156: Tim Cheetham - Exhortation: He Shall Make Your Paths Straight!

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   Welcome to Good Christadelphian Talks. I'm Levi. And I'm Chris. And I'm Brian. Thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post a new episode at the start of each week with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you're about to listen to.

2. 0:33

   And now, let's talk more about this week's talk. Welcome to the Good Christadelphian Talks podcast. This is Brother Brian. This week's talk is an exhortation by Brother Tim Cheatham, which was given this morning, August 29th, at the Morristown, New Jersey Ecclesia, of which I'm a humble member. And this is Tim's old stomping grounds, where the basement ceiling could not contain his height, and where the walls could not contain his love.

3. 1:18

   He needed the wide open spaces of Washington state to make room for the outrageously lovely family that he now has out west. So we've been blessed to have the Cheathams visiting as honored guests. But as it happened, I wasn't even there to be able to enjoy it in person. My family was driving back early from a road trip, and we were listening to the live stream.

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   And there was something providential about the endless hours on the highway, cutting through hills and forests, that really made this exhortation resonate. Brother Tim examines the Mark 1 account of John the Baptist in the wilderness, proclaiming the way of the Lord and the urgency with which all those who had ears to hear should respond.

5. 2:14

   And how they should respond? By making their paths straight. Now, I'm certainly biased because Tim is one of my best friends, but this was such a great exhortation, and one that was enjoyed even more, perhaps on a lengthy commute. So as always, we hope this strengthens your faith and brightens your day. Brother Tim Cheatham, he shall make your paths straight.

6. 2:47

   Well, good morning. It's been quite a while since we've been here. Abby and I and little Luke are very happy to be here with all of you.

7. 3:00

   Yeah, it's definitely been a long time, and it feels great to be here in person with all of you. It's truly a blessing to be here back with family after being gone for so long and not being able to fly over. And this just feels great to be. This is actually my first talk, and actually, I'm a little bit nervous because I've been on Zoom and online for so long that I haven't really been speaking in front of people.

8. 3:27

   So, surprisingly, I'm nervous. I don't know why, but... Alright, anyway. Alright, so it feels good to be with all of you, but we have no time to spare. So I'd like to immediately get into this exhortation. So let's immediately open up our Bibles to Mark chapter 1. Thank you very much for your reading today.

9. 3:48

   And let's immediately look at what this chapter has and what immediately jumped out at me. And if you haven't figured it out yet, we're going to be looking at the word immediately this morning. So this word is actually used 12 times in the book of Mark, or in Mark chapter 1. So in the King James, which is what you were reading from, I think.

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    So it's a little bit hidden, just a little bit, because the word is also translated as straight, straightway, forthwith, and that other word, anon. That's all the word immediately. So, when you read from some of the other translations, the other modern ones, the word will really stand out for you, because it's mostly or always translated as the word immediately.

11. 4:46

    However, you can actually miss out on a key detail that I think is very important. So, I have a few questions here, like, why is the word immediately used so often here? Why are we in such a hurry? What's the big rush? Everything has to be immediate. Well, why? So, that's what I'd like to try to answer here this morning.

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    So, if we open up our Bibles to Mark chapter 1, and I'd like to read the first three verses. Mark chapter 1, verse 1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

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    The voice of one crying, In the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. So, focusing on verse 3 here, we have John the Baptist, in the wilderness, preparing the way, and making the path straight. So, also in this chapter, we actually have two words for the word immediately.

14. 6:00

    Two different words. If you look at the word straight, here in verse 3, that's G2117, and it's actually, it's used three times in this chapter, and this is going to be our word of the day. So, straight in verse 3 is our word of the day. It is used as the word straight here, but the two other times in this chapter, it's actually used as the word immediately.

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    Strung's defines this word as straight, level, upright, and true. But it also has a meaning of at once, or immediate, straightway, or right away. The other word for immediately is G2112, and this is mostly just the action part of the word immediately. Right away, straight away, at once, immediately. Just a side note, this word, it's kind of interesting how many times it's used.

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    It's used 40 times in the book of Mark, and it's actually used 40 more times in the rest of the New Testament. And just in this chapter, it's used the most in the New Testament. And also, Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days. So, I haven't quite figured out all the meaning behind that, but I just thought it was an interesting tidbit.

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    So, here we have the word immediately. So, anyway, so what was John doing out in the wilderness? Verse 4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, unto the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

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    And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of skin about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey, and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. So, John was out there in the wilderness, and he was living off the land, and he was preaching to the people to receive Christ, and his message was to examine yourself, confess your sins, repent, and be baptized.

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    And we've all heard this before. Well, so before we get ahead of ourselves, in verse 2, it is directing us back to the prophets. So, let's go back to where this is written in the prophets. So, keeping a hand in Mark chapter 1, immediately, everyone turn to Isaiah 40, and we'll read verse 3.

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    So, Isaiah chapter 40, verse 3, where it is written in the prophets, it's, So, we have here the voice of who would be John the Baptist, who would be in the wilderness, preparing the way, and making a straight road, identical to Mark chapter 1. And, looking at verse 4, does this sound like an easy place to build a highway, to build a straight road?

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    Verse 4 says, Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And, this kind of sounds like a lot of work, to want to try to build a road here. Building a road that we have in our way, we have valleys in our way, and mountains in our way, and rolling hills, and rough places.

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    This land is going to need, and require, a lot of work, before it's ready to drive on. So, nowadays, when you build a road, well, you first need to level out the land, and you need to bring in the heavy equipment, you bring in the bulldozer, and you knock down all the hills, and fill in the holes, and you have to cut down all these trees, and move the rocks, and the boulders, and so you need a lot of work.

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    You need to put down foundation stone, and that needs to get stamped down, and made it level, and then you have to do all that, before you can pave it, and then you bring in the steamroller, and you really level it out, and then last of all, you paint the lines, to keep us all on track, when we're driving down the road.

24. 11:03

    And so this, so this is exactly what John was sent to do. He was sent to go into the wilderness, prepare the land, and then build the road, number three. So it's, I think it's fairly easy, to relate this, to our own lives, and our own walk. So we're all on a road, we're all on a path, that most of us have already chosen, to walk through our baptisms, and now we all must remove the obstacles, in our lives, to be able to keep walking straight, stay within the lines.

25. 11:42

    Now, imagine, you're driving down a road, and you're driving along, and there's a huge branch, a tree perhaps, a huge branch, has fallen right in the middle of the road. Well, you have an option. Now, do you drive around it? And, but that requires you to cross the line, and to get off the road, but, but there's probably, you could probably squeeze around in this tree.

26. 12:11

    Or, do you stop the car, and you get out, and you remove the obstacle. If it's a branch, you could just drag that right off, and, and then hop in your car, and keep driving, that straight road. And then the car behind you, they'll also be able to drive straight, because this branch is now, out of the way.

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    So, now, I'm not necessarily suggesting, that you get off, in the middle of the highway, and go move a branch. However, I think you get my point, that we need to stay, on that straight and narrow path. And, we want to stay, within the lines, and we want to remove, those things, that are in our way.

28. 12:54

    We want to stay, on the path, at all times. So, flipping back, to Mark 1, in verse 3, prepare ye, the way of the Lord, make his paths, straight. Did you know, that this word, paths, is only used, here, and in the two other records, of this same account? So, this is the only time, this word is used, and that word, paths, paths, is defined, as worn tracks, or to be in a rut.

29. 13:33

    Worn tracks, or to be in a rut. So, it's, so it's kind of like, when you're driving, down a dirt road, and we've, I'm sure we've all been here before, and it hasn't been leveled out, in a really long time, you find them in the pine barrens, a lot, and, and your car, is actually bottoming out, in the middle, you're still on the road, but because, unless there's these big trenches, that your, your, your tires are in, you're, you're actually bottoming out, because it's so low, and you're down in the mud, and, and that just takes over years, of driving the same way, for all these cars, and trucks, and it's, just created these, bumpy, trenches, that you're really just stuck on, and, and at this point, unless you have an off-roading vehicle, you're actually stuck, in the rut, and if the road, were to take a turn, well, you're stuck in the middle, of these trenches, you're going to have to take the turn too, you, you have no control, because your, your car's stuck, so, so, so with John here, he is preaching for them, to get out of the ruts, that they were in, and walk on that straight, and true, and level path, and do it immediately, because Christ is coming, we already read it in verse seven, here cometh one mightier than I, John, Christ is coming, and he shows up, in verse nine, to fulfill this, and it came to pass, in these days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John, in the Jordan, John knew, that Christ was coming, and he prepared, we know that Christ is coming too,

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    well, are we preparing, as John did, it's time for us, to get out of the ruts, that we are in, immediately, because Christ, is coming, so what, what else was John preaching, well, in Matthew three, verse one, in those days, came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness, of Judea, and saying, repent ye, for the kingdom, of heaven, is at hand, for this is he, that was spoken of, by the prophet Isaiah, saying, the voice of one, crying in the wilderness, prepare ye, the way of the Lord, make his paths, straight,

31. 16:06

    well, prophecy, prophecy, is fulfilled, and Christ, does come to John, in the wilderness, he, is then baptized, of John, and then we have, another voice, this time, it's not the voice, crying in the wilderness, but it's the voice, of an angel, speaking to Jesus, and that's in verse 12, of Mark 1, and immediately, the spirit driveth him, Jesus, into the wilderness, and he was there, in the wilderness, forty days, tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels, ministered unto him, so, this word, immediately, here, is the second occurrence, of three, in the book of Mark, which they're all, in this first chapter, this is the same word, as straight, in verse three, to immediately, be on that straight, and level, and true, path, so, when John preached, and taught, he did it, in the wilderness, when he baptized, he did it, in the wilderness, and I think, this is a significant, detail for us, it's telling us, where exactly, our mind should be, when we're working, on our own roads, to get away, from worldly thinking, and to actually be, separate, from the world, like John, and Jesus were here, it's, almost as if, the only place, to properly prepare, in the wilderness, is in the wilderness, away from worldly things, to make God, our priority, immediately, the wilderness, is where John, prepared the way, and has shown the way, now, Jesus, is going, on the way, through the wilderness, for 40 days, to clear, the remaining obstacles, smoothing, out the road, is how I see it, and really, he's no longer, on the way, because Christ is actually, he is the way,

32. 18:19

    he is who we want, to be like, and who we want, to follow, and in this chapter, we have immediately, dropping what they are doing, Simon and Andrew, James and John, they all drop their nets, to follow Jesus, immediately, immediately, so, the final time, this word, for straight, slash, immediately, is used, is in verse 28, of Mark 1, so, verse 28, and immediately, his fame spread abroad, throughout all the region, round about Galilee, so, what's happening here, is truly amazing, because this, is the truth, this is the truth, being spread, all around the countryside, in verse 22, they were all astonished, at his doctrine, and authority, verse 27, they were amazed, that he could heal people, this word, immediately, is our word, for straight, and true, this was the truth, going out, into all the roads, and all the highways, in verse 28, everyone, was talking about it, and eager to hear it, so, back, in Isaiah 40, in verse 6, what else, was John preaching there, he said, the voice said, cry, and he said, what shall I cry, all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness, thereof, is as the flower, of the field, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit, of the Lord, bloweth upon it, surely, the people is grass, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word, of our God, shall stand, forever, now, we have, a decision, to make here, we, have heard the truth, John, has preached the truth, are, we going, to be like, the grass, which withereth, and dies, or, are we going, to accept, the word of God, into our hearts, that stands,

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    forever, so I'd like to, quickly look, at our two options, and, also, in Isaiah 40, in verse 3, prepare ye, the way, of the Lord, make straight, in the desert, a highway, for our God, so the word, straight here, is H3474, which means, just that, straight, level, even, to be right, this same word, occurs, elsewhere, in scripture, of course, and, it's used, in the book, of the judges, so please, turn to judges, chapter 14, and, we're going, to pick up, the story, of Samson, Judges, chapter 14, and, starting, in verse 1, and, Samson, went down, to Timnath, and, saw a woman, in Timnath, of the daughters, of the Philistines, and, he came up, and told his father, and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman, in Timnath, of the daughters, of the Philistines, now, therefore, get her for me, to wife, then, his father, and his mother, said unto him, is there never a woman, among the daughters, of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest, to take a wife, of the uncircumcised Philistines, and Samson, said to his father, get her for me, for she, pleaseth me, well, she, pleaseth me, well, is the same word, straight, in Isaiah chapter 40, and also in verse 7, and he went down, and talked with the woman, and she, pleased, Samson, well, so the same word, for straight, even, level, to be right, is found here, however, this word, for pleased, Samson, well, is also, H5869, and it means, I, in particular, it's talking about, Samson's I, so, what it's really saying here is, Samson, said unto his father, get her for me,

34. 23:07

    for she, is right, in mine own, I, not God's eye, mine, own, I, Samson here, had made the wrong decision, while he was on, his way, or his road, to Timnath, and, we of course, all know, the story of Samson, and, and what's going to happen to him, he's going to end up, being captured, by the Philistines, once he finally tells, Delilah, all that is in his heart, he will end up, having his eyes, put out, and he is, bound with brass, to the grinding wheel, where, he would just walk around, and around, and around, in circles, in the same old rut, so does that sound familiar, to anyone, I think it does, for me, does, life, just seem to go, around, and around, in circles, being stuck, in the same old ruts, around, and around, as we live on, well, for Samson, it wasn't, too late, to change, and we find out, in his last days, that he turned back, to God, and he would end up, being added, to Hebrews chapter 11, which we all know, is the faith chapter, so it wasn't, too late, for Samson, my second example, is found, in Acts 9, so please, turn to Acts chapter 9, so here we have, in Acts 9, starting in verse 1, and Saul, breathing out, threatenings, and slaughter, against the disciples, of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him, letters to Damascus, of the synagogues, that if he found, any of this way, whether they were men, or women, he might bring them, bound, unto Jerusalem, and as he journeyed, on his way, he came near Damascus,

35. 25:33

    and suddenly, there shined about him, a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and he heard, a voice, saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? So while Saul, was on his way, he loses his eyesight, and then he hears a voice, does that sound familiar, as well, and in verse 10, Acts 9, and there, was a certain disciple, at Damascus, named Ananias, and to him, said the Lord, in a vision, Ananias, and he said, behold, I am here, Lord, and the Lord, said unto him, arise, and go, into the street, which is called, straight, and inquire, in the house, of Judas, for one, called Saul, of Tarsus, for behold, he prayeth, go, into the street, which is called, straight, well, you guessed it, this, is our word, of the day, go, get, on the street, that is straight, and true, and level, immediately, this, is the street, we want to be on, right now, immediately, verse 17, of Acts 9, and Ananias, went, his way, or he went, God's way, really, and entered, into the house, and putting his hands, on him, said, brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee, in the way, as thou camest, has sent me, and thou mightest, receive thy sight, and be filled, with the Holy Spirit, and immediately, there fell, from his eyes, as it had been scales, and he received, sight, immediately, and arose, and was baptized, so it wasn't, too late, for Samson, it wasn't, too late, for Saul, they both, turned, from the wickedness, and they repented, and, now, they're found, walking, on the street, which is called, straight,

36. 27:59

    and you know, it's, it's not, too late, for us either, to make a change, to make a change, on our, our own walks, so, my closing remarks, in Isaiah 40, it also says, so it says, prepare the way, well that word, prepare, in Isaiah 40, actually means, to turn, it's saying, to turn, from our way, and follow, God's way, to turn, to turn, as if, as if we're, we're following our GPS, and our GPS, is telling us, we have a right turn ahead, the road is called straight, we need to be prepared, we need to prepare, to make that turn, get on the street, which is called, straight, immediately, follow Christ, because, he, he is on the way, he is the way, in Mark 1, when it says, prepare, it means, to make ready, it means, to build, it means, to prepare, thoroughly, and well, it takes, a long time, to build a road, for myself, I feel, that I'm still driving, on a dirt road, it still hasn't, quite been paved, I still feel like, it has a couple ruts, and, and once in a while, I'll be driving down, and I'll, I'll miss the really, big pothole, but I'll swerve, and I'll hit the, three little potholes, that I never saw coming, how every dirt road goes, you always hit the ones, you don't see, and there's always, seems to be more, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, so, so that's kind of, what I see, as we're, as we're making our roads here, and how I am on my road, so, so at the beginning, of this exhortation, we asked ourselves, the question,

37. 30:04

    why is the word, immediately used, so often, in Mark 1, in particular, why are we, in such a hurry, what's the big rush, well, I think the answer, is really, quite simple, Christ, is, going to return, at any time, and we all know this, and we all know, that we, need to prepare ourselves, but we need to prepare ourselves, immediately, now is the time, to act, now is the time, to be, separate, from worldly thinking, ask yourself, the question, what, what, is that, obstacle, that's, in my way, of entering the kingdom, be, honest with yourself, admit it to God, in prayer, and, immediately, make a change, we, we still have time, we still have a chance, to make a change, now, we can do it, just how, how Saul did, and how Samson did, in his last days, it's not too late, but it is time, to get to work, immediately, because, you know what, it takes, a long time, to build a road, and the clock, is ticking, so I'd like to, close with a passage, from Proverbs 3, Proverbs 3, my son, forget not my law, but let thine heart, keep my commandments, for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee, let not mercy, and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck, write them upon, the table of thine heart, so shalt thou find, favor, and good understanding, in the sight of God, and man, trust in the Lord, with all thine heart, and lean not, unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall, make straight, thy paths, be not wise,

38. 32:32

    in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil, thank you, thank you, thank you, for listening, to the good, Christadelphian talks podcast, we hope this talk, helped you in your walk, if you would like, to hear more, please subscribe, for new episodes, and leave a review, in apple podcast, or whichever service, you are using, to help more people, find the show, when they search for it, if you enjoyed, this particular talk, please share it, with someone, who you think, might enjoy it as well, for show notes, on the talk, you just listened to, visit our show page, at anchor.fm, slash gct, or check the show notes, section of your podcast player, please share your thoughts, on the talk from this week, on our Facebook, or Instagram pages, where we are at, good Christadelphian talks, on Twitter, where we are at, gct underscore podcast, or leave a comment, on our YouTube channel, where these talks, are posted as well, if you know of a great talk, we want to know about it too, send a suggestion, to our email, at goodchristadelphiantalks, at gmail.com, or message us, on any of our social media accounts, thank you for listening, God bless, and talk to you next week,

39. 34:00

    and talk to you next week, you