124: Ed Binch - Exhortation: At Jesus' Feet

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

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   Welcome to the Good Christadelphian Talks podcast. I'm Levi. And I'm Chris. Thank you so much for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help each one of us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post at the start of each week for you to listen with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you're about to hear. And now let's hear more about this week's talk. This week's talk is an exhortation by Brother Ed Bench of Avon, Indiana that he gave in 2011, and it's titled At Jesus's Feet. He opens talking about how our memorial service and our mindset there cannot be ritualistic, even though it is in itself a ritual, and gets into all the many examples of very personal interactions that the Lord Jesus had with people and helps us imagine what it may be like to be those people. And as examples of how, what kind of, you know, deep and personal relationship we need to have with the Lord Jesus and his father.

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   It's a great exhortation. Definitely left me thinking about my mindset when I'm going through the bread and wine, and it was very, very encouraging. This exhortation was a suggestion by a brother, and I actually got another suggestion of an Ed Bench class, so I had two to choose between and enjoyed them both because Brother Eddie passed away a couple months ago due to cancer. He was a big influence in a lot of people's lives and an excellent Bible student and presenter, as you'll hear here in this class. For the last couple years, Jessica and I have been attending the Koreatown Ecclesia in Los Angeles, which is the Los Angeles Hispanic Ecclesia. And one of the joys of the Zoom period was having Brother Eddie come to exhort as he spent many years in El Salvador and was a fluent Spanish speaker as well as the work he did all over the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.

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   So it was a pleasure to get to hear from him fairly recently, and he will be missed by many. So I was thankful to have this opportunity to share this class so it can be an encouragement to us all. Another announcement we have, which we're very excited about, is we're going to make a couple changes to the show.

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   We have added another co-host. So Brother Brian Adams, who you may remember from last summer. He was one of the guest hosts, him and his wife Rachel. Well, Brian's going to be joining Chris and I as an official co-host. We'll have a new opener, a little soundbite for next week, and Brian's going to be presenting a class every third week. And we're very thankful to have Brian on and looking forward to working together with him. We also are going to be launching a YouTube channel where the YouTube version of the podcast is going to be coming out every day after we post the show onto iTunes.

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   And we want to thank Brother Justin Henley, who's going to be helping us with that. So I'm very excited to have Brian and Justin aboard and expand the team a little bit. And we're thankful for all the listeners and the downloads that we get. This is clearly something that we want to continue, and we're excited to refresh that a little bit in this new year in 2021. We thank you for the many suggestions we get. Again, please, please send them to us. We reformalized how we handle those when we were bringing Brian aboard. So please continue to send us classes that are inspiring to you.

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   And thank you again for listening. This is now becoming a long introduction, but we'll get right into At Jesus's Feet by Brother Ed Bench.

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   We Christadelphians don't have too many rituals, do we? I can think of three. Baptism is one. The right hand of fellowship right after baptism. And the breaking of bread. And as I was thinking about that, why is our community like that? Why do we reduce down the ritual? And maybe it became the clearest this morning in our Sunday school, because ritual can be done without ever thinking about what you're doing.

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   And that's problematic, because what are we really doing here anyway? We're here because we have a relationship with each other, and that's based on the relationship that we have with the Lord Jesus and our God. So I've been pondering lately the idea of prayer and the idea of the breaking of bread. And we might call those things rituals, not prayer so much, but the breaking of bread, obviously it is.

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   But there has to be so much more involved with those things than just the setting out of bread and wine, for example, and the mechanics of the way we go through it. How we give a prayer for each, modeling what happened at that last supper, and so on and so forth. Just like there's a huge difference between someone that comes up here and gives a public prayer and our life in communication with God.

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    Both of them really have to do with our relationship. They're part of the relationship that we have with God and the Lord Jesus. And that can never become ritualistic, if you see what I mean. It minimizes the relationship that we have if they don't become the most integral parts of our life. Could you imagine not praying or not coming together to break bread for two weeks?

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    For a month? Could you go two months without praying to God? It's silliness, isn't it? Because it's part of the relationship that we have. It's the way that we communicate. Our connection with the creator of the universe and with his son, in whom we're growing up to be like every day of our life, is based on our communication.

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    How can we think about not doing that? It's beyond thinkable, but it happens. It can take place. And so, as I've been thinking about these things, a phrase came up, a place came up. And I want to know why so many people go to that place. And it really brought home to me, and hopefully it will teach one of us, as we are here, to break bread and drink wine, that this relationship has to grow and be real in every respect every day of our life.

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    And at the end, that we've had such a relationship that Jesus would never say to us, I never knew you. We have to know, and we have to be known by the Lord Jesus. If we don't, there's something wrong with what we do. There's something wrong with who we are. So what I'd like to do is I'd like to say that we've come here to be at Jesus' feet.

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    We've been asked, haven't we, to put ourselves in that night in which Jesus was betrayed, and then going forward to be there with him at the foot of the cross, at Jesus' feet. And this has to be vitally important. This is indeed the vital hour of our week. It's what's going to set the tone for the people that we're going to be and the relationship that we have with our God and his son.

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    And so we've chosen to be at Jesus' feet, and that's a really good thing. I'd like you to open your Bibles, and we're going to be in the Gospels all morning. And we're going to look at things that you know better than I know them. But I'd like you to think about why you've come and why you want to be there at Jesus' feet.

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    There's lots of good reasons. Let's start in Matthew chapter 15. I could take up most of your morning and all of your afternoon if we were to look at each one of these accounts of real-life situations that happened to people and the relationship that they had with the Lord Jesus. We can only just do this quickly, in and out.

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    Matthew chapter 15, verse 30. It says, And great multitudes came unto him, having with him those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and he healed them. Have you ever thought about that? What was that like when that took place? I'm having trouble getting a picture in my mind, especially when it said, cast down.

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    I went to newer versions of the Bible, and it says to put down. It's the same thing. Are we talking about one person, or two people, or three people? I really get the feeling that it's much more. What happens if 20 people come with people that are sick, and are blind, that are maimed, that are dumb, that have an unbelievable array of different maladies, that are big and small, children and very old people, and they cast them down at the feet of the Lord Jesus?

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    What was it like? It must have been incredible, if you think about it. But what was that place like? Because it says that Jesus went on to cure them. It must have been a fabulous, wonderful moment to see. Everybody joyful. That's not the important thing this morning. What was that place like that you've chosen to come to be this morning, at the feet of the Lord Jesus?

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    I guess for many, it was a place of last resort, wasn't it? They tried everything, and Jesus was the last resort. In other words, it was a place of hope in a very hopeless world. Because the people that came the most were the people that were disenfranchised, weren't they? The ones that really didn't have part or place.

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    They were the ones that came before the Lord Jesus to that wonderful place at his feet. And they found great hope in the Lord Jesus. So that's why we've come, isn't it? There's no hope in this world that we live in. We come to Jesus' feet because we have a great hope of a wonderful recompense when the Lord comes back.

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    Mark chapter 5. Mark chapter 5 is complicated because there's a couple stories woven together. And so we need to make our way through both. Mark chapter 5 and verse 22. It says, And behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jarius by name. And when he saw him, the Lord Jesus, he fell at his feet.

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    I wasn't a bit taken back by this one. Because we've all read, we know what those rulers could be like. I don't know what it meant exactly to be a ruler of the synagogue. Was this man a Pharisee or a scribe? It very well could have been. He was a man without a shadow of a doubt that was in authority.

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    He was a ruler. And so he comes to Jesus' feet. I'll just make one comment. If he was what he was in that community, he was not part of the disenfranchised. He was someone that had part and place in that society. He was a privileged person. Yet where did he come? At the feet of the Lord Jesus.

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    He bowed himself down to the Lord. So what's this place that we've come to meet at this week? It's a place of humility. We put away who we are, who we think we are, or what we hope people think we are. And we humble ourselves. It's a place to humble oneself. Now, remember, the story gets a little bit more complicated because what Jairus wanted Jesus to do was say, Come, my daughter said, Come with me.

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    And Jesus said that he would. And so after Jairus humbled himself, he was walking with the Lord Jesus, begged him to come, actually, and Jesus went. But on the way, there was another person that we encounter. Take a look at verse 26. Matthew 5, 26. And it says, And he said, I'm off track.

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    Sorry. And had suffered many things. We're talking about a woman that has come to the Lord Jesus who had a disease, who had suffered many, many years. And it says, And had suffered many things, verse 26, of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.

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    And so on the way to see Jairus' daughter, another person encounters the Lord Jesus. And she, looking for help, just as Jairus was doing, comes to just touch his garment because she felt that there was great hope in this person. When she had heard of Jesus, verse 27, when she had heard of Jesus, came and oppressed behind and touched his garment.

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    So she did what she proposed to do. And then in verse 28, For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. We've talked about this before, haven't we? That's not what she should have been doing. She should have been shouting, Unclean! Unclean! Don't come near me! But she was full of hope.

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    And she came to touch the garment of the Lord Jesus. The point, however, though, for this morning, is in verse 33. Look at verses 33 and 34. Remember what Jesus did? He said, He said, In the midst of a great multitude, He said, Who touched me? The disciples, They were incredulous. You're kidding, right?

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    There's way too many people here to know. Maybe ten people touched you. Jesus said, Well, it wasn't like that. Virtue had gone out. Verse 33 is the point. But the woman, Fearing and trembling, Knowing what was done in her, Came and fell down before him And told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, Thy faith hath made thee whole.

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    Go in peace. Be whole of thy plague. What kind of a place was this That you've come to today? It was a place of confession. Because she confessed. It was me. I was the one that did it. And it was a place That She could cast out her fear. She was afraid. She trembled.

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    If she had just walked away, She would have lived the rest of her life that way. But she came to the feet of the Lord Jesus. He said, Your faith, That's what was important. And she cast out her fear. So, The place that you've come to Is a place of confession. And a place where you can cast out your fear.

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    Whatever you're worried about In this life Is of very minimal and little importance At the feet of the Lord Jesus. Luke chapter 7. verses 36 to 38.

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    And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him, and he went in unto the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meet in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

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    What an incredible thing. What was she doing there? What did she have to do to get there? Could you imagine this woman ever in normal circumstance going into the house of a Pharisee? I'd think not. To be honest with you, except that the whole hubbub of the Lord Jesus being in that person's house, that woman never would have got through the door.

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    No one would have opened it to her, much less let her in. And share a meal? Not a chance in the world. They weren't looking for that sort of contamination. But this woman got through because the Lord was there, and she was at his feet, behind him. Again, there's a lot of humbling there, isn't there?

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    Verse 47. It says, Wherefore, I say unto thee, her sins, and now he's talking to the Pharisee, because the Pharisee, he's incredulous what just happened in his own house. And so in verse 47, he says, Wherefore, I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom little is given, the same loveth little.

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    That was an indictment on that man who couldn't see past himself. You know, the meal that Jesus was sharing in his house was a favor from this man in his eyes. Not the blessing of his presence as it was for her that came with many sins. So what kind of a place is this?

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    Well, you already knew it was. It was a place of the forgiveness of sins. That's why we come, isn't it? To ask the Lord Jesus to forgive our sins.

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    Luke chapter 8, verse 35. I don't have to talk to you about Legion, do I? You know the story, the fabulous story of a man absolutely tormented every day of his life. Someone that had highs and lows and had suffered much. Nobody knew how to act around him. Nobody knew what to do.

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    Sometimes they'd shoo him away, I'm sure. Other times he'd be a little bit too far off his rocker and they'd have to chain him up. And then when he broke through the chains, they'd be scared to death and run into their houses. He was a difficult person to have around. Legion suffered much.

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    Verse 35. Now this is all the people because they've been told about something that had taken place. Verse 35. Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid.

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    What kind of a place is this? What kind of a place at Jesus' feet do we have? It's a place to be clothed with righteousness. A place to live. This is where Legion always wanted to be but just never could do it until he was touched by the Lord Jesus. So it's a place to live and to realize the love of God and surely he did.

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    Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Luke 17. Verse 11. And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village there met him ten men that were lepers which stood afar off.

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    And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them he said unto them, Go, show yourselves unto the priests and it came to pass that as they went they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face at his feet giving him thanks.

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    And he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? They are not found that return to give glory to God save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way. Thy faith have made thee whole.

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    Wow. What an incredible man this was. Not someone that was privileged to know the promises intimately of God as those in Israel but one that recognized the Lord Jesus for who he was and he came and he fell down at his feet. What kind of place is this at the Lord Jesus' feet?

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    it's a place of thanksgiving. Can I digress for just a second? This is the part that scares me a little. It's Jesus' observation about the other nine that didn't turn around and come back. I hope we're never like this. We've chosen to be here, haven't we? And it should be the most important thing that we do this week.

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    It's connected with our constant communication with God in prayer and this sets the tone. It prioritizes our week. Can we ever, ever be so smug with the things that we've been given and with the relationship that we have with the Lord Jesus that we might not come back and give thanks? That has to be done constantly.

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    We have to recognize the blessings that are ours and so this becomes a place of thanksgiving and it so needs to be. Can I talk to you about one of the most misunderstood people in the Bible? that would be Mary, the sister of Lazarus. Nobody could figure this woman out. I'd like to just consider her for a minute.

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    Take a look at Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 and verse 40. It says, but Martha, this is her other sister, or this is her sister, but Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

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    Martha didn't understand why her sister Mary wasn't doing what she was supposed to do. She couldn't figure it out. Jesus explained it to her though. Look at verse 39. It says, and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his words. And verse 42, but one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.

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    She sat at Jesus' feet to listen to him. Yeah, there was a lot to do, but there was nothing more important that day and every day and especially every first day than to come and listen to the Lord Jesus. John chapter 11. Mary again. verse 31.

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    This is when Lazarus had died and he died while they were waiting for the Lord Jesus to come. We know all the story. We know what happens. Verse 31. The Jews then which were with her in the house and comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her saying, she goeth unto the grave to weep there.

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    No, she didn't. They didn't know Mary. They didn't understand her. They didn't understand why she got up. They didn't grasp onto it. Look at verses 32 and 33. Mary hadn't gone to grieve somewhere else. Mary had gone to the Lord Jesus once again to find the answer and Jesus would give it to her.

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    John chapter 12 verse 5. Mary again. This is when they were gathered together. Judas was there and a bit disgruntled at what Mary was doing. Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?

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    He couldn't understand her. Why would she do something like this? Why would she take this ointment that was obviously very rentable, very precious, and pour it all over the Lord Jesus? That could have been sold and given to the poor. He just couldn't understand it. Look at verse 3 though. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

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    And verses 7 and 8. Then said Jesus, let her alone. Against the day of my burying has she kept this, for the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. Judas could not understand why in the world Mary did what she did, but Jesus told him she understood, she'd learned, maybe more than anyone else, the importance of the Lord Jesus and an incredible relation with him.

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    She was at his feet again. Luke 24, please. Luke 24, let's summarize before we take a look at Luke 24, because Luke 24 is us. It happened a long time ago, but it's people that were on the first day of the week thinking about the Lord Jesus, and so they had come, and it's very much the circumstance that we'll find ourselves in, but before we do that, what have we discovered about the place that all of you have decided to come today, the feet of the Lord Jesus.

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    It's a place of hope, it's a place of humbling, it's a place of confession, and it's a place of forgiveness. It's a place to live in the love of God. It's a place of thanksgiving and gratitude, and it's a place, as Mary showed us, of true understanding. in my opinion, it's the only place to be.

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    Luke chapter 24 and verse 1, it says, now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. So we're at the first day of the week. Verse 15, 18, these are the men that were walking to Emmaus.

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    Verse 18, 18, and the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And then Jesus himself went on to say, oh, tell me what happened. Verse 25, then he said unto them, oh, fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

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    ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And so once again, these men began to walk with Jesus. They had a very short time off, didn't they? A time of misunderstanding, a time of confusion, and now they're walking unbeknownst to them once again with the Lord Jesus.

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    Verse 30, and it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, remember, they begged him to come in, to commune with them, and he did. And it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it and break it and gave to them. and their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight and they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures.

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    and then they run off, they recognize who it was and they go and they tell everybody else. Now while they're doing that, remember it's the first day of the week, what were they wanting more than anything else? What had they got just a little bit of an inkling of when they begged this man to come in, to be part of their life, to bring back the fire that they had days before about the wonderful things that the Lord Jesus had talked about and now they were together just like we're together and they're thinking about more than they'd ever thought about in their whole lives the Lord Jesus just like we should be doing and the greatest thing happened I'll let you go ahead and read verse 36 you'll recognize what happened but I'll bid to you the same thing that the Lord Jesus bid to them peace be unto you thank you for listening to the good Christy Delphine talks podcast please subscribe for new episodes and leave a review on apple podcasts or whichever service you are listening from to help people find the show when they search for it if you enjoyed this talk share it on social media so other people can find it too for show notes and links to the talk that you just listen to visit our show page at anchor.fm slash gct we want to encourage everyone to share their thoughts from the talk this week on facebook or instagram where we are at good Christadelphian talks or on twitter where we are at gct underscore podcast if you know of a great talk we want to know about

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    it too send a suggestion to good Christadelphian talks at gmail.com or message us on any of our social media platforms thank you for listening god bless and talk to you next week