Buy the truth

As Eric says, these pulpits aren't made for short men, but we wanted to see the speaker anyway. We wanted to see the Word of God. Proverbs 23.

I think it was our brother David was speaking, and I said to my sister, older sister, I got four yet. She said, I hear you're moving out to Arizona. I said, why would you do that? I said, because I don't have any friends here anymore.

She said, well, you better check yourself out. That's really the thought. It's not looking for friends, it's being a friend.

There's a lot of people out there who would like to be your friend, but do you want to be theirs? The Lord wanted to be a friend to everyone. Proverbs 23 and 23. Just a simple verse, just to close in the afternoon.

The wise man says, buy the truth and sell it not. Also wisdom and instructions and understanding. Just skip down the chapter here, if I can find it.

Well, anyway, it says, son, give me thine heart. 26. My son, give me thine heart.

And let thine eyes observe my ways. God will bless the reading of these two verses more than I could give you anything. Just just the reading of them.

Because it's his heart and his mind. That has given us these words. By the truth and sell it not.

By also wisdom and instructions. And understanding. You know, there are some of the hymns that we sing.

And I thank God for men and women that have written hymns. Probably about the last thing once in a while I try to make up a song and it don't go too good. But sometimes I wonder when we sing hymns.

If we really look at what we're singing and within our spirit, if we understand what we're saying. And singing and with our whole spirit. Do we really mean? What we're singing.

I think of that song we sang this morning and. Take my life and. I'm down through and then we come to that verse three or four.

Take my silver. And my gold. Now that might have it when I withhold.

I close my mouth when I sing that. When the rest are singing. And I thought this morning I thought.

What if there was a TV evangelist up there and listen to the saints. Sing that. And then he'd put out the big barrels.

And he would say, what a day. What a day in the courts. Well, this is not what Solomon has on his mind here of our silver and our gold.

It might involve that, but. That's really not what is on his mind when he he says to. By the truth.

He's telling us that the truth will be costly. And the only way you'll get it is to go in for it. And when you go in for it.

You'll have to go in for it. In spirit. I believe there is a truth amongst us.

Especially maybe the younger here today. That we understand not in this fullness. And I can't say that I understand it in the fullness, but it has sure gripped my heart and my soul.

And the latter few years. That when God decided to make a creature. That he could enjoy and find pleasure and joy and delight out of.

He made him after his own self. Spirit. And that day when he came down and he took and formed of the dust of the ground and.

Made a body for Adam. And he breathed into that body spirit of himself. And that man became a living soul.

Now we believe if God would have wanted just robots. In the world that he had created. And a robot that he could enjoy and so on.

He never would have made him a living soul. He had complete control over the mind spirit because he was spirit. And he wanted Mano.

To be able to enjoy him. My brother William was saying would there be enough evidence. To prove that you're a child of God.

My wife asked me that a few days ago and I'm not going to tell you any more about it. But I was thinking as William was speaking. I was thinking of Moses.

When he come out of the mount after being in the presence of Jehovah. For 40 days. He glowed.

In such a way that they couldn't even gaze upon him. Of such a glow of the presence of the eternal God. I asked myself.

Have I been glowing? Have I been glowing? Because I've been spending time in the very presence. Of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now I think of Peter when they said to him.

They said we know that you're one of his. Because I speech be right there. I wonder about my speech.

Does anyone know that I'm a child of God? Because of my speech. I'm not saying this. I drive a bus back home.

A lot of old people and some even younger than me. I had two ladies on the bus one day. They said to me.

We can see you're a happy man. And I said I have every right to be happy. Because my best friend.

Is a man who gave his life for me at Calvary. I said you know who that'd be? And they said well. I suppose Jesus.

And I said that's right. He died for me. He's my best friend.

Never let me down. I said my wife has let me down. She's my second.

But he's never let me down. Why shouldn't I be happy? Why shouldn't I glow? Why shouldn't my speech berate me? Being able to talk about him. And then they said to me.

He's my best friend too. And then it wasn't very long. Until she began to come out about her best friend.

And using words that. Must not be coming. And I just said to her.

I said I just thought you told me. That the Lord Jesus Christ was your best friend. Oh yeah I shouldn't be talking.

Yeah. Well God made us. Spirit.

Soul. And body. He made us a spirit that we might have a consciousness of the Godhead.

And that we might enjoy the Godhead. And that the Godhead might enjoy us. And it's only in spirit.

He made us an individual. And then as an individual he. Give us a will.

I know. Some call it a free will. And others say it's.

But it's a will. That we might. Make choices.

And I really believe that when. God put Adam. Into that garden.

And there was the two trees there. And he told him not to eat of the one. But the other one was there.

And Adam could see it the tree of life. I believe. God could have told him Adam take of that tree and we'll be.

One together forever. But he didn't. He left a choice up to Adam.

And to Adam. Listen to his wife. And he took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And his spirit died. Before that. God could come down and they could walk together.

And they could fellowship together. Because of the same spirit. But now the spirit is dead.

No longer could God come down. And walk as he once did. Now I know the time is gone.

But we come into the world and we sin and we. Brought forth a dead spirit. That's why in our unsaved days we appreciated not the things of God.

In fact I can tell you I didn't even appreciate the people of God. I had no time for them. When I was old enough to leave my father's home.

And as I left that home. I still remember coming down to the state of Indiana to go to school. I said no one will ever tell Dick Burley again.

What he can do or what he can't do. Why? I had a spirit. I had a will.

I was an individual. And God allowed it. For me to make choices.

I want to tell you I made a lot of bad choices. But thank God for the Holy Spirit who is in the world. And you never give up.

He kept convicting me. And convicting me. Until one night.

I took sides with God and acknowledged. I'm just a guilty sinner. You're right.

All you can do with me is send me down to a lost eternity. I knew he'd be right in doing it. When he took my eyes.

My spirit as would be. And he opened it up to see. That he loved me so that he'd given his well-beloved son.

The Lord Jesus. Upon Calvary to pay my debt. And I understood that night for the first time.

Jesus died for me. That's all I knew. And would be in heaven.

I didn't realize that the life of Christ. The man who died on Calvary. That came in and revived my spirit.

And that from then on I could submit. My soul to the spirit. And then the Holy Spirit.

And in so doing I can fellowship. With my God and my Savior. And I can enter into the very place where he's at today.

In the sanctuary. And spirit and gaze upon him. And look upon the one who delights the father's heart.

And see that how he delighted him. And then look upon the wounds. And see how what a debt he paid for me.

And I can enjoy him. And he can enjoy me in spirit. Have you been in heaven today? Have you got into the very sanctuary where Christ is? That's where the Holy Spirit wants to take us.

He's there to guide us. And I wonder in John 10. And 9 is it or 9 and 10.

He says, I am the door by me if any man enter in. He shall be saved. And shall go in.

And out. To find pleasure. And we're in an old world that hates him.

An old world that's going down to destruction. And yet our spirits have come alive. And we can get in.

We can gaze what lies ahead for the child of God. And when I get into the glory. And be into the reading of the word of God.

It will cost me. Am I willing to pay for a little time. And the word of God and let the spirit of God take my spirit.

And go in and enjoy the very words that I've been reading. And he opens them up to us. And we gaze upon him.

And come out and just live for him. Is that too hard? I've always said that Christian life shouldn't be hard to live. Because he lays the pattern out so simply in the word of God.

It's not hard to understand if we're willing to just pay a little price. To buy the truth. And then don't sell it.

Many of the child of God has paid a price and later in life. Well things didn't just go as well. So there's a willingness to set it aside.

Our brother Wark, Mr. Wark was mentioned this morning. I remember him not as well as Eric and some of them. But I got to hear him before he ever went to the glory.

It was a tremendous bond in the word of God. I don't know how many times he mentioned that he had read it from Genesis to the revelation. But it was molten.

But not only that in his meditations and so on. And he was at a place one day ministering the word of God. And afterwards a young man came up to him.

And he said, Mr. Wark. If I could enjoy and understand the word of God like you, I'd give the whole world for it. And Mr. Wark said.

That's just what it'll cost you. Are you willing to. Submit the soul that is.

So connected with the old world that we're in. And just submit our soul to our spirit. And let the Holy Spirit take that.

And guide and teach us truth. And in a day to come when our spirit and soul and body. Will all be redeemed.

And taken into the glory. On body like unto his. I don't think it'll be a greater day.

And when we shall see our savior come out and be given his place. In an old world that took him out and crucified him. And we're there with him.

And appreciate him. So we just would say today. By the truth.

Get alone with God in the word of God. And in spirit and let the spirit of God teach you. And then you'll see the things of God they glow.

If you look on mine there's not much glowing there. But I appreciate and love the local assembly. Because it's his place.

It's where he moves. It's where he is glorified. The only place really in a sense on earth.

It brings the glory of God to an old world that's going down. And joy to the father. It's a local assembly.

And then being able not only to be connected with it. But to be able to function within it. I thank God today.

That the night he saved me. He made a priest out of me. Never had to turn my shirt around backwards.

He just made a priest. That I might do a little for him. Either in the holy priesthood in worship and thanksgiving.

Or the royal priesthood. To work for him for his name's sake.