277: Peter King - Exhortation: Bread and Wine

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1. 0:13

   Welcome to Good Chris Selfie and 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 the short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk you’re about to listen to. And now, let’s talk more about this week’s talk. Hi, this is Levi.

2. 0:52

   This week’s talk is an exhortation by Brother Peter King given at the Idlewild Bible School in 1997. This exhibition did not have a title that we know of. This is one of the tapes that Chris has taken on digitizing, which has been really great for us. Basically after nearly five years on the show, we’ve we’re we’re pretty clear on what’s already digitized or recorded digitally and already online. So it’s been really helpful and we you’ve you’ve you’ve noticed them, we’ve talked about them before. Some of these other talks we’ve been posting that are older and kind of more specifically presented in Southern California where where Chris and I and Jason are and this education was one of those.

3. 1:38

   So we don’t have a title. It is the first, the opening education for Idlewild and I really enjoyed listening to it because as I kind of suspected, I actually remember this talk specifically and I was only 10 years old. I was really struck as a child by Brother Peter and I think this is a classic. This is his third time on the show. There are two other episodes if you haven’t listened to them and enjoy this one by Peter King and this is a classic like he he kind of just it’s essentially going first by verse through a couple passages on the same theme, which is bread and wine in this case.

4. 2:16

   So it’s a really great kind of classic exitation but then at the end he makes it again very personal. I’m he I think always just really comfortably moved moves between kind of exposition and exitation on and and you know practically how we relate to God and the Lord Jesus while you know while you know while the point before you know the minute before would have been just a piece of exposition or a Hooray a look into a specific word. So I really enjoyed listening to this talk again and remembering being 10 in that room and and hearing it and really excited to to share it here.

5. 2:55

   So here is a nice station by Brother Peter King. When the Lord Jesus Christ introduced the emblems to his disciples, what do you think was in their mind when at the beginning of the feast? Because that’s when it took place, not at the end. He introduced to them the the bread and the wine. What thoughts do you think were uppermost in their mind? I suppose from Sunday school days, those of us who were fortunate enough to attend when we were five years old, Just think of the the, the shock and the revulsion. Such a suggestion that the Lord made. But if you ponder the matter, brethren and sisters, you will find, I think, with the word of God in our hand, that this is not necessarily the case.

6. 3:53

   My proposition to you this evening is that they were shocked beyond belief when the Master equated the bread with his body and the wine with his blood. But for the Lord to take from the table a piece of bread and say, I want you to eat this as a memorial feast, didn’t surprise them at all. For the Lord to produce a cup of wine and say, I want you each to drink from this single cup, caused them not a moment’s hesitation in accepting, of course, what did surprise them and shock them, and I should think it took them a long time to come to terms with, was his association with his body and the bread and his blood with the wine. But as a memorial service they were not surprised, because as good Old Testament people, and they were, they were well acquainted with memorial services of bread and wine. Many times I should think they had taken bread and wine as a memorial feast.

7. 4:59

   Of course, in the chapters that we shall read in Matthew in a few days time, when the Master brought them to specifically his body, and his blood chopped them. And I thought for a few moments this evening we might profitably have a look at some Old Testament breaking of bread services, and see the principles that were undoubtedly involved then, and see whether they apply to us today.

8. 5:22

   And I think we should find unerringly with the word of God faithfully in our hand, that they will. The first time that we read of a breaking of bread service is at the time when Abraham did to the four kings with his 318 trained men what the five kings couldn’t do in battle.

9. 5:45

   You remember early in Genesis how that the five kings served the four kings, and then in the 13th year they rebelled and war against Ward against Ed or Naoma, and they came off worse and the five kings lost the battle, they lost their cities, they lost their people, they lost their possessions. And Abraham of course couldn’t have cared a figure about this.

10. 6:09

    He would he. He wouldn’t even have caused him a moment’s agitation, these nine idiot kings warring among themselves, had not his nephew not been in Sodom, which was one of the cities taken by Quedor Laover.

11. 6:30

    And he assembles his 318 soldiers, pursues Cador Laomar and the three kings that were with him, overtakes them and defeats them, and brings back all the people and the goods that have been taken from the cities and on his way back. And it’s ever so important that we get the structure of the story in the right order. On the way back, he’s met by Bira, the king of Sodom, and Bira, the king of Sodom says, I’m delighted that you’ve done what you have done.

12. 7:02

    Thank you for rescuing the people, the men, the women and the children. Give the souls to me and keep for yourself the bounty that you have taken. And at that point there is an interruption. He doesn’t go away. He has a single interview because while he’s talking to Bira, the king of Sodom and probably the king of Gomorrah also, there comes to him Melchizedek out of the city of Salem, perhaps Jerusalem, bearing bread and wine. And he is king and priest of the Most High God, and he comes to Abraham, and Abraham leaves Beer of the king of Sodom kicking his heels, while now he addresses Melchizedek. And Melchizedek introduces the bread to him and the wine. And it’s a lengthy meeting because Abraham pays tithes of all the tea hat, and he receives an exitation from Melchizedek. And it’s a good exitation, and it’s a practical exitation, and it’s an exitation that Abraham could remember and something that he could do.

13. 8:13

    And when the bread and wine were taken away and Melchizedek goes back into the city, I mean, just ponder for a moment, if you will, the wonderful types that we have all coming together. We have Melchizedek representing the Lord Jesus Christ, king and priest of God’s holy city. We have Abraham bearing all the promises which God made to his faithful people.

14. 8:36

    And manifesting Melchizedek was more important than Abraham because the lesser always pays tithes to the greater. And when Melchizedek goes away, Abraham turns again to address the king who’s been kicking his heels while this service has been taking place. And now he addresses Bearer. And now we see the effect of the exitation upon the man of God.

15. 9:06

    He says, I’ve lifted up. When did he do that? I lift up my hands to God Almighty that I won’t take anything from you. This was the exitation that Melchizedek gave him. Melchizedek would have said, you want to have nothing to do with this man. He represents filth and evil and sin and is abhorrent to God.

16. 9:25

    Never heard the agitation and applied it. And he said, I don’t want anything to do with you. I won’t take anything from you. I won’t take a thread from you. I won’t take a bootlace from you, lest it should be said I have made Abraham rich. Now that’s serious talk, brethren and sisters. I mean, you can get no lower than a bootlace. You see.

17. 9:52

    He didn’t even say I wouldn’t have a head covering off you. He said I don’t want a boot. Like I wouldn’t have a thread off you. There are ways of of turning down a gift, and this isn’t one of them. This, this, this isn’t a lesson in etiquette. This is a lesson in godliness. He’d heard the exitation you see and applied it. Would God, we, we, we did that with the exitations that we hear.

18. 10:21

    But he put his life on the line in so doing. You see you. You cannot say that to a Middle East potentate. You cannot say that to a Middle East king and get away with it. You wouldn’t do it today. I am telling you, it’s not a question of debate, it’s a statement of fact. You cannot do it.

19. 10:46

    Your life is in danger. So Abraham has exposed himself on two issues. Firstly, he’s in grave danger by throwing away the offer of a gift. And secondly, with respect to Abraham, you’ve turned your back on very great wealth because the booty that was taken, that had previously been stolen from Sodom and from Gomorrah wasn’t something to be sneezed at. So now watch.

20. 11:12

    Watch what happens. And it’s ever so important that we get the order right. He’s broken bread as a memorial service, faithfully with his God and with the Lord Jesus Christ.

21. 11:28

    He’s denounced sin and renounced it. And now God says to him in verse one of chapter 15. Of course we’re very grateful to the ancient Archbishop of Canterbury, who put the word of God into chapters and verses for us. We’re grateful to him. But occasionally an error is made. And here is one verse. One of chapter 15 of Genesis should be verse 25 of chapter 14.

22. 12:00

    Now it came to pass after these things did God spoke to Abraham in a vision and said, Fear not, Abraham. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. Do you see what’s happened? I am thy shield. I’ll protect you from this evil man and thy exceeding great reward. Your reward will come from me, not from sin. The the, the, the blessing is is tailor made for the man of God exactly what he wanted.

23. 12:30

    But mark this, it came after breaking bread, not before. He didn’t say to God now that these are the things that I want. No, I’ll break bread and drink wine very much the other way round. He broke bread and drank wine as a memorial, and then God tailor made a blessing for him. And do you know brethren and sisters, wherever you look in the word that holds good?

24. 13:01

    Because the next breaking of bread, service of which we read, brings us into collision with exactly the same principle. Moses has left it Egypt and Gontamidian there. He’s doubled his age, and at the ripe old age of 80, he sets off back to Egypt to rescue the Hebrew people with God’s help. And he does it with God’s help, with God’s guidance.

25. 13:31

    By himself he would have been a failure. And he comes to the base of Sinai, where Jethro his brother-in-law, not father-in-law, where Jethro, his brother-in-law, hears of the great work which Moses has performed, and he brings his wife who has been sent back on the road. This is an exhibition, not a Bible classic dress. We have no time to go down that way. But Zipporah has been sent back to Jethro by Moses. And then Jethro says to Zipporah and the boys, Now I must take you to the base of Sinai to Horeb, where Moses has done what he said he would do, and he’s brought out God’s people and you must be reunited with your husband. Which is why, incidentally, Miriam and Aaron chide with Moses because of the Kushite woman who’ve been married. He didn’t just marry her that only just found out that he was married when he came back to Egypt. He didn’t see fit to tell them that he was married because he didn’t think he’d see his wife and sons again. But but when Jethro brings them, he has some very fast talking to do.

26. 14:36

    This is I forgot to tell you, I was married when I was in Egypt, in Midian, and this is my wife and my sons. Then look what happens. Jethro and Moses and Aaron and the elders of his trail eat bread in the presence of God. It is a memorial service. Exodus chapter 18 if you look in. But believe me, it’s there.

27. 15:03

    It’s a memorial service. And in the morning Jethro says to Moses what means this great line of people outside your tent. And Moses says, well, I’m the judge, you see, and they come to me for me to pass judgement on them between right and wrong. And Jethro says to him, you will surely wear yourself out doing this.

28. 15:30

    He must learn, doesn’t actually say this, but this is what he means. You must learn the art of delegation. Give give the job of judging 1000 people to this man, and the job of judging 100 people to this man, and to him 10 people. And just reserve the right to handle the difficult cases yourself.

29. 15:48

    But if you’re going to deal with every problem that ever arises, you will surely weigh yourself out. And Moses did, and he laid his burden down.

30. 16:02

    It was just the blessing that he needed. He didn’t need protection. He didn’t need wealth. He wanted to learn the art of delegation. And Jethro told him after breaking of bread. Incidentally, you’re well taught here. I know you are. You might just like to ponder what was the great characteristic that that Jethro told Moses he should look for in the judges whom he appointed.

31. 16:29

    What was it? Just one and such a good man With Jethro, I cannot believe. You see, you could live 40 years in the company of somebody like Moses and not be a believer.

32. 16:43

    And such a good man was Jethro, that he preceded the giving of the 10 commandments by a whole chapter. Because he said, when you appoint judges, you must look for men who are not covetous. Got it? In one, you see? No, she did, and he laid his burden down after breaking bread. And the principal holds good brethren and sisters.

33. 17:03

    The next time we read up a specific breaking of bread is when Ruth the Moabites comes home with Naomi. I suppose we should call Amara, although nobody ever does. Don’t call me sweetness and light, she says. Call me bitterness, because the Lord took me out full and brought me back empty. Went out with three men, came back with none. One daughter-in-law and Ruth.

34. 17:27

    He’s providentially LED, as you know, to glean in the field of boys again, what superb types we have. Boaz unerringly representing the Lord Jesus Christ, and Ruth the Gentile Ecclesia. And Ruth is providentially led to glean in his field, and in one day she she gleans enough to feed a mother-in-law and herself for two weeks.

35. 17:49

    Fabulous story, fabulous love story and boy assist to her. I’ve heard that you’re a faithful girl. How that you have not turned your back on your mother-in-law, but you’ve been very faithful. Now hear this ever before. He spoke to her like that they broke bread and drank wine. He said, come to me and and eat this.

36. 18:21

    And he gave a parched corn. It’s the corn still on the stalk, held over a flame and tapped out gently. It’s a great delicacy in the land and it’s called parched corn. Of course it won’t fill you up. It’s only it’s only a tape as as is this, but it’s that of which it speaks, which is important. It’s bread given by the king to the bride. And then he said, come with me and he says to the stewards give her red wine to drink.

37. 18:57

    The authorized version to which I happen to be addicted, calls it vinegar. It’s rough red wine that the with which the workers slake their thirst. Look what the king has given the bride. He’s given a bread and he’s given a wine and they feast together. And then he says, because the blessing must follow the the memorial service.

38. 19:16

    Then he says you won’t go into any other field, will you? You will stay faithful to me, won’t you? You’ll have other offers, other offers, which might, might, might sound more attractive. Don’t, don’t go. Stay faithful to me. And she did, and he married her.

39. 19:37

    But the blessings came after the memorial service was taken and it was tailor made for her. She didn’t need to learn the art of delegation. She didn’t want protection or great wealth. She wanted to be encouraged to say, in the field of the man representing the Lord Jesus Christ, say faithful, and you will be blessed.

40. 19:55

    And she did, and she was. And wherever you open your book, brethren and sisters, the principle holds good. Isaiah 55 We read it a little while ago. Eat bread and drink wine free of charge, free to you, not free of cost to the Father or the Son. But what blessing follows? Eat and drink, and your chapter 55 Eat and drink and your soul shall live time presses. Let’s just go into the New Testament, shall we? Quickly.

41. 20:26

    The Apostle Paul came down to Troas, and as his custom was, he came to break bread on the first day of the week with the disciples. Now the Jewish day starts at 6:00 in the evening, if you know so at chapter 20, if you’re going there. But there, I promise you the

42. 20:47

    the, the, the apostle, the apostle at 6:00 on Saturday evening. It’s now Sunday morning. Well, it’s Sunday. On the first day of the week they come together to break bread.

43. 21:06

    And the apostle Paul, I suppose he’s on his, shall we say by 7:00 by the time they’d had a few hymns. And whoever was taking brother Paul’s job but said a couple of prayers. And brother Dick makes some announcements. We’re going to hear the apostle Paul preached next Saturday or might have been Peter or John, the fraternal And the announcements, let’s say that those those bits and pieces took.

44. 21:36

    Let’s say they took it took an hour. Shall we? He’s on his feet at 7:00. Of course, the excitations in those days were somewhat longer than we have today. He’s still speaking at midnight. 5 hour exitation. Yeah. No, no, you’re not going to get that this evening. I promise you that. But no, no, no, you’re not.

45. 21:55

    But I tell you this, brothers and sisters, in passing we have we have forgotten the art of concentration. You see, there are some young people on the back row tonight who are just not listening. I tell you what, he’d better be listening tomorrow. Yeah, I’m deadly serious. We haven’t. We have forgotten the art of concentration. We don’t bother if the speaker goes on for more than 2234 minutes.

46. 22:27

    Mostly cliches in the United Kingdom. Give you give you a bit of paper which says don’t speak for longer than 24 minutes, will you please? During the morning and at night, for whatever you do. 35 minutes maximum. Right, James.

47. 22:43

    But we we, we can’t concentrate for longer than that. That’s what we’re saying. You see, brothers and sisters, concentration is not something with which we are born. It’s something which we learn and we are slow learners. I take my time sitting where you are and I know it’s difficult. The speaker voice goes on and drones on and you play with the numbers on the inboard. I know, I know where you’ve been. I’ve been down that road myself.

48. 23:08

    But we really ought to learn, if we can, the art of concentration, perhaps a little more ardently than we do. Not everybody can take it, of course, and the young men Uticus couldn’t fell down from the third lost. And he didn’t just doze off either. He was fell into a deep sleep, was taken up dead, and they took the opportunity to get the bread and wine round while Paul went and embraced him and doubtless raised him from the dead there and then. But The thing is, we don’t read him the blessing until after they break him.

49. 23:37

    Broken bread and drunk wine. And it’s after they’ve taken the bread and the wine that the apostle Paul brings him to those whom he loved. I love the understatement. Do you know the understatement? In the word, In the word of God.

50. 23:50

    They’re scattered all over. Here’s one. And he brought Euticus back alive. And they were not a little comforted. Well, they wouldn’t be, would they? It would be a great deal comforted, wouldn’t it? And they were. Oh, and then he continued his exhortation till Daybreak. So if five hours hadn’t been long enough, they had another five hours.

51. 24:12

    And I shouldn’t think too many people dozed off in the second-half. We’re not told. We’re not told about that. But do you see the order of the blessing? They break bread, and then Euticus is giving back to them alive just what they wanted, exactly what they needed. And of course it would be unfair any speaker to to talk like that without coming to the greatest of all breaking bread services, the Lord Jesus Christ.

52. 24:46

    In Matthew 26. We shall be reading it in a few days. Takes the bread and gives it to his disciples and the wine. And they drink it.

53. 24:56

    Not only after they’ve taken the bread and wine do they learn that it’s done for the remission of sins, not your sins are remitted. Oh, by the way, take bread and wine. Never that way round. Always the other way round. First you take the emblems and then your sins are forgiven. I’m not promoting the idea.

54. 25:13

    Let me just make this clear. I’m not promoting the idea that we come here to have our sins forgiven. We can do. But so effective is the bread and wine, and if we take it faithfully, we can have our sins forgiven on Tuesday morning or Thursday afternoon, if we so wish, and if we so confit. But no bread and wine, no forgiveness. We ought to learn that and preach it. The blessing follows the memorial service. Now this is the this is the point. Reverend sisters, you’re but common, if I may use such a word.

55. 25:48

    The common denominator of all breaking and bread services is that it reminds us of the price that was paid for our salvation. This is the cost. And the common denominator is that we can have our sins forgiven because of this. But having looked at the exitations, and there are ever so many more of them in the Word of God, having looked and consider the breaking bread services in the Word of God, do you not think we would be fair to say that we two can look for an individual blessing following our faithful memorial service?

56. 26:28

    Your requirements are different from mine. Mine needs are different today, perhaps from what they were last week. But surely I can come to my Lord and say, this is what I need, but thy will be done.

57. 26:48

    This is my urgent requirement. But may thy will override it. I think that’s fair. May we conclude by just looking into the future. A moment, please. You see, the day will come when the Lord Jesus Christ will take the place of Brother Paul, and we’ll preside over a breaking of bread service far faster than this.

58. 27:16

    And maybe our brethren who brought the bags around and who will shortly bring the cups and plates around, will be replaced by the disciples. Who knows? And you take bread having been broken by Jesus at the hand of John the disciple, or Peter Matthew.

59. 27:35

    And we remember the Lord Jesus Christ as He sips wine again in His Father’s Kingdom. Now what blessing follows that? Because if the principle is good, it must hold true all the way. And it does because the blessing that follows is life forever more in the Kingdom of God.

60. 28:01

    You see, no bread and wine at the hand of Jesus, no life, bread and wine in the Kingdom, life or evermore. This is the glory of our hope. And so now, as we take bread, drink, whining memory of the terrible price that was paid for our freedom from from the shackles of sin, let’s just thank our God for it, and in the privacy of our own heart not be afraid to say, Lord, I lean heavily upon Your grace.

61. 28:41

    Bless me, please, according to my personal and private needs, the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to the good Chris Adelphian Talks Podcast. We hope this talk helped you in your walk and brightened your day. If you would like to hear more, please subscribe for new episodes. We are on all major podcast platforms and also on YouTube. If you enjoyed this particular talk, please share it with someone else who you think might enjoy it too. For show notes on the talk you just listened to, visit [email protected] or check out the Show Notes section of your podcast player.

62. 29:32

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63. 29:48

    You can send a suggestion using the Contact Us tab on our website or message us on any of our social media accounts. Thank you for listening. God bless and talk to you next week.