1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:06,940 Hebrews, chapter 4, and beginning at verse 14. 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,340 Hebrews 4 and verse 14. 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,320 Seeing then that we have a great High 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,180 Priest that is fast into the heavens, he 5 00:00:17,180 --> 00:00:19,340 is as the Son of God, let us 6 00:00:19,340 --> 00:00:20,800 hold fast our professions. 7 00:00:21,540 --> 00:00:23,240 For we have not an High Priest which 8 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:24,920 cannot be touched with the feeling of our 9 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,100 infirmities, but was in all points tempted like 10 00:00:28,100 --> 00:00:30,660 as we are, yet without sin. 11 00:00:31,540 --> 00:00:33,840 Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,960 of grace, that we may obtain mercy and 13 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,080 find grace to help in time of need. 14 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:43,520 This afternoon, when it was my privilege to 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,460 speak here, we were looking a little at 16 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:49,720 one of God's invitations as given to us 17 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,940 in the book of Exodus, chapter 24. 18 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,620 We were pointing out that the Bible seems 19 00:00:55,620 --> 00:00:56,940 to be full of invitations. 20 00:00:58,140 --> 00:01:00,720 Remarking, of course, that that well-known invitation, 21 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,560 come unto me all ye that labor, and 22 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,460 our heavy laden and I will give you 23 00:01:05,460 --> 00:01:08,420 rest, is probably one of the best known 24 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:11,240 invitations that we have in the Bible. 25 00:01:11,620 --> 00:01:14,540 We thank God for the many thousands that 26 00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:17,020 have accepted this invitation and found it to 27 00:01:17,020 --> 00:01:17,460 be true. 28 00:01:18,340 --> 00:01:20,840 Then we were looking at that invitation in 29 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,340 Exodus 24, where the Lord says to those 30 00:01:24,340 --> 00:01:26,680 who know him, at least he says to 31 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,840 Moses who is representative of them, come up 32 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,920 unto me and be there. 33 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,300 God inviting Moses to come up into his 34 00:01:37,300 --> 00:01:39,700 holy presence and to be there. 35 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,400 And we were noticing the number of things 36 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,860 which Moses allowed to hinder him and delay 37 00:01:45,860 --> 00:01:48,540 him from accepting that invitation. 38 00:01:49,380 --> 00:01:51,720 And we grew the lesson that many of 39 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,260 us in our devotional life, we put so 40 00:01:54,260 --> 00:01:56,480 many things first rather than to give the 41 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,940 Lord the first part of each day. 42 00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:01,780 To come up into the mouth with him, 43 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:04,480 that we may have that quiet time with 44 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:04,760 him. 45 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,300 I'm sure there'd be a great deal less 46 00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:10,220 anxiety among the people of God, a great 47 00:02:10,220 --> 00:02:12,980 deal more peace of mind and peace of 48 00:02:12,980 --> 00:02:15,380 heart if we knew more about that. 49 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,980 Now tonight I'm looking at another invitation here 50 00:02:18,980 --> 00:02:22,900 in this last verse of Hebrews 4, where 51 00:02:22,900 --> 00:02:25,320 we have these words, let us therefore come 52 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,100 boldly unto the throne of grace, that we 53 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:31,560 may obtain mercy and find grace to help 54 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,760 in time of need. 55 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:36,940 So therefore, in this verse of course, is 56 00:02:36,940 --> 00:02:38,720 based on what you have in the previous 57 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,420 verses, where we are told that we have 58 00:02:41,420 --> 00:02:43,520 a great high priest. 59 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,460 I don't think I shall ever forget, one 60 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:49,620 time I invited a little boy who lived 61 00:02:49,620 --> 00:02:52,520 across the street from us in our hometown, 62 00:02:53,580 --> 00:02:56,580 to come with me to our little gospel 63 00:02:56,580 --> 00:02:57,160 service. 64 00:02:58,620 --> 00:03:00,940 He told his mother about this invitation, and 65 00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:04,700 she said, well if he'll go with you 66 00:03:04,700 --> 00:03:07,380 to our church, then you may go with 67 00:03:07,380 --> 00:03:08,420 him to his church. 68 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,240 So he came back and told me, he 69 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,740 said, mother says I can go with you 70 00:03:13,740 --> 00:03:15,700 if you'll go with me to my church. 71 00:03:16,620 --> 00:03:18,500 Well he was a Roman Catholic, and I'd 72 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:20,260 never been in a Roman Catholic church in 73 00:03:20,260 --> 00:03:20,820 my life. 74 00:03:21,780 --> 00:03:24,260 And so I spoke to my father about 75 00:03:24,260 --> 00:03:26,600 it, and he said yes, he said to 76 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,480 go with him, he said, and then make 77 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:30,820 him keep his end of the bargain. 78 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:33,300 So I went with him, and I was 79 00:03:33,300 --> 00:03:37,060 deeply impressed with the service, the pageantry of 80 00:03:37,060 --> 00:03:40,960 it all, and the sweet incense, and many 81 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,500 genuflections, and all this. 82 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:44,260 I'd never seen anything like it in my 83 00:03:44,260 --> 00:03:44,600 life. 84 00:03:45,620 --> 00:03:47,780 I was just awestruck with it. 85 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,060 When I came out, I couldn't help but 86 00:03:51,060 --> 00:03:51,940 express myself. 87 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,600 I said, well Bill, I said, that really 88 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:55,680 was wonderful. 89 00:03:56,820 --> 00:03:58,760 I said, now you're coming with me, aren't 90 00:03:58,760 --> 00:03:59,540 you, next Sunday night? 91 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:00,900 Yep, he says, I'll be with you. 92 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,600 So next Sunday night he came to our 93 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,280 place, which was certainly plain by contrast. 94 00:04:06,940 --> 00:04:09,320 It was just a converted store for converted 95 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:09,780 people. 96 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,900 And we went to this store, and we 97 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:20,019 had little chairs there, chain bottom, and the 98 00:04:20,019 --> 00:04:23,040 preacher that night was very simple, very plain. 99 00:04:24,020 --> 00:04:26,040 They were straightforward gospel message. 100 00:04:27,220 --> 00:04:28,740 When we came out, I said, well now 101 00:04:28,740 --> 00:04:30,000 Bill, what do you think about that? 102 00:04:31,340 --> 00:04:33,240 Well, he says, I guess it's all right 103 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,120 if you're used to it, but he said, 104 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,480 you ain't got no creed. 105 00:04:40,130 --> 00:04:41,550 And you know, this bothered me. 106 00:04:42,670 --> 00:04:44,650 Conversation stopped right there, and we went home. 107 00:04:45,450 --> 00:04:47,950 When I got home, and my father said, 108 00:04:48,010 --> 00:04:49,150 well, what did Bill say? 109 00:04:50,990 --> 00:04:52,790 Well, he says, I said, it'd be all 110 00:04:52,790 --> 00:04:54,370 right if you're used to it, but the 111 00:04:54,370 --> 00:04:56,370 thing that bothered him was that we ain't 112 00:04:56,370 --> 00:04:57,190 got no creed. 113 00:04:59,610 --> 00:05:01,890 Well, dad says, but we have. 114 00:05:02,170 --> 00:05:03,730 Well, I said, I've never seen him. 115 00:05:05,450 --> 00:05:07,010 Well, he says, I'll show him to you. 116 00:05:07,970 --> 00:05:09,930 So he took me to this portion of 117 00:05:09,930 --> 00:05:11,310 scripture that we have here. 118 00:05:12,310 --> 00:05:15,350 And this 14th verse of chapter, Hebrews 4 119 00:05:15,350 --> 00:05:17,730 verse 14, seeing then that we have a 120 00:05:17,730 --> 00:05:18,770 great high priest. 121 00:05:19,150 --> 00:05:21,750 He said, you see son, we not only 122 00:05:21,750 --> 00:05:25,450 have a priest, we have a high priest. 123 00:05:26,270 --> 00:05:28,850 And we not only have a high priest, 124 00:05:29,730 --> 00:05:32,030 we have a great high priest. 125 00:05:33,430 --> 00:05:35,050 You know, I was really impressed. 126 00:05:35,910 --> 00:05:38,110 And here it was, it's Jesus the son 127 00:05:38,110 --> 00:05:38,650 of God. 128 00:05:38,750 --> 00:05:39,570 He's the priest. 129 00:05:40,290 --> 00:05:42,230 The one who's passed through the heavens. 130 00:05:42,370 --> 00:05:44,790 There he is, seated at the right hand 131 00:05:44,790 --> 00:05:46,250 of God in heaven tonight. 132 00:05:48,230 --> 00:05:50,590 I, as I was dwelling on this, I 133 00:05:50,590 --> 00:05:52,490 said, well, dad, what does he do for 134 00:05:52,490 --> 00:05:52,750 us? 135 00:05:53,550 --> 00:05:55,570 And my father turned me over to the 136 00:05:55,570 --> 00:05:58,170 seventh chapter of this same book of Hebrews. 137 00:05:58,910 --> 00:06:00,310 And here we have it in the seventh 138 00:06:00,310 --> 00:06:02,670 chapter in the 25th verse, where he says, 139 00:06:03,370 --> 00:06:06,070 wherefore he is able also to save them 140 00:06:06,070 --> 00:06:08,990 to the uttermost, that come unto God by 141 00:06:08,990 --> 00:06:12,090 him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession 142 00:06:12,090 --> 00:06:12,750 for them. 143 00:06:13,770 --> 00:06:16,210 I didn't know that word, intercession, for I 144 00:06:16,210 --> 00:06:18,230 was only a boy about 10 years old, 145 00:06:18,350 --> 00:06:18,970 10 or 11. 146 00:06:20,350 --> 00:06:22,270 I said, what does that word mean? 147 00:06:23,390 --> 00:06:26,110 Well, my father said, that means he's praying 148 00:06:26,110 --> 00:06:26,750 for us. 149 00:06:28,270 --> 00:06:30,110 Intercession is praying for somebody. 150 00:06:31,010 --> 00:06:32,490 Well, I was fully honest. 151 00:06:33,190 --> 00:06:35,270 So the next day I saw Bill Waters. 152 00:06:36,290 --> 00:06:38,970 I said, Bill, I said, I found out 153 00:06:38,970 --> 00:06:40,830 last night that we do have a priest. 154 00:06:41,510 --> 00:06:42,610 He said, you did? 155 00:06:42,730 --> 00:06:44,730 He said, and you've never seen him? 156 00:06:44,910 --> 00:06:47,810 I said, no, but we've got one. 157 00:06:48,670 --> 00:06:50,530 And I had a little testament with me, 158 00:06:50,530 --> 00:06:51,910 and I showed him this verse. 159 00:06:52,850 --> 00:06:54,970 And I did what my father did with 160 00:06:54,970 --> 00:06:55,150 me. 161 00:06:55,290 --> 00:06:58,730 I emphasized the adjectives, the high priest and 162 00:06:58,730 --> 00:06:59,770 the great high priest. 163 00:07:01,270 --> 00:07:03,230 He said, yeah, but what does he do 164 00:07:03,230 --> 00:07:03,690 for you? 165 00:07:03,910 --> 00:07:06,270 I said, now, I was ready for him 166 00:07:06,270 --> 00:07:06,830 on that one. 167 00:07:07,890 --> 00:07:10,890 So I said, well, my father showed me 168 00:07:10,890 --> 00:07:11,650 another verse. 169 00:07:12,250 --> 00:07:13,990 He shows that he's making intercession. 170 00:07:14,110 --> 00:07:16,250 He's praying for us all the time. 171 00:07:16,830 --> 00:07:18,890 You know, that little fellow about my own 172 00:07:18,890 --> 00:07:22,590 age, and you'll excuse me if I quote 173 00:07:22,590 --> 00:07:23,450 him verbatim. 174 00:07:24,150 --> 00:07:26,890 He said, gee, it must be wonderful to 175 00:07:26,890 --> 00:07:29,070 have somebody praying for you all the time. 176 00:07:30,650 --> 00:07:33,410 Poor fellow, he, he'd been told he had 177 00:07:33,410 --> 00:07:35,310 to pay folks to pray for him. 178 00:07:37,350 --> 00:07:39,950 Yes, his parents, they were faithful in getting 179 00:07:39,950 --> 00:07:41,190 people to pray for them. 180 00:07:42,030 --> 00:07:45,450 I remember when his father died, the prayers 181 00:07:45,450 --> 00:07:47,250 that went up for his father's soul and 182 00:07:47,250 --> 00:07:50,230 how they paid to have prayers said for 183 00:07:50,230 --> 00:07:51,190 his father's soul. 184 00:07:52,430 --> 00:07:55,230 And I was just wicked enough to look 185 00:07:55,230 --> 00:07:56,970 in his father's hand as you lay him 186 00:07:56,970 --> 00:07:58,370 to test, and he had a 50 cent 187 00:07:58,370 --> 00:07:59,170 piece in his hand. 188 00:07:59,230 --> 00:08:01,230 And I said to my mother, what you 189 00:08:01,230 --> 00:08:02,650 got that half dollar for? 190 00:08:03,410 --> 00:08:04,370 She said, hush. 191 00:08:05,070 --> 00:08:06,030 We got outside. 192 00:08:06,170 --> 00:08:08,910 She said, that's to take him across Jordan. 193 00:08:09,110 --> 00:08:09,870 I said, what? 194 00:08:10,950 --> 00:08:12,810 To take him across Jordan? 195 00:08:13,770 --> 00:08:14,590 50 cents. 196 00:08:15,570 --> 00:08:17,930 The Lord Jesus Christ had paid to get 197 00:08:17,930 --> 00:08:18,790 me across. 198 00:08:20,010 --> 00:08:21,890 Yes, with his precious blood. 199 00:08:23,390 --> 00:08:25,870 You can see, dear friends, that even though 200 00:08:25,870 --> 00:08:27,670 I wasn't a Christian at the time, I 201 00:08:27,670 --> 00:08:30,270 didn't really confess the Lord till I was 202 00:08:30,270 --> 00:08:32,909 15 years of age, a teenager. 203 00:08:34,150 --> 00:08:36,169 But this thing stuck with me. 204 00:08:36,590 --> 00:08:38,549 One of the great truths that's been a 205 00:08:38,549 --> 00:08:41,870 great blessing to my life has been that 206 00:08:41,870 --> 00:08:44,110 the Lord Jesus is not only my savior, 207 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:48,530 but he's also my advocate for restoring me 208 00:08:48,530 --> 00:08:51,370 when I've wandered from God, and he's my 209 00:08:51,370 --> 00:08:53,250 high priest to keep me out of trouble. 210 00:08:54,870 --> 00:08:56,690 And now this is it that the apostle 211 00:08:56,690 --> 00:08:59,010 is straining, he is in this in this 212 00:08:59,010 --> 00:09:02,210 passage of scripture here in Hebrews 4, and 213 00:09:02,210 --> 00:09:03,970 he says in that last verse, let us 214 00:09:03,970 --> 00:09:07,690 therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. 215 00:09:08,650 --> 00:09:10,890 And there are two things here, to obtain 216 00:09:10,890 --> 00:09:15,050 mercy, and find grace to help in time 217 00:09:15,050 --> 00:09:15,470 of need. 218 00:09:16,510 --> 00:09:18,770 Now I understand that mercy is something that 219 00:09:18,770 --> 00:09:22,450 God bestows upon those who can't help themselves, 220 00:09:22,690 --> 00:09:25,470 they're just objects of his pity, and he 221 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:27,670 bestows his mercy upon them at the throne 222 00:09:27,670 --> 00:09:28,210 of grace. 223 00:09:29,170 --> 00:09:30,830 The one who sits on that throne is 224 00:09:30,830 --> 00:09:32,670 none other than the one who hung up 225 00:09:32,670 --> 00:09:34,810 on Calvary's cross for you and for me. 226 00:09:35,670 --> 00:09:38,090 That's the same one seated there at the 227 00:09:38,090 --> 00:09:40,210 right hand of the majesty of me in 228 00:09:40,210 --> 00:09:42,670 the heavens tonight, with a mark of his 229 00:09:42,670 --> 00:09:46,710 passion stood upon him, and dispensing grace and 230 00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:49,010 mercy to whosoever will. 231 00:09:50,090 --> 00:09:52,370 But what does it mean to find grace? 232 00:09:54,450 --> 00:09:56,730 You know, I was much puzzled about this. 233 00:09:56,810 --> 00:09:58,090 How would I explain that? 234 00:09:58,150 --> 00:10:00,790 I can understand the mercy being shown to 235 00:10:00,790 --> 00:10:03,650 me, and a hell-deserving sinner, God saved 236 00:10:03,650 --> 00:10:06,450 me, but what about this finding grace? 237 00:10:07,630 --> 00:10:09,090 How do you find it, and what is 238 00:10:09,090 --> 00:10:09,310 it? 239 00:10:10,570 --> 00:10:12,310 So I took a concordance. 240 00:10:12,550 --> 00:10:14,110 You know what a concordance is? 241 00:10:15,170 --> 00:10:17,650 That's a book that has every biblical reference 242 00:10:17,650 --> 00:10:19,950 in it, so that you know one word 243 00:10:19,950 --> 00:10:22,110 in a verse in the Bible, you look 244 00:10:22,110 --> 00:10:23,990 up that word in your concordance in its 245 00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:27,390 alphabetical order, and you can find the location 246 00:10:27,390 --> 00:10:28,210 where it is. 247 00:10:29,190 --> 00:10:31,150 For instance, if you didn't know that verse 248 00:10:31,150 --> 00:10:34,410 that God so loved the world, that he 249 00:10:34,410 --> 00:10:37,110 gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth 250 00:10:37,110 --> 00:10:39,350 in him should not perish but have everlasting 251 00:10:39,350 --> 00:10:41,770 life, you could take any verse out of 252 00:10:41,770 --> 00:10:44,690 that, any word out of that verse, look 253 00:10:44,690 --> 00:10:47,430 it up in a concordance, and it would 254 00:10:47,430 --> 00:10:49,090 point to John 3 16. 255 00:10:49,370 --> 00:10:51,930 A nice book to own. 256 00:10:52,850 --> 00:10:54,730 I'm not in the book business, but my 257 00:10:54,730 --> 00:10:57,130 brother is, and I'm sure he's got plenty 258 00:10:57,130 --> 00:10:57,930 of them down there. 259 00:10:58,990 --> 00:11:01,370 I hope you'll avail yourselves of them, because 260 00:11:01,370 --> 00:11:03,430 one of the finest Bible study helps that 261 00:11:03,430 --> 00:11:04,510 I know anything about. 262 00:11:06,070 --> 00:11:08,850 Next to the Bible itself, the concordance, so 263 00:11:08,850 --> 00:11:12,290 that I can find a passage which perhaps 264 00:11:12,290 --> 00:11:14,630 otherwise I wouldn't be able to locate. 265 00:11:15,330 --> 00:11:17,290 Many of them, thank God, we now know 266 00:11:17,290 --> 00:11:20,910 from memory, because we've memorized whole chapters of 267 00:11:20,910 --> 00:11:23,170 the word of God, and therefore we know 268 00:11:23,170 --> 00:11:24,970 where those texts are, but then there are 269 00:11:24,970 --> 00:11:28,090 some texts that escape you, and the concordance 270 00:11:28,090 --> 00:11:29,170 is a wonderful thing. 271 00:11:29,830 --> 00:11:31,670 So I took the concordance and looked up 272 00:11:31,670 --> 00:11:35,610 this expression, finding grace, and to my utter 273 00:11:35,610 --> 00:11:39,070 amazement I found out that it is really 274 00:11:39,070 --> 00:11:41,350 an Old Testament expression. 275 00:11:42,930 --> 00:11:45,930 And I could see the reason, because here 276 00:11:45,930 --> 00:11:48,570 it's found in the book of Hebrews, which 277 00:11:48,570 --> 00:11:51,130 of course is written to Hebrew Christians, you 278 00:11:51,130 --> 00:11:54,570 see, or professing Christians, and naturally they would 279 00:11:54,570 --> 00:11:56,590 be acquainted with the Old Testament. 280 00:11:57,610 --> 00:11:59,650 And so we're going to the Old Testament 281 00:11:59,650 --> 00:12:03,610 tonight to find out what this expression, finding 282 00:12:03,610 --> 00:12:05,230 grace, really means. 283 00:12:06,410 --> 00:12:08,750 Now there are several places we could go. 284 00:12:08,830 --> 00:12:10,030 We could go to the book of Ruth, 285 00:12:10,110 --> 00:12:13,190 for example, and we hear Ruth using this 286 00:12:13,190 --> 00:12:13,630 word. 287 00:12:14,450 --> 00:12:16,870 She speaks of Boaz as the one after 288 00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:19,610 whom she wants to go and glean and 289 00:12:19,610 --> 00:12:21,970 find grace in his sight, and so on, 290 00:12:22,030 --> 00:12:23,270 the second chapter of Ruth. 291 00:12:24,310 --> 00:12:26,210 But I'm going back earlier than that. 292 00:12:26,890 --> 00:12:29,810 I'm going back to the book of Exodus 293 00:12:29,810 --> 00:12:32,750 again tonight, to the 33rd chapter of Exodus. 294 00:12:33,970 --> 00:12:38,390 Exodus chapter 33, and beginning at verse 12, 295 00:12:38,890 --> 00:12:43,510 Exodus 33 verse 12, And Moses said unto 296 00:12:43,510 --> 00:12:46,730 the Lord, See thou sayest unto me, bring 297 00:12:46,730 --> 00:12:48,510 up this people, and thou hast not let 298 00:12:48,510 --> 00:12:50,390 me know whom thou send with me. 299 00:12:51,390 --> 00:12:54,890 Yet thou hast said, I know thee by 300 00:12:54,890 --> 00:13:00,390 name, and thou hast also found grace in 301 00:13:00,390 --> 00:13:01,170 my sight. 302 00:13:02,950 --> 00:13:05,410 Thou hast said, I know thee by name, 303 00:13:06,490 --> 00:13:10,090 and thou hast also found grace in my 304 00:13:10,090 --> 00:13:10,250 sight. 305 00:13:10,450 --> 00:13:12,790 Evidently God told him this one day, and 306 00:13:12,790 --> 00:13:16,130 he never forgot it, that God knew his 307 00:13:16,130 --> 00:13:16,450 name. 308 00:13:16,530 --> 00:13:18,650 You know, it's a wonderful thing that God 309 00:13:18,650 --> 00:13:20,230 knows our names, isn't it? 310 00:13:21,830 --> 00:13:25,290 Yes, we're getting fast away from that in 311 00:13:25,290 --> 00:13:26,290 the United States. 312 00:13:26,550 --> 00:13:28,630 Instead of having names, we have numbers. 313 00:13:29,730 --> 00:13:31,470 Of course, it works much better on the 314 00:13:31,470 --> 00:13:33,610 IBM machine, you know, to have a number. 315 00:13:34,930 --> 00:13:38,390 But we also have names, as we are. 316 00:13:39,030 --> 00:13:41,710 Maybe you're just indicated by a punch hole 317 00:13:41,710 --> 00:13:42,350 in the card. 318 00:13:42,390 --> 00:13:43,690 I guess most of us are in the 319 00:13:43,690 --> 00:13:44,670 places where we work. 320 00:13:45,590 --> 00:13:49,310 But God knows us by name, and you 321 00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:51,290 know that suggests acquaintanceship. 322 00:13:52,350 --> 00:13:55,310 That suggests that there's been some relationship between 323 00:13:55,310 --> 00:13:58,810 the two when God says, I know thee 324 00:13:58,810 --> 00:13:59,710 by name. 325 00:14:01,270 --> 00:14:03,570 I'm asking you tonight, my friend, does he 326 00:14:03,570 --> 00:14:04,230 know you? 327 00:14:06,010 --> 00:14:08,470 Is your name written down in his book? 328 00:14:09,150 --> 00:14:10,930 You say, well God knows everything. 329 00:14:11,330 --> 00:14:14,030 Yes, but I'm using the word know, not 330 00:14:14,030 --> 00:14:16,370 in the sense of his omniscience, because he 331 00:14:16,370 --> 00:14:17,270 does know everything. 332 00:14:18,550 --> 00:14:20,690 But I believe the word know is used 333 00:14:20,690 --> 00:14:22,430 here in the sense of recognizing. 334 00:14:24,290 --> 00:14:25,710 You know, we use the word that way, 335 00:14:25,770 --> 00:14:26,210 don't we? 336 00:14:27,650 --> 00:14:30,110 People that go down the street, we know 337 00:14:30,110 --> 00:14:32,370 who they are, but we don't recognize them. 338 00:14:32,530 --> 00:14:36,130 Perhaps we don't want to recognize them, and 339 00:14:36,130 --> 00:14:37,990 therefore we can say we don't know them. 340 00:14:39,690 --> 00:14:41,470 Well that word is used in that way, 341 00:14:41,530 --> 00:14:42,950 and I believe here it is used in 342 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:46,850 that sense, that God recognized Moses. 343 00:14:47,090 --> 00:14:48,350 He recognized him as such. 344 00:14:48,730 --> 00:14:49,430 He knew everybody. 345 00:14:49,490 --> 00:14:50,610 He knows everybody in the world. 346 00:14:50,690 --> 00:14:51,650 He knows you tonight. 347 00:14:52,570 --> 00:14:54,910 He knows exactly what your spiritual state is. 348 00:14:55,450 --> 00:14:57,070 If he didn't, he wouldn't be omniscient. 349 00:14:58,070 --> 00:15:00,810 But I'm talking about this matter of acquaintanceship, 350 00:15:00,870 --> 00:15:01,630 of recognition. 351 00:15:01,850 --> 00:15:04,610 Does he really have your name down in 352 00:15:04,610 --> 00:15:05,050 his book? 353 00:15:07,030 --> 00:15:08,570 When you say, how can you get it 354 00:15:08,570 --> 00:15:08,850 there? 355 00:15:09,750 --> 00:15:11,910 Very simple, dear friend, very simple. 356 00:15:12,790 --> 00:15:14,730 Once you come to the Lord Jesus Christ 357 00:15:14,730 --> 00:15:17,290 as a poor lost sinner, and trusting the 358 00:15:17,290 --> 00:15:19,370 Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal savior, 359 00:15:19,490 --> 00:15:20,730 your name goes down in the book. 360 00:15:21,810 --> 00:15:23,570 It's down in the book of life, and 361 00:15:23,570 --> 00:15:24,170 there it is. 362 00:15:26,340 --> 00:15:28,260 I had this illustrated to me when I 363 00:15:28,260 --> 00:15:29,440 was just a kid in school. 364 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,720 I used to get into trouble so easy. 365 00:15:33,420 --> 00:15:35,880 It just seemed like trouble was the easiest 366 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:37,400 thing I could get into in school. 367 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,640 We had a classroom down in the basement 368 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,160 of old number seven, and the bell rope 369 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,060 of the school hung right next to my 370 00:15:47,060 --> 00:15:47,400 sheet. 371 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,700 Well, it was a great temptation when the 372 00:15:52,700 --> 00:15:54,720 teacher was writing something on the board to 373 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,680 just give the bell a yank, which I 374 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,900 did in the afternoon. 375 00:16:02,780 --> 00:16:05,640 Well, of course, immediately there was trouble upstairs, 376 00:16:05,940 --> 00:16:08,000 and the principal sent down to find out 377 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,440 who was pulling the bell rope. 378 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,960 And, of course, I was discovered and sent 379 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:14,820 up to the principal. 380 00:16:16,740 --> 00:16:19,220 He was an old-fashioned kind that believed 381 00:16:19,220 --> 00:16:22,720 that the best way to cure those things 382 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,540 was to raise the temperature of a part 383 00:16:24,540 --> 00:16:27,080 of your body, and he proceeded to do 384 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:27,420 that. 385 00:16:27,860 --> 00:16:29,280 He had a little cane there that he 386 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:30,320 used for that purpose. 387 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,400 And these visits got to be rather frequent, 388 00:16:36,140 --> 00:16:40,080 rather frequent, but we got very well acquainted. 389 00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:43,100 And once in a while he said, what, 390 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:43,800 you here again? 391 00:16:44,540 --> 00:16:46,120 Then, of course, a little note that I 392 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:47,380 carried up told the story. 393 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:49,760 The teacher would write a note. 394 00:16:50,660 --> 00:16:52,280 So one day we were going down the 395 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:52,600 street. 396 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,600 I was going down the street with the 397 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,620 best boy in the class, Robert Draper. 398 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:58,660 He used to get a P.F. on 399 00:16:58,660 --> 00:17:00,120 his report card, purpose. 400 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,960 I sometimes got a P, but the F 401 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:04,500 was missing. 402 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:05,900 So what happened? 403 00:17:07,420 --> 00:17:09,200 Going down the street with this lad, and 404 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:10,599 we ran into the principal. 405 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,020 He ran his fingers through my hair, and 406 00:17:14,020 --> 00:17:15,079 he said, hello there. 407 00:17:16,020 --> 00:17:16,700 How are you doing? 408 00:17:17,980 --> 00:17:19,700 Oh, I said, I'm doing all right, Mr. 409 00:17:19,780 --> 00:17:20,099 Fitcher. 410 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:22,720 He said, who's your friend? 411 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:24,220 I said, don't you know him? 412 00:17:24,220 --> 00:17:24,920 No. 413 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,020 I said, well, he's the best boy in 414 00:17:27,020 --> 00:17:27,400 the class. 415 00:17:27,660 --> 00:17:28,840 That's why I didn't know him. 416 00:17:30,540 --> 00:17:31,580 But he knew me. 417 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:35,700 I was so glad to be acquainted with 418 00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:39,020 him, because after a while it got so, 419 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,060 he used to say, well, now let's sit 420 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:42,120 down and talk this over. 421 00:17:42,180 --> 00:17:44,020 And I was always so glad that I 422 00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:47,100 had reached maturity where he could really talk 423 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:48,160 things over with me. 424 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,480 But you know, dear friends, this is part 425 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:52,660 of finding grace. 426 00:17:53,060 --> 00:17:53,720 This is it. 427 00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:54,760 It says so. 428 00:17:55,580 --> 00:17:57,620 Thou hast said, I know thee by name, 429 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:00,260 and thou hast also found grace in my 430 00:18:00,260 --> 00:18:00,660 sight. 431 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:03,380 Wonderful thing, that. 432 00:18:04,340 --> 00:18:05,900 You don't pay anything for this. 433 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,700 You come to the throne of grace, and 434 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:10,280 God gives it to you as a gift. 435 00:18:11,460 --> 00:18:13,100 But look, let's look at verse 13 in 436 00:18:13,100 --> 00:18:15,860 that same chapter, Exodus 33, verse 13. 437 00:18:16,780 --> 00:18:19,300 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have 438 00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:23,300 found grace in thy sight, show me now 439 00:18:23,300 --> 00:18:29,300 thy way, that I may know thee, that 440 00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:31,760 I may find grace in thy sight, and 441 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,740 consider that this nation is thy people. 442 00:18:33,860 --> 00:18:37,580 Notice a number of things that Moses associates 443 00:18:37,580 --> 00:18:39,100 with this finding grace. 444 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,920 It's not only a question of knowing him 445 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,700 by name, wonderful as that is. 446 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,460 But the first thing he says here now 447 00:18:46,460 --> 00:18:49,400 in verse 13, if I have found grace 448 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,760 in thy sight, show me now thy way. 449 00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:58,000 In other words, dear friends, Moses wanted something 450 00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,700 more than to be known by name. 451 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,700 He wanted to walk in the way that 452 00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:04,160 was pleasing to the Lord. 453 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:08,320 And this is all part of finding grace. 454 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:12,100 It's knowing what God wants you to do, 455 00:19:12,180 --> 00:19:13,580 and where he wants you to go. 456 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,760 And this is so simple and so easy 457 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:18,920 that you wonder sometimes why we make it 458 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,480 so much of a problem. 459 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,260 Young people coming into our offices and schools, 460 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,260 this is another one of the great problems. 461 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:31,240 How can they know the will of God 462 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:32,060 for their lives? 463 00:19:32,660 --> 00:19:34,400 How can they know the way that they 464 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:35,080 ought to go? 465 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:39,980 Well, bow down at the throne of grace 466 00:19:39,980 --> 00:19:43,180 and say with Moses, show me now thy 467 00:19:43,180 --> 00:19:43,580 way. 468 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:45,720 Show me now thy way. 469 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,040 Dear friends, having proved it down the years, 470 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,980 it's wonderful how God shows us his way. 471 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,260 In the first place, you may be sure 472 00:19:57,260 --> 00:19:59,960 that if anything you're contemplating to do is 473 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:01,860 contrary to something that you've seen in the 474 00:20:01,860 --> 00:20:03,760 word of God, that's not the way for 475 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:04,180 you. 476 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,060 That's simple enough. 477 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,240 We cover about 50 percent of our guidance 478 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,560 cases with just that. 479 00:20:11,380 --> 00:20:13,820 People say, I'm thinking of doing this, but 480 00:20:13,820 --> 00:20:14,780 I want to know if it's the will 481 00:20:14,780 --> 00:20:15,320 of the Lord. 482 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,220 Well, let's see if this squares with the 483 00:20:18,220 --> 00:20:18,500 Bible. 484 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,600 And you find the very thing that they 485 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,180 want to do is to put it in 486 00:20:23,180 --> 00:20:23,800 the scriptures. 487 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:27,400 For instance, here's a young woman. 488 00:20:27,540 --> 00:20:29,560 She wants to marry an unsaved young man. 489 00:20:29,660 --> 00:20:31,000 She professes to be Christian. 490 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:33,660 She wants to know whether she really ought 491 00:20:33,660 --> 00:20:34,220 to do this. 492 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:36,000 Would I pray with her that she might 493 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,520 be guided about marrying this unsaved young fellow? 494 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,260 I said, we don't need to pray about 495 00:20:40,260 --> 00:20:40,640 that. 496 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,600 Don't need to pray about it at all, 497 00:20:42,980 --> 00:20:44,380 because it says right here in the book, 498 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:46,980 be not an unequally yoked together with unbelievers, 499 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:47,800 right there. 500 00:20:49,900 --> 00:20:51,580 When she said, does that mean then if 501 00:20:51,580 --> 00:20:53,540 I want to get married and would like 502 00:20:53,540 --> 00:20:54,600 to have you to do it that you 503 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:55,040 wouldn't do it? 504 00:20:55,060 --> 00:20:56,660 I said, why no, I wouldn't do it. 505 00:20:57,420 --> 00:20:58,680 Oh, she said, you wouldn't? 506 00:20:58,820 --> 00:20:59,900 No, I wouldn't do it. 507 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:00,740 Well, why not? 508 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,240 I said, I wouldn't be guilty of joining 509 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,560 two people together in marriage, one of them 510 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,220 on a road to heaven and the other 511 00:21:08,220 --> 00:21:09,120 one on his road to hell. 512 00:21:09,140 --> 00:21:10,460 I said, I just don't do that. 513 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,340 That's not the will of God. 514 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,100 So you see, many of these things can 515 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:20,180 be settled right there. 516 00:21:20,300 --> 00:21:22,260 God brings some text of scripture to your 517 00:21:22,260 --> 00:21:23,260 mind, and there it is. 518 00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:24,620 Show me now thy ways. 519 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,060 But of course, there are other problems on 520 00:21:29,060 --> 00:21:30,900 which we do not have any direct scripture. 521 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:33,960 There again, we can ask ourselves, is it 522 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,940 consistent with the word of God that I 523 00:21:35,940 --> 00:21:36,540 do this? 524 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,760 Do I have to have some specific text 525 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,260 of scripture bearing on this, or is there 526 00:21:44,260 --> 00:21:46,480 something about the will of God, the way 527 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,340 of God, that shows me this wouldn't be 528 00:21:49,340 --> 00:21:49,820 in keeping? 529 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,600 This wouldn't be consistent with my testimony as 530 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:54,980 a Christian. 531 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:56,780 You know there are lots of personal habits 532 00:21:56,780 --> 00:21:58,640 which are never mentioned in the Bible. 533 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,800 For example, I don't have any scripture which 534 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,360 says I ought to not smoke cigarettes, but 535 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:03,140 I don't smoke them. 536 00:22:05,370 --> 00:22:09,090 Is there a text of scripture bearing on 537 00:22:09,090 --> 00:22:11,010 this, or is there something about the will 538 00:22:11,010 --> 00:22:13,950 of God, the way of God, that shows 539 00:22:13,950 --> 00:22:15,450 me this wouldn't be in keeping? 540 00:22:17,030 --> 00:22:20,250 This wouldn't be consistent with my testimony as 541 00:22:20,250 --> 00:22:20,610 a Christian. 542 00:22:20,690 --> 00:22:22,370 You know there are lots of personal habits 543 00:22:22,370 --> 00:22:24,310 which are never mentioned in the Bible. 544 00:22:24,710 --> 00:22:26,450 For example, I don't have any scripture which 545 00:22:26,450 --> 00:22:28,010 says I ought to not smoke cigarettes, but 546 00:22:28,010 --> 00:22:28,770 I don't smoke them. 547 00:22:31,550 --> 00:22:33,930 I don't smoke them, and it isn't because 548 00:22:33,930 --> 00:22:35,150 I'm afraid of lung cancer. 549 00:22:36,910 --> 00:22:38,930 I really believe there is a connection between 550 00:22:38,930 --> 00:22:40,850 the two, but that isn't my reason, dear 551 00:22:40,850 --> 00:22:41,310 friends. 552 00:22:42,150 --> 00:22:44,250 I have several reasons for not doing that. 553 00:22:45,590 --> 00:22:47,350 In the first place, I'd have a guilty 554 00:22:47,350 --> 00:22:49,930 conscience if I were using the Lord's money 555 00:22:49,930 --> 00:22:52,070 to burn up his tobacco instead of putting 556 00:22:52,070 --> 00:22:52,930 it into his works. 557 00:22:53,010 --> 00:22:55,190 I'd have a guilty conscience about that. 558 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,220 But on the other hand, how could I 559 00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:04,980 be free to go into some sick chamber, 560 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:08,660 perhaps, and talk to someone about his or 561 00:23:08,660 --> 00:23:12,580 her soul if this was offensive to them? 562 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:13,700 Hmm? 563 00:23:14,980 --> 00:23:17,060 Hey, I don't need any scripture there. 564 00:23:17,780 --> 00:23:20,100 This thing just doesn't fit, does it? 565 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:21,860 It doesn't fit. 566 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,180 And so, friends, we have these ways, you 567 00:23:26,180 --> 00:23:27,700 see, by which we can know the way 568 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:28,320 of the Lord. 569 00:23:29,180 --> 00:23:31,060 And then you'll notice something else he says 570 00:23:31,060 --> 00:23:33,220 here in this 13th verse, the middle of 571 00:23:33,220 --> 00:23:35,400 the verse, and I think this is very 572 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,840 precious, that I may know thee. 573 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,400 This was a prayer of the Apostle Paul. 574 00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:44,140 Do you remember the third chapter of Philippians? 575 00:23:44,140 --> 00:23:46,740 That I may know him. 576 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:48,980 You say, didn't Moses know the Lord? 577 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,060 Yes, he knew him, but I think of 578 00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:56,280 something like people getting married. 579 00:23:57,060 --> 00:24:02,040 I've been married over 45 years, and I 580 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,700 believe that in those 45 years we've gotten 581 00:24:05,700 --> 00:24:09,060 very well acquainted with each other, but you 582 00:24:09,060 --> 00:24:11,040 know it's wonderful to get to know each 583 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:16,520 other more and more each day, getting to 584 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,220 know the Lord better every day. 585 00:24:19,940 --> 00:24:21,980 But you say, brother, how do you get 586 00:24:21,980 --> 00:24:23,220 to know the Lord? 587 00:24:24,020 --> 00:24:26,120 You get to know the Lord by reading 588 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,380 his words, spending time with him. 589 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:30,960 That's how you get to know him. 590 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,300 How did I get to know my wife? 591 00:24:35,140 --> 00:24:37,620 Why, we've been together these 45 years. 592 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:39,880 That's how we've got to know each other. 593 00:24:40,660 --> 00:24:42,660 Why, she knows exactly what I like in 594 00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:43,400 food stuff. 595 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:46,700 She knows exactly the amount of salt that 596 00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:47,300 I'll take. 597 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:48,620 She knows. 598 00:24:49,380 --> 00:24:51,100 She knows how I like my coffee. 599 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,680 I don't like to drink too much water 600 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:53,520 to get a little coffee. 601 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,880 She knows exactly how I like it, same 602 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:57,760 way with the tea. 603 00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:01,860 And those are just little things, and sometimes 604 00:25:01,860 --> 00:25:03,940 people come and say, oh I've got a 605 00:25:03,940 --> 00:25:04,900 brand new recipe. 606 00:25:05,380 --> 00:25:07,160 I'm sure your husband will like it. 607 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:07,780 What is it? 608 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,580 No, she says, he just won't take it, 609 00:25:10,940 --> 00:25:13,800 because she knows I don't like any stuff 610 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:14,860 that you have to put a lot of 611 00:25:14,860 --> 00:25:16,100 goo on to make it go down. 612 00:25:16,180 --> 00:25:16,880 I just don't. 613 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:19,440 And she knows that. 614 00:25:20,740 --> 00:25:24,180 You get acquainted, and I'm using this crude 615 00:25:24,180 --> 00:25:27,260 illustration tonight, dear friends, to show that the 616 00:25:27,260 --> 00:25:29,120 way to get acquainted with him is to 617 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:30,500 really live with him. 618 00:25:31,820 --> 00:25:34,740 That's finding grace, that I may know thee, 619 00:25:35,420 --> 00:25:36,440 as he says here. 620 00:25:37,380 --> 00:25:38,820 And then notice at the end of the 621 00:25:38,820 --> 00:25:43,360 13th verse, he's not content with simply something 622 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:45,700 that the Lord will bestow upon him personally, 623 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,760 but he says, and consider that this nation 624 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:49,660 is thy people. 625 00:25:51,060 --> 00:25:53,200 Oh friends, I think this is wonderful on 626 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:54,140 the part of Moses. 627 00:25:54,460 --> 00:25:56,860 He's not content with merely getting a blessing 628 00:25:56,860 --> 00:25:59,880 for himself, but he wants the Lord to 629 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:02,540 look down with favor upon this people of 630 00:26:02,540 --> 00:26:03,420 which he is one. 631 00:26:04,460 --> 00:26:07,780 Consider that this nation is thy people. 632 00:26:08,140 --> 00:26:09,280 And now notice the answer. 633 00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:13,200 And this 14th verse is another answer to 634 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,660 the question, what does it mean to find 635 00:26:15,660 --> 00:26:16,220 grace? 636 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:17,600 Let's look at this. 637 00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:21,620 And he said, my presence shall go with 638 00:26:21,620 --> 00:26:23,680 thee, and I will give thee rest. 639 00:26:24,860 --> 00:26:25,960 That's finding grace. 640 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:29,340 My presence shall go with thee. 641 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,120 Let me ask you a very pointed question 642 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:32,580 tonight. 643 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:36,680 It was asked by, asked me some years 644 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,760 ago, and it was a real challenge to 645 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:39,080 me. 646 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,800 And in one way it changed my whole 647 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:43,680 way of living. 648 00:26:45,420 --> 00:26:47,800 When a brother put the question to me 649 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:52,680 one day, very pointedly, he said, Carl, how 650 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:59,320 long is it since you consciously enjoyed the 651 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:00,520 presence of the Lord? 652 00:27:06,230 --> 00:27:07,970 Oh, that was a searcher. 653 00:27:09,550 --> 00:27:14,390 How long is it since you consciously enjoyed 654 00:27:14,390 --> 00:27:15,670 the presence of the Lord? 655 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,700 Friends, this is a privilege we can have 656 00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:21,540 every day. 657 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,660 My presence shall go with thee. 658 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:28,480 And don't think that this is limited to 659 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,260 the Old Testament, because the Lord Jesus in 660 00:27:31,260 --> 00:27:33,120 the New Testament made the same promise. 661 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,300 He said, lo, I am with you always, 662 00:27:36,940 --> 00:27:38,860 even to the end of the age. 663 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:41,400 My presence. 664 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,660 My beloved friend here tonight, my Christian friend, 665 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,280 I hope you'll never have to live another 666 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:55,940 day without enjoying this wonderful privilege of sensing, 667 00:27:56,180 --> 00:27:58,860 consciously sensing the presence of the Lord in 668 00:27:58,860 --> 00:27:59,360 your life. 669 00:28:02,580 --> 00:28:04,560 I would suggest, if you've never had that 670 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,340 experience, to get along with God in your 671 00:28:08,340 --> 00:28:10,180 room, if that's possible. 672 00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:13,500 Get somewhere along with him where you can 673 00:28:13,500 --> 00:28:17,540 shut out the world, and just wait in 674 00:28:17,540 --> 00:28:21,140 his presence, till he makes his presence felt. 675 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,060 It may take a little while at the 676 00:28:27,060 --> 00:28:30,180 beginning, because, well, it's so strange, isn't it? 677 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,560 But let me tell you something, and I 678 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,620 may be accused of being a mystic because 679 00:28:34,620 --> 00:28:37,180 of this, and if I am, I plead 680 00:28:37,180 --> 00:28:38,520 guilty to the charge. 681 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,580 I wouldn't miss a day. 682 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:46,840 I wouldn't miss a day without having that 683 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:51,680 wonderful experience of sensing his presence with me. 684 00:28:53,540 --> 00:28:54,840 It's tremendous. 685 00:28:57,710 --> 00:29:00,950 He doesn't reveal himself in any visible form, 686 00:29:02,170 --> 00:29:08,270 but there's something so heartwarming, so glowing about 687 00:29:08,270 --> 00:29:10,070 the presence of the Lord when you're bound 688 00:29:10,070 --> 00:29:10,970 in his presence. 689 00:29:12,070 --> 00:29:14,630 You forget all about the cares of the 690 00:29:14,630 --> 00:29:14,990 world. 691 00:29:15,170 --> 00:29:17,790 You lay them all at his feet, and 692 00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:19,470 now he draws nearer. 693 00:29:19,670 --> 00:29:23,050 He says in his words, draw nigh to 694 00:29:23,050 --> 00:29:27,970 God, and he will draw nigh to you. 695 00:29:30,190 --> 00:29:32,250 I challenge you to try it. 696 00:29:33,690 --> 00:29:34,910 It's tremendous. 697 00:29:36,850 --> 00:29:39,010 My presence shall go with thee, and then 698 00:29:39,010 --> 00:29:42,970 notice the effect, and I will give thee 699 00:29:42,970 --> 00:29:43,270 rest. 700 00:29:45,410 --> 00:29:48,570 Friends, in this day of turmoil, in this 701 00:29:48,570 --> 00:29:50,930 day of bewilderment, in this day when everything 702 00:29:50,930 --> 00:29:54,650 is topsy-turvy, what a promise is this. 703 00:29:55,590 --> 00:30:00,010 My presence shall go with thee, and I 704 00:30:00,010 --> 00:30:01,070 will give thee rest. 705 00:30:02,630 --> 00:30:04,910 And you won't find this in a tranquilizer 706 00:30:04,910 --> 00:30:05,270 bottle. 707 00:30:07,030 --> 00:30:09,510 You won't find this in worldly pleasure. 708 00:30:10,830 --> 00:30:13,410 You won't find this in some diversion that 709 00:30:14,070 --> 00:30:16,190 you find in the newspapers. 710 00:30:17,130 --> 00:30:19,330 This is something that you'll get alone with 711 00:30:19,330 --> 00:30:21,710 God when you sit with his precious words. 712 00:30:22,670 --> 00:30:27,500 You won't even need a commentary, and just 713 00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:29,480 have that heart-to-heart talk with him. 714 00:30:31,460 --> 00:30:35,680 O beloved, as one moves around, I think 715 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:37,980 I'm aware of this fact that a great 716 00:30:37,980 --> 00:30:42,260 deal of the unrest that we see today, 717 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,680 even amongst our own assembly folk, is due 718 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:47,320 to this thing. 719 00:30:48,540 --> 00:30:51,620 They've never yet cultivated the presence of the 720 00:30:51,620 --> 00:30:51,960 Lord. 721 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:56,740 As I say, it's simple. 722 00:30:57,660 --> 00:31:01,200 It'll take time, but it'll be time well 723 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:01,620 spent. 724 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,140 You'll never regret it. 725 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,340 You'll be saying to yourself many times, as 726 00:31:07,340 --> 00:31:09,800 I said to myself after the challenge came 727 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,660 to me, why did I waste so many 728 00:31:12,660 --> 00:31:13,620 morning hours? 729 00:31:13,620 --> 00:31:15,920 You never enjoy this. 730 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,000 I'd rather do without an hour's sleep than 731 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:22,600 to miss this. 732 00:31:24,180 --> 00:31:26,260 I say again, friends, this is tremendous. 733 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:29,520 This is fine and great. 734 00:31:31,620 --> 00:31:34,160 But now let's notice verse 15 of our 735 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:34,460 chapter. 736 00:31:35,220 --> 00:31:37,580 He said unto him, If thy presence go 737 00:31:37,580 --> 00:31:39,400 not with me, carry us not a pinch. 738 00:31:40,340 --> 00:31:44,440 Moses immediately sees how indispensable this is, and 739 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,780 how futile it would be to attempt to 740 00:31:46,780 --> 00:31:47,640 go on without it. 741 00:31:48,500 --> 00:31:50,360 He says, For wherein shall it be known 742 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,440 that I and thy people have found grace 743 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:53,240 in thy sight? 744 00:31:54,460 --> 00:31:56,500 Is it not in that thou goest with 745 00:31:56,500 --> 00:31:56,800 us? 746 00:31:58,180 --> 00:31:58,560 See? 747 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:02,340 Notice the argument he's using here. 748 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,000 How simple, isn't it? 749 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:07,560 When you put this chapter alongside of Hebrews 750 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:11,340 4.16, you say to yourself, what fullness 751 00:32:11,340 --> 00:32:15,400 of meaning there is in that coming boldly 752 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:16,780 to the throne of grace that we may 753 00:32:16,780 --> 00:32:20,660 obtain mercy and find grace to help in 754 00:32:20,660 --> 00:32:21,340 time of need. 755 00:32:23,060 --> 00:32:24,740 And then you'll notice in the middle of 756 00:32:24,740 --> 00:32:29,560 that 16th verse, So shall we be separated. 757 00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:33,460 I think it's Mr. Darby's translation. 758 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:34,780 I don't happen to have it with me 759 00:32:34,780 --> 00:32:35,280 this evening. 760 00:32:35,380 --> 00:32:37,920 I had it all day this evening. 761 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:39,760 I left it behind, so I can't refer 762 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:40,940 to it just now. 763 00:32:42,100 --> 00:32:44,060 But I do think Mr. Darby uses the 764 00:32:44,060 --> 00:32:45,280 word here, distinguished. 765 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,980 So shall we be distinguished, I and thy 766 00:32:51,980 --> 00:32:54,020 people, from all the people that are from 767 00:32:54,020 --> 00:32:54,900 the face of the earth. 768 00:32:55,860 --> 00:32:58,120 And do you know what this distinction is, 769 00:32:58,160 --> 00:32:58,640 dear friend? 770 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,220 Let me just give you a little hint 771 00:33:01,220 --> 00:33:02,220 as to what it is. 772 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:07,840 You know that no Confucianist could say that 773 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:09,140 Confucius is with him. 774 00:33:10,260 --> 00:33:11,080 Couldn't say it. 775 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,360 So when the Christian says that the Lord 776 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,200 is with him, he's distinguished from the Confucian. 777 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:23,580 The Buddhist who bows down before the image 778 00:33:23,580 --> 00:33:26,700 of the Buddha, who I was told by 779 00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:29,300 an ex-Buddhist last week at a conference 780 00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:30,400 in Cedar Lake, Indiana. 781 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:31,780 She gave her testimony. 782 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,120 She's now a firm believer in the Lord 783 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:34,920 Jesus Christ. 784 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:36,960 I said to her, I said, I was 785 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,260 in the city of Colombo in Ceylon, and 786 00:33:39,260 --> 00:33:41,840 I noticed people prostrating themselves before the image 787 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,960 of the Buddha, and putting flowers down, and 788 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,560 actually thumping their heads against the pavement. 789 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,940 Yes, she said, but they don't really worship 790 00:33:50,940 --> 00:33:51,380 the Buddha. 791 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,320 Well, I couldn't distinguish between the two. 792 00:33:56,020 --> 00:33:57,880 But having stood before the image of the 793 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,280 Buddha in the city of Colombo, Ceylon, I 794 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:05,860 wondered whether those sightless eyes could ever do 795 00:34:05,860 --> 00:34:07,199 anything for anybody. 796 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,500 Whether those deaf ears could ever hear anything 797 00:34:13,940 --> 00:34:15,100 from anybody. 798 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,400 Whether that mouth which was dumb could ever 799 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,000 speak a word to anybody. 800 00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,380 And it came away with a negative answer 801 00:34:24,380 --> 00:34:26,380 in my mind, you can't do anything for 802 00:34:26,380 --> 00:34:26,820 me. 803 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,540 But herein we are distinguished. 804 00:34:32,420 --> 00:34:34,900 Our Savior is a living Savior. 805 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,659 He talks with me, he walks with me. 806 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:43,340 This is law and religion, that's distinction. 807 00:34:46,130 --> 00:34:48,350 The Muslim can't say this of Mohammed. 808 00:34:49,610 --> 00:34:52,010 We're distinguished from the, from the, from the 809 00:34:52,010 --> 00:34:52,389 Muslims. 810 00:34:53,870 --> 00:34:55,610 Islam has nothing like this. 811 00:34:56,710 --> 00:35:00,290 Friends, if you're not sold on Christianity tonight, 812 00:35:00,750 --> 00:35:03,030 I hope that you'll take another look at 813 00:35:03,030 --> 00:35:05,910 this and say to yourself, why I've ever 814 00:35:05,910 --> 00:35:10,010 thought of Christianity just being another one of 815 00:35:10,010 --> 00:35:11,010 the religions of the world. 816 00:35:11,110 --> 00:35:11,690 It isn't. 817 00:35:13,010 --> 00:35:14,730 It's in a class by itself. 818 00:35:15,890 --> 00:35:18,430 It's unique, it's unique. 819 00:35:19,530 --> 00:35:21,190 People tell us it's obsolete. 820 00:35:22,170 --> 00:35:26,250 Remember this, nothing is obsolete that's doing a 821 00:35:26,250 --> 00:35:27,870 job that nobody else can do. 822 00:35:29,350 --> 00:35:31,790 And the gospel is doing a job tonight 823 00:35:31,790 --> 00:35:34,190 that nothing else can do, and therefore it's 824 00:35:34,190 --> 00:35:34,850 not obsolete. 825 00:35:37,700 --> 00:35:40,560 I challenge them to bring anything that will 826 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,100 do what the gospel will do. 827 00:35:43,020 --> 00:35:45,460 Not only in taking a person from the 828 00:35:45,460 --> 00:35:47,900 very depths of the gutter and the brothel, 829 00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:50,960 but taking any sinner and saving him, no 830 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,740 matter what his station in life may be. 831 00:35:53,340 --> 00:35:55,220 The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is 832 00:35:55,220 --> 00:35:57,160 the only power that will do it, and 833 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:58,880 there's no other name unto heaven given among 834 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:00,960 them whereby we must be saved. 835 00:36:01,260 --> 00:36:01,960 It's an imperative. 836 00:36:04,860 --> 00:36:06,880 Friends, this is unique. 837 00:36:08,060 --> 00:36:09,800 And then to think that the one who 838 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,620 saves us is going to walk with us. 839 00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:13,960 Oh, this is wonderful. 840 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,140 And Moses says, so we shall be distinguished. 841 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:20,100 We shall be distinguished. 842 00:36:20,780 --> 00:36:21,640 But I must flow. 843 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,140 Verse 17, and the Lord said unto Moses, 844 00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:29,500 I'll do this thing also that thou hast 845 00:36:29,500 --> 00:36:34,480 spoken, for thou hast found grace in my 846 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,780 sight, and I know thee by name. 847 00:36:37,780 --> 00:36:40,900 He goes right back to where he started. 848 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,700 He says, Moses, I know thee by name, 849 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:48,460 and I'm going to do what you've asked 850 00:36:48,460 --> 00:36:49,000 me to do. 851 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:52,820 This to me, dear friends, is not some 852 00:36:52,820 --> 00:36:56,840 special privilege extended to some particular person who 853 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,180 may perhaps serve you. 854 00:36:58,540 --> 00:37:00,820 You consider much more faithful than you are. 855 00:37:01,980 --> 00:37:03,680 Here is something that's within the reach of 856 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,220 every one of us here tonight who claims 857 00:37:05,220 --> 00:37:09,460 to be a Christian, and as we said 858 00:37:09,460 --> 00:37:12,120 earlier in the evening, we trust that you'll 859 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:17,040 not let another day go by without enjoying 860 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:17,420 it. 861 00:37:19,100 --> 00:37:22,680 Oh, friends, this is the secret of peace 862 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,940 and joy in these days, these days of 863 00:37:25,940 --> 00:37:31,160 trimentals, these days when all the news you 864 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,140 read upsets you, bound to upset you. 865 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,000 But how wonderful to come back to this. 866 00:37:39,720 --> 00:37:43,040 Yea, though I walk through the valley of 867 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,520 the shadow of death, and that's not the 868 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:48,320 last few hours of your life, that's your 869 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:49,080 whole life. 870 00:37:50,100 --> 00:37:51,360 If you've been in the valley of the 871 00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:53,320 shadow of death ever since you were born, 872 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,400 you'll never leave it till you get out 873 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:57,100 of this world. 874 00:37:57,620 --> 00:37:59,880 And yet the psalmist could say, yea, though 875 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:01,540 I walk through the valley of the shadow 876 00:38:01,540 --> 00:38:05,940 of death, I will feel no evil, for 877 00:38:05,940 --> 00:38:08,860 thou art with me. 878 00:38:10,260 --> 00:38:14,480 Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 879 00:38:15,900 --> 00:38:19,020 Oh, may God grant that every one of 880 00:38:19,020 --> 00:38:20,600 us here tonight who claims to be a 881 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,740 Christian will lay hold of this. 882 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:28,200 You'll mark something from this conference in Oakland, 883 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,140 California, in this month of September 1962. 884 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,240 That may be a turning point in your 885 00:38:34,240 --> 00:38:40,240 life, that from this day forward you consciously 886 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:43,620 enjoy the presence of the Lord and find 887 00:38:43,620 --> 00:38:45,260 grace in his sight. 888 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:47,080 Let us pray. 889 00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:51,240 Our gracious God and our Father, we thank 890 00:38:51,240 --> 00:38:54,920 and praise thee again tonight, not only because 891 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,860 thou hast saved us, undeserving as we were, 892 00:38:59,140 --> 00:39:01,500 and brought us into thy wonderful family, and 893 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:03,740 brought us into this wonderful fellowship that we 894 00:39:03,740 --> 00:39:07,360 have with one another, but oh, to think 895 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:13,600 that thou, the infinite, wonderful, majestic God of 896 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:17,960 the universe, should condescend to walk with one 897 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:19,480 who is contrite of heart. 898 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:24,700 Blessed God, we pray that everyone here tonight 899 00:39:24,700 --> 00:39:27,820 who claims to be thy child may from 900 00:39:27,820 --> 00:39:31,940 this day forward really know each day, if 901 00:39:31,940 --> 00:39:35,060 only for a few moments, but to know 902 00:39:35,060 --> 00:39:38,120 at any rate each day what it means 903 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:41,560 to consciously enjoy thy presence. 904 00:39:42,340 --> 00:39:44,780 To this end, bless thy word, we pray, 905 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:47,740 in the name of him who loved us 906 00:39:47,740 --> 00:39:51,680 and gave himself for us, our Lord Jesus 907 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:52,280 Christ. 908 00:39:53,380 --> 00:39:53,820 Amen.