289: Alfred Norris – The Visitation at Pentecost

1
00:00:13,800 –> 00:00:15,520
Welcome to Good Chris Selfie and
talks.

2
00:00:15,520 –> 00:00:18,200
I’m Levi.
And I’m Chris, and I’m Brian.

3
00:00:18,520 –> 00:00:19,720
Thank you for joining us this
week.

4
00:00:20,280 –> 00:00:24,040
On this podcast, we select one
talk a week to help us get the

5
00:00:24,040 –> 00:00:27,640
Bible in our Daily News feed.
We post a new episode at the

6
00:00:27,640 –> 00:00:30,560
start of each week with the
short intro beforehand to kind

7
00:00:30,560 –> 00:00:33,480
of set the stage for the talk
you’re about to listen to, and

8
00:00:33,480 –> 00:00:36,200
now let’s talk more about.
This Week’s Talk

9
00:00:50,840 –> 00:00:54,120
This week’s Talk is the second
class in a series by Brother

10
00:00:54,120 –> 00:00:56,760
Alfred Norris.
The series is called The Mighty

11
00:00:56,760 –> 00:01:00,000
Acts of God, and this class is
called the Visitation at

12
00:01:00,000 –> 00:01:03,200
Pentecost.
Really, really enjoyed this

13
00:01:03,200 –> 00:01:05,080
class.
It’s kind of pretty evenly

14
00:01:05,080 –> 00:01:08,440
divided into two parts.
He even takes a pause in between

15
00:01:08,440 –> 00:01:11,680
them, the first part being a
discussion on what it means to

16
00:01:11,680 –> 00:01:15,160
be made in the image of God.
And there was kind of a bunch of

17
00:01:15,160 –> 00:01:18,040
thoughts in that first section
that I’d I’d never had before,

18
00:01:18,040 –> 00:01:19,440
so that was very fun to listen
to.

19
00:01:20,040 –> 00:01:26,000
And the second part, it’s about
the last 17 minutes is about the

20
00:01:26,840 –> 00:01:30,280
the Holy Spirit working in Acts
and in the New Testament and

21
00:01:30,280 –> 00:01:34,160
what the the gift of tongues
like, how often it’s mentioned

22
00:01:34,160 –> 00:01:35,880
and and what it what it might
have actually meant.

23
00:01:36,960 –> 00:01:39,040
So very really really fun class
to listen to.

24
00:01:39,160 –> 00:01:42,160
This isn’t our first time
obviously running a Alfred

25
00:01:42,160 –> 00:01:46,600
Norris talk.
This is his fourth class on the

26
00:01:46,600 –> 00:01:52,080
show and he fits exactly into
kind of an older style and I’ve

27
00:01:52,200 –> 00:01:55,840
I’ve talked about this in
introductions before where he

28
00:01:55,840 –> 00:01:58,760
doesn’t quote a verse in this
entire class so which feels

29
00:01:58,760 –> 00:02:02,960
feels so foreign to me And now
as AI guess a modern day

30
00:02:02,960 –> 00:02:08,400
Chrysadelphian that all classes
and exhorts we hear now are full

31
00:02:08,400 –> 00:02:11,920
of brethren quoting exact
scripture.

32
00:02:12,520 –> 00:02:16,240
Brother Norris obviously refers
to scripture a ton and that’s

33
00:02:16,240 –> 00:02:20,080
kind of fun to hear.
Fun to hear him kind of use

34
00:02:20,960 –> 00:02:25,680
quotes interwoven in his talk in
his class.

35
00:02:26,280 –> 00:02:28,320
You know he’s he’s referring to
scripture constantly but not

36
00:02:28,320 –> 00:02:31,480
telling you exactly where.
So it’s fun as a as a listener

37
00:02:31,480 –> 00:02:34,480
to to hear those thoughts
because then it becomes kind of

38
00:02:34,480 –> 00:02:40,000
a more, I don’t know a more a
more conversational style I

39
00:02:40,000 –> 00:02:42,600
think in less of a less of a
lecture feeling.

40
00:02:43,560 –> 00:02:47,000
So again, really enjoyed this
one, really happy to, happy to

41
00:02:47,000 –> 00:02:50,600
share it.
So here is Alfred Norris, The

42
00:02:50,600 –> 00:02:54,520
Visitation at Pentecost.
There’s one hymn, one of the

43
00:02:54,520 –> 00:02:57,920
sound paraphrases, which sums up
completely the title of this

44
00:02:57,920 –> 00:03:00,840
series, which is, as you know,
the mighty acts of God.

45
00:03:01,040 –> 00:03:10,610
So can we sing Hymn 24?
Could I ask that we sing the

46
00:03:10,610 –> 00:03:15,450
second-half of verse 2 Softly
and the whole of verse 4 softly?

47
00:03:16,610 –> 00:03:19,530
Hymn 24.
O Lord, Thou Art My God and

48
00:03:19,530 –> 00:03:22,530
King.
There’s a good deal more yet to

49
00:03:22,530 –> 00:03:25,290
be said about the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus, which was the

50
00:03:25,290 –> 00:03:29,680
theme we introduced yesterday.
So the official title of this

51
00:03:29,680 –> 00:03:32,320
talk will occur only to the
later part of what I have to

52
00:03:32,320 –> 00:03:36,720
say.
In Acts chapter 2, Peter used

53
00:03:36,720 –> 00:03:39,960
the fact of the Lord’s
resurrection as the basis of

54
00:03:39,960 –> 00:03:43,920
that urgent appeal, that
irresistible appeal to all good

55
00:03:43,920 –> 00:03:46,920
consciences in their midst, that
the people should repent and

56
00:03:46,920 –> 00:03:50,400
turn to God.
For the man who was raised from

57
00:03:50,400 –> 00:03:54,920
the dead was the man whom they
had crucified, or whose

58
00:03:54,920 –> 00:03:58,600
crucifixion they had engineered,
or at the call for whose

59
00:03:58,600 –> 00:04:02,080
crucifixion they had applauded
and said, not this man, but

60
00:04:02,080 –> 00:04:06,360
Barabbas.
The apostles continue on the

61
00:04:06,360 –> 00:04:11,360
same theme, but as they do so,
there arises an ever sharper

62
00:04:11,360 –> 00:04:14,600
division amongst the people to
whom they are speaking.

63
00:04:15,800 –> 00:04:20,200
At first a neutral body of
people, including some friends,

64
00:04:20,200 –> 00:04:23,280
some enemies, some who had not
made-up their mind addresses.

65
00:04:23,280 –> 00:04:26,240
Here’s the address of Pentecost.
And then decide whether they

66
00:04:26,240 –> 00:04:30,360
will repent or they will not,
and 3000 decide they will.

67
00:04:31,440 –> 00:04:33,360
And the company increases as
time goes on.

68
00:04:33,360 –> 00:04:35,640
And a great number of the
priests are added to the faith,

69
00:04:35,840 –> 00:04:38,600
which must have been no small
surrender on the part of those

70
00:04:38,600 –> 00:04:43,320
priests, since the priests were
primarily Sadducees, and the

71
00:04:43,320 –> 00:04:46,400
Sadducees say there is no
resurrection, neither Angel nor

72
00:04:46,400 –> 00:04:49,600
spirit.
Such persons must therefore have

73
00:04:49,600 –> 00:04:52,720
gone full circle from their
original denial that there was

74
00:04:52,720 –> 00:04:55,880
such a thing, either as survival
of the dead or as bringing the

75
00:04:55,880 –> 00:04:58,680
dead back to life again.
And when they were converted to

76
00:04:58,680 –> 00:05:00,600
the faith, that was conversion
indeed.

77
00:05:03,400 –> 00:05:06,840
But nevertheless, in spite of
the increase in numbers growing

78
00:05:06,840 –> 00:05:12,400
to 5000 and more, before very
long there was inevitably an

79
00:05:12,400 –> 00:05:16,720
increase in hostility.
They who were hardened in their

80
00:05:16,720 –> 00:05:20,720
unbelief, they who had called
down the blood of the Lord Jesus

81
00:05:20,720 –> 00:05:24,360
Christ upon themselves and upon
their children, who would grow

82
00:05:24,360 –> 00:05:28,240
in opposition to God to such an
extent that it would indeed be

83
00:05:28,240 –> 00:05:30,960
needful to destroy their city.
And the Romans would indeed come

84
00:05:30,960 –> 00:05:32,880
and take away their place and
habitation.

85
00:05:34,160 –> 00:05:35,840
We’re only mustering their
forces.

86
00:05:37,080 –> 00:05:40,240
The few thousands who joined
themselves to the disciples were

87
00:05:40,240 –> 00:05:43,520
matched by an increasing number
and an increasing determination

88
00:05:43,720 –> 00:05:46,960
on the part of those who would
see their hostility to the Lord

89
00:05:46,960 –> 00:05:50,240
Jesus Christ through to the
bitter end.

90
00:05:51,960 –> 00:05:56,040
Bitter end it would be indeed,
if ever there was a case of a

91
00:05:56,040 –> 00:05:59,520
people turning aside from God’s
ways to their own discomfiture

92
00:05:59,520 –> 00:06:02,920
and destruction.
That was the case with the Jews

93
00:06:03,200 –> 00:06:06,840
from Pentecost onwards in
Jerusalem, and indeed throughout

94
00:06:06,840 –> 00:06:09,640
the cities of the Roman Empire
where Jews were to be found.

95
00:06:10,840 –> 00:06:15,040
There is throughout this book a
monotonous story of the people

96
00:06:15,040 –> 00:06:18,720
of God-given a second
opportunity to hear the wisdom

97
00:06:18,720 –> 00:06:22,840
of God, allowed time to repent
of the deeds of their fathers in

98
00:06:22,840 –> 00:06:27,040
putting the Son of God to death.
And though they heard the

99
00:06:27,040 –> 00:06:31,400
message quietly for a day or so,
then gathering their forces and

100
00:06:31,400 –> 00:06:36,120
rejecting the message offered to
them, some few, of course, did

101
00:06:36,120 –> 00:06:40,560
accept the way of salvation.
The primarily Jewish accession

102
00:06:40,560 –> 00:06:43,120
to the faith from Pentecost
onwards, until the days when

103
00:06:43,120 –> 00:06:46,680
disciples first were scattered
abroad, gradually, however,

104
00:06:46,680 –> 00:06:51,920
changed into Jews plus
Samaritans, Jews plus Greeks.

105
00:06:53,080 –> 00:06:56,880
Some Jews are mostly Greeks.
So many Greeks that you now

106
00:06:56,880 –> 00:06:59,880
could begin to talk about the
Jews did this, while the

107
00:06:59,880 –> 00:07:03,320
believers did that.
And towards the end of the

108
00:07:03,320 –> 00:07:06,320
history of the Acts of the
Apostles, we have that dreadful

109
00:07:06,320 –> 00:07:10,240
judgement on the people to whom
Paul in particular went first to

110
00:07:10,240 –> 00:07:13,200
preach the way of life, that
seeing they judged themselves

111
00:07:13,200 –> 00:07:16,240
unworthy of eternal life, lo,
they would turn to the Gentiles.

112
00:07:18,320 –> 00:07:22,320
Which does not mean that the
Jews were disallowed so far as

113
00:07:22,320 –> 00:07:25,000
the fulfilment of God’s purpose
for them was concerned.

114
00:07:25,280 –> 00:07:27,880
It does not mean that they were
no longer acceptable if they

115
00:07:27,880 –> 00:07:32,000
would humble themselves beneath
the mighty hand of God, but it

116
00:07:32,000 –> 00:07:34,600
does increasingly mean that
there were few who would do so.

117
00:07:35,760 –> 00:07:38,560
And towards the end of New
Testament times, and ever since,

118
00:07:39,640 –> 00:07:43,360
even to our own days, those of
that race who would humble

119
00:07:43,360 –> 00:07:46,960
themselves and accept the name
of the Crucified One as that of

120
00:07:46,960 –> 00:07:52,160
their Saviour, went down and
down and has stayed down.

121
00:07:54,760 –> 00:07:59,120
Now, however, we go on to the
remainder of the resurrection

122
00:07:59,120 –> 00:08:03,120
Witnesses in the Acts.
Matthias was ordained to be a

123
00:08:03,120 –> 00:08:07,560
witness with the other apostles
of his resurrection, and with

124
00:08:07,560 –> 00:08:10,240
great power gave the apostles
their witness of the

125
00:08:10,240 –> 00:08:11,840
resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ.

126
00:08:12,040 –> 00:08:13,640
God hath raised him from the
dead.

127
00:08:13,680 –> 00:08:17,520
This to Cornelius, of which we
are witnesses not to all the

128
00:08:17,520 –> 00:08:20,400
people, but unto witnesses
chosen before of God, even to

129
00:08:20,400 –> 00:08:23,360
us, who did eat and drink with
him after he rose from the dead.

130
00:08:25,360 –> 00:08:29,120
And so first of all, in
Jerusalem the apostles continued

131
00:08:29,120 –> 00:08:31,960
to preach fearlessly that which
they had seen and heard.

132
00:08:33,159 –> 00:08:37,080
They had seen an empty grave.
They had heard a powerful,

133
00:08:37,080 –> 00:08:39,840
vibrant, resurrected voice
beyond the power of death.

134
00:08:40,880 –> 00:08:44,480
They had been witnesses of the
many infallible proofs whereby

135
00:08:44,480 –> 00:08:47,240
the Lord had declared that he
was alive forevermore.

136
00:08:47,400 –> 00:08:51,560
And they knew.
And so, as John, the last of

137
00:08:51,560 –> 00:08:54,760
them, perhaps, was later to
write that which we have seen

138
00:08:54,760 –> 00:09:00,040
and heard declare, We unto you
the enemies arose, and tried to

139
00:09:00,040 –> 00:09:03,320
silence them.
They took Peter and John, and

140
00:09:03,320 –> 00:09:06,720
they put them in prison.
The prisons were miraculously

141
00:09:06,720 –> 00:09:08,680
opened, and the apostles
appeared again in public next

142
00:09:08,680 –> 00:09:10,720
day.
And the rulers, knowing that the

143
00:09:10,720 –> 00:09:13,800
great work had been wrought in
healing the man who’d been lame

144
00:09:13,800 –> 00:09:16,560
for so long, were unable to deny
the great things that the

145
00:09:16,560 –> 00:09:20,480
apostles were doing in the name
of Jesus, But unable to deny it

146
00:09:20,480 –> 00:09:22,400
though they were, they would
quieten it if they could.

147
00:09:23,120 –> 00:09:26,480
And so they straightly commanded
them that they should speak no

148
00:09:26,480 –> 00:09:30,600
more in this name.
It was then that Peter made that

149
00:09:30,600 –> 00:09:33,480
classic declaration of what was
to be the way in which the

150
00:09:33,480 –> 00:09:35,800
apostles would always bear
witness to their faith, which

151
00:09:35,800 –> 00:09:39,000
was, whether it be right in the
sight of God to obey you rather

152
00:09:39,000 –> 00:09:43,600
than him judge ye, or we ought
to obey God rather than men.

153
00:09:44,400 –> 00:09:49,080
And then they rejoiced that they
were counted worthy to suffer

154
00:09:49,080 –> 00:09:54,320
shame for his sake in the sight
of the rulers.

155
00:09:54,320 –> 00:10:00,560
They were obstinate men,
ignorant Galileans, a nuisance

156
00:10:00,560 –> 00:10:02,800
to the smooth running of the
machinery of the subordinate

157
00:10:02,800 –> 00:10:06,360
Jewish state, men without
visible means of support.

158
00:10:06,360 –> 00:10:09,280
Moreover, it should be easy to
quell them.

159
00:10:11,280 –> 00:10:14,920
They had been strangely
forgetful of how hard it was to

160
00:10:14,920 –> 00:10:19,200
quell Jesus, who, despite the
fact that he raised no finger to

161
00:10:19,200 –> 00:10:22,680
hurt any person at any time, yet
could always escape them when

162
00:10:22,680 –> 00:10:25,400
they came.
For Him, could always seem to be

163
00:10:25,400 –> 00:10:28,000
sacrosanct when they tried to
arrest him except for the last

164
00:10:28,000 –> 00:10:31,240
moment, and could not be
silenced when they tried to

165
00:10:31,240 –> 00:10:37,560
cause him to stop his preaching.
If only they had listened, if

166
00:10:37,560 –> 00:10:40,600
only they had known, that the
Christ they crucified, and was

167
00:10:40,600 –> 00:10:44,120
now raised from the dead, was
indeed the one behind every

168
00:10:44,120 –> 00:10:46,600
effort of His Apostles.
And that they who had received

169
00:10:46,600 –> 00:10:49,920
power when the Spirit of God
came upon them had that power

170
00:10:49,920 –> 00:10:53,240
from him to whom it was given
all power in heaven and in

171
00:10:53,240 –> 00:10:56,520
earth, that they went not alone,
but in his company.

172
00:10:56,520 –> 00:11:00,120
So they preached not defenceless
men, but with the Lord by their

173
00:11:00,120 –> 00:11:03,160
side.
And if the Lord, who had not

174
00:11:03,160 –> 00:11:06,240
been defended against his death,
would not ultimately defend his

175
00:11:06,240 –> 00:11:09,880
disciples against their own, yet
quicken and bear witness to

176
00:11:09,880 –> 00:11:14,800
their preaching, He would So
they could not but speak the

177
00:11:14,800 –> 00:11:21,040
things that they had seen and
heard, first in Jerusalem, then

178
00:11:21,040 –> 00:11:25,880
through Philip in Samaria, then
through Peter to Cornelius in

179
00:11:25,880 –> 00:11:27,960
Caesarea.
The first fully fledged

180
00:11:27,960 –> 00:11:31,920
Gentiles, not already Jews by
faith, who were admitted into

181
00:11:31,920 –> 00:11:37,320
the fold, then through Paul in
Antioch of Pisidia, to a fully

182
00:11:37,320 –> 00:11:40,360
Gentile audience, with a many
fold repetition of the fact that

183
00:11:40,360 –> 00:11:43,040
the Lord Jesus Christ was indeed
risen from the dead.

184
00:11:43,960 –> 00:11:47,320
Using the same Psalm as we have
said, that Peter used yesterday

185
00:11:47,360 –> 00:11:51,920
to convince the Jews of
Jerusalem, then further afield,

186
00:11:52,960 –> 00:11:56,880
when he came to Athens, to
Athens, where there were so many

187
00:11:56,880 –> 00:12:02,360
gods and goddesses, worshipped,
so many temples, so many altars,

188
00:12:02,360 –> 00:12:05,800
so many shrines, so many
witnesses, that this

189
00:12:05,800 –> 00:12:08,640
superstitious people could never
be quite sure that with a

190
00:12:08,640 –> 00:12:10,880
multiplicity of gods they were
worshipping them all.

191
00:12:11,840 –> 00:12:14,600
So that in order to secure
themselves against a repetition

192
00:12:14,840 –> 00:12:17,200
of a sad disaster which had
overtaken them some years

193
00:12:17,200 –> 00:12:20,560
before, there was in at least
one place in their city an altar

194
00:12:20,560 –> 00:12:23,000
bearing this inscription to the
unknown God.

195
00:12:25,360 –> 00:12:28,240
And when Paul went into their
midst and preached unto them

196
00:12:29,120 –> 00:12:39,760
Jesus and the resurrection, oh
Yesus Kai, hey Anastasi, they

197
00:12:39,760 –> 00:12:42,160
thought a new God and a new
goddess were being introduced to

198
00:12:42,160 –> 00:12:46,440
their category.
Yes, it’s the God Anastasia the

199
00:12:46,440 –> 00:12:50,720
goddess.
And so they wished to enquire of

200
00:12:50,720 –> 00:12:53,240
Paul what he meant by setting
forth strange gods in their

201
00:12:53,240 –> 00:12:55,920
midst.
The unknown God should have been

202
00:12:55,920 –> 00:12:59,200
enough.
It was.

203
00:13:00,720 –> 00:13:04,600
All they needed was to be told
about him, to be told that he

204
00:13:04,600 –> 00:13:08,720
was not likened to flesh and
blood, that it was useless to

205
00:13:08,720 –> 00:13:11,480
imagine him, still less to
depict him in the shape of

206
00:13:11,480 –> 00:13:16,600
carved images of man or beast or
bird or creeping thing, and

207
00:13:16,600 –> 00:13:18,320
worst of all, in the shape of
goddesses.

208
00:13:19,840 –> 00:13:25,160
That he created all things, that
his power surpassed everything

209
00:13:25,160 –> 00:13:26,960
you could see in the created
universe.

210
00:13:28,760 –> 00:13:31,840
That he who made the earth, whom
they ignorantly and

211
00:13:31,840 –> 00:13:36,720
superstitiously worshipped, was
the one in whose hand is the

212
00:13:36,720 –> 00:13:40,680
life of every living thing, who
controls the breath of all

213
00:13:40,680 –> 00:13:44,280
mankind.
They should turn from their

214
00:13:44,280 –> 00:13:48,320
superstitions before it was too
late, as Israel should have

215
00:13:48,320 –> 00:13:51,600
turned from their parochial
their Pharisaic reliance upon

216
00:13:51,600 –> 00:13:55,880
being Abraham’s dead children.
They should turn and worship the

217
00:13:55,880 –> 00:14:01,880
living and the true God, for one
day it would be too late.

218
00:14:03,520 –> 00:14:07,520
Ignorance, when there is no, no,
no extenuation of that

219
00:14:07,520 –> 00:14:09,960
ignorance, when there is no
information to be given, is one

220
00:14:09,960 –> 00:14:11,560
thing.
Ignorance, when you shut your

221
00:14:11,560 –> 00:14:13,440
eyes to the truth which is
declared, is another.

222
00:14:14,520 –> 00:14:17,680
This the Jews had already done
this.

223
00:14:17,680 –> 00:14:22,240
The Greeks might also do so in
those classic words we so often

224
00:14:22,240 –> 00:14:24,280
quote.
And the times of this ignorance

225
00:14:24,280 –> 00:14:28,040
God winked at, but now
commandeth thee all men

226
00:14:28,520 –> 00:14:35,480
everywhere to repent.
He called the Greeks to join the

227
00:14:35,480 –> 00:14:40,160
faithful Jews in accepting the
God of heaven declared in the

228
00:14:40,160 –> 00:14:46,360
Lord Jesus Christ.
For he hath appointed a day in

229
00:14:46,360 –> 00:14:48,760
the which he will judge the
world in righteousness.

230
00:14:49,920 –> 00:14:54,480
Whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men in that he hath

231
00:14:54,480 –> 00:14:59,840
raised him from the dead.
To the Jews at Pentecost, the

232
00:14:59,840 –> 00:15:02,880
resurrection of Jesus was the
call to repent and turn from

233
00:15:02,880 –> 00:15:04,760
their evil works, and
acknowledge the misdeeds of

234
00:15:04,760 –> 00:15:08,760
their fathers.
To the Athens, it was the call

235
00:15:09,520 –> 00:15:13,080
to know, to know for sure, that
there was coming a time when God

236
00:15:13,080 –> 00:15:16,040
would intervene once more in the
affairs of the earth, when there

237
00:15:16,040 –> 00:15:19,080
would be a judgement both of the
living and the dead, where in

238
00:15:19,080 –> 00:15:21,880
which the one who himself had
been raised from the dead would

239
00:15:21,880 –> 00:15:24,800
stand before them to render into
every man according to his

240
00:15:24,800 –> 00:15:28,560
works.
So to Greeks as well as to Jews,

241
00:15:28,560 –> 00:15:31,760
there came the same call,
Repent.

242
00:15:34,480 –> 00:15:42,120
This word, repent, is a word we
could use more often, a thought

243
00:15:42,120 –> 00:15:46,840
we could entertain more deeply
in our hearts, A-frame of mind

244
00:15:46,840 –> 00:15:52,640
into which we could more
constantly find ourselves drawn.

245
00:15:54,640 –> 00:16:01,920
When we receive the faith we
believe it is good to believe it

246
00:16:01,920 –> 00:16:06,520
is indispensable.
God requires that those who come

247
00:16:06,520 –> 00:16:10,360
to him shall believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of

248
00:16:10,360 –> 00:16:15,080
them that diligently seek Him.
But belief has come to mean

249
00:16:15,080 –> 00:16:20,000
something less than its full
meaning in our usual way of

250
00:16:20,000 –> 00:16:24,120
describing it.
I believe that there is one God

251
00:16:24,800 –> 00:16:28,960
means to most of us.
I am sure there are not three

252
00:16:30,320 –> 00:16:34,440
and certainly not more.
I believe that the scriptures

253
00:16:34,640 –> 00:16:39,320
are the inspired record of God’s
dealings with men means.

254
00:16:40,000 –> 00:16:43,200
I’m sure it didn’t come by the
unaided work of man and that man

255
00:16:43,200 –> 00:16:46,680
by himself could not have done
it and man was only the agent of

256
00:16:46,680 –> 00:16:50,920
God’s revelation.
I believe that Jesus Christ will

257
00:16:50,920 –> 00:16:55,080
return to the earth means I’m
convinced of the fact that one

258
00:16:55,080 –> 00:16:59,320
day he will come back.
And one can believe such things

259
00:16:59,320 –> 00:17:02,760
as that in the spirit of a man
who, like James, beholds his

260
00:17:02,760 –> 00:17:05,680
natural face in the glass and
goes away, and straightway

261
00:17:05,680 –> 00:17:07,720
forgets what manner of man he
was.

262
00:17:10,880 –> 00:17:16,000
When we see our faces in the
glass, we ought, at least at

263
00:17:16,000 –> 00:17:20,720
1st, to see a strangely
disfigured image of God.

264
00:17:22,520 –> 00:17:27,240
God has made us in his likeness,
but the likeness of God has been

265
00:17:27,240 –> 00:17:32,880
overlaid with the likeness of
sinners, with the lines of sin

266
00:17:32,880 –> 00:17:36,560
and mortality, with the
distortions and the hardenings

267
00:17:36,560 –> 00:17:39,720
and the flabbiness’s of engaging
in the lusts and desires of the

268
00:17:39,720 –> 00:17:43,960
flesh.
When we who know that there is a

269
00:17:43,960 –> 00:17:47,520
God who created man in his own
image after his likeness, look

270
00:17:47,520 –> 00:17:50,480
inside the glass, we ought to be
able to tell that there is that

271
00:17:50,480 –> 00:17:55,200
even in that distorted, bloated,
lined, and sin stricken image,

272
00:17:55,480 –> 00:18:01,120
that which tells us we are more
than beasts, more than blind

273
00:18:01,120 –> 00:18:04,640
creatures, obliged to do the
things that instincts make them

274
00:18:04,640 –> 00:18:08,120
do.
We should know that God put in

275
00:18:08,120 –> 00:18:14,160
US better than that, but that we
have not done so well as He put

276
00:18:14,160 –> 00:18:18,320
in us that the deeds of our
sinning Father we have done with

277
00:18:18,320 –> 00:18:22,240
all too great eagerness, and the
deeds of him whose image and

278
00:18:22,240 –> 00:18:25,800
likeness we bear have come hard
to us to perform.

279
00:18:27,680 –> 00:18:32,840
And whether we are murderous
Jews at Pentecost, or well lived

280
00:18:32,840 –> 00:18:37,920
Gentiles at Caesarea, or curious
philosophical idolaters

281
00:18:37,920 –> 00:18:43,560
Athenians at the Ariopagus.
Whether we are good living

282
00:18:43,560 –> 00:18:48,640
proselytes like the Ethiopian
eunuch or terrace stricken

283
00:18:49,640 –> 00:18:52,800
prison keepers like the Jenner
of Philippi.

284
00:18:54,400 –> 00:18:56,880
Whether our lives have been as
the world counts such lives

285
00:18:57,080 –> 00:19:01,920
upright, honest, respectable,
esteemed by others.

286
00:19:03,080 –> 00:19:07,520
Whether they have been
brutalized, hard, callous.

287
00:19:08,840 –> 00:19:14,200
Whether they have been wicked,
wanton, abandoned, well, there

288
00:19:14,200 –> 00:19:17,520
have been stiff, proud, Paris
sake.

289
00:19:19,160 –> 00:19:21,640
Whether our lives have been any
of these things, from the simply

290
00:19:21,640 –> 00:19:26,560
respectful to the dreadfully
stained with nameless sins.

291
00:19:27,920 –> 00:19:35,440
God hath commanded all men
everywhere to repent, because he

292
00:19:35,440 –> 00:19:37,640
hath appointed a day under which
he will judge the word in

293
00:19:37,640 –> 00:19:41,400
righteousness by that man whom
he hath ordained.

294
00:19:42,720 –> 00:19:47,280
Whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men in that he hath

295
00:19:47,280 –> 00:19:55,600
raised him from the dead.
The assurance is the assurance

296
00:19:55,600 –> 00:19:59,000
that Jesus can judge because
he’s alive.

297
00:19:59,000 –> 00:20:02,200
To do it.
God hath raised him from the

298
00:20:02,200 –> 00:20:05,160
dead.
The assurance is the

299
00:20:05,160 –> 00:20:08,400
demonstration that he is alive,
for so can the resurrection of

300
00:20:08,400 –> 00:20:10,720
Jesus be set out convincingly
before us.

301
00:20:11,920 –> 00:20:17,680
And so we all know he can judge
the assurances that Jesus is

302
00:20:17,680 –> 00:20:23,640
entitled to judge, because in
righteousness was the way he

303
00:20:23,640 –> 00:20:27,720
lived, and for righteousness was
the way he died.

304
00:20:29,000 –> 00:20:32,160
And everlasting righteousness is
fixed upon him with his grant

305
00:20:32,160 –> 00:20:35,400
title, the Lord Our
Righteousness, which now He

306
00:20:35,400 –> 00:20:40,880
bears.
And He can and will judge the

307
00:20:40,880 –> 00:20:43,440
world in righteousness, having
been raised from the dead.

308
00:20:43,680 –> 00:20:47,200
Because the resurrection came
after the spotless living

309
00:20:47,720 –> 00:20:54,680
itself, the fruits of a lifelong
battle between the man with

310
00:20:54,680 –> 00:21:02,000
man’s instincts and man’s
temptability, and the way that

311
00:21:02,000 –> 00:21:06,080
God wanted him to live, and the
rightness God wanted him to

312
00:21:06,080 –> 00:21:10,680
show, and the sinlessness it was
essential that he should reveal.

313
00:21:12,600 –> 00:21:18,560
And the Lord did it, And the
Lord could look, had he been so

314
00:21:18,560 –> 00:21:23,160
vain as to look in a glass that
revealed his own face, and know

315
00:21:23,160 –> 00:21:26,160
that no act of his had lined
that image?

316
00:21:27,440 –> 00:21:34,040
Puffed those cheeks, coarsened
that tender glance, the Lord

317
00:21:34,040 –> 00:21:41,240
could bid them, give him a coin,
show to them Caesar’s image, and

318
00:21:41,240 –> 00:21:43,640
say, knowing that they would
look straight at him as he did

319
00:21:43,640 –> 00:21:47,480
so render unto Caesar that which
is Caesar’s, and bears Caesar’s

320
00:21:47,480 –> 00:21:50,880
image, and unto God that which
is God’s, and bears his.

321
00:21:53,240 –> 00:21:57,240
For surely that is what the Lord
was saying when he said, Render

322
00:21:57,240 –> 00:22:00,440
unto God the things that are
God’s.

323
00:22:02,720 –> 00:22:06,920
And the outcome of that should
have been and should be that

324
00:22:06,920 –> 00:22:09,280
when they went.
And when we go to our own place

325
00:22:10,800 –> 00:22:15,920
and look in our own glasses
again, it is not purely for the

326
00:22:15,920 –> 00:22:20,280
purpose of brushing our hair and
powdering our nose and making

327
00:22:20,280 –> 00:22:22,960
the none too perfect image look
better than it is.

328
00:22:25,040 –> 00:22:29,960
But seeing the image as it is
seeing in the face of the Lord

329
00:22:29,960 –> 00:22:33,640
Jesus Christ, which we also
behold in the glass what it

330
00:22:33,640 –> 00:22:39,600
ought to be like.
And repenting, knowing how much

331
00:22:39,600 –> 00:22:44,400
worse the one is than the other.
How much deformed is the image

332
00:22:44,400 –> 00:22:48,520
of God in US?
Seeing what God would like it to

333
00:22:48,520 –> 00:22:55,840
be and repenting, turning aside
from our own way and walking in

334
00:22:55,840 –> 00:23:00,000
God’s ways, leaving behind us
our own sins and seeking God’s

335
00:23:00,000 –> 00:23:04,280
righteousness, leaving behind
our own pattern of worldly

336
00:23:04,280 –> 00:23:08,720
behaviour, and seeking that
godly direction of life which

337
00:23:08,720 –> 00:23:14,240
was exemplified perfectly only
in one, but is now evidently set

338
00:23:14,240 –> 00:23:19,360
forth in him who was crucified
amongst us.

339
00:23:21,440 –> 00:23:24,120
And that is how Paul puts the
resurrection before the men of

340
00:23:24,120 –> 00:23:28,200
Athens.
He will judge because he can,

341
00:23:29,120 –> 00:23:32,760
righteously because he is
righteous at the appointed day

342
00:23:32,760 –> 00:23:42,120
because he is God’s servant, and
so now is the time to repent.

343
00:23:45,000 –> 00:23:47,560
There were some who did, not
many.

344
00:23:47,560 –> 00:23:50,040
It seems the odd man here and
there.

345
00:23:50,040 –> 00:23:52,920
Some noble women joined Paul in
Athens, but we don’t hear of any

346
00:23:52,920 –> 00:23:55,520
church founded there, so it
looks as though there perhaps

347
00:23:55,520 –> 00:24:05,080
wasn’t one for ourselves.
We have turned our minds to

348
00:24:05,080 –> 00:24:08,000
admit us through the things we
believe, to confess faithfully

349
00:24:08,200 –> 00:24:10,480
the first principles of our
statements.

350
00:24:10,840 –> 00:24:14,800
But to believe is to have faith,
to have trust, to place

351
00:24:14,800 –> 00:24:19,840
ourselves in God’s hands, to
turn aside from vain trust in

352
00:24:19,840 –> 00:24:21,680
the mortal things of this
worldly life.

353
00:24:21,680 –> 00:24:26,000
For the world passeth away on
the lust thereof and place our

354
00:24:26,000 –> 00:24:30,240
confidence in God through the
Lord Jesus Christ.

355
00:24:35,530 –> 00:24:38,010
Many wonders and signs were done
by the apostles.

356
00:24:40,570 –> 00:24:44,170
This touches in a different kind
of way upon a life problem of

357
00:24:44,170 –> 00:24:47,210
today.
Not much to do with our

358
00:24:47,690 –> 00:24:52,170
behaviour, though it has
something to do with that, but

359
00:24:52,170 –> 00:24:56,170
rather to do with our defences
against the constantly attacking

360
00:24:56,690 –> 00:25:00,840
winds of doctrine that confront
us in the world in which we

361
00:25:00,840 –> 00:25:05,680
live.
In a new upsurge of Neo

362
00:25:05,680 –> 00:25:12,480
Pentecostalism, In a world where
the spirit gifts are claimed

363
00:25:12,480 –> 00:25:16,520
again and increasingly and
aggressively with the new

364
00:25:16,520 –> 00:25:20,240
charisma matter that men are
begging for themselves and

365
00:25:20,240 –> 00:25:24,840
claiming to receive, we are not
infrequently confronted with the

366
00:25:24,840 –> 00:25:28,440
problem.
How far are these things true?

367
00:25:30,000 –> 00:25:31,840
How far should they affect
ourselves?

368
00:25:32,600 –> 00:25:35,560
How much should we follow them?
Should there be an earnest

369
00:25:35,560 –> 00:25:39,440
coveting of the same things in
our minds, or should we bring

370
00:25:39,440 –> 00:25:42,320
down all the shutters and close
down our minds even to thinking

371
00:25:42,320 –> 00:25:45,960
of the matter and battening down
the hatches, decide that this is

372
00:25:45,960 –> 00:25:50,480
not for us?
Well, of course, the right way

373
00:25:50,520 –> 00:25:53,640
at all times is to say what is
written.

374
00:25:55,360 –> 00:25:58,800
How readest thou both, if you
like?

375
00:25:58,800 –> 00:26:01,200
What did they experience in the
1st century?

376
00:26:02,240 –> 00:26:07,680
And is there a promise 1/2
promise, an open-ended promise,

377
00:26:07,680 –> 00:26:10,880
or no promise of corresponding
events in our own day?

378
00:26:13,840 –> 00:26:16,120
And in the period when the
mighty acts of God were most

379
00:26:16,120 –> 00:26:18,640
manifest of all subsequent to
the resurrection of the Lord

380
00:26:18,640 –> 00:26:20,800
Jesus Christ?
We do, at least it seems to me,

381
00:26:20,960 –> 00:26:26,120
have the top end of what God
might have done, and therefore

382
00:26:26,120 –> 00:26:28,400
might conceivably be going to do
again.

383
00:26:30,560 –> 00:26:34,720
What did He do in that 1st
century, by way of Spirit

384
00:26:34,720 –> 00:26:41,040
endowment and mighty gifts and
miraculous manifestations?

385
00:26:43,240 –> 00:26:45,320
Well, He gave the visitation of
Pentecost.

386
00:26:46,600 –> 00:26:49,880
He called the apostles, at least
perhaps at most, to speak with

387
00:26:49,880 –> 00:26:51,880
other tongues as the Spirit gave
them utterance.

388
00:26:53,560 –> 00:26:56,400
He caused a promise to be made
that if they would repent and be

389
00:26:56,400 –> 00:27:00,080
baptized every one of them, then
they should receive the gift of

390
00:27:00,080 –> 00:27:02,680
Holy Spirit, whatever that
implies.

391
00:27:03,800 –> 00:27:06,800
And the promise was to extend to
them and to their children, and

392
00:27:06,800 –> 00:27:09,600
to all that were afar off, even
as many as the Lord their God

393
00:27:09,600 –> 00:27:14,160
should call.
And he caused 3000 to be

394
00:27:14,160 –> 00:27:16,120
baptized that day and be joined
to the faith.

395
00:27:18,120 –> 00:27:21,680
And then what?
Well, we’ll come back to Then

396
00:27:21,680 –> 00:27:27,560
what in a moment.
For that was Pentecost, the next

397
00:27:27,560 –> 00:27:31,560
public manifestation of
widespread Spirit gifts, however

398
00:27:31,560 –> 00:27:35,400
widespread they were, would, I
suppose, be at Samaria when

399
00:27:35,400 –> 00:27:37,680
Philip had preached the Gospel
with his own mighty works in the

400
00:27:37,680 –> 00:27:40,280
presence of the Samaritans.
And they, having believed,

401
00:27:40,280 –> 00:27:42,680
awaited the time when Peter and
John would come down from

402
00:27:42,680 –> 00:27:44,800
Jerusalem.
And when Peter and John came,

403
00:27:44,800 –> 00:27:47,000
they prayed for them that they
might receive the Holy Spirit.

404
00:27:47,240 –> 00:27:49,920
And in what manifestations we
hardly know.

405
00:27:50,320 –> 00:27:54,320
The prayer was granted, and the
gift was put upon Samaritans

406
00:27:54,320 –> 00:27:58,600
also.
And then there was Caesarea,

407
00:27:59,920 –> 00:28:02,600
when Cornelius the Gentile was
preached to, when it was

408
00:28:02,600 –> 00:28:05,000
anticipated from above, and
understood by Peter that it

409
00:28:05,000 –> 00:28:08,280
might be very difficult to
persuade hardened Jews to accept

410
00:28:08,400 –> 00:28:11,520
the Gentiles without first
becoming Jewish, by faith, could

411
00:28:11,520 –> 00:28:13,440
be introduced into the Christian
fold.

412
00:28:13,680 –> 00:28:16,400
And so while Peter was yet
speaking to them, behold, the

413
00:28:16,400 –> 00:28:19,240
Holy Spirit fell upon them, and
they began to speak with tongues

414
00:28:19,240 –> 00:28:21,800
and glorify God.
And Peter was then empowered to

415
00:28:21,800 –> 00:28:24,440
say who we can forbid water,
that these should not be

416
00:28:24,440 –> 00:28:27,400
baptized, which have received
the Holy Spirit as well as we.

417
00:28:30,720 –> 00:28:35,160
And it occurred in Ephesus, when
in the 19th chapter of the Acts,

418
00:28:35,160 –> 00:28:37,240
when Paul had gone there
following the mission of

419
00:28:37,240 –> 00:28:39,680
Apollos, and had found there
certain who are called

420
00:28:39,680 –> 00:28:43,080
disciples, obtained an
unsatisfactory answer to the

421
00:28:43,080 –> 00:28:46,400
question, Have you received the
Holy Spirit since she believed,

422
00:28:47,760 –> 00:28:49,880
being told that they had not so
much as heard, that the Holy

423
00:28:49,880 –> 00:28:52,880
Spirit was given, proceeded to
tell them about the limitation

424
00:28:52,880 –> 00:28:56,120
of John’s baptism, about the
promise of John, that they or

425
00:28:56,120 –> 00:28:59,200
some of them would be baptized
with Holy Spirit not many days

426
00:28:59,200 –> 00:29:01,640
hence.
And from that point on, well,

427
00:29:01,640 –> 00:29:05,240
the gift of the Holy Spirit came
to these people too, a small

428
00:29:05,240 –> 00:29:08,760
number, and they were convinced
that God’s gift was given.

429
00:29:11,720 –> 00:29:15,880
Now outside those four.
Is it public?

430
00:29:15,880 –> 00:29:24,800
Examples At Pentecost in Samaria
in Caesarea, as in Ephesus, Acts

431
00:29:24,800 –> 00:29:27,640
is just about silent about
widespread gifts.

432
00:29:29,640 –> 00:29:32,160
Not merely is it just about
silent about widespread gifts,

433
00:29:32,160 –> 00:29:36,800
but the implications are that
they weren’t widespread anymore.

434
00:29:38,160 –> 00:29:41,320
Though there might have been
these outsurgings of the Spirit

435
00:29:41,320 –> 00:29:48,040
gifts, but they didn’t last,
Save that many wonders and signs

436
00:29:48,040 –> 00:29:53,680
were wrought by the apostles,
and the words are emphasized.

437
00:29:54,480 –> 00:29:58,600
Many wonders and signs were
wrought by the apostles, and

438
00:29:58,600 –> 00:30:03,040
with great power gave the
apostles their witness, and

439
00:30:03,040 –> 00:30:06,640
miracles occurred.
The Lord wrought special

440
00:30:06,640 –> 00:30:11,040
miracles by the hand of Paul.
They gathered together, if

441
00:30:11,040 –> 00:30:13,960
perhaps the shadow of Peter
passing by might fall upon some

442
00:30:13,960 –> 00:30:16,880
of them, and their sick ones be
healed.

443
00:30:19,240 –> 00:30:22,080
And it is so throughout the
book.

444
00:30:23,240 –> 00:30:29,280
Peter works miracles, Paul works
miracles, and Philip and Stephen

445
00:30:30,480 –> 00:30:34,160
also work miracles.
But Philip and Stephen are

446
00:30:34,160 –> 00:30:38,200
special men chosen at the behest
of the Apostolic Council of

447
00:30:38,200 –> 00:30:40,640
Jerusalem, to look after the
problem of the unequal

448
00:30:40,640 –> 00:30:43,960
distribution of relief to
Grecian and Jewish widows with

449
00:30:43,960 –> 00:30:47,400
the apostles hands laid upon
them, with a special discernment

450
00:30:47,400 –> 00:30:50,840
given unto them, with it seems,
that special endowment still in

451
00:30:50,840 –> 00:30:53,640
them as they lead the solution
of that problem, and set about

452
00:30:53,640 –> 00:30:56,240
preaching work in earnest.
And Stephen full of the Holy

453
00:30:56,240 –> 00:30:59,720
Spirit and power, wrought great
signs, And Philip wrought mighty

454
00:30:59,720 –> 00:31:01,800
miracles in the neighbourhood of
Samaria.

455
00:31:03,760 –> 00:31:06,360
So much then is the Acts
concerns with mighty signs

456
00:31:06,360 –> 00:31:09,640
wrought by apostles and by
special apostolically appointed

457
00:31:09,640 –> 00:31:14,960
delegates, that it doesn’t have
anything to say in general terms

458
00:31:15,840 –> 00:31:18,080
about other people being workers
of miracles.

459
00:31:19,080 –> 00:31:22,520
Tongues come and tongues go, but
we hear no more of them in the

460
00:31:22,520 –> 00:31:26,000
Acts.
And if those who are not

461
00:31:26,000 –> 00:31:28,840
forewarned, as some of you have
been, I know we’re asked the

462
00:31:28,840 –> 00:31:30,920
question.
And how often do we hear about

463
00:31:30,920 –> 00:31:34,160
tongues outside the Acts and of
Mark chapter 16?

464
00:31:35,720 –> 00:31:39,040
The answer would be how many
books of the New Testament?

465
00:31:41,240 –> 00:31:43,680
You’re quite right.
Not to commit yourselves, but

466
00:31:43,680 –> 00:31:48,600
it’s one just one place outside
the axe are the gift of tongues

467
00:31:48,600 –> 00:31:51,280
referred to, and that one is in
First Corinthians, and it

468
00:31:51,280 –> 00:31:54,200
occupies essentially the basis
of three chapters there,

469
00:31:54,440 –> 00:31:59,760
chapters 1213 and 14.
And the urgency which Paul has

470
00:31:59,760 –> 00:32:02,480
in dealing with the problem of
tongues in Corinth is not to

471
00:32:02,480 –> 00:32:06,360
encourage the gift, though he
does, say, forbid not to use it,

472
00:32:07,520 –> 00:32:12,120
but to regulate it.
Not to incite them into speaking

473
00:32:12,120 –> 00:32:15,920
with tongues, but to ensure that
if they do, they’ll do it right,

474
00:32:16,920 –> 00:32:18,920
in the right way and in the
right place, and to the right

475
00:32:18,920 –> 00:32:22,040
people.
But they shall not privately, in

476
00:32:22,040 –> 00:32:24,440
their prayer meetings or in
their closed ecclesial

477
00:32:24,440 –> 00:32:27,200
assemblies behind doors, which
shield them from the public,

478
00:32:27,360 –> 00:32:31,080
engage in paroxysms, ecstatic
utterances, and do it for their

479
00:32:31,080 –> 00:32:33,800
own supposedly spiritual
delight.

480
00:32:35,360 –> 00:32:38,080
But you remember that tongues
are for a sign, not for them

481
00:32:38,080 –> 00:32:43,080
that believe, but to them that
believe not that they will

482
00:32:43,080 –> 00:32:46,080
deserve the accusation of being
mad, if in their private

483
00:32:46,080 –> 00:32:49,080
enjoyment of these luxuriating
gifts the door happens to open,

484
00:32:49,080 –> 00:32:51,240
and a stranger comes in and rubs
his eyes with astonishment.

485
00:32:52,080 –> 00:32:53,560
And there coming one of them
that believe not.

486
00:32:53,560 –> 00:32:54,720
Will it not say that you are
mad?

487
00:32:54,800 –> 00:32:59,240
He says so.
It would seem that Corinth was

488
00:32:59,240 –> 00:33:02,400
exceptional in the way it used
the gifts, possibly unusual in

489
00:33:02,400 –> 00:33:05,040
having the gifts to any large
extent at all, and certainly

490
00:33:05,040 –> 00:33:08,200
warned that this was the way in
which such gift, if they were

491
00:33:08,200 –> 00:33:11,640
claimed, should be regulated,
controlled, and evidence

492
00:33:11,640 –> 00:33:13,880
provided for the speaker, and
for the listener, that the gift

493
00:33:13,880 –> 00:33:18,480
is indeed come from God, with an
interpreter to explain to the

494
00:33:18,480 –> 00:33:22,000
others what the words mean, if
the words are not spoken in the

495
00:33:22,000 –> 00:33:26,160
language understood by all For
the rest.

496
00:33:26,160 –> 00:33:29,080
Corinthians is concerned with
coveting earnest and the best

497
00:33:29,080 –> 00:33:32,960
gifts, with recognizing that not
everybody has all of them, that

498
00:33:32,960 –> 00:33:35,040
not everybody has any of them,
that there are some who have

499
00:33:35,040 –> 00:33:37,760
one, some another, and many who
enjoy the results of the

500
00:33:37,760 –> 00:33:41,680
administrations of those He gets
some apostles, some prophets,

501
00:33:41,760 –> 00:33:44,280
some ministrations afterwards,
gifts of healing and tongues,

502
00:33:44,280 –> 00:33:49,800
and so forth.
Apart from that, when you go

503
00:33:49,800 –> 00:33:52,720
through the other epistles, you
get the occasional indication

504
00:33:52,720 –> 00:33:56,080
that God has by miraculous
divine appointment attested that

505
00:33:56,080 –> 00:34:00,640
some are His special servants
with special gifts, and they are

506
00:34:00,640 –> 00:34:03,760
spoken of in such a way that the
Apostle Paul calls them the

507
00:34:03,760 –> 00:34:07,480
signs of an apostle.
The signs of an Apostle were

508
00:34:07,480 –> 00:34:09,920
wrought in me, that I could
speak to you with power and

509
00:34:09,920 –> 00:34:14,679
wisdom, with mighty works.
And when we learn in the letter

510
00:34:14,679 –> 00:34:17,639
to the Hebrews that they had
received the faith because they

511
00:34:17,639 –> 00:34:21,000
were visited with mighty
miraculous works by those who

512
00:34:21,000 –> 00:34:24,000
had conversed with the Lord
Jesus Christ after he rose from

513
00:34:24,000 –> 00:34:26,480
the dead again, you have the
impression that the Hebrews

514
00:34:26,600 –> 00:34:30,600
heard the words, saw the
miracles, but received the

515
00:34:30,600 –> 00:34:35,560
words, and understood the
miracles and didn’t do them in

516
00:34:35,560 –> 00:34:39,000
their turn.
When Paul writes to the

517
00:34:39,000 –> 00:34:42,679
Galatians and warns them against
accepting the blandishments of

518
00:34:42,679 –> 00:34:45,440
Judaizers, who would have their
men circumcised before they

519
00:34:45,440 –> 00:34:47,960
could be baptized, or at least
have both if they thought

520
00:34:47,960 –> 00:34:51,520
themselves Christians at all, he
says, He that ministeth to you

521
00:34:51,520 –> 00:34:55,679
the Spirit, and worketh miracles
amongst you doeth it by the

522
00:34:55,679 –> 00:34:57,280
hearing of the law, by the Word
of Faith.

523
00:34:58,600 –> 00:35:01,360
And again, the Galatians were
witnesses of miracles,

524
00:35:01,800 –> 00:35:04,040
spectators of the Spirit’s
mighty Acts.

525
00:35:04,640 –> 00:35:09,840
They knew that God was with
them, but only some, and perhaps

526
00:35:09,840 –> 00:35:13,040
only few, did these things
themselves.

527
00:35:14,480 –> 00:35:16,880
You knew a prophet when you met
him, and he was a rare thing.

528
00:35:17,000 –> 00:35:18,680
There was a prophet called
Agabus.

529
00:35:19,040 –> 00:35:23,000
There were as Antioch certain
prophets as Barnabas and Saul

530
00:35:24,680 –> 00:35:26,800
prophets.
Messages were inspired messages.

531
00:35:28,040 –> 00:35:30,440
The greatest of the temporal
prophets at that time was Saul

532
00:35:30,440 –> 00:35:32,400
himself.
Paul now that if a man think

533
00:35:32,400 –> 00:35:34,880
himself to be a prophet or
spiritual, let him acknowledge

534
00:35:34,880 –> 00:35:37,240
the things that I write unto you
are the commandments of the

535
00:35:37,240 –> 00:35:41,480
Lord.
The Lord confirmed the word with

536
00:35:41,480 –> 00:35:45,280
signs following.
But the great majority of those

537
00:35:45,280 –> 00:35:48,480
who believed confessed their
repentance, accepted the faith,

538
00:35:48,680 –> 00:35:51,680
went down into the waters of
baptism, had good and sufficient

539
00:35:51,680 –> 00:35:53,880
evidence that the gospel they
were accepting was the true

540
00:35:53,880 –> 00:35:57,000
gospel indeed, which might in
some areas and at sometimes

541
00:35:57,000 –> 00:36:02,360
include seeing mighty science,
hearing the exercise of the gift

542
00:36:02,360 –> 00:36:04,080
of tongues.
But in the case of only few of

543
00:36:04,080 –> 00:36:09,160
them would it involve them in
doing the science, speaking the

544
00:36:09,160 –> 00:36:14,080
tongues, making the prophecies,
carrying out the healings.

545
00:36:16,640 –> 00:36:19,400
And that was how it was in the
days when the mighty Acts were

546
00:36:19,400 –> 00:36:23,760
most manifest, when there was
the most frequent and powerful

547
00:36:23,760 –> 00:36:27,080
exercise of the gifts, when the
Lord confirmed the Word in such

548
00:36:27,080 –> 00:36:29,600
a way that they could not deny.
And it seems to me that when

549
00:36:29,600 –> 00:36:33,320
Mark’s Gospel was written, he
describes the events of those

550
00:36:33,320 –> 00:36:35,480
days as though perhaps they were
already on the way out.

551
00:36:36,280 –> 00:36:39,600
They went everywhere, says Mark,
preaching the Word, the Lord

552
00:36:39,600 –> 00:36:42,320
confirming the Word, with signs
following as though to say

553
00:36:42,440 –> 00:36:45,440
that’s what they did and that’s
what happened.

554
00:36:46,720 –> 00:36:51,240
As though to say the preaching
goes on, but the Lord’s

555
00:36:51,240 –> 00:36:54,280
confirmation of the Word has got
as far as it needs to go.

556
00:36:54,280 –> 00:36:56,600
Now, you can’t expect much more
of this.

557
00:36:57,200 –> 00:37:01,840
This is what they did not, and
it would be Needless to say it

558
00:37:01,840 –> 00:37:04,760
if it were the case, what they
are doing, as everybody knows.

559
00:37:06,840 –> 00:37:08,680
So it seems to me.
We have, apart from the evidence

560
00:37:08,680 –> 00:37:12,120
we would normally adduce, very
good New Testament evidence that

561
00:37:12,120 –> 00:37:15,920
the gifts were given to few,
given for a short time temporary

562
00:37:15,920 –> 00:37:22,920
in their duration.
Whether it will please God to

563
00:37:22,920 –> 00:37:29,520
visit the world with such gifts
again before His Son returns, It

564
00:37:29,520 –> 00:37:32,040
seems to me we should humbly
wait and see.

565
00:37:34,080 –> 00:37:37,080
Not sure that Joel’s prophecy
might not be fulfilled twice

566
00:37:37,640 –> 00:37:39,760
before another great and
dreadful day of the Lord.

567
00:37:40,720 –> 00:37:45,000
Because it looks in Joel as
though it might be so not

568
00:37:45,000 –> 00:37:47,720
certain that God would not when
He sends His disciples out in

569
00:37:47,720 –> 00:37:51,680
their last message to the world
before the Lord comes back and

570
00:37:51,680 –> 00:37:54,960
bids them preach again before
many peoples and nations and

571
00:37:54,960 –> 00:37:57,840
kindreds and tongues.
As Revelation tends as He will

572
00:37:58,920 –> 00:38:02,800
that He won’t in that case to
make the world so totally aware

573
00:38:02,800 –> 00:38:06,520
that this is a divine work, that
it will be totally responsible

574
00:38:06,520 –> 00:38:12,000
for its rejection of it, and
therefore not in the mood to be

575
00:38:12,000 –> 00:38:15,720
too surprised.
If before the Lord comes back,

576
00:38:15,720 –> 00:38:20,120
we do find that He Himself takes
a hand in bearing witness to the

577
00:38:20,120 –> 00:38:26,560
last decisive testimony to His
gospel before the Lord comes in

578
00:38:26,560 –> 00:38:29,640
flaming fire, taking vengeance
on them that know not God and

579
00:38:29,640 –> 00:38:31,880
that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

580
00:38:32,040 –> 00:38:34,280
When He shall come to be
glorified in His Saints and

581
00:38:34,280 –> 00:38:38,080
admired in all them that believe
as our testimony among you was

582
00:38:38,080 –> 00:38:46,280
believed in that death.
But not being sure, not doing

583
00:38:46,280 –> 00:38:48,240
silly things to try to make it
happen.

584
00:38:50,320 –> 00:38:57,280
Not whipping up guitar strummed
enthusiasms, not trying by pop

585
00:38:57,400 –> 00:39:04,280
engendered paroxysms to force
God’s hand for him, but waiting

586
00:39:05,920 –> 00:39:10,080
soberly, knowing that the gift
of God by grace is the thing we

587
00:39:10,080 –> 00:39:12,480
need.
That His presence with us to

588
00:39:12,480 –> 00:39:15,160
influence our hearts in ways
unknown to us, when we surrender

589
00:39:15,160 –> 00:39:20,720
ourselves to Him, is His mighty
act for us and content to wait,

590
00:39:20,720 –> 00:39:25,560
almost fearful in waiting, in
case the time should come when

591
00:39:25,560 –> 00:39:30,440
He will take other steps,
unmistakable other steps, steps

592
00:39:30,440 –> 00:39:34,720
that can’t be controverted to
make the world know that this is

593
00:39:34,720 –> 00:39:39,360
His last appeal to them.
I’m not saying He will do that.

594
00:39:41,120 –> 00:39:43,640
I’m saying we should wait and
see.

595
00:39:44,920 –> 00:39:47,960
And if He does, there won’t be
any doubt.

596
00:39:48,840 –> 00:39:58,320
Shall we sing Him. 154 And I
think the sentiments of this

597
00:39:58,320 –> 00:40:02,240
hymn are such that a restrained
volume is what we need

598
00:40:02,240 –> 00:40:07,000
throughout.
We’re not shouting about things

599
00:40:07,000 –> 00:40:11,480
of praise and power now.
We’re pleading for things of

600
00:40:11,480 –> 00:40:16,560
grace and goodness.
Lord, speak to me that I may

601
00:40:16,560 –> 00:40:18,720
speak in living echoes of thy
tone.

602
00:40:20,000 –> 00:40:22,080
Oh Lord our God and Heavenly
Father.

603
00:40:23,880 –> 00:40:26,440
We have thy family, who are
joined to thee through Jesus

604
00:40:26,440 –> 00:40:31,120
Christ our Lord, who is not
ashamed to call us brother and

605
00:40:31,120 –> 00:40:34,840
sister.
We thank thee that thou hast

606
00:40:34,840 –> 00:40:37,680
revealed to us the light of the
knowledge of thy glory, and the

607
00:40:37,680 –> 00:40:43,080
face of Jesus Christ, both in
the face of him that suffered

608
00:40:43,080 –> 00:40:47,920
and died, and in the face of him
risen with glory from the grave.

609
00:40:50,040 –> 00:40:54,400
May we keep that image and
likeness of thine before our

610
00:40:54,400 –> 00:41:02,600
face at all times.
And so, as we trust in thee and

611
00:41:02,600 –> 00:41:07,880
the work of the risen Lord is
continued in US, be changed

612
00:41:08,720 –> 00:41:13,840
after the same image from glory
unto glory, even as by the Lord

613
00:41:15,280 –> 00:41:21,600
the Spirit receive us.
In this we ask thee, hear and

614
00:41:21,600 –> 00:41:24,440
answer our prayer and open our
hearts to receive the answer

615
00:41:26,160 –> 00:41:30,600
through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.

616
00:41:43,960 –> 00:41:46,080
Thank you for listening to the
good Chris Adelphian Talks

617
00:41:46,080 –> 00:41:48,680
Podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

618
00:41:48,680 –> 00:41:50,160
your walk and brightened your
day.

619
00:41:51,400 –> 00:41:53,440
If you would like to hear more,
please subscribe for new

620
00:41:53,440 –> 00:41:55,960
episodes.
We are on all major podcast

621
00:41:55,960 –> 00:42:00,040
platforms and also on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this particular

622
00:42:00,040 –> 00:42:02,520
talk, please share it with
someone else who you think might

623
00:42:02,520 –> 00:42:05,280
enjoy it too.
For show notes on the talk you

624
00:42:05,280 –> 00:42:09,400
just listened to, visit
[email protected]

625
00:42:09,680 –> 00:42:12,200
or check out the Show Notes
section of your podcast player.

626
00:42:13,440 –> 00:42:15,920
Please share your thoughts on
the talk from this week on our

627
00:42:15,920 –> 00:42:18,440
Facebook or Instagram pages
where we are at good

628
00:42:18,440 –> 00:42:21,920
Christadelphian talks, or leave
a comment on our YouTube channel

629
00:42:21,920 –> 00:42:23,480
where these talks are posted as
well.

630
00:42:23,840 –> 00:42:26,480
If you enjoy listening to the
talks that we post and here one

631
00:42:26,480 –> 00:42:28,720
that you think we should share,
please tell us about it.

632
00:42:29,240 –> 00:42:32,280
You can send a suggestion using
the Contact Us tab on our

633
00:42:32,280 –> 00:42:35,320
website or message us on any of
our social media accounts.

634
00:42:35,920 –> 00:42:38,800
Thank you for listening.
God bless and talk to you next

635
00:42:38,800 –> 00:42:39,040
week.