Address—C. Hendricks
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Be pleased First Timothy Three try to make my comments brief.
First Timothy 3 and verse 15.
But if I carry long, that thou mayest know how thou Artest to behave thyself.
In the House of God.
Which is the Church of the living God?
The pillar and ground.
Of the truth.
And turn to Second Timothy 2.
And verse 19.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure.
Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his.
And let everyone that name us the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
But in a great house.
There are not only vessels of gold and of silver.
But also of wooden, of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these.
He shall be a vessel unto honor.
Sanctified and meet for the masters use.
And prepared unto every good work.
Ple. Also youthful us.
But follow righteousness, faith, love, peace.
With them.
That call on the Lord.
Out of a pure heart.
And chapter 3 and verse.
One this know also that in the last days.
Perilous.
Or difficult times.
Shall come.
And then in the following verses in the third chapter.
Paul lays before us.
What would characterize these last days?
In the First Epistle to Timothy, we have the church viewed in order. The House of God it's called.
In the second epistle it's the same house.
But it's in disorder.
The enemy has.
Done his work, the Apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 after my departure.
Shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock?
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.
To draw away disciples after them.
And then he gives the resource.
In the midst of this, which the enemy would introduce.
He says, But I commend you to God.
And to the word of his grace.
Which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me.
God and His Word, the word of His grace.
Are the resource of the faithful.
In a day of ruin.
First Timothy In those days you could enter into a city.
And you could say, where are the Christians? Where do they meet? Well, they meet down there.
They were all together.
The church is 1.
And that's the way it began.
All the divisions that have come in over the years have been the work of Satan.
The work of the enemy.
And even disciples from amongst the ranks of the Christian body have arisen and drawn away others.
And formed parties, divisions, sex.
And so we're living in those last days when all this has happened.
These are difficult days.
How does one find his way?
In the midst of these difficult days when there are groups, hundreds, thousands actually.
In Christian In Christendom calling themselves Christian.
How does one find his way? How do you know where you should go?
With whom you should meet.
These are difficult days. In those early days when the Church of God was 1, you didn't have to go through that kind of exercise. You just went where the Christians met and they were all together.
Going on together.
But now it's different.
The House of God has become like unto a great house.
Where there are vessels of gold and of silver wooden of earth, some to honor.
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And some to dishonor.
Second Timothy was written the last epistle that Paul wrote to give instruction for these very last days in which we are found.
In the last chapter, he says the time will come.
4/3 when they will not endure sound doctrine.
But after their own lush shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and will be turned unto fables.
This has happened, this exists. This is the state of things round us.
We cannot close our eyes to the fact that Satan has done his work.
He has scattered the flock of Christ.
That for which he died to gather together into one.
One of the very purposes of his death was that he might gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
And the enemy has sought to.
Destroy that. He's the great destroyer.
The Great Destroyer. How do you find the way?
I remember talking.
To one recently.
And I said to that person, I said.
I can't tell you where to go.
I can't tell you with whom you are.
To be in fellowship.
But I can tell you of one that will tell you.
And he'll never, never, never mislead you.
And for that, and that's what I have upon my heart. And I was thinking of this when our brother Gordon gave his very helpful address just past.
To follow his words up with these, turn back to Luke 22 for a few moments.
And verse 7.
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed, and he sent the Lord. Jesus sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover.
That we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou?
That we prepare. Oh, that's a wonderful question.
He didn't leave the choice to them.
To go where they thought best, to seek out a suitable lodging place, a place where He could celebrate the Passover with his disciples. But they addressed him now. That's the first thing if you're seeking guidance from the Lord in this day of ruin.
In this day when the House of God has become like unto a great house.
Not in order any longer, but there are vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor.
We saw what the faithful one was to do. He was to separate from.
Iniquity.
To depart from iniquity and.
To separate from vessels that were going on with things which are dishonorable to the Lord.
And then having done that, he'd be a vessel to honor.
And those are wonderful principles to guide us. And then he was to follow righteousness, faith, love, peace with them, that calling the Lord out of a pure heart, an undivided heart, a heart that is fixed on Christ.
If you really have a pure heart and desire in the midst of this confusion that we are found in in these last days to do his will, he will not disappoint you. And the reason I've I've turned us to Luke 22 is we have some some very precious principles here to guide us. The first thing they said to the Lord is where wilt thou?
That we prepare and if you're seeking.
His mind as to whom you are to fellowship with in the Christian profession that we call Christendom, that we are a part of.
The first question you should ask him is Lord wherewith thou.
Guide me, direct me, show me, Lord, free me from my own choice, my own will to be an activity. I want thy thoughts, and I want thy direction and thy guidance. Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them.
Behold, when ye are entering into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in. Well, in those days the women bore the pictures of water.
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So when he entered the city.
This was an unmistakable sign to guide them, and they saw a man most unusual, bearing the picture of water. They would say there he is. Now if there were ten of them doing that, they'd say which one? No, all the others that were bearing pictures of water were women.
But there was one man.
Who is he A figure of? Who is he? A type of? Not of any of us, not of gifted men, but of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit.
And what is the picture of water? A figure of the word of God.
The word of God Wherewithal. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto, according to thy word.
Now you are clean by the word which I have spoken unto you. Word of God is often used. Water is often used in scripture as a figure of the Word of God. So here we have an unmistakable direction, a sign. Follow the man when you have entered into the city, the man bearing the picture of water. We have heard in these meetings that God has magnified His word, above all His name.
That's the way we'll find the place that the Lord would have us to be in.
Following the man with a pitcher of water. I was giving this instruction to a young couple and I just said to them, follow the man with the picture of water and I could see a blank look on their face. And I say the man speaks of the Holy Spirit.
Using the picture of water, the word of God to lead and guide us.
In the truth as to where He would have us to be.
Now that man, the Spirit of God, will never mislead you.
I may mislead you if I would say to you, will you come to where I go?
I may be wrong.
The Spirit of God will never mislead us. If you follow the man with the picture of water, and you follow the man with the picture of water, and you follow the man with the picture of water, the Spirit of God guiding by the word of God, we will of necessity end up at the same place.
He does not lead us one way here, another way there. He leads us according to the word of God. That's our safety.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I've heard those that have said I entered into a meeting room.
Little small place and I said.
Sat down and observed things I said. This is it.
I think that's premature.
We have to test everything by the word of God.
What do you hold here? What do you teach here?
What do you hold on the person of Christ?
What do you hold on the work of Christ?
Is it according to the scriptures?
And if the Spirit of God is leading us.
He will lead us to that place where the truth is upheld as it should be by the whole Church, the pillar and ground of the truth. That's what the Church was to be when it was in order.
Still is to be that, but it's.
A sad failure of it.
Today.
That's still the standard.
Well, let's read on.
Verse 10 He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in.
You shall say unto the Goodman of the house.
Now who's the Goodman of the house? This man bearing the picture of water leads us to the house. Well, that's a picture of the church.
But then there are many rooms in that house, and especially in the last days of Second Timothy.
There's all kinds of confusion.
So that we need further guidance.
And so the Goodman of the house, another type picture figure of the Holy Spirit.
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Who is dwelling in the house? Who inhabits the house?
That's the characteristic truth of Christianity, the Spirit of God. When he first came down on the day of Pentecost, he filled the house where they were sitting.
Before they were filled individually, he filled the house.
And that's a picture of the Spirit of God.
Dwelling in the House of God.
Well, it says.
The Master saith unto thee, You shall say unto the Goodman of the house. Verse 11 The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber?
Where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples. Now I know this isn't the Lord's Supper yet it comes a little bit later.
It's the Passover. It's the end the Passover, the death of Christ. It's that which ended the previous dispensation, and then his resurrection introduces us into the new order of things that we're a part of.
He shall show you a large upper room. It's large enough for the whole family of God, for all the Saints, large enough to include every member of the body of Christ.
And it's an upper room. It's, it's a room that's away from the noise and din of this world. It's an upper room. It's a heavenly place. We've had that before us.
In our readings.
A heavenly people.
And upper room, it's large enough for all.
And it's furnished. He's done it. All the work is finished. He's furnished it. We don't have to do a thing.
We don't have to bring in any of our ideas or thoughts or ways. It's all furnished. It's all according to what's written here in this book. When the Tabernacle was built, it was stated very, very strongly to Israel. Take heed that thou observe to do everything according to what has been given to thee, the pattern in the mouth.
Everything according to the pattern, the pattern of the word of God.
The Word of God is our standard, not some feeling that we might get when we come into a meeting and say this is the place, but we must test it by the Word of God.
And the Spirit of God will guide and lead us.
In that now that of course supposes that you know the word of God.
That supposes that you are in the word of God, that you read it daily as your daily food, that your dead earnest with God about finding this place.
We were hearing, and I fully agree, that there's only one table.
There can't be more than one. There's only one body.
There's only one place where the Lord would direct us. He didn't say to the disciples when they said where will thou that? He didn't say. We'll go into the city and just find anyone of several nice places and that'll be suitable. No, he didn't. He gave specific directions.
Follow the man with the picture of water. Then, having come into the house, you ask the Goodman of the house, where wilt thou that we prepare? And he directs to a large upper room furnished.
All has been done, provided for by our faithful God.
And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. Now I could say this to that.
Couple that I was speaking to.
I have gone and found as he has said.
You have to do the same.
You have to follow the man with the pitcher of water, not me, not any other brother or sister that you esteem very highly, but the Spirit of God will lead you by His word to where He would have you to be.
Now that may disappoint some.
Some you might think, well, I thought you were going to tell me specifics and how to find it.
Well, that's as close as one can come.
You see, I may be wrong.
You may be wrong.
But the Spirit of God is never wrong.
And he will never misdirect us. He always leads according to the word. And if you come into a place and you think it's.
It's the place, and then you find things there that are not according to the word of God.
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And yet they say, well, the Spirit of God is leading here in these meetings, but it's not according to the Word.
The Spirit doesn't do that.
He doesn't act contrary to his word.
He has magnified his word, above all his name, and so we test everything.
By the word of God.
And, as we heard in our readings yesterday, by sound.
Doctrine.
That has to be the basis of our fellowship.
The early Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And if your fellowship is not based upon the apostles doctrine.
It's not the Apostles Fellowship.
The Apostles fellowship flows from the Apostles doctrine.
Breaking of bread, we had that this morning. How precious it was.
And prayer.
Four things. 4 pillars.
For the assembly.
Guide us in these days.
Verse 13. They went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover, and when the hour was come, the Passover was his death.
That's what the Jew was to celebrate.
They didn't have the Lord's Supper that hadn't been instituted yet, but they had something they could look back to.
Their deliverance from Egypt, a beautiful type of our deliverance from this world through the death and resurrection of Christ. The Passover being the very foundation truth.
Of all Israel's blessings, and ours too, for Christ our Passover.
Has been sacrificed for us.
When the hour was come, he sat down with and the 12 apostles with him. And he said unto them, Verse 15 With desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
For I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.
And he took the cup. Now this is the cup connected with the Passover still.
And he gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves, for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come.
He will not enter into the earthly joy of the Kingdom and all the blessings attending to it until it is established here in this world. But in the meantime something new was to be introduced, and so He introduces it now. And he took bread.
And gave thanks and break it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Testament or the New Covenant in my blood which is shed.
For you.
And.
This is the memorial that we celebrated this morning.
And we're told in First Corinthians 11 to do this until I come.
Until the Lord comes back, we have the privilege of announcing the foundation for all our blessing His death.
When we came into the meeting this morning, there was a loaf on the table and the cup.
Came into a scene that speaks of death, the death of Christ. We remembered one who is not in that condition any longer.
We remembered Christ in his death.
One who had died.
He doesn't exist in death any longer. He's risen and glorified.
But we didn't remember him glorified.
We remembered him in death.
That's the foundation.
For all our blessing.
It's significant that.
Of all that.
The Christian world revels in and celebrates.
His death is not prominent.
It ought to be.
It's that which.
Cost him everything in order to secure our blessing and salvation. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread.
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And in prayers.
Remembering him.
In his death.
Well, here we have in Luke 22, just a figure, just a picture of how we can find our way.
In the midst of the confusion of the House of God, which has become like unto a great house.
It's difficult days that we're living in.
The man bearing the pitcher of water, The Spirit of God leading us by his word.
And then the Goodman of the house directing us to the place in that house which is today.
A house in confusion, in disorder. There's a large upper room there. All has been prepared. It's furnished.
It's large enough for every.
Member of the body of Christ, every believer on the face of the earth.
It's a great privilege to be in that place, the place of His appointment, the place of His choosing, the place where the Spirit of God will lead each of us if we are yielded to Him and subject to His leading by the Word of God.
May God.
Help each one who is under exercise as to where.
Wilt thou?
That we should prepare you will not fail you.
He will lead you, the Spirit of God, according to His Word.
To the place of his appointment.