Believers are called to live as strangers and pilgrims, possessing eternal treasures that endure beyond earthly circumstances. The sermon emphasizes that while suffering and trials are inevitable, they are temporary and work for an eternal glory, urging believers to maintain a sober mind and steadfast hope in Christ's return. The core lesson is that true riches are found in God's Word and in the anticipation of Christ's revelation, which will bring ultimate redemption and joy. The message concludes by calling for obedience and holiness, urging believers to be distinct from the world and to fix their hope on the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.
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Morning, please don't send your spirit unless you're sick. If you're sick, then we'll excuse you for sending your spirit. I'm going to read again this evening in Peter's first epistle, and we shall begin to read that verse ten. Verse ten of Verse Peter and reading M. Chapter one. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently.
We prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ. and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, that it administer the things which are now reported unto you, by them that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Which things the angels desire to look into?
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, sober, hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's word, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.
Now we do pray that God's blessing might rest upon the reading of this passage of his precious and holy word. Sunday morning and last night, again we looked at the early part of this chapter. And again tomorrow evening, in the will of God, we'll be looking into the verses, into the verses that follow where we left off reading this evening. We've pointed out in our previous messages that the believer is seen in this epistle... as a stranger and a pilgrim.
I remember back in those early days after I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Savior and received into fellowship at the local assembly, frequently they would sing, I'm a pilgrim, bound for glory, I'm a pilgrim going home. And then he went on to give an invitation, come and hear me tell my story, all who love the Savior come. Now, in the truest sense, as we have mentioned before, these people were strangers and pilgrims.
These to whom he was writing, beginning with the great persecution of Satan, had been driven out of their home area and they were found in all these different places mentioned in the first verse and in writing to them he's writing with a view to encouraging them and to edify them and build them up thus first of all he speaks of their possessions and we were looking yesterday at the pilgrims' possessions.
And it's nice to know that we have possessions that will abide when all earthly things have passed away. Even in this day and the recession, not even being as bad as past depressions, people are losing. Things are slipping away from them. And when this is so, I think it tends to cause us to appreciate the eternal things and the things that abide. And we do have wonderful treasures in the Word of God. And as concerning the Word of God, it says, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my Word shall never pass away.
Now, it was circumstances like this that shook me up as a young man. You know, I arrived in the city of Philadelphia and I thought I was going to do well for myself and put a little nest egg in the bankers' trust. And then one, evening I stepped off the trolley car and in front of bankers' trust, there was two policemen. That was the day of the great financial crash. And a day when people in the morning were wealthy and the evening everything was gone.
It lost everything. And everything I had was gone. And you know, I stood on the corner of Voyager Street and looked at it and I said, well, thank God I have something I can lose. I have something I can lose. And then I took this man to task and had a good talk with them, and I told them he'd been living for the wrong word. And he needed to get his sights on things outside and things that would abide when everything relative to earth would pass away. I believe that was the turning point in my life as a Christian. Now, these believers had gone through a very a painful experience of having to leave their homes, leave their possessions, leave everything, and seek refuge wherever they could find it.
And thus Peter addresses them as strangers and pilgrims. And we do emphasize what we did emphasize on Sunday morning that when God saves us, he takes us out of this world. and then he sends us back into it. But we're in the world, but not often. And while here he wants us to be his ambassadors, his representatives. Now we've looked not only at the possessions of the pilgrim, but we noticed last night that because he's in an alien country, in an enemy's land, and because of the designs and purposes of God for him in a coming eternity, then suffering is something that he must undergo.
Later on, if the fiscal were told not to think it strange, concerning the fiery trial, it is to try us, as though some strange thing had happened unto us. Now, I'll be the first one to concede to you that I don't like suffering. In fact, I have always said that Paul suffered enough to have killed a thousand John Eliot's. It's something that we shrink from. It's something that perhaps we feel. And yet it's something that's going to pay off when the last we arrive at the bema of Christ.
Then we'll see what a worthwhile thing suffering was. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, work is for us far more exceeding. Isn't it something how Paul... The bobbed and inspired writer piles on the adjectives in that pyramid of truth to bring before us the fact that our light of liction, now he looked upon it being light, but I certainly wouldn't have judged it to be light. All that he had to undergo and the humiliations and painful things that that beloved apostle had to suffer.
Yet to speak of it, of light afflictions. And then for a moment, for a moment, our light afflictions, which are for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal way of glory. Now we might, in looking back at what we have said, point out that In writing to these it says, Forin you greatly rejoice. And this word for rejoice means to be exuberant, just filled to overflowing with joy.
And yet at the same time he says, If need be, you're in manifold. Let me read it in case I get it wrong. Wherein you greatly rejoice, Though now for a season it needs be ye are in heaviness. Now this wasn't dullness because of spiritual lethargy, it was heaviness because of persecution and pressure that they were undergoing. Though now for a season it needs be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. And yet wherein ye greatly rejoice.
Paul in another place to remember said, I believe it would be, II Corinthians, six and eleven, a sorrowful yet always rejoicing. So you see, these two can be companions. If we could see our suffering and any approach that we have to bear because of our association with the name of Christ, you know, To be associated with a place that doesn't have a popular name outside, well, it involves a certain amount of reproach. Lydia attended our chapel in Springfield for many, many years, and she would perhaps tell you to this day that she derived a lot of help.
and a lot of blessing during those years. In fact, she didn't go anywhere else, but never seemingly had any desire to be part of the assembly box. She profited by the ministry and teaching that she got. Two young people were visiting in the neighborhood one evening, and they asked her, Where do you go? Well, I go up to the corner to the Gospel Chapel, and now what are they, Presbyterians, Baptist, Pentecostal, and what are they? Well, she said thee, just don't don't, or use any name on the name Christian and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so they walked off the porch, they very ill-manneredly laughed and said, Ha, ha, ha, ha, untamed the people. No, he has the most beautiful and the most delightful name. It's a more excellent name. Now, don't tell me And I don't despise any other group. And God forbid that I could speak unkindly of them, but I think the name of my Lord and Savior is a more excellent name than any of these names that people are known by. And if it's a reproach, then, I would say in the language of the hymn, Thy reproach for greater treasure, then all Egypt's boasted pleasure, drawn by love that now is no measure, outside the camp.
Though I wouldn't apply the word camp, respond in Hebrews to every group of Christians outside the assemblies. It primarily applied to the Jew and to Judaism, and they had utterly rejected Christ. They had really turned him down and As far as they were concerned, he was only an imposture. We must remember that many of these groups of people pay honor to the name of Christ and preach the same gospel that we preach. And we must love them as our brethren.
Thank God. Till then, we're going to leave all these names outside. And when in last, we arrive in the celestial city, we'll all be one. The Lord's prayer, high priestly prayer in John seventeen will at last have come to a glorious realization that they all might be one. But no name can unite them save the name of the Lord Jesus. That name can unite God's people. But none of these names that are found in religious words today.
can unite the Lord's people. But we could be united under that one precious, peerless, holy name, Lord Jesus Christ. But I think that here largely it was trial and tribulation and persecution, not particularly of that sense that I've been speaking of They were passing through times where perhaps the larger got pretty low at times. You could imagine the people scattered and going amongst other groups, other nationalities up in Bethlehem, in Asia, and in Pontius and Cappadocia.
And here they were scattered, all because of the name of Christ, because They had acknowledged him as their Messiah and Savior. They were really, in the truest search, learning what it was to be a stranger and a pilgrim. Now, we did notice last night that it's going to pay off in the end. And we should have mentioned in passing last night that here we notice a word that spawned seven times in these two epistles for the first time precious. Precious. And it's related to trials.
Now, this word precious is the idea of something that's costly, something that's valuable. Now, we could treat our trials as being little. There's no value now. But our trials will prove to be gold, silver, and precious stones. when at last we appeared before the bema of Christ. And in relation to the story we related last night, perhaps many of us will be found saying what the king said after, or the men said after the king had awarded him for his loyalty, oh that my chains had been heavier.
When at last we reached that glorious country and we stand in the pure light of his presence. Then, beloved, saints of God, we shall know and understand why we pass through the various experiences and through the troubles and different things that have come into our lives. And we're going to bless them and thank him that he saw fit to place these things on us down here because they'll be richly rewarded in that coming day. Now, we want to drop down to where we started to read this evening and we designated this as the Pilgrim's Salvation.
And then in association with this, there is the walk and the life that should go with our salvation. You remember that the Apostle Paul In Hebrews six speaks of the things that accompany salvation. Now, after Peter has spoken of their salvation, then he brings in some things that are the sequence of salvation. Now, we notice here in connection with salvation that it's something that was foretold by the prophet.
No, it's rather interesting when you talk with people and find out just how they were saved. And so many have been saved through that beautiful chapter, Isaiah fifty-three. I remember we had meetings in Ireland in nineteen hundred and fifty, and amongst others that attended was a nephew of the late T.R. McCullough's. And as the meeting progressed, he got into deep soul trouble. But after six weeks, we closed the doors, and Albert was still in his sins.
But I remember the last night he walked out of that portable hall, and as he walked out the door, the tears were running down his cheeks. and drop him to the ground. He was so concerned about a soul that afternoon he had come to see me. And I said to him, Albert, if you knew you would die before midnight, what would you do? Well, he said, I would trust Christ. But there was something that seemed to be hindering. And it's not a right thing to push people into professions. So I left. the mantle in God's hands because when God does something he does it well and I could touch the thing and bring about a premature birth that wouldn't prove to be real.
Now a dear sister said that boy is going to get saved. He's been riding a bicycle for six weeks to these meetings, she said. He has shown reality. and he's going to get saved. Well, on Tuesday we got the message that Albert was saved. Of course, I was quite interested to know how it happened in the end, and when I met a believers meeting on the Wednesday, I believe it was, and I said, Albert, you had a hard time. How did you get delivered? So he said, on Tuesday morning, that verse just came to me with such force. But he was wounded for my transgressions.
But he was bruised for my iniquities. They chastised when my feet was upon him. And with this stripes I am healed. And he said, I saw that Christ died for me. And he just looked like a different person. You could see that deliverance had come. It was seen in his face. He just looked different. Well, dear Albert, was saved through the preaching of an Old Testament prophet, Isaiah. You see, they laid down the avenue of time, and by inspiration, they foretold not only the fact that he would come into the world, that is, our Lord and Savior, and that he would go to the cross and die, but both David and Psalm And again in Psalm twenty-two and in Psalm sixteen and Isaiah in this fifty-third chapter foretold his resurrection.
So this wonderful salvation, it was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets. But of course, it's only when we come into the New Testament that we see it provided. It's provided and made available through the death and the resurrection of Christ. And then we read here in our passage about the Holy Spirit coming down. And the gospel couldn't be told forth and power and be effective apart from the Holy Spirit being present in the Word.
We were noticing Sunday morning connected with our chapter that actually the work of sanctification has its beginning in us when the Holy Spirit sets us apart. I believe that the order here is divine. Scientification, then the obedience of faith, then the sprinkling of blood, that's redemption. And I pointed out that, again, in Thessalonians, that is, Second Thessalonians chapter two, at the end of the chapter, it's the same order, where the Holy Spirit's work is brought in in relation to salvation.
We're sanctified before the set apart by the Holy Spirit and operated on, made to feel our need, and, of course, the Holy Spirit has a part in our regeneration. it is the Holy Spirit that quickeneth. But in that quickening, as we believe, that's spoken of as the obedience of faith. We referred on Sunday to Acts six and verse three. A great company of priests became obedient to the faith. It became obedient to the faith.
Now, faith is a hearing. Faith is assenting to what you hear. But in the third place, it's acting, and that's obedience. God, in his word, shows us that that is an act of obedience. So the Holy Spirit is in the world, and we're living in that age when the gospel is being proclaimed. The message is going forth. It's touching hearts and lives. The Holy Spirit is doing his work of conviction and bringing man to repentance.
And this wonderful message is producing blessing here and there and headed in John all over the world. And in spite of the rage of hell and the opposition of man, God is working. And the church is being brought closer to its completion. And some of these days, thank God, will hear the shout and will go to meet the Lord in the air. Now, salvation has three precious aspects. One past, one present, one future. He has saved me. He is saving me. And He's going to save me.
He has delivered me. He's delivering me. And He's going to deliver me. The first we link with justification. The second we link with present experimental sanctification. Now there is the judicial aspect because we read in First Corinthians chapter one, who has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. And that's a once and for all sanctification. But experimentally, seeing it being set apart, it means being set apart for a purpose, the Holy Spirit now indwelling us is working out that purpose and working out that sanctification in our lives.
But then we're looking forward to that glorious moment of the Lord's coming when we shall experience the last aspect, which is, glorification. And I know there are many and they're seeing their minds in these days that can't come to sin. I think there are hearts that are longing and waiting the Lord's return. And out of the inner being there is going up that cry, even so, come Lord Jesus. You know, if things get worse, and it's possible to me.
I don't want to be a pessimist, but I don't see any bright outlook for the world. Our hope can be dimmed, but I tell you, as far as the world is concerned, I don't see that there's anything good to hope for. But we just don't know at what point we are. We may be very close to that momentous moment, and yet it could still be many years distant. But this we know. He went away, but not to say.
He's coming back again. He that went away will come and will not tarry. And so we joyfully... and radiantly say, No triumphs to me, life is coming again. The hymn writer says, I'll be so glad when the day is done, I'll be so glad when Jesus comes. Now it's the third aspect of the salvation that's mentioned at the end of verse thirteen. Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind and be sober and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now, he'll be unveiled to us before he's unveiled to the world. Does not yet appear what we shall be. We know when he shall appear, we shall see him. Sometimes we men who stand up here and minister the word of God are not right in our applications. And there are some that would absolutely restrict the revelation to the public manifestation of Christ when he comes to earth. But the word in itself means an unveiling.
And when he comes to air and I meet him in the air... is going to be unveiled to me. I like that passage in the Old Testament. Thrilleth me thy eyes shall see the king and his beauty. You know, no man has really seen God. That is God as he is in all the glory and majesty and resplendence of his being. For a short time The resident glory in the Lord Jesus shone forth in the month of transfiguration. But it was only a passing thing.
And I believe when we meet him in the air, he will be clothed in robes of beauty and garments of majesty. And for the first time, we who love him, and yet we haven't seen him as we were looking at that verse last night, we're going to see him. And I tell you, that'll be a thrilling sight. That'll be a gladdening sight. That will be a thrilling sight. I think one of the first things I'll be looking for is to see the scars in his hands. I'll look for the scars in his hands. You'll understand that there was a time back in England when there was a false Christ.
Then he was getting quite a following of people. and he was deceiving them, telling them that he was Christ. And he was exposed one evening out on the street by the Salvation Army coming, marching down, singing, I shall know him, I shall know him by the print of the nails in his hands. He didn't have any scars in his hands. He didn't have any scar in his sight. And the man was exposed as an imposter.
He didn't have any credential to show that he was Christ. And here was the Salvation Army coming down the street singing, I shall know him. I shall know him by the print of the nails in his hand. We may not do it, but we'll feel like doing what the poet said. We'll kiss the needle, prince, in his hands, and wear the spearmen in, and in his glorious person find eternal rest from sin. Say, folks, are you glad you saved? Oh, there's nothing like it, brethren. These dark, dismal days, there's nothing...
to be compared with God's salvation. Well, as one said, it's the best thing in life. It's the only thing in death, and it's still more glorious and wonderful when you arrive in that celestial sphere. Now, it's the unveiling of Christ at the end of our text. And in the light of that, we're to gird up our lords. Again, this is Old Testament terminology. Peter was well versed in the Old Testament. And he's thinking back here to Exodus chapter twelve. Actually, this is the Exodus twelve of the New Testament. As we pointed out Sunday morning, you have the land foreordained, you have the blood sprinkled, you have the bitter herbs in the verses we're looking at last night.
And now we have the girded loins. And we have a company of pilgrims And the idea of a stranger is one that's away from home, and of a pilgrim, one that's going home, one that's on the way home. And God is leading a host of pilgrims, whom is redeemed by his blood through this desert scene, through this will and his word, and he's leading them home to the celestial city. Now, this girding up with your loins, You'll notice it's not physical here. It's mental. Gird up the loins of the mind.
And I believe that what is meant in this is well expressed in Psalm Eighty-six, where the writer prays that his mind might be united, that his mind might be united to fear the Lord. It's unity of purpose. girding up your loins, that's unity of purpose. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, and you can't serve God and mammon. I believe that Abraham had a girded mind. There's quite a contrast between Abraham and Lot.
Lot was a man with a double mind. Sure, it was a righteous man, and he wanted to go to heaven. But he lived for this worthy one to get everything out of, to get his hands on. But over against that there's Abraham, he had a girded mind. His mind was united. It was said in one thing, he looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. Now every time I minister, and I may be honest before I leave here, Because I love Psalm one hundred and seven. And you'll go far down that psalm until they wandered. And this is said of God's people. Then it goes on to say, they found no city to dwell in.
And I say, thank God. Now, Springfield is just about as nice as any other place to live in. And I hope you feel the same way about Atlantic or if you happen to live in Anita. But you feel the same way about that. But you see, you wouldn't want to dwell in it. We're pilgrims and we're seen just in the immediate context as sojourners. We're only sojourners. This isn't our home. I hate to think that I had to live here forever. Yet I read in the Old Testament in Psalm seventeen that the inward desire of the wicked is that their dwelling places might go on to all generations.
That wouldn't suit me at all. If you could convince me I had to stay here forever, I'd be an unhappy man. My face would be this length when I went out the door. And I'm going to have to stay here. I'm on the way home. And each closing day brings me twenty-four hours. So I'm not worried about getting out. Because every year that passes brings me closer to heaven and home, closer to the celestial city. for pilgrims on the way home. But God wants us to have our loins girded and then sober. And here's the idea of that having a clear mind, a calm mind, a composed mind.
Sometimes you meet people and their mind, oh, maybe. It's all muddled and they're all confused. God wants us to have clear minds. Cast down imagination. The sister called me about a week before I left home and tell you her mind was all confused and she was all distressed. She just thought that things were changing and people were against it and she didn't know how the boss felt to her and she had arrived about the conclusion they were ready to get rid of her. I said, now, dear sister, haven't you gone through these things before, yes? Hasn't God brought you through you?
I said, he's going to bring you through. Everything will be all right. Put it in his hands. And there was some confusion and distress in that particular area. And about the next day the boss comes in and he put everything in order. And by the next time I saw her, she was riding in the clouds. You see, the devil loves to muddy her mind and confuse us. And sometimes we can have such a foolish and evil and sinful imagination. God wants us to gird our minds, focus our minds, set your affection on your mind on things above, your life's head with Christ and God.
Put it in his care. And hope to the end. Now the end here, actually the literal reading here is hope steadfastly. Don't be an off and on hopper. Hope steadfastly. The idea to the end is completely. Hope completely. Hope confidently. Don't let doubts and fears come in and mar your peace and mar your joy and obscure what lies ahead of you. And do we not sing from time to time the glory shines before me I cannot linger here.
Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, hope to the end. Hope perfectly is the thought. Hope perfectly. Hope steadlessly. Hope to the end. Keep your hope bright. Keep your mind clear. Some one of the old theologians once said, Hope always entertains the best expectations. And I like what Mueller said about Romans, George Miller said about Romans eight and twenty-eight. He said he believed that out of a thousand things, nine hundred and ninety-nine, and another one included, all worked together for good.
All worked together for good. Don't let your mind be clouded and confused. Gird up your loyals. Fix your focus. Paul, I tell you, in the girded mind, he said, forgetting those things that are behind. No, you said, but worry about past mistakes. That won't help you make any progress. I've told you before, but sometimes we need to repeat things. I heard dear Robert McCrory in the Kansas City Conference say something I never forgot. And I've tried to practice it. Never allow past failures to access a mortgage in your present life. Never allow past failures to act as a mortgage on your present life.
Paul says, forgetting those things that are behind. And reaching forth to those things that are ahead, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wasn't far from it, and I tell you, when he wrote Second Timothy, He said, The time of my departure, the thought there is a ship losing anchor and getting ready to move out from the harbor, or the time of my departure has come, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. He was ready to walk right in. But you see, from the day he was saved till the moment he arrived in the celestial city, he saw, if you have a girded mine and a clear mine, And he hoped perfectly.
He'd never lost sight of it. He always kept that before him. And nothing that will keep you straight and happy and encouraged like keeping your eye fixed. On that momentous moment when the Lord will come, the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, the three things that should characterize us is obedience as obedient children. Now, literally it could be rendered children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts of your ignorance. You see, our life should be molded by the will of God, not by our own sinful or worldly desires.
In other words, we're not to be jello Christians. You know, you get a package, but you have to have the water boiling. Put it in. Then you put it in that bowl or receptacle. And it just fits into that ball. Now, that's not the kind of Christians we're to be. We're not to be jealous Christians. He says, Be not fashioned. It's the same word as you have in Romans twelve. Be not conformed to the word. Don't fit into the word's passion. Just because the world, because they're growing their hair, men growing their hair at the waist, don't you do it. I was in the laundry here just the other day, and there was a fellow in there sitting reading his Bible, and his hair was to his waist, and he had a ribbon around it here.
And the two things didn't go together. This didn't go together. We're not to fit into the mold of the world. Dare to be different. Daniel dared to be different. Here's all, I'm not going to eat these things. And do we not seem dare to be a Daniel? Oh, God, help us to be Daniel. Daniel. didn't fit into the mold of the world. He was different and got honored. Now, then the next thing is we're to be holy because our Heavenly Father