In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of four essential elements for spiritual growth and health. The first element is good food, which refers to the Word of God. Just as a newborn baby needs appropriate food, believers should seek nourishment from the Word that suits their spiritual life. The second element is fresh air, symbolizing prayer. Believers are encouraged to have a consistent prayer life, communicating with God and sharing their hearts with Him. The third element is exercise, which involves confessing Christ before others. By openly sharing their faith, believers can experience the blessings of God and grow in their relationship with Him. The final element is rest, which refers to spending time apart with God and finding rest in His presence. By prioritizing these four elements, believers can experience spiritual growth and live in accordance with Christ's likeness.

Romans and the eighth chapter, Romans chapter eight. We'll continue tonight with a little study on who is a Christian. You remember we found on Lord's Day morning a Christian is one who belongs to Christ, who witnesses for Christ, and who suffers with Christ. Last night we were looking at the Christian as a child of God, what we've been brought into because we are children of God, that we are people of dignity, people of distinction, people of destiny, and people of duty. Now again, as a child of God, we're going to look at the child's growth. Remember when a child is born into the family, that child must be fed and cared for, that there may be growth and development and maturity. We're going to look a little at that tonight. It may be a blessing, and tomorrow morning we'll look at the letter H. A Christian is an heir of God, an heir of God. Now we want you to try and all come back tomorrow morning, whatever you're doing, don't do it, and come here. That'll be a real definite blessing. Romans 8, verse number 9. Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be the Spirit of God dwelt in you. Now if any man is not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelt in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh, for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit do more before the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage or gain to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Now the Lord will add his blessing to that short reading from his word to our hearts tonight. Remember, verse number nine says, If we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his. When my all adventured on Christ's atoning blood, the Holy Spirit entered, and I was born of God. There you have, my friend, the seal that you are a child of God. The Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20, What know ye not? You are not your own. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you. And you are not your own, for you are bought for the price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. For tonight I want to take the word child and break it up into the initial letters, if I may, and give a very simple elementary talk that may have profound meaning in your life and in my life as Christians, children of God. The capital C, then, a child needs care. A child needs care. And you know as well as I do, when a child is born in a family, that child is utterly dependent upon others. Dependent upon the mother, dependent upon the daddy, sister or brother, the nurse, whoever that may be. That's the first word I want to give you tonight. A child needs care. And you'll remember in Luke chapter 10, we're hearing there the story of the good Samaritan. And remember going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, there was that dear man who fell among the robbers, and they stripped him, they robbed him, and they left him in a dying condition. The Levite came along, he could not help the man. The priest came along, and he could not help the man. So the law and religion had nothing whatever for that dear man. But the good Samaritan, as he journeyed, he came where he was, and got right down beside him. He saw his terrible condition. His heart was moved with compassion toward him. And what did he do? He cleaned his wound, he poured him oil and wine, he bound up his wound, placed him in his own bed, and took him, remember, to the place of lodging, and he sent to the host. Having given him two pence, a stuffing if you like, if you come from Scotland, two pence, he said, now you take care of him, and when I come again, I will repay you. Notice, he came where he was, our adorable Lord Jesus, came right down from high heaven's glory, down the sea of sin and sorrow, came right down to where we were, right down to Bethlehem's manger, identified himself with us by taking a body like unto your body and my body, yet apart from sin, the holy citizen of God. And remember then what he did, having cleansed the wound, he poured, remembering, oil and wine, he bound up the wound. What is the picture? Having bound up the wound reminds me of Golgotha. Golgotha, there's a place called Calvary. Remember, it's precious rich rock that was poured out. After the cleansing and efficacy of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, O my friend, by his stripes we are healed. He was wounded for our transgression, bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. May I change the word there for one moment? Golgotha may be someone in this very fine congregation tonight, and you've never yet made out a personal application, and you've never yet put in your own personal claim. So listen to the verse, he was wounded for my transgression, he was bruised for my iniquity, the chastisement of my peace was upon him, and by his stripes I am healed. Is that true? So you're concerned? Wounded for me, wounded for me. There on the cross, he was wounded for me. Gone my transgressions, and now I am free, all because Jesus was wounded for me. I thank God tonight. Remember, he poured in the oil, again a picture of the Holy Spirit, and the wine, oh the unspeakable joy that comes into the heart of the believer when he receives the Lord Jesus as his Lord and as his Savior. I trust you've done that, my friend. You know the joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and you know the unspeakable joy that comes when you own the Lord Jesus as your very own Lord and Savior. Father Lord, then remember he lifted him up. That's what the gospel always does, my friend. The gospel is an elevating gospel. It's a gospel that lifts up. We praise him in his own being. Where is the picture for the believer tonight? God has raised us up, made us to sit together in the heavenly in Christ Jesus, and as he is before the Father tonight, holding without blade, so are we right down here at the heart of the palm. Isn't that amazing? With all this same acceptability and acceptance whereby God has accepted his beloved Son, so tonight he sees you and he sees me by sovereign grace, as the Lord Jesus is before the Father. That's something of a wonder that comes over your spirit life. You say, oh how does this come in regarding care? Remember he took him to the place of lodging. He said to the whore, now you take care of him. You take care of him. And the tuppence, or two pence, there have been quite a lot of lessons suggested from the two pence. Today, a day and a thousand years in God's sight, the Lord has not yet been away the two thousand years, and he declared he's coming back and coming back really very soon, and before the two thousand years are up. Well, that's wonderful. Somebody liken it to the word of God and to the Holy Spirit. But you know the two pence, they are equivalent to the half shekel of silver used in redemption money in the book of Leviticus and the book of Exodus. Now I want to think this through for one moment. They are equivalent to the redemption money, the half shekel of silver. What's the lesson for us tonight? It is for us who are the shepherds, who are the elders, who are the deaconesses, that we might put into good of redemption the young convert. It is our responsibility. It is our privilege as one who is older. I remember some years ago being in Calgary, Alberta. God, by the Holy Spirit, was moving there. We have seen his hand in salvation in many precious souls. And one night in the prayer meeting, just before the service, Mr. Walter Stinton, the father of Dr. Arthur Stinton from Angola, got up to pray. They prayed something like this. Oh God, give us father hearts and mother hearts that we shall be able to nurse along those dear young converts in the ways well pleasing to thee. Oh, I would to God, I could hear it more and more among us today. Oh God, give us father hearts. Oh God, give us mother hearts. We are long, my friend, for the fatherly care and the tender touch of the sympathetic, understanding, loving mother. Oh, to move forward together. We need Godly shepherds among us today. We need mothers in Israel. Mothers in America. The spiritual mother will have a real concern for the young converts. And I am going to tell you something. You see, the Lord Jesus said to the host, I will repay thee. Now, some people think this refers to the Holy Spirit. It does not. The Holy Spirit does not need my friend to be repaid. And he will not be repaid. Very far from that. Now, I want you to get this right. It's for you and for me. We are saved by God's maximum grace to take into our care and into the shadow of our love that young convert. That young babe in Christ. I care for that babe in Christ. How am I going to do it? Remember it says in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse number 7, Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Now, who is he talking to? I know we take that as believing. Believers in the Lord Jesus. Belonging to us. We are saved by his maximum grace. And correctly so. But my friend, the context is to the under-shepherd. To the under-shepherd. And he said to the under-shepherd, as you are caring for the flock, I am caring for you. I know your task is not an easy task. Caring for the young convert. Nourishing them up and training them. And bringing them forward in ways well pleasing to me. But I am caring for you. You cast all your care upon me. And I want you to understand I am caring for you. Now, I want you to take it to heart tonight, dear child of God. Think of the words of that lovely chorus. It matters to him about you. It matters to him about you. All the day long. All the night through. He's caring for me. And he's caring for you. His mercies are tender. His love is ever true. It matters to him about you. Aren't you glad about that? It really matters to him about you. Now, go back in your Bible, you will, for one moment. To Genesis chapter 31. A little thought here I'd like to pass on to you that may be an encouragement to you. Genesis chapter 31. And reading, please, verse number 38. Now, here we have a picture of Jacob and he's talking to his father-in-law, Laban. And it says in verse 38 of Genesis 31 Now, I'm talking here as a shepherd. A shepherd. And I'm referring to him as a shepherd who's really caring for the sheep. This twenty years have I been with thee. Thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young. And the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of thee I brought not unto thee. I bear the loss of it. Of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. Now notice this. Thus I wore in the day the drug consuming and the frost by night, and my sick departed from my night. Now there you have the concern of the true shepherd. The concern of the true shepherd. Notice what it says, my friends. The drug by day and the frost by night and sick departed from my night. Now you think of the dear mother in caring for that little baby. Many a time she's walking the house when all the others are tucked in for the night. The whole house is fast asleep. But that mother's ear, my friend, is sensitive to the least little whimper coming from that baby. And that mother's there, my friend, caring for that child. Now this is sacrificial. This is unselfish love. I care for that child. Because that mother loves that child. All my friends would like to thank God for godly mothers, for godly fathers and the great needs. Now go over to chapter 34 of the same book. Chapter 34 and notice verse number 13. Now these are all precious in my heart and I want to share them with you because they're a burden upon my spirit during these days. And Jacob said unto him, My Lord knoweth that the children are tender and the flocks and herds with young are with me. And if men should overdrive them one day all the flock will die. Let my Lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servants and I will lead on softly. According as the cattle that go before me and the children be able to endure until I come to my Lord. Now notice the beautiful expression here. The expression of the real shepherd. The real fatherly concern. If you remember verse 13. My Lord knoweth that children are tender. The children are tender. Now notice again. Men should overdrive them one day and all the flock shall die. And he goes on to say these words. Down the middle of the verse. That children be not able to endure. Now notice my friends. Here is a shepherd. A godly man. Who has got a real concern for the flock. His whole heart goes out toward them. He is not wanting anyone to overdrive them. They are tender. My friend, do we look upon the young convert like this? Have we got the same concern for the young convert? You know, sometimes I feel we expect far too much from a young convert. When your baby is born to the family circle you don't expect your baby, my friend, to be doing all that your two-year-old is doing. Or your three-year-old is doing. Oh, certainly not. Because it is only a baby. And now, but here is a newborn babe born to the family of God. And that newborn babe may stumble. And how we criticize that newborn babe. How harshly we deal with that newborn babe. May I pause? We got to lead them on gently. Remember they are tender. And only babes. Only babes. And don't expect, my friend, a babe to know as much as a twelve-year-old child. May I pause? There is a little child. And there that little child is beginning to talk. And the first thing a newborn baby says is, Dada. Oh, how jealous the mother gets. Eh? When that baby says, Dada. And the mother phones up to the office, Darling, hurry home. All the little children said, Dada. Oh, you must hear them saying, Dada. It's wonderful. She should never have done that. He can't do another thing in the office. He can't concentrate. All he thinks about is that baby saying, Dada. And my friend, he hurries home. And he goes, Dada. Dada. Dada. Oh, I wish I would say, Mama, for a change. You see? May I pause? How happy. Everybody rejoices. Because that newborn baby said, Dada. And what joy there is in the family of God when we hear the newborn baby saying, Abba, my own dear Father. It filled my soul all day morning to hear one after another of my friend getting up adding simple language. Not back to the bag of gas of human elephants, but just simple language coming from the heart. It filled me to hear them standing up and just quietly thanking God for His Son and for saving their precious soul and seeking to worship Him in this way. It's wonderful. Here's a young convert. And you hear that young fellow getting up and starting to pray. Would you say to your newborn baby or to your child again to talk and get one or two little words together? Don't open your mouth again until you learn the English language. Until you get a bit of vocabulary. And then you open. You wouldn't say to a newborn baby, would you? You wouldn't say to a newborn baby. And yet, how many of us are inclined when that young convert gets up and begins to express himself or herself, whatever the case may be, and because they haven't got the phraseology that we've got, or the language that we've got. Now, we don't want to hear your voice again until you're able to pray intelligently. And I know men tonight in their fifties and sixties who are told that when they're young people in an assembly or in a church community and have never opened their mouth since. Thank God for the pastors you have here. I mean the shepherds who are here to encourage you. And appeal to hear your eyes, my friend, and give thanks. Appeal, my soul, I tell you with all my heart, my friend, appeal to the heart of God the Father. When a child is beginning to walk, you put that child back a few paces, you say, come on, darling, come on, come to daddy, or come to mommy. And the child says, darling goes, you stupid little thing, can't you walk better than that? Isn't that right? Can't you walk better? You don't say that to your child, do you? You pick that child up and you put this, come on, darling, come to me now. You try again now. But you know, sometimes, when a newborn babe is stumbled, oh, just as I thought, I thought that, no wife there at all, no wife. Oh, is that how we talk? We've got to lead them on gently. And that newborn child needs a terrific lot of care. And God's given us the desire, I trust, and the love, and the compassion for that newborn child, that child may grow and develop and mature. Now, do you hear, my friend, one little word, another little word, and you'll find the vocabulary getting larger, and the spiritual experience getting deeper. Oh, how it pleases you, my friend. And oh, heaven rejoice. And you see, I'm trying, my friend, to walk in the ways we are pleasing to the Lord. Oh, how our hearts rejoice. Now, may I just get one other point across to you before I leave this. The child needs care. Now, there are four things which are essential for a healthy body. Four things. One, good food. Two, fresh air. Three, exercise. And four, rest. Now, these are four essential for a healthy body. Now, spiritually, we need all four. One, that good food is the Word of God. The Word of God. And we must see that the newborn baby gets food which is convenient for them, and is going to suit their system, their spiritual life. You would never think of giving a newborn baby a great big chunk of T-bone steak, would you? You'd say, of course not. Why not? Well, the child has no teeth, for one thing, so it cannot chew it. And of course, the poor little thing can't digest it. And yet, how many, I was only hearing on Laundry yesterday, and quite right around here, there's a place that raised me in a log, gave me a real blessing. Many souls came through for Jesus Christ. And I was just hearing, they started a Bible study class for those young converts, and what they're giving them, my friends, is chunks of T-bone steak, and they can't do it. And they're losing interest. They're losing interest. And I've always been likely sure that the baby has the right formula. See, I'm so happy about a place like this, a convention like this, a conference ground. You know, you're greatly privileged, my friend, as you live here. You're greatly privileged to have men and women who've got a heart for you, a real love for you, a real concern for you, who sacrificially and unselfishly are laying themselves out for you. You're a great cause, my friend, to give thanks for such. I trust you do it daily. Because we're exalted to pray for our elders, to pray for those who have the oversight and the care of us. Oh, I trust you pray for one another. Oh, how important this really is. May I help you right here now? But it is that they must see that we get the right formula. Sometimes, you know, when the first baby comes, oh, the mother is all jittery and upset and nervous and so on and so forth. Many times, Mrs. Boswell has a phone call come through. Oh, Mrs. Boswell, I don't know what's wrong with my child. My child's dying! My child's dying! She gets in the car and goes down and sees the baby and sees the mother. Oh, what's wrong? The child's got the wrong formula. Got the wrong formula. And we must see to it the newborn baby has got the right formula. One formula may suit one child. It won't suit another child. And that's why I love a place like this. You get a variety of ministry. Now, you've been getting a lot of very deep spiritual teaching. You've been getting my prayer, the wonderful straw meat during these fasts, and now you're getting something very elementary. But I'm doing it purposely. Doing it purposely. Why? Because there's a variety. That's the beauty of a conference drama like this on an assembly of God's beloved people. A church fellowship. Because there's a variety of ministry. That's why I love. See, if you were to say, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, you'd probably get the same stuff week by week. But when you get a variety of ministry, isn't it just wonderful? Doesn't it do something to you? No wonder at all. Now, here's a thought then. We must see that child has got the right food and it gets the right formula. Now, may I pause here? It says, remember, in 1 Peter 2, verse 2, As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby. Now, there is our side of it to see that new-born babe has the right food. But there must be an appetite, a desire in that child for the food. Isn't that true? Now, you'll get terribly upset if that baby has no appetite. Oh, that baby's dying, you'll say. There's something wrong with that baby. That baby's not well. It's got no appetite. And you're concerned about it. And correctly so. If you tell me you're a child of God and you've got no desire for the Word of God, then there's something radically wrong. One of the first evidences, my friend, if you're a child of God is you've got a desire to read the Bible. You've got a desire for the Word of God. Now, this is imperative. This is vital, dear child of God. Now, I want to emphasize this. If you're a child of God, it says, as a new-born babe desires the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. Secondly, there must be fresh air. And what is the fresh air? It is prayer. We sometimes think prayer is a Christian's native air. And my friend, there's a desire for prayer. The two go together. When you read the Word of God, it is God speaking to you. And as you pray, you are praying back to God. And very often, you're using the very verses of Scripture as you are praying. The Bible says, remember, in Acts chapter 17, verse number 11, the Marines of old that searched the Scriptures daily, the sea of these things really were so. Now, this is important, that we should search the Scriptures daily, the sea of these things are, according to the Word of God. Remember, in John 5, verse 39, the Lord Jesus says, Search the Scripture, for these are they that testify of me. And when you come to the Holy Word of God, we should come with a desire of meeting Christ in the Holy Scripture. Lord, open my eyes. I may behold Thee in the sacred place. What did He do next in Luke 24? He opened their understanding. He opened to them the Holy Scripture. I revealed Himself to them. Where? In the Holy Scripture. And as we come with that desire of meeting the Lord Jesus, all the joy, all the love bubbling up in your heart, you'll see Him, you'll love Him, you'll adore Him, you'll worship Him, and your spiritual life is saved. And you'll find, my friend, a transformation taking place, I spoke of last night. You'll find a change, my friend, a transformation into the moral likeness of your beloved Lord Jesus Christ. So as you read the Holy Scripture, and then as you pray through the Holy Scripture, and you talk to God, my friend, as a child does with her father, oh friend, what a joy comes into the father's heart when that child draws near to him and unburns his heart. Peter, our son, when he was much younger, his mother was very fond of gardening. I'm very happy about that. I'm no gardener. I like to garden when all the fruits are there and the flowers are appearing, all the vegetables are growing. I like gardening then. But if I went home sometime, and Peter was just a boy, and he came up to me and said, Dad, may I have the autocultural impotence that I may do a little cultivation in the garden? He wouldn't talk like that. If he wanted to do something, he'd say, Dad, may I have the shuffle, please? He wouldn't go all around the mulberry bush with a great lot of phraseology and high-fruiting phrases. Oh no, he would just come and say, Dad, may I have the spade, please? Or may I have the shuffle, please? That's what he wanted. But you know, so often, you know, in our prayers, we are used to a lot of phraseology and wonderful eloquence, and we go all around the mulberry bush. You know, one thing I've got to encourage you, one thing I love about the brethren here, and the sisters too, when you pray, you're right to the point. There's no beating around the mulberry bush. Your heart is simply overflowing. If you could only be in that little room each day before each meeting, and you'll hear the brethren, my friend, just unburden their hearts, just like that. And my friend, God works. God works. And I want to encourage you to hold on this line tonight, my friend. The first thing a new-born baby needs is good food. And then it needs treasure, and so do we. So do we as God's beloved people. And we must learn to pray. Tell Him for He understands. Tell Him for He cares. Tell Him for He knows. Tell Him for He delights to hear and answer prayer. Just tell Him what's in your heart. That's all He wants to know. That's praying, my friend. Then something more, there must be exercise. And what is this exercise? I believe it is confessing Christ before others. Telling Him out before others. Remember it says in Matthew 10, verses 33 and 34, If we confess Him before men, He will confess us before the Father, which is in heaven. But if we deny Him before men, He will deny us. Beloved, I want to read your heart tonight. There must be good food. There must be prayer. And there must be exercise. And I want to tell you something, that if these two are real in your life and in my life, this third one will also come along. May I suggest something to you very lovingly? That if you did that for 15 minutes each day, five minutes to read the Word, five minutes to pray, and five minutes to tell somebody about the Lord Jesus, you'll never backslide. You'll never go close. Because I'll tell you what's going to happen. You'll get such a nappage time, such a desire, you'll find it increasing, and you'll want to spend longer with the Word of God, you'll want to spend longer in communion and in prayer, and you'll want to spend much longer in witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ. Then there must be rest. Rest. O succumb yourself apart and rest apart. This means there must be a time and a place and a part, dearie, where we'll meet with God face to face. Now if you don't come apart, you'll fall apart. And the Lord often allows us to fall apart that we may learn the secret He wants us. Another service. And our service will only be effective and vital and convincing and fruitful in the measure in which He's got you and got me. Please get those four into your heart tonight. Don't forget everything else I am saying. Don't forget those four essentials for spiritual growth and spiritual health and spirituality and Christ-likeness. There must be good food, the Word of God. There must be fresh air, prayer. There must be exercise, confessing Christ before others. And there must be rest. Rest. Resting in the Lord Himself. I'd love to develop that. But time won't allow me now. Let's go down to the next one just for a moment. Letter H. The Word is Home. A child must have a home. Oh, I love this, you know, my friend. Isn't it wonderful to know the child is born and born into the home? Who would you think of the parent or parents who say to the newborn child, now you just choose the home of your choice. Think it through. How dare we say that to a newborn child? And yet, we hear the expression, with all good intention, and I'm not speaking in a critical way, very far from it, but we hear the expression, now you just go to the church of your choice. Would you ever say that to a newborn baby? Certainly not. My friend, those who have got the care will seek to instruct and seek to lead on and bring forth spiritual growth and development and show that dear young baby in Christ from the Holy Scripture where there is a spiritual home. A spiritual home where the world is taught, it's unadulterated, it's not diluted in any way, it's not sugar-coated in any way, but it's a straightforward annunciation of the glad tarnished and teaching of the word of God as for God's praise and for God's glory learned for the building up of God's beloved people and for the salvation of precious souls. Ah, remember it says in John chapter 14, there is a home in the future, but there's also a home right here for all who with a pure heart call upon the same Lord and acknowledge His authority in their life day by day. And my friend, the Lord, to meet with those who have the same glorious joy in their own heart, who know the same glorious Lord, a living reality in their life because that same one says, and gather my saints together unto me. Such will it come to me by sacrifice. Not gather them to some organization or to some particular name. Oh no, but gather them unto me. And what does the Lord say? Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there are mine in the midst of them. So you see, we're gathering to a person and we're gathering in the name of that person alone, the name of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, the joy of having this spiritual home. Furthermore, in Hebrews 13, verse number 25, forseeking not the assembling of ourselves together as a matter of summit, but exalting one another, encouraging one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. This really thrills me. In fact, I nearly preached along this line tonight from John chapter 5. Remember in John chapter 5, the Lord Jesus says, Heareth my word, and believeth on him that set me hath everlasting life, shall not commit a judgment, is passed from death unto life. Then he says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that shall hear the voice of the Son of God shall live. The hour is coming, and now is. For all shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall live. Know this, the hour is now. John chapter 4, verse 23, For the hour is now, when the Father seeketh such to worship him who shall worship him in spirit and in truth. And so now know this. There in John chapter 5, those who believe on the Son of God, they become children of God. And John chapter 4 says, The Father, when in the family now, the Father seeketh such to worship him who shall worship him in spirit and in truth. Now isn't this lovely? Because we belong to a family, because my friend we got the same life, and because we have the same spirit, and because beloved we got the same glorious prospect, now the Father seeketh such to worship him who shall worship him in spirit and in truth. So you see the joy. Because you're a child, the Father seeketh such to worship him, and that is the spiritual home. The spirit where you can function as a priest, a holy priest before him, in worship, in adoration, and in true gratitude. And there you, beloved, as a royal priest, go out in glorious service. There's no such thing, my friend, as a free land. None whatever in the Word of God. Oh no. There's no such thing, my friend, as a spiritual tramp. Oh no. God's got a pattern, he's got a place, he's got a home, a spiritual home for all his children. May God give us grace to find out what the pattern is for us laid down in the New Testament Scripture. And you'll find that pattern, you're guiding to a person, your adorable Lord Jesus, you're drawn to him by the cause of love. Because, my friend, he gave his all for you, in response you've come to worship him, to adore him, and in doing so, the Father, my friend, finds all his delight in the Son of God. Those men and those women, those boys and girls, saved by his matchless grace, all the joy in heaven. All heaven, my friend, looks down tonight. It's a little company of people gathered here in the Park of the Palms Conference Garage. All heaven's interested tonight. The Father is interested. The Son is interested. The Holy Spirit is interested. Because he's here tonight, and he desires above everything else to fill our vision with the Lord Jesus, occupy our heart's affection with him, and for one purpose alone, to bring glory to God the Father. Oh, I trust that's why we're here tonight. No other desire, no other intention, but just to bring glory to God the Father in the exultation of the beloved Son, in the energy of a non-greed Holy Spirit, a child needs care. A child needs a home. A child needs instruction. Instruction. And you remember what it says in Proverbs chapter 4, verse number 1, My son despised not the instruction of a father. You'll read from verse 1 down through verse 13, on the whole chapter of Proverbs, and you'll find much instruction for your spiritual life. And take that right over to 2 Timothy chapter 3, where it says, The Scripture has been given to us for instruction in righteousness. I would love to develop that, but I just can't. Imagine the other two letters that I close. Now, I may develop them tomorrow morning, so do please come. I don't want you to miss this, because it will be a real blessing to you. Now remember L, a child needs love. A child needs love. All three. A child will soak up all the love you can give him. And remember, a child responds to love. A child responds to love. No, a child really knows when you love them. Teenagers know when you love them. You know that? You can pull the wool over the eyes of grown-up people, but you'll never pull the wool over the eyes of teenagers. You never will. Teenagers know when they're loved, and when they're cared for. Oh, they know this. And to respond to this, I put all, most of my work with these high school and college children. I love being with them. And I find those young people, my friends, respond to love. I can hit them as hard as I possibly can, at every avenue of their life, physical, intellectual, spiritual, or sexual. And if I don't address that to them, and my friends respond to it. Because they know there's a heart of love behind it. But a teenager has no time for a phony. No time for a phony. But I find teenagers, and older people too, all respond to love. Isn't that true? Although, indeed, because I must say, a child needs discipline. A child needs discipline. And you'll find all that brought up for you very clearly, Hebrews chapter 5, sorry, chapter 12, from verse 5 down to verse number 11. Read it for yourself, my friend, will you? From chapter 12 of Hebrews, verse 5 to verse number 11. What does the Bible say? He chastises, he corrects every child whom he receives. And just in case you're not here tomorrow morning, may I suggest this to you? The Lord says, if you are without chastening, then you're a bastard, and not a son. Do you get that? If you are without chastening, or correction, then you're a bastard, and not a son. He corrects us. Why? Because He loves us. Then He says, why? You have earthly fathers who have corrected you, because they loved you, because they're concerned for you. How much more will your heavenly father? Isn't that true? May God help us recognize the importance. May I go back over them? Care, a home, instruction, love, and discipline. May God give us grace to know the value of this, moment by moment, day by day. Now shall we pray together? Father, have thy way, work by thy Spirit in all of our lives tonight. As we sing this closing hymn, we pray our hearts may be strangely moved by the Holy Spirit. May Christ fill our vision, occupy our hearts' affection, and may we be drawn to Him tonight as we look up and say from the very depth of our innermost being, Lord Jesus, how lovely thou art. Come and abiding, rule in my heart. Break every fetter, thy faith let me see. Then thou shalt ever be precious to me. Blessed God, let us assemble company. We said reach one here tonight. With impact, with little service, go with us. Characterize in all our ways. May we know the great value and the great honor of being a child of God. We ask in His name, the name of the Lord Jesus, and for thy... Hymn number 298. 298, please. Just sing two verses of this grand hymn. 298. Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Move me and make me after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still. Would God sing, please, two last verses. Verses 3 and 4. 298.