Good morning to you all.
I did a little bit of a double
-take when Brother Smith said, down here nobody
worries.
Because I remember very clearly the first time
that I spoke to you down here, two
years ago, there were five of us sitting
on the platform, and I felt very comfortable
because I was protected on all sides, and
then they all got up and left me,
and I felt like the Ethiopian eunuch in
the middle of the desert somewhere, and I
did a little worrying.
However, before the week was over, I began
to feel at home.
I discharged my obligations, and you had been
very long-suffering.
So I'm grateful for that memory as I
come back to visit you again.
They accused us Canadians of leaving the door
open when we come to Florida.
Well, my first visit to you, all I
brought was a light cardigan sweater.
It was in January, and I said, never
again will this ever happen to me.
And when it was arranged for me to
come in March this time, I said, well,
I won't need a sweater.
I won't need anything.
So I had to borrow a jacket.
I don't know whether that indicated I was
going to get a cool reception or not,
but at any rate, I'm learning.
If I ever come to Florida again, that
is to North Florida at any rate, I
think I'll bring my goose down jacket with
a parka.
That's from a Canadian who left Sub-Zero
Weather when I headed to Florida this time.
No, I have not come to speak to
you about the Feasts of Jehovah.
I have two subjects to deal with this
week in the goodwill of the Lord.
My subject in the morning each morning will
be stewardship, and we shall begin that briefly
this morning.
The stewardship of the Luciferic stewardship, the Adamic
stewardship, and we will link with that the
universal stewardship.
And then we will consider a national stewardship,
an ecclesiastical stewardship, and a personal stewardship.
Do you think we can encompass that mountain
in the time we have this week?
And then in the evening gatherings, I would
like to consider with you the Lord's Prayer.
That is John chapter 17, and that will
be sufficient for us, I'm convinced, for the
times we'll be together in the evening.
So I want to start this morning with
a brief word on the Luciferic stewardship.
Now you will know, I think most of
you will immediately conclude that I got that
word from Isaiah chapter 14.
If you wish to turn to it with
me, please.
And we shall read two parables, two Old
Testament parables.
Let us look briefly at Isaiah chapter 14,
and we shall read from verse 12.
Isaiah chapter 14 and verse 12.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning?
How art thou cut down to the ground
which did weaken the nations?
For thou hast said in thine heart, I
will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God.
I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation in the sides of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds.
I will be like the Most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,
to the sides of the pit.
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon
thee and consider thee, saying, Is this the
man that made the earth to tremble, that
did shake kingdoms, that made the world as
a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, that
opened not the house of his prisoners?
All the kings of the nations, even all
of them, lie in glory, every one in
his own house.
But thou art cast down out of thy
grave like an abominable branch.
And as the raiment of those that are
slain thrust through with a sword, they go
down to the stones of the pit as
a carcass trodden underfoot.
Thou shalt not be joined with them in
burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and
slain thy people.
The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned."
And having read that passage, will you turn
please for another passage, and it will save
me getting you to read it later, in
the Prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 28.
Ezekiel, chapter 28.
Reading from verse 12.
Son of man, the only one who was
approximately likened to our Lord by this title,
son of man.
Frequently you will recall that Ezekiel is addressed
in this way, but he never is addressed
as the son of man, for there was
only one.
And verse 12 says, Son of man, take
up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus,
and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord
God, thou sealest up the sum, or the
measure, the pattern, full of wisdom and perfect
in beauty.
Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of
God.
Every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius,
topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx,
and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and
the carbuncle, and gold.
The workmanship of thy tablets and of thy
pints was prepared in thee in the day
that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and
I have set thee so.
Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God.
Thou wast walked up and down in the
midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the
day that thou wast created until iniquity was
found in thee.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have
filled the midst of thee with violence, and
thou hast sinned.
Therefore I will cast thee as profane out
of the mountain of God, and I will
destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst
of the stones of fire.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy
beauty.
Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of
thy brightness.
I will cast thee to the ground.
I will lay thee before kings that they
may behold thee.
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude
of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy
traffic.
Therefore will I bring forth a fire from
the midst of thee, it shall devour thee,
and I will bring thee to ashes upon
the earth in the sight of them that
behold thee.
All they that know thee among the people
shall be astonished at thee.
Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt
thou be any more.
You will conclude that having said we were
to look briefly in the beginning at a
Luciferic stewardship that I was referring to Lucifer
of whom we have read already in Isaiah
chapter 14.
Some people have difficulty in understanding Isaiah 14
and Ezekiel chapter 28 and in making an
application which I wish to do this morning
to Lucifer the son of the morning.
I suggest to you that there is no
reason to object to an interpretation of it
as a parable because we don't have any
difficulty with the parables of the Lord Jesus
and yet concerning this very person here called
Lucifer our Lord spoke in parables.
You remember on one occasion he was casting
out a demon it was done and after
the demon was exorcised his enemies murmured against
him and said he's casting out demons by
Beelzebub the prince of the demons and the
Lord said if I cast out demons by
Beelzebub by whom do your sons cast them
out if Satan is divided against himself how
can his kingdom please notice that word how
can his kingdom stand for a house divided
against itself cannot stand and they went on
to say this the chapter 11 a strong
man when a strong man fully armed keeps
his palace his goods are in peace but
when a stronger than he shall come upon
him he takes away from all his armor
wherein he trusted he binds the strong man
is an expression from another gospel and then
he delivers his spoils that is parabolic concerning
the great enemy of God and men who
once was called Lucifer the son of the
morning who was known in Ezekiel 28 as
the epiphany of wisdom and beauty who was
delegated by God to be the covering chariot
God went on to say this about all
the things that he had his wisdom his
beauty his offices his sanctuaries his music and
his position as the covering cherub said God
to him I have set thee so when
at any time we receive blessings from God
and what has thou said Paul to the
Corinthians that thou hast not received what do
we have that is natively our own that
is to be admired that is to be
exalted or extolled what do we have actually
of anything that we can permanently call our
own there is nothing that is really ours
for everything we must give up we must
yield at another time and place so when
he writes and says what do you have
that you haven't received and if you have
received it then why do you boast as
though it were your own when we go
back to Ezekiel chapter 28 and read about
the covering chair read about all his brilliance
all his beauty all his merchandise all his
kingdom we must realize that everything that he
has was delegated to him was bestowed upon
him and if it was a bestowal then
it was of necessity a stewardship and this
is where the story of stewardship begins it
begins with the highest intelligency that God created
he who summed up wisdom he who was
the ultimate in beauty and brightness he who
was given a place that no one else
had amidst the stones of fire he who
was able to occupy himself in the affairs
of the kingdom of the Almighty to whom
no one could be compared for he was
the sum of perfection this is the one
but I want to suggest to you who
has for the longest time in all the
annals of history and in all the universe
of God being the greatest steward for everything
that he had was given to him by
God and from God oftentimes we wonder we're
asked the question where did sin come from
and the mystery of it all is this
difficult very difficult for our finite minds to
fathom or understand that sin originally and initially
came from the wisest one that God had
ever made and it came because he was
fascinated with his own brightness he became a
captive to his own beauty because of that
he became the author of evil perhaps the
most terrible gift that could be bestowed upon
anyone is the couplet of beauty and brilliance
and now probably I shouldn't trouble myself too
much about warning my audience here this morning
about the danger of it now probably none
of us here no one here this morning
either in what we were or what we
are have that marvelous combination of beauty and
brilliance it's a fateful combination I never advise
any of my young listeners to try to
attain to this combination in fact it's very
unlikely they will if they're beautiful well you
know you know beautiful but dumb and if
they are brilliant then as a rule they
weren't beautiful I sometimes say to folks up
home and I ask them how are you
today we're pretty good which one are you
pretty or good none of course they flushed
a little bit and they say well oh
mr.
Adams just like this I can't pretend to
be beautiful and the Bible tells us there's
none good so we better drop that expression
mustn't we beautiful pretty pretty good do the
one or the other but here is one
who was who had everything that normally a
human being desires beauty and brilliance one who
was the acme who was the ultimate who
had got to the the zenith of it
all and yet because of that he failed
I was considering his person his place and
his pride and he who was the greatest
of all the stewards in the universe of
God he didn't who did not have what
he had not received but everything he had
he had received that high honor which I
judge was the protector of the throne of
God was conferred upon him and God said
to him thou art the covering cherub anointed
to be the protector to the guardian of
the throne of God with all the capability
required to be just that for he was
not a square peg in a round hole
he had not assumed to be qualified for
that position he was given all the qualifications
for his obligations how often do we see
it portrayed in our prayers humanity that we
aspire to be what we are not we
aspire to have what we never will have
and we are sure we can be much
better Christians if we only had what we
don't have or if we only were what
we are not but here's one who had
everything he was the admiration of all the
heavenly hosts it really amazes me it surprises
me to seek to read about his sanctuaries
it surprises me to read about his merchandise
it surprises me to read that he had
a vast kingdom and yet was because of
all this pride rose in his heart and
he became discontented he would be what he
was not never could be he desired to
be where he was not appointed to be
and could not attain to it he imagined
somehow or another that above the stars of
God he was not only constituted but that
he was going to assume the position that
was not delegated to him and this all
because he became occupied with himself there's no
more dangerous occupation my friends and being occupied
with self somebody say anyone who's wrapped up
in himself it's a very small parcel and
yet we have some friends I still wish
to call them friends but when the phone
rings at our house and we say uh
-uh 1030 quarter to 11 looks like she's
at it again surely she lives in one
of these marvelous rest homes where as brother
Smith was saying here you can't worry about
anything but she took into that rest home
herself who always had been the center of
all her worry anyway and not being content
with that she wishes to share this worry
with other people and she's so magnanimous so
generous in enumerating all the problems so living
in one of these homes you know they
have regulated hours and regulated food and so
forth so she has her supper dinner as
they say down here and after that she
goes up to her lovely private room wonderfully
furnished and everything and she puts on the
TV she lies down and has to sleep
she wakes up at 10 or quarter after
and she says um see this would be
the right time I must call Dave and
Agnes so Dave and Agnes are in bed
by 1030 one of those very unique occasions
when we can manage it and if one
of us is not asleep the other one
is and the phone rings just at the
head of the bed we say oh no
here we go again and everything that she
wants to talk about is what has happened
in the past with herself her husband her
family her relatives and all the stories we
have heard innumerable times but I wish these
people who are so obsessed and engrossed with
all their problems that brother Smith was singing
about here now would seek to share them
with somebody else now and then and certainly
not at a quarter to 11 at night
this one made the fatal mistake of being
preoccupied with himself and that was the fatality
that overtook him and produced in him engendered
within him sin which is so ravaged not
only his part of the creation but your
part and my part as well how are
thou fallen from heaven Oh Lucifer you remember
when the 70 come back in Luke chapter
10 to recount to the Lord the success
of their mission and how they say why
even the demons are subject to us through
thy name and the Lord said I was
watching Satan like lightning having fallen and falling
out of heaven we may be made sure
again this morning dear friends those of us
who are believers in the Lord Jesus that
that could never ever happen to us no
man shall pluck them out of my hand
no man shall pluck them out of my
father's hand my father who gave them to
me it's greater than all we've been looking
at the gifts bestowed on our Lord from
the Father in our evening sessions so we
have security I often think that Hebrews chapter
6 which is a tremendous problem to a
number of believers who forget how it closes
who forget that saying about the freak the
frailness of our mortality the weakness of our
human nature goes on to say that we
have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope set before us which we have
as an anchor of the soul brochure and
steadfast and which enters into that within the
veil whether the forerunner we are the after
runners has for us gone even Jesus made
a high priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek we have a security in Christ that
exceeds as heaven is higher of the earth
the insecurity that we find in ourselves we
have fled for refuge from what in Hebrews
chapter 6 it is the failure and the
fall of our own corrupt human nature we
have fled for refuge from that what to
do to lay hold upon him who has
gone within the veil the forerunner the anchor
of our soul and we know that we
are safe not in self but safe in
the Savior this one aspired to be what
he was not this one aspired to go
where he could not go and our Lord
speaking of him in Luke chapter 11 tells
us that he has a kingdom that's exactly
what we read as well in Matthew and
Luke's account of the fall of Lucifer this
is the Luciferic stewardship look what was entrusted
to him and see the results of pride
because of it then again we have the
place that he occupied the covering cherub the
anointed cherub that covered what holy dignity what
high office to enjoy what responsibility was imposed
upon this one and yet he had all
the qualities all the qualifications to have been
a good steward it turned out that he
was the first and the longest steward of
all time of all history we may have
opportunity in the occasions that are before us
to consider not only the dangers of a
stewardship but also the demands of a stewardship
and then we will have opportunity to look
at the rewards of faithful stewardship but there
is another element in this whole story he
failed he who walked up and down in
the midst of the stones of fire who
was in Eden the Arden of God did
you notice this we're reading about the beautiful
colors that composed his vesture have you read
of those stones those beautiful stones in any
other place do you remember that the breastplate
of the high priest was similarly adorned and
when I think that all these beautiful qualities
and qualifications of Lucifer the covering cherub where
it when I stopped to think what happened
to him he lost it all because of
failure in his stewardship and the years roll
by you don't see them again in any
extent until you come to the high priest
and there these beautiful gems are now again
portrayed not as the covering of Lucifer but
as the breastplate of the high priest and
then you go on through the New Testament
and you say when do they appear again
you come to the New Jerusalem you discover
in the New Jerusalem the foundation of the
walls thereof were adorned with all these beautiful
stones and one time I took with little
interest the trouble to compare the sets of
stones the precious stones the beautiful stones that
represent the qualities of him who has them
from Lucifer to the high priest from the
high priest to the New Jerusalem that which
was lost here was bestowed here in the
high priest's breastplate but then what happened the
priesthood failed then from there the stones appeared
again in the New Jerusalem and what is
a ruby what is an emerald what is
a sapphire what is an onyx stone it
is merely a stone on receiving capturing all
the elements of light through the prism of
the stone light is refracted and what they
emit is what we see why do we
see green in an emerald why do we
see purple in an amethyst why do we
see red in a ruby it's because the
emerald takes in all the white light and
through its own personal qualities reflects green the
ruby takes in all the white light and
then because of its own qualities it reflects
the red and we see a ruby as
red then I look at these stones in
the covering cherub and I see what a
marvellous reflection of the invisible God we see
in this anointed cherub who covered but he
lost it all because of sin I look
to the high priest and I see the
stones again being reflected in the priesthood whose
object it was to represent God in Israel
the priesthood failed and I look again and
I see them again in the New Jerusalem
and I say thank God there is a
city coming and these precious stones will be
reflected again or represented again in the walls
of that city now I discovered in comparing
the three sets of stones ten of them
were common to all three that opened up
to my mind an admiration for the work
of God from the covering cherubs to the
New Jerusalem will these qualities have God ever
be seen again yes my friends they will
and it is the object as we shall
see when we come to the Adamic stewardship
it is the object and purpose of God
today that you and I in our small
corner in our small way and in our
small ability should reflect something of the glories
of the perfection of our glorious Lord himself
but there's a price to pay for a
failed stewardship did you notice we're reading in
Ezekiel chapter 28 this statement he says because
thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries in verse 18
by the iniquity or the unrighteousness of thy
traffic therefore will I bring forth a fire
from the midst of thee and it shall
devour thee I was having some studies one
time with the chart on the book of
the revelation and on the chart was depicted
the course of Satan during from the beginning
before Eden and then before the fall and
then down through Eden and across through the
ages and then finally coming to ascendancy again
in the chapter 20 of the book of
the revelation and then off into eternal judgment
and there was a young lady sitting in
the meeting that day and she came to
me after she said mr.
Adams can I ask you a question I
said sure she said tell me does the
devil know as much as you do and
I said why do you ask me that
she said because you have painted for us
on this chart the history of Satan where
he began and how he will end and
the reason why he'll going to end there
because of that serpentine course which he has
she said tell me something does he know
that's his end I said to her let
me say this to you I don't believe
Satan knows everything even that's written in the
book for these things have to be spiritually
discerned don't they and he who has not
the Spirit of God does not understand them
but I do believe this he certainly knows
what is written in the book and I'm
sure he knows that the course his course
has been predetermined she said tell me something
if this is true and he knows what
he's doing what he's going to do and
where he will finally end in eternal fire
why doesn't he change his course and I
said my dear there's one answer to that
he can't she said well why can't he
I said because he can't change his nature
and I go back to Ezekiel chapter 28
did you see what the glove said about
Satan here when he passed sentence upon him
I will bring forth a fire from the
midst of thee and it shall devour thee
we hear a lot about addiction to this
that and the other thing sorry we can't
be different we can't change our ways why
not because it's something in me that demands
which we call addiction that demands that I
gratify myself with this what is it that
comes out of the fallen cherub a fire
says God I will place a fire in
the midst of thee and it shall devour
thee he never ever can be anything but
what he is God sealed him to his
proud arrogant deceiving lying covetous nature reminds you
of Romans chapter 1 doesn't it when they
insisted in their sin when they did and
had the ambition and determined to go their
godless way God gave them up and he
gave them up and he gave them up
and three times it said he gave them
up he gave them over there's nothing worse
my friends than God to leave us alone
with what we are as we are so
I said to this girl I said let
me tell you this you and I can
be born again we can be made partakers
of the divine nature according to first Peter
chapter 4 he can't God hasn't sealed that
to him and he's put a fire in
the midst of him and that fire it's
the worm and never dies but a terrible
thing isn't it if I have anyone in
my audience this morning that doesn't know what
it means to be born again to be
blessed by God with the knowledge of salvation
by faith in Christ let me say to
you my friends the most disastrous thing that
could happen to you would be for God
to leave you alone that fallen nature that
we have that sin that's coiled in our
hearts and constantly expresses itself if not forgiven
if not cleansed by the precious blood of
Christ shed at the cross to do just
that our faith is sealed forever even as
it was with Lucifer son of the morning
may God lead us into recognition of the
fact we have nothing that is our own
but what we have in Christ we have
forever so we pray our father we thank
thee for the grace that sought us for
the love that sought us for the blood
that bought us and for the grace that
brought us to thyself what we are O
Lord we lament but we thank thee that
in the Lord Jesus we have our satisfying
portion we have our Savior and we have
this forever may please you to bless us
in the activities of this day as we
command us to thee in his name amen