The first time he says, Lovest thou me more than these? There is, I really believe the reason the Lord said that was because Peter had boasted and said that he did love the Lord more than the rest. He said, though all should deny thee, yet will not I? And sometimes we see others go astray, and we say, I wouldn't do that, I I wouldn't do that.
But we don't know our own hearts. We're capable of anything.
And so Peter, the one who did the boasting, was the one who publicly denied the Lord in such a way as he did. So the Lord asked them three times. Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? And Peter is broken down. Now Peter is brought back. Peter is restored. And where was he restored? In the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord. That's what restoration is to get back into His presence to.
The whole situation and have to do with him and so we find his presence in regard to restoration. Is there any young person here and you've got away from the Lord. You know you've been away. You knew you know that you're not walking in his company. Maybe you're just like this poor Peter, you're influencing others and here he was naked on the ship, but the Lord wants to restore you. Wouldn't it be nice if these meetings here in Columbus were the time when he came appeared to you.
When you realize it was the Lord and when you came back to Him. And then the Lord gives Peter something to do, feeding his lambs, feeding his sheep. Oh, how beautiful this is. Oh, I see again, dear young people, the Lord's presence is everything. The Lord's presence is everything. It's when we meet Him and get to know Him as our Savior. He's the one that is our gathering center. He's the one too. When there's any service that we undertake, we can't.
Do it without Him. And so too, when we have troubles, it's the Lord we need, because we can't face the troubles of life alone. We can't bear the burdens of life alone. And then too, if we've got away, it's His presence we need to restore us. And then there's a day coming just before we close. If we could look in Revelation chapter 5.
The eighth Verse. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and 20 elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof. For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation.
And then in the last verse, I just like to read the last verse here. And the four beasts said Amen. And the four and 20 elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever.
4 and 20 elders represent all redeemed. There were 24 courses of priests in Solomon's temple, and they represent to us all the redeemed. And someday all the redeemed faith will be changed to sight, and we'll all be around the Lord. And what will we be saying? Thou art worthy. And it tells us that every one of them gold and vials.
And harps, I believe when it speaks about the harps, it means that our praise.
Be perfect there. And those golden vials full of odors, it says, are the prayers of Saints. And how many prayers have gone up desires that we have. And when we get to glory, we're going to see the answer to everything that we ever desired, not just perhaps in the way that we desired it.