Buena Park Conference: 1978, Luke 12:24 (12:24)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
Luke's Gospel in the 12TH chapter. The 24th verse. Consider the Ravens, for they neither soul nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are you better than the fowls? And which of you is taking thought can add to his stature? 1 Cubit. If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the Lois. How they. They grow, they toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell what ye have and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not where an old thief approaches, neither moth corrupteth, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find themselves, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be therefore ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But And if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's servants and maidens. And to eat and drink, and to be drunken. The Lord of that servant will come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. I was just thinking of this passage, brethren, and its practical effect, how it ought to speak to each one of our hearts. And I'm sure that it speaks to my heart as I read something like this, because it's so easy for us to become attached to this world through which we pass, to get occupied with those things that pass away. But here we find the Lord Jesus bringing before His own the importance of living in view of that coming day. A watching and awaiting people. And that ought to be what characterizes our pathway to as we realize that the time is short, we only have the rest of our time, and it may be exceedingly short. Surely we would desire that our lives might be lived in such a way that they would be with his approval, and in that coming day that he would be pleased that we had sought in some measure to live for him. Well, we know as it introduces the subject here, it brings before us those things which so often occupy our minds, the things that we wear, the food that we eat, and all those other things that constantly take up our mind. And you know, I think it's lovely to see the habit of the Spirit of God to set our minds thoroughly at ease and then bring the truth before us. I think that's so lovely. Just as we find in Philippians, he says, be careful for now. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, make your request. Let your requests be made known unto God. Having set our mind free from cares, then He tells us what to think about and says whatsoever things are, pure, honest, good, report, and so on. Think on these things. Isn't it true that if we invite someone to our home and we think they're worried, we want their minds to be at ease before we start to talk to them about serious things?
And so we find this graciously on the part of the Lord Jesus here in talking to his disciples. He knows the turmoil of life. He knows what it is to go through a world like this where things are around us so constantly to take up our minds and take up our attention. And so in the verse we began, to me, it's very touching, shows the wonderful grace of the Lord Jesus. Because if you or I had been writing this, I think we might have said consider the doves. Or perhaps some other clean bird. But isn't it quite remarkable here that the Lord says, consider the Ravens? Why does he do that? Well, you know, when we, if he had said doves, we might have looked in and thought, well, I'm afraid that I'm not always what I should be. Does He care about me? If I was a faithful believer, then I could say that he did care. But seeing I'm not always what I should be, is he really concerned about me? In this marvelous here, consider the Ravens. Think of that bird so unclean that an Israelite wasn't even allowed to eat it. And then it tells us about how God cares for them and God feedeth them. He had an interest in this unclean bird. No matter how far any of us may have got away from the Lord, let us be assured of this one and glorious thing. He always cares for us. Indeed, as we read in the 23rd Psalm, it doesn't say that we should be restored, but it says He restoreth my soul. That is, He's at work. He feels anything that has come in between ourselves and him. He feels it much more than we do. Because, brethren, He didn't only die to save our souls from hell. He died because He wanted our company. He wanted to have us with Himself. As the little hymns. That His love cannot rest till all His own are with Him, supremely blessed. That's the kind of a love He has. And so He wants us to know of this. And if we have wandered away, isn't it good to see as it tells us here? God feedeth them. He cares for these birds that are unclean, and He cares for each one here. And if there should be anyone in this room tonight, and you feel what I've got. Far away and I wonder if the Lord is really interested in me and cares about me. Isn't this a very precious word. Let us think of this care that he has for those birds and then he says how much more are ye better than the fowls? Because in the 16th Psalm where we read about the about the Lord Jesus and his pathway here it says my goodness, extend us not to thee. That is to. But to the Saints that are in the earth, to the excellent, in whom is all my delight, And who were these that are classified as the excellent? You know, the world has a book called Who's Who and it sets out very important people in society. But who are the excellent of the earth? Doesn't it impress you as you read through the Gospels to find out who these people were, those disciples who are spoken of as? Unlearned, an unlettered man, that woman that was by Sychar as well, whom the Lord Jesus saved blind Bartimaeus, All these ones that were specially brought into blessing in the Lord's pathway here. They were the excellent of the earth. They weren't the ones that were high and mighty as the world would speak. And so it says here. How much more are ye better than the fowls? Again, I say if. Has an interest in these Ravens. Can we doubt his interest in us? Can we doubt that he cares about us? Well, I say this is part of how he sets our minds at ease because perhaps as you said in the meeting, you might think, well this message is for people that are specially spiritual. Well, isn't it lovely? It's for all that he's that's just exactly what Peter said. He said, Lord, are you speaking this for certain ones or is it for us all? And the Lord said. As it were in his reply, Well, just apply it to yourself, Peter. And that's what God would have each one of us to do, and the speaker also to take this passage. And it humbles us as we read a passage like this and try with His help to apply it to ourselves.
And he talks about adding a stature to our cubit as the thing that is least. We would think that was an exceeding great thing to add a stature to our cubit. But he said that's the thing that's least. And he said if you're not able to do the thing that is least, then why take ye thought for the rest? And so he might think, well, I have some great problems. Well, I would say it would be a great problem for me to add 18 inches to my height. But he says that's a small thing. He says I am able to take care of all those things that concern you. He has, as I say, an interest in them all. And so he says why take? He thought for the rest. That is, He would have us to cast all our cares upon him because He cares for us. Well, he's talked about the things that we need for our food, one of the big problems of life. As a mother often says, oh you just always thinking of what are you going to have for dinner? What are you going to have for supper? Well, isn't it nice to see how the Lord relieves our minds here? And then he talks about other things. This is a second thing that surely takes up a lot of attention is clothes. And it says consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not yet. I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. I think this is so loudly because again I say, if you or I have been writing it, we might have taken up some particular flower that was not so beautiful and say, well, we shouldn't be occupied with looking nice, because now that might lead to our pride. But he takes out one of the most beautiful flowers, the Lily. And he said. That's far nicer, far more beautiful. And Solomon in all his glory, is he concerned even about our appearance? Well, he's shown that he is when he's so close the lilies of the field and makes them beautiful. And so he says that he is concerned about these things, but he doesn't want us to be overly anxious about them because he cares about them and we can get so taken up with them that it's actually distracting and anything that. Distracts us from himself, is a hindrance to our spiritual progress. Anything that distracts us from him because our position in this world is something like an ambassador. You know, the ambassador has everything provided for him by his country. It tells us in the scripture what man goes to warfare at his own charges. The soldier doesn't go to warfare. At his own charges, he doesn't have to provide the things that are necessary. His food or his clothes, this is all provided for by his country. And so this is what the Lord is telling us here, that He cares about the food, even about the Raven. You say He cares about our clothes. He wants them to be nice. Well, as we look around and see the beauties of God's nature and all the way He has made everything so beautiful, He does care. He is concerned and He would have us to realize. That he is interested. All those things that interest us. But He doesn't want us to be overly occupied. And so it says in the 29th verse. And seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful minds. The margin, my margin says live not in careful suspense. Or I think another translation speaks about being overly anxious. And aren't we all? I'm overly anxious about a lot of these things. But the Lord would have us to realize that he is concerned that he does care about there are far, far more important things, and we need to learn to have what the world often speaks of as right priorities. Things are put in their proper place. You know, there can be the idea in our minds that the only thing that we're interested in. Is in spiritual things, but I think it's so beautiful to see. Again, I say the Spirit of God setting our mind at ease about those things that seem to take up so much of our time and attention and everything in order to occupy us with those other things, those things that are eternal. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.
So he tells us that this is the way the world lives, for all these things do the nations of the world seek after. Then it doesn't say, but you don't need to think about these things. Isn't this beautiful? But and your Father knows that ye have need of these things, has not blessed to see this the concern of God our Father about all those things, He makes us his care, like the little hymn says. The protection of his child and treasure is a charge that on himself he laid. We didn't ask him to take on this responsibility. He did this because he loved us, just as we with our children when we loved them. We take on gladly the responsibility of their interests, their cares, their concern. We're concerned about their food, we're concerned about their clothes. But we're most concerned, I trust. We're believers, we're most concerned about their spiritual good. So your Father knows that ye have need of these things, and then He gives us the right order. But seek, rather seek ye the Kingdom of God and all these things. What things? Well, the necessary things of life. All these things shall be added unto you if we put the Lord first, just as He said to. Samuel. The Lord said to Eli, he said them that honor me I will honor, and those that despise me will be lightly esteemed. And so he tells us, He not only knows that we have need of these things, but all these things shall be added unto you. I might know someone has need of something, but I'm not perhaps able to supply the need that they have, because I don't have infinite resources. But the one who is? Interested and says that he knows we have the need, he also has all power. And we're just reading yesterday back at the house how it tells us no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. And then we read too in James that lovely verse. Do not err, my beloved brethren, every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above from the Father of Light. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning? Why does it say there do not err, my beloved brethren? Well, every time we think we're going to get something good through our own lusts, we err because the good things don't come through our lusts. They come down from the Father of Lights. The Father of Lights, that is the one who knows our needs better than we know them ourselves. We think, oh, if I could just get free of such and such a thing. Well, I think I could serve the Lord better. That was the way Paul felt about that thorn in the flesh. He thought he would be much more free to serve the Lord if he could only be free from that thorn in the flesh. That was a hindrance, he thought, to his service. But the Lord said, no, Paul, you're going to have that the rest of your life. I'm not going to take it away. But my grace is sufficient for thee. And as he looked back in retrospect over his. Life, he said most gladly. Therefore I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. He saw that even that thing that seemed to be holding him down was really a blessing, like the little boy who was flying a kite. And it was a beautiful day for a kite flying, and the kite was going up higher and higher, and he was. Tugging on the string because it was such a strong wind and a passerby said. Why are you holding the kite down? It's trying to go up. Why don't you let go of the of the string and let it go up? Well, we all know what happened when he let go, when he let go of the string, why the kite came down. He found out what many of us find out in life, that the things that hold us down are the things that keep us up. The things that hold us down that we think we just like to get rid of and get loose from maybe the very things that are keeping us up in our souls helping. To have what the psalmist called Heinz feet, feet that can rise above the situation without the situation being removed. The little hind can go over the fence. You have to open the gate when the cattle come, but not for the little hind. It can just give a grateful a gracious spring and up it goes over the top and he makes our feet like Hinds feet.
So that we can ride or walk upon our high places. So. He says seek ye the Kingdom of God, just a little word, unless the Kingdom of God, because that's really the subject in Luke's gospel particularly is the moral side of things. And we are told in Romans 14 what the Kingdom of God is. It says the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now that is the Kingdom of God. Is something that is moral and we're told to seek that and So what a what a lovely thing righteousness seek to walk to please the Lord righteousness and peace and just to go on in a world full of confusion in peace as we were noticing the other night that verse in Proverbs that says about wisdom's ways her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her. Our peace and then joy, not always in circumstances, but joy in the Holy Ghost. And that's what he tells us to seek after. Now. That's what each one of us should desire, that we would seek after that. That is to walk in a way consistent with the name that we bear, for we bear the name of Christ. Walk. In in righteousness and then in peace, having that peace. God garrisoning our hearts, What is the peace of God? Why, it's the very peace in which God dwells. I've often said, was God disturbed by anything that happened in the world today? Oh, you say he knew all about it. He was in control. Well, God says, I want you to know that peace. I want you to walk in that peace. He says, little Garrison your heart because we're going to be bombarded with tears all the time. But what will Garrison our hearts? The very peace. In which God dwells, the peace of knowing that God is over all the circumstances of life. And then joy. As I said, not always in circumstances, but always when the Spirit of God opens up to us, as He did in the three days meetings, what our portion really is. How could we help but be happy if we're really enjoying our portion? Dear friend of mine had a text that was given to them when they were married. And the text was the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And he had it hang on the wall. And a businessman came in and we're talking a bit about business. And then he went out of the room for something. And when he came back and the businessman pointed to this text and he said, do you really believe that? And as Christian Brothers said, yes, certainly I do, He said, no wonder you're happy. Well, surely it is so if we really believe this, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So we're told to seek the Kingdom of God, and the God will take care of these other things, the meat and the drink and the other things that are necessary he cares about. And then fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. This, of course, was to prepare the disciples for the pathway of rejection. They were following a rejected Christ. And yet. Paul could say in writing to the Corinthians, he could say as having nothing and yet possessing all things. Isn't that a very wonderful thing? It goes through the world and you might think of all the things you might like to have, all the possessions that you might like to have for yourself. But isn't it another thing to go through this world and know that we actually are in Christ? Possessor of all things. Things it says, another verse in Corinthians says all things are yours, whether life or death or the world or cephas, all are yours and ye are Christ and Christ is God's. We belong to that which is abiding. And so the Lord Jesus is the one to whom everything belongs. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and. Always enjoy that verse myself when difficulties arise that Christ is head over all things to the church, which is His body. It brings comfort to my heart because a wife has a husband who is looking after all her interests and his resources are infinite. Why? She's certainly not going to have a lot of worries. She's going to say, well he has resources and he cares about me.
I can just leave it with him. Well, such is the one whose head over all things to the Church, which is his body. And so he tells us it is the IT is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. These words are so precious, the Father's good pleasure. Sometimes we give and we give because we feel we should or we must. But not so with God's giving. He gives because that's his very nature. Enjoy to remark. That was in Mr. Darby. He said. He said God is love. And no one has made him. So he said God is light, and we make him a judge by our sins. And so we make God a judge by our sins. Thank God in love. Those of us who are saved can say that our sins were born, but it was because he is loved and no one made him so He just is that, and He is that toward us. And so it tells us here, it's your father's good. Pleasure to give you the Kingdom. This little expression, little flock, just doesn't refer to a particular company of Christians. It refers to all believers. It's true. We can and we should seek to be gathered according to truth. We ought to seek to be gathered according to the truth of His word, not as part of this world, but part of that company in this world, the one body who really belongs to Christ. But in comparison to the vastness. Number who are going on without him, it certainly is a little flock and we're not going to get our rights in this world by trying to stand up for them or work through government or something like this to try and get certain privileges and rights. It's your father's good pleasure. We're waiting for his time and meanwhile he's caring for us now. In all that we need along the pathway, it always says sell that ye have and. Give alms. I was a little bit perplexed, perhaps a little about that expression cell that you have and give alms. Does the Lord really want us to just sell everything we have and not to have any possessions here in this world? Well, it has struck me this way, and it speaks to my own conscience and heart when I think of it. Before we were saved, everything that we had, we called our own. It's my car. It's. My house, my clothes, it's my this and that and everything we had, we just figured this was ours. And that expression, it's mine that that adds to our importance and pride. But what really happens when we get saved? Well, you know, there's something happens and what is it? There's a change of ownership. And as though we said, now this car really belongs to the Lord and I'm just his steward and he wants me to use it for him, this house. That I live in it really belongs to the Lord, and I'm just his steward to use it for him. And in that way we sell out, we say it's no longer mine. The early disciples did this in a very practical way. And it says no man said ought that he possessed was his own. Wasn't that something No man said ought that he possessed was his own? And so he felt that what he had really belonged to the Lord, and he was willing to use it for the Lord. Well, this is what is what it means it means. I believe, and each one of us can ask ourselves as we look over whatever possessions we have, are we saying that's mine? That's mine? Are we saying that's his that belongs to my Savior? And are we asking Him how we can use what He has given us day by day, our time, our ability, our possessions, all for Him? Love that transcends our highest powers demands our. Soul, our life, our all. And so then we provide ourselves with bags that wax not all the treasure in the heavens that faileth not, as the Lord said in another place, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, For neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves don't breakthrough and steal. So he was telling them that the treasure that really abides is that which is in heaven.
In the 16th of, Luke takes this up and tells us. That we can, it says, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it failed, he may be received into the everlasting habitations. That is, money is going to fail. It only belongs to this earth, but the way we use it is going to abide the way we use it. That's all part of what is going to be manifested at the judgment seat of Christ. How did we use what he gave to us? And so that's why he is. Saying a treasure in the heavens, that faileth not whatever is given a cup of cold water has thought upon his name or anything. David gave very, very generously for the building of the House of God. As you read in Chronicles about the tremendous amounts that he gave, you're just astounded. But then you know what he says afterwards He said, all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given. The you know when you read it, you're just overwhelmed. It was really into millions of dollars, the amounts that he gave, and he didn't think of it as very much. He told Solomon thou mayest add thereto and then he says to the Lord, he said, I've just given back to thee what thou gavest to me has not lovely to see that. And that's the treasure in heavens that faileth not how easily we can lose the things that we have here. Thieves or moths, we can easily lose the things but that which we have laid up above the time, whatever has been spent for the Lord or given to the Lord, whether it's our possessions or our ability or what God is not going to forget one of these things. I've often said I've gone to people's homes and they have what they call a book where they ask you to write your name for the visitors who come to their. Performs but God has a book when we just think on his name. They they put the name down when you visit the home. But isn't it wonderful that God has that record when we even think upon his name And you know I've enjoyed too about that widow when it says she cast in all that she had. Why does the scripture tell us that she cast in two mites which make a Farthing? You know if you or I have been writing it, we would have said she cast in the Farthing because that's all it really was. Why does it say 2 mites which make a Farthing? Well, if she only had a Farthing piece, she would have had to make a choice. Will I throw it all in or will I not? But when she had two mites, then she had a choice. Was she going to keep one for herself and give one to the Lord? And so she had a choice to make and the choice was to give it all to the Lord. And isn't this beautiful here? That he's telling us all that we have really belongs to him, and it's a privilege to be able to lay it up in that storehouse where nothing can ever touch it, and it's out of love for him. Then why? There must be a motive. So now he starts to talk in these verses about the privileges that we have of living for him. As I say at the first part, he's setting. Our minds at ease. He's saying now just leave the matter of what you eat and your clothes and those things with me for a little while. And we just talk about other things, things that really matter, things that really count for eternity. And he says all those material things you can leave to me and you can just commit them to me and you're just my steward in the way you use them. But now, isn't this most beautiful here that he shows us that we do have? A privilege of living for him. And so here he first speaks about our hearts, where your treasure is, and there will your heart be also. Our hearts, as we know, speak of our affections, our our affections with him. I'm sure some of you older ones have heard little expression my father used to make. He used to say we can have as much of Christ as we want and our lives show how much we want and I believe. This is what it means here where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If your heart is set on something you don't mind spending money to buy something in connection with this thing that you have your heart set on your car, it's your home. We don't mind spending money because you're really hard is set in making this thing more and more attractive more that which will satisfy.
Your feelings about you like this, You want it? Well, he says where your treasure is. Where is our treasure? Oh brethren, it's up there. We have nothing that abides down here. And perhaps when God allows sickness and trials in our lives, it's just to say to us, I want you to loosen your grasp on things down here. It's all going to pass away. But what really counts is what's up there. Oh, may our hearts. Be up there. At verse, At verse it says, set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Now we have first the heart, and then it says, let your loins be girded about. So we have first the heart, then let your loins be girded about. I believe the loins being girded about bring before us a readiness to serve the Lord, because if we really love him. It's a pleasure to do something for him. If you really love someone, you even actually try to think of things you can do to please that person, things you can make for them, things you can give them. And you do this because you love them. It isn't that you have to do it. Why? It's your pleasure to do those kind of things. And so if our hearts are taken up with the Lord Jesus. And that portion that we have up there in him. What will be the result? Well, I believe then there will be a desire and not to settle down here, but our loins would be girded about. Now it speaks in one place, the loins girded about with truth. I believe this is important because it's not just that we pick the kind of service that we would like to do, but like Saul of Tarsus, he said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And it's so important. And in our Christian life that we do what is pleasing to him, that we follow the light of his word, because over and over again through the Scripture we find how that what God values is that which is done in obedience. He says obedience is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams. And so he tells us here your loins girded about. And again I mentioned in Ephesians, I believe it says your. Gird about with truth. And then too in Peter, he says gird up the loins of your mind. We have to watch. Our minds will run from one end of the earth to the other. We get taken up with all kinds of things. While I'm sure all of us have had this experience come to the meeting and we really want to listen, but first thing we know our minds are in the ends of the earth. Wander away. Well, we have to gird up our minds. We need to have them girded about with truth. And we need to to allow affection for him to cause us to desire to serve him. That's the kind of service he wants. He wants the service of willing, loving hearts, just like how it pleases us when our children do things just out of love for us. I've got little things that have been given to me by my grandchildren. And you know, if I show them to you, say that's, that's just a script. But I know that it was done out of love. It means something to me because there was a loving heart behind it. And so the Lord wants us to to have our hearts set upon Him, our loins girded about. And now we have the loins are more connected with that which is inward, that willingness to serve according to truth. And then the outward thing, your lights burning. Your lights burning, that is. There's a testimony to be born before this world. The world is looking on. We might think that our light doesn't mean very much, but you know, the darker the night, the brighter a little light shines. You can take a small candle or a little light and you hardly know it's lit in daytime. Because all around it's so bright, but the darker it gets. That's the more even the very little light will show. And this world is getting darker. How very little light will show. And he says, your light's burning. How may we be in this world? Like the children's hymn says, Jesus bids us shine first of all for him. And then the next verse says Jesus bids us shine next for all around. Many kinds of darkness in this world abound.
So I remember dear old brother Anise, who some of you will remember many years ago, I remember hearing him make a little comment in his broken English. He said don't do a lot of talking about what we're doing. He said delight, don't make no noise. And so it is, isn't it nice that if we say, well I can't do very much talking, well, delight don't make no noise. That is, there can be a shining for him. A testimony in our lives that the world. World will see even though we say perhaps very little, many of us feel how unable we are to say the things that we'd like to say but we can always live for the Lord this little girl over in Africa many years ago and she. I went to school to learn to read, but she was rather backward and the teacher had to tell her, well, I'm just afraid you can't. You can't make it. I'm afraid you can't learn to read. She was so desirous to read to her folks when she went back home and they said, well, it's just too difficult for you, but you can go back and shine for Jesus. She couldn't read. She didn't have that ability, but she could shine. And you yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, Now we have the waiting for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Well, is this our attitude? Are we really waiting? Is this our daily expectation? As a little hymn that says, What weight I for most blessed Lord, accept thy face to see. If such the earnest thou hast given, what must thy presence be? Many of us are waiting for certain things in life, waiting for certain things, perhaps at school or at work, waiting until we get through school, waiting for things to straighten out and certain matters. And we say, when this is all cleared up, I'll do this or that. What is the thing that's most important that we're waiting for? Are we really like those Thessalonians? They were waiting. For God's Son from heaven, waiting for God's Son from heaven. Is this really our hope, brethren? Not just a doctrine that we hold? I think most of us here hold the Lord's coming as a doctrine, but are we really waiting for it? I speak to my own heart. So easy to think we're waiting for so many things down here, and they often are disappointments. But are we waiting for him? Waiting for their? Lord and then till when he cometh and knocketh, that they may open to Him immediately. We know how often, if things aren't just ready, we don't want to open the door immediately. But if things are already wise, the door swings open without any hesitation because we're expecting the company, we're expecting our friends to come, and there's no hesitation. Is there anything in your life or mine that should be straightened those things? Around the house that we'd like to straighten up before we open the door. But are we, are we walking in such a way that we can say, well, I want to have all these things straightened so that if the Lord came tonight, there wouldn't be anything that I wished I had done before He came and called me to himself. There is such a thing, brethren, and it's a searching thought of being ashamed before him at his coming. There is such a. And it's just those things that we have allowed that the Lord gave us an opportunity perhaps to clear them up, Those things that weren't right in our lives or in our relationships with others. Oh, may the Lord give us grace that we might be opening to Him immediately as to our attitude, for soon we're really going to hear that voice and that door opened in heaven and that triumphant shout Come up, hit her, that's what. Waiting for. And now he goes on, and speaks of another aspect in the 37th verse. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. So he's been speaking about girding ourselves for service. And now he adds a little word here about watching. Not only waiting, but watching. Now that perhaps is a little more than just waiting because we could be waiting doing other things. But watching means that this is something that we really are expecting because as a person that we love, who is coming, we watch if it's a person that we love.
And saw there's waiting and there's watching. And now what follows here is to me one of the most wonderful verses in the whole Bible. It says. That He shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meet, and will come forth and serve them. Oh, brethren, I I don't know of anything more marvelous than this. We think of how short life is. We think of how little time we have left to serve Him, to do His will. We think of how He has left us here in this little while, and He has given to each their service, and to each their burden. There but to think that when we get home to glory that he's going to say now your time of service is ended. You just sit down and I'll serve you. Oh, it doesn't that touch your heart? It thrills my heart when I read it. I just can't understand it because it tells us in another passage, the 21St of Exodus that using the type of the Lord Jesus as the Hebrew servant, it says. That he shall serve forever. Just to think that the Lord calls upon us down here to live a little bit of our time and how short it is. And then he says when your little time of service those few short years is over, then he said you can sit down. I'm not going to ask you to do something. I'm going to come forth and serve you. He girds himself and comes forth and forever brethren above, he's going to. Minister to our happiness, He just is so desirous for our happiness that he's going to find the eternal satisfaction of his own affections in the service of his own in that glory above. He shall gird himself and shall come forth and serve them. What caused this Hebrew servant in the 21St chapter of Exodus to be the servant forever? It says He plainly said, I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free, and the Lord Jesus is going to remain a man forever. In order to have our company and to make us happy. Oh, when you think of this. Doesn't it thrill your heart? Doesn't it make us want to live what Peter calls the rest of our time for him? He's so worthy of it all. And then it says, And if he come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them, so blessed are those servants. Perhaps this comes in because it's so easy for us to put on a spurt and do things for a while, but we get discouraged. Perhaps no one. Seems to appreciate what we do. No one says thank you, perhaps even get a little bit of criticism and we say, well, I just give up and there's no use. No one appreciates what I've tried to do. But who are we doing it for? Is it the Lord? Is it the one who has won our hearts, who went to Calvary and died for us, and who's going to serve us forever? He's serving us now as our great High Priest and advocate. And he tells us here. If he comes in the second watch or in the third watch and find themselves, find them what? Now just doing what it says. Have their hearts taken up with Him, their loins girded, their lights burning. They're waiting for the Lord, they're watching. And then when He comes, this is his answer to it all. Well, brethren, the point is, let's not give up. When they spoke about stoning, stoning Moses, he turned to the Lord and he said, what will I do? They're ready to stone me. And what was the Lord's answer? Go on before the people. Go on before the people, as though the Lord said, well, I love those people, are you going to give up? And so Moses went out, and he was used of God to draw water for the people, so that they might drink. And then it tells us in the 39th verse, and this know that if the Goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh. At an hour that ye think not?
Just a little comment and I believe this is in keeping with what we have in the Gospel of Luke and that is. There are little things that come in the show that there's a message here for anyone who's not saved. Is there anyone in this room tonight? And all I'm saying has no thrill to your heart because you've never learned to know the love of Christ. You're not ready. His coming strikes terror in your heart. It makes you afraid, as the little hymn says. Who are they that fear to meet Him, such as now? Love, not his voice. And so he gives a little warning, and I just pass on this warning. If there's anyone who's not saved, it's joy to us who are saved to think of His coming. It's a blessed hope to us. But Are you ready when He comes? Can you say that you have been washed in the precious blood of Christ? Or are you going to have to see him at his coming in judgment instead of his coming to ******? His own away, for this is what it talks about here, when He comes in judgment upon all those who have rejected him. And then we remarked on this 41St verse, Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all, and the Lord? Said Who then is that faithful and wise servant whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season? Isn't it strange how? We're ready to apply the truth to others, but often so hesitant to apply it to ourselves. Peter says, is this for everybody? Is it just for us disciples? But I believe the Lord's answer shows here as one remark. Before that he's saying, well, Peter, you can take this to yourself. Remember on another occasion how Peter turned and saw John following. And he said, And what shall this man do? And the Lord said, if I will, that he tarry till I come. What is that to thee? Follow thou me? And so there is something for each one of us to do. We're very likely to be just like this, thankful. Who does this apply to? Is this Israelis talking about or who is it? Well, I speak of the moral sense of it, and that is, we can, and I can, I trust, apply it to myself. And that is what is the Lord. Value that we should be doing in his absence, it says. Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? And I think Peter must have been thinking about this later on in his epistle when he said neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock. And then he says feed the flock of God, which is among you. He must have remembered what the Lord said. It must have sunk down into his heart at this time. And sometimes we can get occupied with our own importance and we're a little bit hurt if people don't recognize this as being kind of important. Important people. But here we find that the Lord says that the important thing is not the person, but what He's doing. It's what He's doing. And that is, He is looking after those who are dear to the heart of Christ. He's appointing them their meat and due season. I used to wonder a little bit why it said that if a man desired the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work. And why? Should a man desire to have a place of prominence? And then I began to think, why? What the Lord values is that if we have an interest in His people, that is a good work to Him. I can say this, that when somebody does something for someone that's dear to me, it pleases my heart, because the kindness they showed to the person, perhaps my child or my wife, the kindness they showed. Someone who is dear to me is much appreciated by me. And you know, when we do anything for the Lord's people, he values it because they're dear to him. And notice these two things, faithful and wise. God always keeps us in the middle of the road. You know, we can be very faithful sometimes and not wise. We can, we can lay down things that should be done and they should be done, but not always. Wise in the way we say things and do things. Well, there's lots of good food, but I don't think that we always put on things for breakfast just because they're good food. There's certain things that are suited to breakfast and some other things that we might serve at dinner time or perhaps for lunch. They just don't seem suited at breakfast. They're not really the thing for breakfast. And so, you know, we can say the thing. That's right.
But we can say it at the wrong time, in the wrong way, and how careful we need to be. Isn't it good that we have one who can help us not only to be faithful, but wise? I think it's so lovely to see the way Nathan came to David when David had sinned. And if it had been you or I, we might have just told him right away what was wrong. But he didn't. He said a little parable before. And tried to get him to see that there was something wrong in his life without telling himself, Oh, the Lord can give us that kind of wisdom. I remember reading a little article about that. It really struck me. It said, do you know how to use a parable? And so sometimes we don't know how. We're just blunt and we don't say the thing in a way that perhaps might reach the conscience. God always gives space to repent. So here. Isn't it lovely to see this? Faithful and wise servant, A timely thing in due season. Blessed is that servant whom is Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. And so I say again, brethren, let us not give up. The Lord is coming. Are we going to be seeking the good of His people when He comes? Are we really interested in their good and their blessing? Have often said that we can even get occupied with things. Like certain truth, which is not food for the soul sometimes said you could sit down to a meal. And if the Hostess said, now before we start to eat, I'd like to tell you how many minutes it took to prepare this and headed right down to the very minute and how many slices of bread there are here on the table and how many ounces of butter. And I always say, why are they telling all those? Well, the Hostess had to know this. In order to prepare that nice meal. But when we sit down, what we're thinking about is food. And what she's thinking about is that we would enjoy the food. And you know, there's a lot of details that we need to know, but I believe, brethren, what we need is food for our souls. May God grant that we'll be desirous that our hearts should be fed as we come together so that we might get up like we do from a meal table and say, oh, that was a good meal. I really enjoyed that. And there ought. Be that as we seek the good of the people of God, that they got a blessing for their souls. And if there was someone perhaps whose appetite wasn't what it should be, that we would like to see that person, well, what for so they can enjoy the good food. And now just one more thing before we close, and that is the 45th verse. Just a little word, and it speaks to our hearts. But and if that servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming. He didn't say it out loud, He just said it in his heart. And what did he do when he said this? There were two things that says he began to beat the men, servants and maidens. And secondly, to eat and drink and to be drunken. And the point that I feel from my own heart, and perhaps you feel it for yours, is that when we lose sight of the Lord's coming, when we're not really expecting Him today. Two things are liable to take place. We're liable to become exceedingly critical of the people of God. Or on the other hand, we can get so taken up with worldly things that we're really not living for the Lord Jesus. We're living for the things that pass away. That's what is the warning here given in the end of the chapter, because the whole burden of the apostles heart is, he says, of the Lord's heart. I should say the whole burden on the heart of the Lord Jesus here. Is I want to tell you that I'll look after all those material things that you're concerned about, but I'm going to give you the privilege of being interested and caring for my interests, my people, all that are dear to me and living for me. And I'm not going to forget anything that you do for me. You can forget those cares that are perplexing you, but you can do these other things. And he said it won't be forgotten. In that day. And then if we don't, oh, how easy it is for us, brethren, and we know our own hearts only too well. We then begin to beat the men, servants and maidservants. We begin to say things that we shouldn't, hurtful things often. And then too, perhaps we get occupied with worldly things turned aside because.
What we have lost that blessed hope, Oh, May God grant that the blessed. Both, and I say it for as much for myself as anyone here, will so grip our hearts that we'll really be a watching and awaiting people because the Lord's coming is near.