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Now we're going to turn back please to

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the book of Ezra and chapter number seven

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please the book of Ezra and chapter seven.

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What's upon my mind is to try and

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tie in with what was said earlier on

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in the conference and especially to follow on

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where our brother Skates left off.

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I'll try and remember the time but uh

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as brother Skates has already noted over in

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the UK we do usually have about 40

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minutes so we'll try and keep it to

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a sensible length of time.

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Ezra chapter seven please in verse number 10.

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For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek

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the law of the Lord and to do

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it and to teach in Israel statutes and

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judgments.

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Now this is the copy of the letter

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that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the

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priest the scribe even a scribe of the

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words of the commandments of the Lord and

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of his statutes to Israel.

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Artaxerxes king of kings and to Ezra the

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priest a scribe of the law of the

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God of heaven perfect peace and at such

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a time.

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I make a decree that all they of

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the people of Israel and of his priests

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and Levites in my realm which are minded

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of their own free will to go up

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to Jerusalem go with thee.

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For as much as thou art sent of

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the king and of his seven counselors to

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inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the

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law of thy God which is in thine

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hand and to carry the silver and gold

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which the king and his counselors have freely

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offered unto the God of Israel whose habitation

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or house is in Jerusalem.

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And all the silver and gold that thou

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can find in all the province of Babylon

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with the free will offering of the people

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and of the priests offering willingly for the

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house of their God which is in Jerusalem.

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That thou mayest buy speedily with this money

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bullocks rams lambs with their meat offering and

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their drink offerings and offer them upon the

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altar of the house of your God which

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is in Jerusalem.

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And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and

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to thy brethren to do with the rest

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of the silver and the gold that do

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after the will of your God.

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The vessels also that are given thee for

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the service of the house of thy God

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those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem

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and whatsoever more shall be needful for the

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house of thy God which thou shall have

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occasion to bestow bestow it out of the

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king's treasure house.

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And I even I are to exert sees

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the king to make a decree to all

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the treasures treasurers which are beyond the river

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and what and whatsoever Ezra the priest the

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scribe of the law of the God of

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heaven shall require of you it be done

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speedily.

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Unto 100 talents of silver and to 100

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measures of wheat and to 100 baths of

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wine and to 100 baths of oil and

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salt without prescribing how much whatsoever is commanded

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by the God of heaven.

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Let it be diligently done for the house

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of the God of heaven for why should

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there be wrath against the realm of the

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king and his sons.

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And what verse number 24 as well and

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we certify you that touching any of the

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priests and Levite singers porters nephenims and ministers

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of this house of God it shall not

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be lawful to impose toll tribute or custom

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upon them.

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Now we do trust that God will bless

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that rather lengthy reading of his own precious

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word.

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You'll notice this is really an epistle you

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could say it's the epistle of art exerts

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ease to Ezra the scribe and you'll notice

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it's an epistle written by a heathen king.

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As you go down you'll notice how he

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speaks about your God and about your service

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and your sacrifices.

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It's never my God it's never the house

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of my God it's the house of your

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God.

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He's a heathen king and yet he knows

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more about the house of the Lord than

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sadly many of us seem to ever grasp

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in a whole lifetime in assembly fellowship.

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He speaks about various aspects of the house

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of God and we need to grasp some

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of these things as our brethren earlier on

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were saying to us.

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And so we just want to briefly look

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at some of these things and throw them

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out and just challenge our hearts and challenge

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our minds and challenge our souls with regards

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to local assembly fellowship.

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Firstly you'll notice the preparation for the house.

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It's there where our brother skates finished in

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verse number 10.

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Ezra had prepared his heart.

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You see before he does anything else there

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is consecration.

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Before we can do anything for God there

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must be consecration to the will of God

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and the word of God and the ways

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of God.

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And Ezra prepared his heart.

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What does Daniel do?

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He purposed in his heart.

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What was that?

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Consecration.

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What did Mary do?

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She pondered in her heart the things that

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the Lord had made known unto her.

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What was that?

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Consecration to the mind and will of God.

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And so here's a man who's consecrated to

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the mind and the will of God.

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But not only consecration there was contemplation.

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You see Ezra prepared his heart to seek

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the law of the Lord.

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He was contemplating.

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Let's take that into a New Testament setting.

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Meditation.

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What do you listen to when you're driving

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the car?

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Oh you say I listen to hymns.

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Well that's good as long as they're good

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hymns.

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Do be careful what you listen to.

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Don't go listening to that chap.

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I think he sings with the gay.

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He's got great big long hair and and

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just looks an absolute apostate.

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And why we ever go buying his cds.

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I can't remember the man's name but you

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listen to that which is good and sound

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and wholesome.

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But do we actually meditate upon the word

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of God?

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We can all have it.

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I've got it on my phone.

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I think I've got three different apps.

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Each one of them that will speak to

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me the word of God.

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Do we listen to good ministry when we're

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traveling in the car?

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How many hours do we spend in a

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car?

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Well traveling here in Iowa it's three quarters

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of an hour at least from where I'm

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staying into Waterloo.

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I wonder how much time we spend meditating.

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You see what did he seek?

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He sought the law of the Lord.

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So not only is he marked by consecration

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and contemplation he's also marked by confirmation.

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You see he wanted his life conformed to

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seek the law of the Lord and to

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do it.

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Oh we all know it but are we

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good at actually putting it into practice?

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Here was a man who was marked by

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a consecration to the will of God.

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Contemplating the will of God and then he

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wanted to be conformed to the will of

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God and then this communication to teach.

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Now we were told that there were five

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brethren here.

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Well I'm not quite sure who the fifth

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is so but I was looking at the

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four that were left to speak and I

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think our average age is somewhere between 65

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and 70.

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Murray puts it up exponentially above anyone else

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but I'm sorry Murray that's just the case.

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But that's the average age if all five

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of us managed to get in and our

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brother Skate's already told us you know where

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he came in the rank and I know

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that brother Scott's somewhere up around about just

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a couple years younger than I am and

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so what what am I saying?

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I'm saying it's the older generation that's teaching.

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It was good that Brandon got up and

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had a good word for us to bring

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the younger generation in but you young men

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get down to the word of God because

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those of us that are older will soon

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be gone and should the Lord be not

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come we need those who are marked like

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Ezra who understand the word of God who

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can communicate the word of God and encourage

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the people in the word of God and

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as we heard last night just be able

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to lift the people with the word of

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God.

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So that was the preparation for the house

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of God but I notice there's the place

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of the house that's brought before us in

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verse number 15 whose habitation is in Jerusalem.

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You see time after time after time after

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time we find that when the people had

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been away and they'd been taken away in

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captivity for 70 years they could take them

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away from the place but they could never

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take the place away from the people.

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I was speaking to a couple about 18

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months ago with my wife we had lunch

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with them.

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They used to be in the assembly fellowship

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they left about 15 years ago.

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We had a very nice time of having

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lunch with them and then we asked the

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question where abouts do you go now?

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They looked at each other and the wife

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answered and said we don't go anywhere.

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Once you've been in local assembly fellowship there's

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nowhere else quite like it.

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There is nowhere else like the local assembly.

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You know when the children of Israel were

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in the land and they were disobedient to

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the word of God they didn't miss it

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but when they were taken out of the

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land what's it say?

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By the rivers of Babylon there we sat

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down and there we wept when we remembered

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Zion.

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There's a place where God has placed his

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name.

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We're gathered to the name of the Lord

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Jesus we are not gathered to some denominational

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title.

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I'm sure that you heard as I heard

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when I was just a young man and

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if you've not heard it well you're gonna

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get it now anyway.

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You know in the new testament they believed

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in baptism by immersion but there were no

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baptists.

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In the new testament there was a church

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but there wasn't an Anglican church.

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In the new testament there were Romans but

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there were no Roman Catholics.

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In the new testament they had the right

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methods but there were no Methodists.

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In the new testament they believed in elders

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but there were no Presbyterians.

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You know what I'm saying?

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Let's use scriptural language and let's make sure

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that we have our minds and our hearts

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set firmly on the place where God has

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placed his name.

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What a privilege!

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Yes young man it is going to mean

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that you're going to have to put a

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bit of study in.

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It does mean you are going to have

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to lead the company in prayer.

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Yes it does mean you are going to

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have to bring the two turtle doves.

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You're going to have to bring the goat

275
00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,280
or the lamb or the bullock.

276
00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,600
Well our brother Scott was telling about David

277
00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,440
Gilliland in a prayer meeting and somebody prayed

278
00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:01,500
for 21 minutes.

279
00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,100
I was in that assembly once and they

280
00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:05,980
said wait till brother so-and-so stands

281
00:12:05,980 --> 00:12:06,260
up.

282
00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:09,200
He goes on and on and on.

283
00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:10,820
I was very bad.

284
00:12:11,420 --> 00:12:12,980
You'll forgive me won't you because I'm an

285
00:12:12,980 --> 00:12:14,780
Englishman but when he stood up I looked

286
00:12:14,780 --> 00:12:18,540
at my watch and when he sat down

287
00:12:18,540 --> 00:12:20,720
I looked at my watch again 35 minutes

288
00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:21,120
later.

289
00:12:23,060 --> 00:12:24,720
That was a break of your bed meeting.

290
00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:26,800
You say what did he bring?

291
00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,360
He brought a whole herd of bullocks.

292
00:12:31,340 --> 00:12:33,700
Oh not just one that wasn't enough.

293
00:12:34,060 --> 00:12:37,420
Listen that does kill a meeting but young

294
00:12:37,420 --> 00:12:41,780
brethren just tomorrow morning tonight when you get

295
00:12:41,780 --> 00:12:46,620
back from the conference make something yours something

296
00:12:46,620 --> 00:12:50,740
of Christ and tomorrow morning in fear and

297
00:12:50,740 --> 00:12:53,800
trembling yes stand up and give it to

298
00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,780
the Lord and let all the people say

299
00:12:56,780 --> 00:12:57,660
amen.

300
00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,660
Oh what a conference it would be if

301
00:13:00,660 --> 00:13:02,140
we could encourage some young men.

302
00:13:02,540 --> 00:13:05,360
You young sisters that doesn't let you off

303
00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:05,880
the hook either.

304
00:13:06,820 --> 00:13:08,980
You know when we do have those silences

305
00:13:08,980 --> 00:13:10,820
don't let them be barren young sisters.

306
00:13:11,540 --> 00:13:14,000
You make sure that you worship in those

307
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,620
silent times and sometimes when we go away

308
00:13:17,620 --> 00:13:19,480
and we just know we've been in the

309
00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,980
presence of God I'll tell you why it's

310
00:13:21,980 --> 00:13:25,620
because those sisters inaudibly have been leading us

311
00:13:25,620 --> 00:13:28,280
or you see there was the place the

312
00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,300
place of the house but then I noticed

313
00:13:31,300 --> 00:13:33,080
too there was the prudence of the house

314
00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,260
that's in verse number 16 and all the

315
00:13:36,260 --> 00:13:39,260
silver and gold that thou canst find in

316
00:13:39,260 --> 00:13:42,100
all the province of Babylon with the free

317
00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:44,280
will offering of the people and of the

318
00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,860
priest offering willingly for the house of their

319
00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:52,220
God which is in Jerusalem offering willingly tomorrow

320
00:13:52,220 --> 00:13:52,900
morning.

321
00:13:53,340 --> 00:13:55,380
You know we live in a holiday destination

322
00:13:55,380 --> 00:13:59,700
Port Rush we have visitors from Easter right

323
00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:01,500
the way through to the end of September

324
00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:03,940
every single Lord's Day we will have visitors

325
00:14:04,580 --> 00:14:07,140
and when we get to the summer period

326
00:14:07,140 --> 00:14:09,980
we will have a lot of visitors we're

327
00:14:09,980 --> 00:14:13,000
about 23 24 in fellowship in Port Rush

328
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,020
now and when we get to the summer

329
00:14:16,020 --> 00:14:18,980
I think last summer we had about 130

330
00:14:18,980 --> 00:14:21,300
or so breaking bread with us.

331
00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,780
We're a big holiday destination and you know

332
00:14:23,780 --> 00:14:25,620
when you're standing on the door and you're

333
00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:28,360
greeting everybody you see them suddenly they're on

334
00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:33,060
holiday oh oh where's um they haven't laid

335
00:14:33,060 --> 00:14:36,980
anything aside they haven't you uh oh well

336
00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,860
you and then and then we look at

337
00:14:40,860 --> 00:14:44,620
the collection and we might have a hundred

338
00:14:44,620 --> 00:14:49,620
breaking bread and it's a little bit more

339
00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:51,740
than what we normally give in just ourselves.

340
00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,280
You know what I'm saying make sure the

341
00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,680
Lord has the first fruits of what comes

342
00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,080
into your pocket when you get that pay

343
00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,540
rise make sure that the Lord has the

344
00:15:07,540 --> 00:15:10,800
first fruits from it make sure that there's

345
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,980
an exercise of heart young couples with families

346
00:15:14,980 --> 00:15:18,620
oh I know it's costly I know that

347
00:15:18,620 --> 00:15:20,840
there's the various bills that have to be

348
00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,440
paid but just make sure that the Lord

349
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,600
gets his portion first and you will find

350
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,140
that the Lord allows what's left to spread

351
00:15:30,140 --> 00:15:32,700
to cover all the payments that have to

352
00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:36,940
be made oh you see they gave willingly

353
00:15:36,940 --> 00:15:41,180
willingly that's the point for the work of

354
00:15:41,180 --> 00:15:44,640
the Lord the prudence of the house I

355
00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,680
thought too that we need to think of

356
00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,460
the priority that's verse 17 that thou mayest

357
00:15:50,460 --> 00:15:55,020
pay speedily with this money bullets rams lambs

358
00:15:55,020 --> 00:15:57,420
with their meat offerings and their drink offerings

359
00:15:57,420 --> 00:15:59,700
and offer them upon the altar of the

360
00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:02,100
house of your God what's the assembly for

361
00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:05,480
what's the assembly at Waterloo for what's the

362
00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,220
assembly at Stout for what's the assembly at

363
00:16:09,220 --> 00:16:12,680
Hitsville for what's the assembly at Cedar Falls

364
00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,640
for oh you say it's so we can

365
00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,740
reach out to the lost and so that

366
00:16:16,740 --> 00:16:22,450
they know the gospel no that's a benefit

367
00:16:22,450 --> 00:16:26,550
of the assembly being planted there but primarily

368
00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:30,210
those assemblies are there for the honor and

369
00:16:30,210 --> 00:16:34,520
glory of God that we might have something

370
00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,800
to offer to him on the altar oh

371
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,020
I want to ask you now have you

372
00:16:41,020 --> 00:16:45,360
got your priorities right and because we want

373
00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,160
to offer something and because he is there

374
00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:53,700
you will be there too whenever possible I

375
00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:56,280
know there's times when it's not humanly possible

376
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,660
for one reason or another you know but

377
00:16:58,660 --> 00:17:01,020
but for most of the times when we're

378
00:17:01,020 --> 00:17:04,140
not there it's just because we have a

379
00:17:04,140 --> 00:17:07,700
whole lot of excuses or you see the

380
00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:12,020
priority is the altar of the house it's

381
00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:16,119
Christ and we should be offering up spiritual

382
00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,260
sacrifices of Christ and you can only do

383
00:17:20,260 --> 00:17:21,720
that if you're being in the word of

384
00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,099
God you say why do I get something

385
00:17:23,099 --> 00:17:28,020
of Christ in the word of God well

386
00:17:29,140 --> 00:17:31,420
you can go to Genesis 22 you must

387
00:17:31,420 --> 00:17:34,320
be able to find something there you can

388
00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,060
certainly find something in Exodus 12 you go

389
00:17:38,060 --> 00:17:40,360
to Levitic where you go to Exodus 25

390
00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:43,100
to 40 and you'll get something then all

391
00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:45,040
right on the tabernacle and if you don't

392
00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,840
know anything about the tabernacle well I just

393
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,280
suggest that you get brother Scott for a

394
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,180
couple of weeks with all his charts and

395
00:17:51,180 --> 00:17:53,140
all his models and and get him to

396
00:17:53,140 --> 00:17:55,400
teach you about the tabernacle what about those

397
00:17:55,400 --> 00:18:00,080
five offerings Leviticus one to seven something of

398
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,980
Christ in those her brother took us there

399
00:18:02,980 --> 00:18:06,520
Leviticus one the burnt offering well there's the

400
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,320
there's that oh you see there's enough in

401
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,620
the word of God of Christ just go

402
00:18:11,620 --> 00:18:16,280
through the gospels one of those simple stories

403
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,180
that we teach in the Sunday school just

404
00:18:19,180 --> 00:18:23,680
reread it enjoy the work of Christ and

405
00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,560
just bring it before him the altar of

406
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:33,400
the house is absolutely vital but uh not

407
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,860
only uh the altar of the house I

408
00:18:35,860 --> 00:18:38,000
thought we need uh to think just about

409
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,760
the privilege of the house you see in

410
00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,460
verse number 19 it speaks about the vessels

411
00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:47,140
that are given thee for the service of

412
00:18:47,140 --> 00:18:49,440
the house of thy God now when we

413
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,080
come to Timothy we find about vessels to

414
00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,460
honor and vessels to dishonor I'm just going

415
00:18:54,460 --> 00:18:56,580
to spiritualize this and I'm going to say

416
00:18:56,580 --> 00:18:59,800
you have got a privilege it's a privilege

417
00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,560
to be a member of the local assembly

418
00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:07,200
and we should understand what it means when

419
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,500
somebody comes into fellowship our brother said we

420
00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,640
need to be careful and we need to

421
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,680
examine them we need to check about their

422
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,700
salvation we need to know that they're baptized

423
00:19:18,700 --> 00:19:21,440
and they've understood what baptism is all about

424
00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,720
and then we're bringing them into the assembly

425
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,580
you know Mr McFeet used to say that

426
00:19:26,580 --> 00:19:28,020
there was one thing that we could learn

427
00:19:28,020 --> 00:19:31,780
from the established church keep the clocks on

428
00:19:31,780 --> 00:19:35,100
the outside that was what Mr McFeet used

429
00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:37,020
to say in other words you know when

430
00:19:37,020 --> 00:19:39,820
you're preaching you're not you're not caught by

431
00:19:39,820 --> 00:19:42,420
time you're not going to keep everything just

432
00:19:42,420 --> 00:19:45,620
within half half an hour uh or 20

433
00:19:45,620 --> 00:19:48,980
minutes well um there is something else we

434
00:19:48,980 --> 00:19:51,500
can learn certainly from the Anglican church they

435
00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:55,000
have communion classes you say what do we

436
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,020
learn about those you see when somebody wants

437
00:19:59,020 --> 00:20:02,240
to come into local assembly fellowship why don't

438
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,080
we just have two or three ministry meetings

439
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,580
where we teach the basics of assembly fellowship

440
00:20:08,580 --> 00:20:12,700
I was saved from outside of the assemblies

441
00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:17,580
I was full of questions I wanted to

442
00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:20,120
know just short purely because about the third

443
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,180
gospel meeting I went to I was already

444
00:20:22,180 --> 00:20:25,020
saved uh all the all the ladies there

445
00:20:25,020 --> 00:20:27,180
I noticed that they all had head coverings

446
00:20:27,180 --> 00:20:29,200
the only reason I noticed was because they

447
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,720
were either red white or blue I wanted

448
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,340
to know uh what there was the significance

449
00:20:34,340 --> 00:20:37,140
about the colors of the head coverings and

450
00:20:37,140 --> 00:20:39,120
then I was told oh well it's nothing

451
00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:41,940
to do with the colors but everything to

452
00:20:41,940 --> 00:20:44,500
do with the covering and so we need

453
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:46,820
to teach these things because we bring people

454
00:20:46,820 --> 00:20:49,520
into assembly fellowship and they really have no

455
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,340
idea as to what the assembly was all

456
00:20:52,340 --> 00:20:56,580
about vessels for the house they need to

457
00:20:56,580 --> 00:20:59,200
understand that they have a gift and they

458
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,040
need to find out what that gift is

459
00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,680
and exercise it in the assembly for the

460
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,440
benefit of the assembly and for the glory

461
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:13,080
of God the privilege of the house uh

462
00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,260
what about the problems of the house verse

463
00:21:16,260 --> 00:21:20,260
number uh uh verse number 20 and whatsoever

464
00:21:20,260 --> 00:21:23,600
more shall be needful for the house of

465
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,590
thy God do you have problems in the

466
00:21:27,590 --> 00:21:33,890
assembly I don't know an assembly that doesn't

467
00:21:33,890 --> 00:21:39,990
have a problem or two or more we've

468
00:21:39,990 --> 00:21:42,550
got those who are aging in the assembly

469
00:21:43,860 --> 00:21:47,220
do you go and visit them young brother

470
00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:50,220
young sister here's something you can do young

471
00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:52,960
sister you can go and visit that dear

472
00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:58,980
aged widow just needs a little visit a

473
00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:02,760
little lift little word in season take your

474
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,720
apple pie take your apple turnover take something

475
00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:12,420
you know that just means something you young

476
00:22:12,420 --> 00:22:16,120
couples you can learn from the older couples

477
00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:21,000
when you visit them there's others that need

478
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,680
a visit as well those that we don't

479
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:27,600
see too often those that uh uh well

480
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,960
you know smos we call them somebody said

481
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,220
to me recently he said smos sunday morning

482
00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:35,800
only so i said that's right no he

483
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,280
says we have too many sunday morning occasionally

484
00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,820
assemblies it's even worse they need to be

485
00:22:42,820 --> 00:22:47,220
encouraged why aren't you out why aren't you

486
00:22:47,220 --> 00:22:50,580
coming you're in fellowship with us encourage these

487
00:22:50,580 --> 00:22:55,120
people all assemblies have problems and most of

488
00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:59,140
the problems can be overcome those things that

489
00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:03,000
are needful and there's plenty of things needful

490
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,640
in all the assemblies that I have the

491
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,680
privilege of visiting and in my own assembly

492
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,820
as well oh there's plenty of needs the

493
00:23:12,820 --> 00:23:17,700
problems of the assembly I thought too of

494
00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:21,340
the uh precepts of the house you see

495
00:23:21,340 --> 00:23:24,920
it says in verse number 23 I think

496
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,580
it is whatsoever is commanded by the God

497
00:23:28,580 --> 00:23:32,840
of heaven let it be diligently done for

498
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,120
the house of the God of heaven there's

499
00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:37,640
the precepts why do we do what we

500
00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:44,750
do it's in this book why do we

501
00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:46,550
practice it why do the sisters wear a

502
00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:50,530
head covering it's in this book why do

503
00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:53,710
the brethren take public part it's in this

504
00:23:53,710 --> 00:23:57,770
book why do the sisters remain silent it's

505
00:23:57,770 --> 00:24:01,170
in this book why do we preach the

506
00:24:01,170 --> 00:24:06,330
gospel it's commanded in this book oh you

507
00:24:06,330 --> 00:24:10,170
see here are the precepts it's what's commanded

508
00:24:10,170 --> 00:24:14,710
but you see in Christendom it's not bothered

509
00:24:14,710 --> 00:24:19,540
they don't bother you know oh yeah we

510
00:24:19,540 --> 00:24:24,180
don't need doctrine we just need love we

511
00:24:24,180 --> 00:24:27,780
need love all right but it must be

512
00:24:27,780 --> 00:24:31,880
governed by doctrine we need the teaching of

513
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,620
the word of God the commandments of the

514
00:24:34,620 --> 00:24:37,560
God of heaven I want to ask you

515
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,680
dear child of God this afternoon will you

516
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,040
just make sure that everything that we do

517
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:50,540
in the local assembly has scriptural foundations and

518
00:24:50,540 --> 00:24:55,140
a scriptural backing and support that's what our

519
00:24:55,140 --> 00:24:59,080
brother Scott was saying about prayer that's why

520
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,300
we don't pray to Jesus you go to

521
00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:04,640
those that we call back home the exclusive

522
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,760
brethren and they speak to Jesus all the

523
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:14,620
time it's not scriptural we need to do

524
00:25:14,620 --> 00:25:19,400
those things which are scriptural and so there's

525
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,280
the precepts for the house but last of

526
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,460
all I notice there's the people of the

527
00:25:25,460 --> 00:25:28,160
house we found those down in verse number

528
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,720
24 also we certify you that touching any

529
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:36,740
of the priests and Levites singers porters nephenims

530
00:25:36,740 --> 00:25:39,260
or ministers of this house of God it

531
00:25:39,260 --> 00:25:41,680
shall not be lawful to impose tool tribute

532
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:47,300
or custom upon them well now I tell

533
00:25:47,300 --> 00:25:49,720
you the Lord's people have been very kind

534
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,680
to my wife and myself over the last

535
00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:57,880
34 or 35 years so kind Lord's people

536
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,080
here in Iowa and the week before when

537
00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:07,080
I was up in Sussex so kind people

538
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,700
that have lent me a car people that

539
00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:13,640
have paid for the fuel people that have

540
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:17,820
passed on gifts people have said encouraging words

541
00:26:17,820 --> 00:26:22,480
so kind it's amazing here you know that

542
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,180
those who serve the Lord they didn't have

543
00:26:24,180 --> 00:26:26,660
to pay tool tribute or custom wouldn't that

544
00:26:26,660 --> 00:26:29,160
be quite amazing if your president said well

545
00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,680
now from now on those who serve the

546
00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:33,440
Lord don't have to pay any taxes well

547
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:35,660
that would be all right wouldn't it I

548
00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:37,260
don't think it's going to happen mind you

549
00:26:37,260 --> 00:26:40,040
but uh but what I'm saying what I'm

550
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,040
wanting to say to you is this there

551
00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,460
were all these different people there were Levites

552
00:26:45,460 --> 00:26:49,280
who could pray there were porter there were

553
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,360
singers who could sing singer I can't sing

554
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,620
for toffee I can't it's a miracle if

555
00:26:55,620 --> 00:26:58,480
you heard me singing there and and with

556
00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,240
the children leave it that's an absolute miracle

557
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,640
either I can carry my choruses at all

558
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,940
because you hear me singing any of the

559
00:27:05,940 --> 00:27:08,020
hymns if they don't go to those tunes

560
00:27:08,020 --> 00:27:14,340
I cannot carry them but sing out and

561
00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:17,340
sing up we were encouraged last night to

562
00:27:17,340 --> 00:27:20,000
say amen well over in the UK we're

563
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,080
a little bit more reserved we tend to

564
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,840
say a loud sort of amen under our

565
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:27,480
breath and we tend to repeat it two

566
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,200
or three times just so that people know

567
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,240
we have actually said something especially when you're

568
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,280
sat next to Murray there but uh you

569
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,900
sing out there were the the the Levites

570
00:27:36,900 --> 00:27:38,760
and the singers and the porters what were

571
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:40,720
those they were the ones that did all

572
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,620
the heavy lifting and all the carrying and

573
00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:44,680
all the moving there was a whole lot

574
00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,220
of work I came down last night I

575
00:27:47,220 --> 00:27:49,680
I just felt like uh just a spare

576
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,160
part there were people that were mopping and

577
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,320
people that were dusting and people that were

578
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:56,780
cleaning and people that were chopping and preparing

579
00:27:56,780 --> 00:28:00,860
and working those doing the porter's work or

580
00:28:00,860 --> 00:28:03,500
I tell you dear young person you say

581
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:05,060
there's nothing for me to do in the

582
00:28:05,060 --> 00:28:06,980
assembly there's plenty for you to do in

583
00:28:06,980 --> 00:28:10,260
the assembly get on and do a work

584
00:28:10,260 --> 00:28:13,440
for God in the assembly whatever work God

585
00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,520
finds you to do don't wait for somebody

586
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,960
to point it out to you notice the

587
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,400
chairs are moved around every lord's day for

588
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,540
the break of bed meeting get hold of

589
00:28:23,540 --> 00:28:26,500
some chairs and move them around do the

590
00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:28,920
work of the porters all these people were

591
00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:33,000
all working together the nephenims and the ministers

592
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,460
of the house oh I tell you dear

593
00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:38,300
child of God there is so much to

594
00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:41,180
be done in the local assembly but where

595
00:28:41,180 --> 00:28:44,800
does it all start it all starts with

596
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,820
a man who prepared his heart to seek

597
00:28:49,820 --> 00:28:54,400
the law of the Lord to do it

598
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,720
and to teach it and if we could

599
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,380
just start there what a blessing there could

600
00:29:03,380 --> 00:29:09,120
be in the assemblies of Iowa Wisconsin and

601
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,780
further afield at the hand of our God

602
00:29:12,780 --> 00:29:14,460
may God bless his word for his honor

603
00:29:14,460 --> 00:29:15,220
and glory