Turning with me to the epistle
of Paul, we might say, to Titus, I want to read one verse there
in the second, possibly more than one verse in that second
chapter, and I'll try to take my time and utilize what strength
and wisdom the Lord has given me again in the midst of this
hour to preach to you. It's all coming from grace there
in the 11th verse. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, teaching us,
didn't teach some of those folk, Brother Gill, anything this morning,
but he did teach some of them, didn't he? Teaching us that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world. Now, in this present world, looking
for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who, if you go further, who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Now, before I read further into
the place in the Word of God, I want to make mention of the
fact that my subject matter is found there, and that is this
present evil world. This present world. It's the
evil world. We picked this up the past year. So the scripture
teaches us that there is that world that is evil, and we're
in the world. We're in this world. The scriptures
seem to definitely teach that there are three worlds that you
might bring into focus, and that is the world that perished, the
world that then was, and the world that now is, and the world
that shall be. So, in this particular dealing
with the subject matter this morning, I'm not too much interested
in attempting to preach on the world that was, or the world
that shall be, though they may lap into the scriptures that
we're dealing with this morning, but I want to preach concerning
the world that we're living in, the world that we're living in.
Now, let's go back to Matthew 13 just a moment here and pick
up something. While this is fresh on my mind,
we need to look at this from a standpoint of something I just
read recently, and that by one of those preachers who's supposed
to be preaching what we call the grace of God, not just something
I hear none of us put our stamp of approval on. but preaching
what we believe to be an unusual message, the grace of God, not
Armenian theology. So in this 13th chapter of Matthew,
we have something here that would fit in concerning what I'm speaking
about, for I'm speaking concerning the world in which we live, this
present evil world. And in Matthew 13, we have Maybe
I can lay it out for you so you can understand it. In Matthew
13, we have what's called the prophetic parables of Matthew
13. There are seven parables there. All of those seven parables,
if interpreted correctly as I see it, amount to one harmonious
whole, just one parable bringing through the truth concerning
all of those parables. First, without turning there
in detail, I'll pick up the parable of the tares in just a moment,
But you have the parable of the sower, and then the second parable
is the parable of the tares, the third parable is the parable
of the mustard seed, and the fourth one is that of leavening,
and the fifth one is the hidden treasure, the sixth is the pearl,
and the last is the dragnet. Now all seven of those parables
must be interpreted, as I see it, in the light of one particular
parable there. We have light on one parable
that we do not have on the other parables, so if there's a violation
here in respect to what we're talking about, well, we're in
trouble if we can't find out concerning the world. So if you'll
notice there in the 13th chapter, He spoke of the parable, he put
forth another parable, the second parable, and he spoke of the
parable of the tares and of the wheat. Verse 24. Another parable put he forth
unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man
which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his
enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
When the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also. And the servants of the householder
came and said unto him, Sir, is not thou so good seed in thy
field? From whence then hath the tares?
And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servant said
unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But
he said, No, nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root
up also the wheat with them. Let both go together until the
time of harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, gather ye together first to tarry, and bind them in bundles
to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." Now, this
parable, the other parables are short. If you notice the next
parable concerning the mustard seed, it's short, but it's true
to the point there. But this parable here happens
to be the parable that the Lord Jesus Christ, as some of the
theologians said, never break a parable down to walk on all
fours, don't put too much load on the parable. Well, the Son
of God did. He sure broke this one apart
when he expounded the parable of the tares. And he did not
do that for the others only in a brief manner. Now, if we can
get the tares and the wheat parable correct, we've got them all correct.
My subject is this world, or the children of this world. Okay,
let's watch him break it down here. Verse 36, Then Jesus sent the
multitude away, went into the house, and His disciples came
unto Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares and
the field. He answered and said unto them,
He that soweth the good seed is a son of man. I don't think
we have any question believing that right there when you begin
to look at the scriptures from that standpoint. See, that's
the son of man. Not me sowing it, but the son
of man himself sowing seed. And here's the subject matter.
And that's the heart of it. And those seven parables will
be interpreted in the light of this clause. The field is the
Word. Now within this field, I'll read
on just a moment, within this field which is clearly identified
as the world, you'll find the mustard seed, an unusual growth
here. You'll find the leaven, you'll
find something permeating everything. We've had different discussions
and different meanings concerning these words by different theologians.
But you're going to find within this field now, and you'll see
it, you're going to find a tree growing, an herb which grows
into a tree. You're going to find a sea which
is always a world. You're going to find a pearl
of great price which is found there. On you go with this story.
So what you need to see to begin with is a world is the field,
or the field is the world. Within that world are other worlds. Within this world are the people
of God, as you've heard this morning, the elect of God. Sometimes
they're spoken of as individuals, and sometimes they're spoken
of corporately. This morning I want to deal with
them more as individuals in this particular subject matter. Now,
we've got it. The field is the world. The good
seed are the children of the kingdom, and the tares are the
children of the wicked one. I don't need to go on down through
there and tell you what's going to happen, for he's already given
light on the subject of what's going to happen in the end of
the age, or the end of the world. Now that's the end of this world.
And at the end of this world, we enter into a world without
end, another world. I at least want you to see, if
you want those scriptures, you can find that particular occasion
in 2 Peter 3, verse 6. The world that then was, and
the world that now is, and the world that shall be. So we're
in this world. Not too much use to jump up and
preach on a world to come, or a world that was, unless you
can settle it with, where am I in this? I'm in this world.
I'm out here in this field. Now, just recently, a man who,
if I were to call his name, he has a little periodical he sends
out, and so-called preacher of the grace of God he is. Now here's
what he says about the parable. The parable of the wheat and
tares. Listen close. In every local
church where God has planted his wheat, Satan sows the tares. I wouldn't deny that, would you?
Sure. Every local church where God
plants his wheat, Satan plants his tares. And it is impossible
to distinguish one from the other until harvest time. To distinguish
one from the other until harvest time. So, now watch this. Back again, he says that this
is the church, this is the local aspect of the church that is
invisible, or the militant church and the universal church. We
are a local church here this morning. This man is interpreting
this parable in this light and saying, now here is what he has
done. He has planted a people, just like right here at Sunlight
Baptist Church. And Satan comes along and plants tares among
those people, and no local church is absolute. It is relative,
I grant you that. But this is not the truth about
the parable. He is wrong. He is wrong on all
of them. So we must let both go together, and then in the
time of harvest, God will be separating one from the other.
Now do you know what that raised? Do you see right quickly what
that erases? This man is confused concerning a world within a world,
the local church, expressing of the true church of God, the
elect of God, as you preached on this morning, and he's saying
that there's absolutely no discipline, no way to distinguish anything
in this local church. Just leave them alone. Let them
alone. The Scripture doesn't teach that. It teaches discipline
in that local church. If you were to turn over there
to 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 5, and where he'll tell you to
take those people, teach those people, or accept those people
who are least esteemed in the church, he's talking about the
local church, to judge this man and get rid of him. You don't
judge with the absolute judgment of God. We say that over and
over. But what this man is erasing, my friends, is any discipline
in the church. He's saying the church is the
world. Now this field is the world. You folk are out there
in everyday life. It's not your business to go
out there and straighten up everything on the job where you are. It's
not your business to try to make the complexion of your job a
complete change and that's not it. That's the person out there
who's living just exactly like this scripture teaches us, the
tares and the wheat growing together. But when you come into the local
church and you find that within this field there is a group of
people called the wheat. And there are people who call
the tares. And when we're associated with God's judgment for us, I
mean good judgment, and He's telling you to judge, He says,
listen. So now this person right here, if he's sweet, this will
work on this man. Judge this man and move him out
of here. Don't just let him go with you. That's not what He's
saying. So this man misinterpreted the parable and he missed it
all the way around on the next parable because of the fact that
he's making the field the church. But the field is the world, the
law plainly says the field is the world, and within that world
is this bride. And then this world is the treasure
and so on and so forth. And on we go. Now I want to,
then as I said that, I want to say, for the sake of just studying
with you, that we're in the world. We're in the world. We're people
out here in the world. And we're simply a segment of
something different from the world within the world. So keep
in mind the world, and we'll just use the word people in the
world. Now if we are a people, and we
are, let's make up our mind that the Lord God calls us his people,
just where are we in respect to this world and our relationship
to the world, or rather the world's relationship to us? This will
help you again this morning, I think, as you go along and
say, well, I didn't expect that lick that I got. Just too hard
almost to stand up under, and the world hates you. The world
hates you. I want to tell you why. This
tare and wheat that we're finding in Matthew 13 happens to be two
distinct people. two distinct seeds, and you'll
never be able to separate them in such a way that they will
be separated forever. But in the church, if you find
that kind of discipline, that's the church, not the field. That's
where it's missing it there. Let's go back for just a moment
and see if we can find out where some of this started. Go back
to the, oh, go back to the book of Genesis. Twenty-fifth chapter
of Genesis for just a moment. Let's see something. If we can
get some light on the subject here. Genesis 25, and verse 23. Now, just keep in mind, I'm preaching
on this present, and I'm preaching on this present evil world, sinful,
adulterous world, words like that, but I'm preaching on a
people associated with that world, within a world, which is the
field. I think that's clear from the Scriptures thus far. Alright,
now here we have Isaac and Rebekah, the story of Isaac and Rebekah.
Verse 20, And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah
to wife, the daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the
sister of Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated the Lord
for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord was entreated
of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled
together within her, and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the
Lord. Now here's a case, brethren, you fellows who preach, here's
a case where a moment you move back the situation and respect
the revelation of God, and Isaac did. Isaac did everything under
heaven he could to put the blessing on the child as it were a natural
blessing in Israel at that time. It wouldn't work. God had ordained
a different route to go, and it worked For Rebecca, if you
remember, there was some conniving in that household, and Mama not
understanding Daddy, and Daddy not understanding Mama. I'm going
to tell you one thing. You better understand God. He overruled
it all. These fellows today, well, we're
counseling people and trying to get everything to go smooth
in our household. And no smooth household in the
Word of God. You better look out for problems. Now, if you
acknowledge you have a problem, that's it. But this thing right
here, well, here, Rebecca, she is... apparently lied, as it
were, to fix up this boy so he would get the blessing according
to the progenitor in Israel. But now God had a different way
to go, and he went a different way. Now look what happened.
Now that's the first thing concerning this people. This people, this
people, we're that people, are people within a world, some of
the most peculiar circumstances under heaven are going to be
your lot. You're not only peculiar people, the first peculiar thing
about you being the people of God, you know what it is? Not
that you're peculiar, but the first peculiar thing is that
God chose you. That's peculiar, isn't it? Sure. Then you are peculiar people.
Like you said, you're not a peculiar people for God to choose you,
but because of the fact that you're His choice. Well, ain't
that peculiar somebody? That sure is. Well, this is peculiar
to what I'm preaching right here again this morning. Let's see. Come back here now. What's going
on? So she went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord spake
to her. Again, I say, this came through
the weaker vessel, as it were, and we must give her that kind
of insight into what's going on. And the Lord said to her,
two nations are in thy womb. Now, that's fine. As long as
you just keep it that far from home, you'll just be fine. You'll
have two nations, and God loves one nation and hates another
nation. But you get it down to people and bring it down to individuals,
you'll find out something else peculiar about this people who
are hated by the folk out there in the field. Tanners hate you,
brother. And they are in it. Local group
of people go find some folk are not safe possibly never will
be saved and along with that It is our business to discipline
the church when it comes to discipline if they get in the wrong place,
but that's expected But for that church to be the field out there,
that's wrong. That's wrong. That's the world
And the Lord said in her two nations are in that womb and
two manner of people They got different Mary's when they get
out here. I and get moving around. Two
people with different mannerisms shall be separated from thy bowels. You used that this morning. Paul
said, I mean, he said, when it's pleased God to separate me from
my mother's womb. Okay. And now, listen to it. And the one people shall be stronger
than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger. This is new in Israel. This is
new in Israel. The law of the first birth, the
oldest child was the law who received the blessing. Up until
this time, we have something here that's altogether different.
Suddenly, we're going to have something that's altogether different
for this reason. The natural law in Israel was
that the younger served the elder. The elder had the blessing. But
this is not natural. This is contrary to nature, and
I'm dealing here with nothing more than the elect of God within
this world. It's altogether different than
to just say it's natural. Now turn it. Let's just take
the jump and go ahead to John 9, to Roman 9, for that's where
we're headed. Romans 9. I'm saying that within
this world is another world, a world with worlds in it, as
you break it down corporately speaking there. But there is
just one world within a world, and that's God's elect. And it's
altogether different there from what you think of in naturalism. In fact, I picked up a little
piece of paper somewhere that some Jew writing, there's supposed
to be a scholar, I dropped in the seat there where some of
you are seating, that to tell you that me I said, Judas was
not a traitor. It would be very interesting
for you to read that. He's a Jew, so he wants to defend the Jews,
you see. And then he'll finally tell you that Jesus Christ voluntarily
laid his life down. He's not telling you a thing.
He's just speaking of a bastard who made a martyr out of himself,
in other words. Well, you have everything up on the front this
morning, and you need to know the truth. Okay, in the ninth
chapter, then, of the book of the book of Romans here, I want
to read concerning this fellow, Jacob and Esau. Now remember, if I read on with
you, here are two children. Isaac and Rebekah had two sons,
Jacob and Esau. Was it a child that was loved
of God? I want to say this before I get
through the next few moments this morning, because I don't
want to leave you hanging. I don't care how the world feels
about you, and I'll give you some of that side. There's one
thing certain, brother, you're loved of God. And to be loved
of Him, to be His beloved, is worth it all. It doesn't make
any difference. When they speak evil of you, well, don't you
be torn up with that kind of speaking. That's promised to
you, brother. That's one of your promises, you know. Don't fret yourself
with an evildoer. Those things are admonishing
statements to us through the Word of God, and then winding
up by saying, well, brother, there's one thing certain. God
loves me. And that's just it. And not only
does God love you, But he has something to say about the folk
he doesn't love. And we need to pull this right out in the
front. And I don't do that. Never have. Thank God. I've made
apologies for the fact that God loves one person, hates another.
That's his business. He doesn't do anything but good
business. And he's in business to do business for himself, and
for his glory, and for your good. And if you ever learned that,
it is for our good. So who's to apologize? Nobody. But you have a lot of folk apologizing.
Oh, today on it. Wow. God just loves everybody.
He didn't mean to say he hated Esau. And what did he mean to
say he loved Jacob? I'm not too much interested over
here about why he hated Esau. I can see why I could hate both
of them, couldn't you? But I can't see how he could
love Jacob. That's the one I'm interested in. Verse 7, neither because are
they the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac
shall thy seed be called. That is, now I want you to get
this straight, not all Isaac's children either. He just keeps
on unraveling. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, they are not the children of God, but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. Now I said that to
say this, that they're counted, they're reckoned, for the seed,
and that seed, if you're Christ's seed, then you're Abraham's seed.
You've got an election here, just back across the pages. When
you want to find out whether God will redeem a nation called
the Israelitish nation, study elections. He'll never redeem
a nation because they are a nation, but if He redeems anybody in
that nation, or part of that nation, or a large portion of
the people, it's because they're God's elect, as the man said
this morning. Stick with the election. You
wouldn't be here this morning and have any hope if God hadn't
elected you. If those people had not been
ordained to eternal life, none of them would have believed.
How strange it is for people just to wander over the Scriptures,
stumble over the Scriptures. And they do stumble. The Scriptures
say they stumble at the Word of God. They stumble at that
rock. I said this before, but years
ago, Harold Siler, most of you know of his preaching, great
orator when it comes to putting things together. If lip service
is what he believes, you don't believe anything. You don't believe
in the God we believe in. You might as well face that.
And something Brother Whitley said one time, Sightler said
in preaching, said, I've read the book two more times than
one. And said, if election was in that book, he said, I sure
would have stumbled over it. And Brother Whitley said, that's
what it is. I thought that was pretty good. He stumbled right
over it. That's so, brother. Well, thank God for it, brother.
That is, they which are the children of the flesh, they are not the
children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for
the seed. And this is the word of promise, at this time will
I come and say I shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one even her father Isaac, just what I
read, for the children being not yet born, she got this message
before they were born. neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand not of worth, but of him that calleth. It was said unto
her, The elder shall serve the younger." Or in other words, in other words, Jacob have I
loved. It is written, Jacob have I loved,
and Esau have I hated. Now, just that clear and just
that plain in the Word of God. Now, let's look for a few moments
here then, concerning this people. I think we've laid down enough
truth concerning the field and the world, and then pick up the
people of God. Well, in this present hour, without
turning to all of them, let me just review here some things
that have been said, I suppose, and they should be clear in your
mind. This day, in this world, this
world or this hour, the prince of the power of the air, according
to Ephesians chapter 2 again, in this world we have the prince
of the power of the air. He is the prince of the power
of the air, that's what the scripture says. Now don't get confused
here because God's sovereignty overrules him. The Lord Jesus said, don't turn
to it, in John 14, verse 30, the Prince of this world. Now,
He said that. He's not talking about Himself.
He said, the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in Me.
Now, you couldn't be the Son of God Himself saying that of
Himself. He said, the Prince of this world
cometh and hath nothing in Me. Here's what you're up against.
He's the Prince of this world. This world He's the Prince of.
He will not be the prince, whatever that means, I'm not studying
that with you this morning. But he'll not be the prince of that
world to come. Now you got no problem worrying
about that. You want to know what's going
on in this world. Everybody today is talking about
what's coming, what's coming, what's coming. What is this that's
pressing on us now? What's here now? In the 16th chapter, John 11th
verse, don't turn to these, I'll pick them up and let you go with
them later. The prince of this world is judged. This is the
judgment of this world, and the prince of this world is being
judged. What so are we? But the judgment of the prince
of the world and our judgment is altogether different. You
all know what we're talking about. God's judging this world. He's
setting the tares on one side and the wheat on the other. The
prince and his children, his seed, are being judged. And for
that to happen, simply he's just moving us out. He's moving us
out. That's what he's doing all the
while. That goes along with it. Now, to me, the wheat, though,
suffers some certain things in the Word of God. While we're
in John, Turn 15, Chapter of John, we'll get a hold of something
here. I'd get you right down to home, where we live, and say,
well, I should expect that then. Why should I complain? Why should
a living man complain? I believe they ask the question
in the Word of God. If you're alive and on this side of the
grave, and if you've got the life that we're talking about,
you shouldn't complain, and I shouldn't complain. Now, the people of
God, they are people of God. And some things about them that
we'll see here, they're persecuted people. But they're peculiar
people. They're purchased people. See,
when you get... Well, I'm persecuted. I know you're purchased too,
brother. Which carries the most weight? Purchasing you with his
blood or somebody persecuting you? See what I mean? They're
inseparably tied together as you study the Word of God. And
here's what the Son of God had to say in the 15th chapter of
John, most of you acquainted with this chapter. And beginning
there with verse 18, I guess it is. Let's see if we don't
have something here. Yeah, here you go. Now, come
on now. What is the world? What's the
field? Is it the church? How foolish a man like this to
put out a little periodical. That thing should be burned or
answered or something of the kind. And calling himself a grace
preacher. Is the world of verse 18 the
church? Here's what he said. Here's what
he said, in every local church, God has planted his wheat and
tares, you're not to distinguish them apart, no discipline, on
the go. Is it? No. Now you're seeing
the people of God here in a little nucleus in the world, and they
hate you. The world hates us because we
are a distinguished world. That is what you call an election
within election. A remnant according to the election
of grace. God is always at, within the
world, another world. A wheel within a wheel, if you
study Ezekiel 4 text, I would say, right there. So here we
are. Now this outside world that we're in out here, And you have
some of these people in local assemblies. But thank God we
have some authority in a local assembly to recognize people,
ask people who are interested in pressing the claim concerning
their relationship to God, and they're disciplined there. Again,
you have no right to discipline that crowd out there you're working
with. You're not part of that. Now, God doesn't say you're not
a testimony to it, and say, man, you shouldn't take God's name
in vain. Like, I'm not saying that, you're a witness to that
thing. But for you to be out there and say, I'm not coming
back here and work no more until you shut your mouth. Well, you're
crazy as he is. But you catch somebody in the
local assembly and say, listen, there's something taking place
in your life that we will not put up with. We have a perfect
right. Is that right? Now, how foolish you are, brother. If
the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated
you. Well, I'll pay attention to that then. It better hate
you. You better be a peculiar, stranger, sojourner out there
somewhere, wherever you are, saying, oh, that man hates me.
I've had people that simply hate me just as soon as they found
out who I was. Say, that's a preacher, that
man. Somebody who dovetails into your way of life. Just hates
you. Hates you. But brother, I think one of you
mentioned here one morning and elucidated on the fact that they
hated me without cause and really wasn't any cause, total depravity
and so on and so forth. But what the Lord was saying
was, they hated me without cause, but you listen to me. They don't
hate you without a cause. He gives you the cause. He gives
you the cause. And of course he's the elder
brother. He's one of the elect. He's the chosen of God. So if
they hated him, they're going to hate you. But he likes to
tell you about it. I like that. If ye were of the world, isn't
that something? If you were of the church, whoever
heard such preaching, that isn't worth a dime. If you were of
the world, the world would love his own. That's personified.
Did you notice that? The world would love his own.
Why is he talking like that? He's talking about the prince
of this world. He'd love his own. I like this next one, brother. This is the hated doctrine of
election. I love to preach, as long as God gives me breath,
I plan to preach it. For I don't know anything else
but that I know it so. I know it so. But because ye
are not of the world, well, now just shut up there, I guess,
and we'll get along. Don't read the next brethren.
Said, this is what knows the world. Said, let's not. No, go
ahead. The Son of God simply made plain what He had to say.
But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of that field. Out of the world. I chose you
out of that world. Therefore, the word the world
hated you. The people that we're reading
of in Matthew 13 are hated and despised people by the people
around. That's called a wheat. In verse
20 of the same chapter, Keep reading. Remember a word that
I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord,
if they have. Now we are persecuted people.
If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they
have kept my sayings, they will keep yours also. That's pretty
tough going. That's what he said. I noticed
something pointy he left hanging right there. He didn't have time
to get it all. But brother, I'm going to tell you one thing.
What did those preachers do with the crowd that wasn't ordained
to eternal life? Huh? What did they do? They shook
the dust off their feet, as we're told to do, and left the other
side. He's a believer. Don't believe
me, man. I argued with you. You got no interest in that man,
so I'm preaching the truth. Truth is not debatable. I said,
just stop there, I guess. You can't only stop there, right
in the middle of it, can you? And verse 25, verse 25, keep
reading. Go to verse 25. But this cometh
to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written
in their law, they hated me, they hated me without cause,
but not without cause did they hate us. He told you why he hated
us. I chose you out of the worst that they hate you, because you
belong to me. Hmm, despised and hated. Well,
there's a word used one time in the Scriptures in studying
this message, it's the Lord disciplining me. I thought, isn't there a
word, defamed? And I said, well, a lot of times
I'm guilty of making up words or something of the kind, so
you folks can excuse me, but the dictionary doesn't. I said, defamed? Let's go to 1 Corinthians 4,
verse 9. Let's see something here. And
see if there's a word defamed here. I hope that's the place,
we'll have to find it. 1 Corinthians 4, verse 9. I don't think that's the word
used right there, but he tells us some things here about this
people here, which are so concerning the word defamed. You might know
exactly where it is if we don't pick it up here in a moment.
But here's what this means. It means exactly what we're reading
out here. Now here's a people that are fools to Christ's sake. And here's what Paul said about
them. For I think that God has set forth us the apostles last
as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle unto
the world and to angels and to men. Well, we're made the offscaring
of the earth, whatever that verse says. It says that if we were
to pick it up some more. Now, this word here will pick
up such a meaning as this. We're made a spectacle. I bet
you have a side column or center column. Theater. Theater. Like
a gladiator show, you understand like this, brother. Put to death
at your expense, our expense to look on. That's what that
simply means. It means that you're charged falsely, you're excused,
and you're spoken evil of, all kinds of words like that. That's
what that means, that's what we are. Now, we're the people
that simply are under such outside field
onlookers. Let's get another passage right
here. Okay, I knew it was somewhere in there. Okay, being defamed,
we entreat, we are made as the filth of the world, and are the
offscaring of all things unto this day. Where's that coming
from? Coming from the field that you're
in out there, about as plain as it gets. The tares are there.
Pull those tires up. And certainly the church of today,
the professing church of today, with no discipline, is almost
like the field. But that wasn't what the boy
was preaching, brother. If you just say, come on, come on, come
on, God loves everybody, then you've got the field for the
church. Thank God we don't have that. You're a little group of
people, have a spirit among that you talk to one, and the Word
of God disciplines one another in some measure, and you can
praise God for such a bunch of conditions that we have among
us. So that's what that means now. Now, 1 Peter 3.16, I'll close here just a moment
for I didn't want to say another word concerning our sister Whitley. Now here's where they speak of
evil here. Watch it closely. Verse 15 says, Sanctify the Lord
God in your heart, and be ready always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you with
nature's own fear. This same man says that there
is such a thing as sanctification, progressive sanctification, that
you are sanctified as you will ever be, and turned right straight
around to deny the fact that God set out to begin a good work,
and He has begun a good work, and you shall perform it, does
perfect it, and so on and so forth. Just as dumb as an ox
concerning the work of God within a believer. Not only does God
sanctify you by His word, but you sanctify God. Just like a
justifying God. Well, you'll never get to heaven
without justifying God. You say, He's right. The Pharisees,
they justified God by being baptized with John. But the Pharisees
didn't justify, but the harlots and folk like that, they justified
God. They said, He's right. It pictures us just going down
into that grave, totally depraved. So you're going to, not only
is God going to sanctify you, but you're going to sanctify
God in your heart. That's exactly what that says.
To give answer to those people who ask us the reason for the
hope that is in you with meekness and fear. What are you so happy
about? With meekness and fear, I'm telling
you what, God Almighty is in my heart and it separates me.
This is what we're talking about. You do not need to be in the
business of pulling up tares to make a place for you to live.
That won't work, brother. God's in the business of separating
the wheat from the tares. He's the one who moves them out.
Now, he bundles the tares. When he pulls the wheat out of
the tares, every one of us has come from church or somewhere
where we could have been the last wheat in that bunch of tares.
And when you left, said, I hope you get out of here and never
come back, that could have been the string that bundled you for
good, too, brother. That folk you was preaching to
this morning, there was no lack left there when he finished preaching,
was there? Here we go. having a good conscience
that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers, they
may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation. They
speak evil of you as evildoers. Let me get that passage in John
17, two of them for you, and we'll close. People out there in this old
field, Distinguished from the field by something precious to
Almighty God. We're precious in His sight.
Telling you how to live. What you're up against. So John
17 has two or three things to say here. And I'll get two verses.
Verse 9. Now I said this was a people,
they were a persecuted people. They were peculiar people. They
were purchased people. I'm just using a homiletical
design. Therefore, you're using the letter people a little bit.
Now, I'm going to tell you, brother, that there are people prayed
for. Now, we're in a hospital right now with somebody who we
know real well. And it's your experience, my
experience, or anybody else in the hospital who are honest about
it. You say, pray for us. Or would
you want to pray? How do you pray? You hardly know
what to say. I'm going to tell you one thing, brother. The Lord
Jesus Christ said to His Heavenly Father, I thank Thee. He spoke
to His Heavenly Father and thanked thee, and what He said about
His Heavenly Father's actions seemed good in your sight. I
have come to this realization that I have a perfect right and
should have already been doing that. I'm speaking now to my
Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank You that You are not leaving
off praying for Your people. Now, I pray for them, but I won't
pray for them like I should. There'll be times he doesn't
slumber, he doesn't sleep, and he prays for them as wheat. Peter,
I have prayed for thee as a taranossa. I didn't pray for the tar. I
prayed for thee as wheat. Satan has desired to have you. Satan has desired to have you
and sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that
his sifting won't hurt you, thank God. Oh, it's good to have one
who prays for us, isn't it? I can't pray for you, brother,
sister. I don't know how to pray. But I'll tell you somebody's
doing a good job at it. If you're his, you're going to
know something about him praying for you. That's right. Listen
to this. How bold it is to say, I pray for those folk out there
I call mine. I don't pray for that field and
that world out there. Listen now. He said that. I pray
for them. I pray for them. The folk you
gave me, his brother said this. When I pray for them, I pray
not for the world. but for them which thou hast
given me, for they are mine, they are thine." We are all one.
Listen to that. Who does the praying? Oh, I have
one who prays for me. I appreciate people praying for
me, but you don't know how to pray. If my Heavenly Father isn't
praying for me, your prayers are brass. As sure as He prays
for us, your prayers will work. Your prayers will work. We're
real selfish. We settle it down to this little
nucleus called own offspring lots of times, but they may not
be His people. Abraham had two sons. Rebecca
had two children there. We're talking about one loved
and one hated. Aren't you glad that God loves you? I hate it
out here in this world. People don't understand you.
He does. He does. Listen to the next verse down
here. Oh, what is it there? Verse 13? Verse 13 will get it. It's just like,
Lord, we come to Thee. I don't know whether we use that
word correctly or not. And now come I to Thee, and these
things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I have given them Thy Word, and
the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. And I pray that you should keep
them right in that world. Look at that, brethren. And I
pray, and I pray, not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but thou shouldest keep them from the very thing I've
been preaching about, the evil. The evil one and all the evil,
the slandering, and the accusers. And all those things that come
your way, just keep on it. I pray, I pray, I pray. He said, I pray that it'll be
your lot. That is your lot. If you're a child of God this
morning, it's your lot. Just assure us twice a month that he prays
for you. There's no possible way for Peter's faith to fail
in the Son of God praying for him. But there is for you. I would say those other 11 disciples
didn't pray too much about him. That big mouth, He always getting
his foot in his mouth and calling us all to have problems. I wish
he'd leave here and forever stay. Oh, I told you something.