Gooding, David: 9 - Movement Two (Part 3)

Let us begin to read this evening from the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter four and verse 17. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts, who being past feeling, gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you did not so learn Christ, if so be that you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus, that you put away as concerning your former manner of life, the old man which waxes corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak you truth, each one with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not. Let the sun not go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and railing be put away from you with all malice. And be you kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Be ye therefore imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. God open our hearts to understand and to obey his holy word. In the course of our studies, in the evenings that have now gone by, I have many times made the suggestion that there are in the epistle to the Ephesians three major movements of thought. The first of them ending in chapter two and verse ten, The second of them ending in chapter four and verse 16. And the third of them ending with the end of the epistle itself. Now this, I am aware, disagrees with what you will find in many of the commentaries, which insists that the epistle is really divided into two parts. The first part comprises the first three chapters and deals with doctrinal matters. The second part, from chapter four verse one onwards deals not so much with doctrine as with practical matters. And therefore, while I want to say that the first paragraph in chapter four, that is verses one to sixteen of chapter four, strictly belong with what has immediately gone before them. Other commentators would say, no, chapter four verse one now makes the break and turns from what has gone before to things practical and to practical application in the Christian life. Well, let me immediately add that that isn't a matter with which I would want to fall out with any of my fellow teachers, or students for that matter. He would be a foolish man who would become dogmatic about such things, wouldn't he? And I do hope that my fellow teachers will not want to fall out with me, but will bless me still in the name of the Lord, in spite of my particular view. For truth to tell, whatever movements of thought there are in this epistle, it is the more like a work of music that may have its slow movement and its fast movement and several other movements, but none of the movements is a watertight compartment. But the themes that are to be heard in the major key in one movement are also still to be heard from time to time in the minor key in another movement. And the whole thing, to change the metaphor, is like a tapestry where a major theme will appear here and seem to be submerged a little later on, only to appear in a different color in another part of the tapestry. And again, let me say, of course, that, uh, I agree, oh, I agree wholeheartedly with all those that would tell us that the first sixteen verses of chapter four have to do with practical matters. Of course they do. I even go so far as agreeing with them when they say that chapter four, verses one to sixteen are integrally related to what follows. I can prove it to you, in fact. Look at chapter four verse one. I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith you are called. And that emphasis on the practical walk of the believer, you will now observe, reoccurs throughout the rest of this book. Chapter four and verse seventeen, echoing verse one, says, this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk. And of course, chapter two verse five carries on that same theme as it exhorts us that we are to walk in love. And chapter five verse fifteen again insists on that same theme. Look therefore carefully how you walk. They have a good case, haven't they? Who would tell us that from chapter four verse one onwards, we are dealing with practical things related to the believer's walk. Of course we are, and we are all agreed. It's just that I want to say that the first paragraph of chapter four is in fact continuing and concluding the themes that have been the major themes throughout Movement two. uh On previous nights, we have found out what those themes are. Movement Two has been concerned with God's plan in space and time to have a dwelling place. And as God's plan has progressed in history, it has come to this moment when God's dwelling place is now to be found in the hearts of his people. More. In that wonderful thing that is the body of Christ, as his people are built together in one body, or to change the metaphor, are built together for a holy habitation of God through the Spirit. So then, in this paragraph at the beginning of chapter four, that idea of God dwelling in us is still continued, isn't it? Look, if you will, at verse six: one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. We are still thinking of God's dwelling place in his people. And as I have just said, the theme of the body of Christ, which movement two has earlier introduced, is of course here carried on at great length in chapter four, in verses four and twelve and sixteen. Practical it is, but it is practiced as related to this matter of God's dwelling place and of the body of Christ. Then, of course, again, it is carrying on what we have found to be a major motif in this second movement, the idea of progress within history. Progress in God's way of dealing with the Gentiles, marked progress, if you will consider the difference between what God is doing now with Gentiles and what he was doing in times before Christ came. Progress again in God's revelation, not only progressing with the incarnation and teaching of Christ on earth, but progressing even further with the ministry that has come down from the risen Lord through the holy apostles and prophets, things that were not even mentioned in the time of Christ on earth. Progress too, in this business of God's dwelling in our hearts as individuals, as the believers are strengthened daily by the holy Spirit in the inner man, that ever more and increasingly Christ might dwell in their hearts and take over occupation of their personalities. Progress, real progress, very necessary progress. And now, as we come to this final paragraph in that second movement, progress again. Progress this time not of Christ dwelling in the individual believer so much as progress in the building up of the body of Christ. And of course, it is a practical matter and not just a theoretical matter. This great body of Christ upon which God has set his heart, which is already in existence, is a something that is not yet complete. And for its completion, God has given over this particular a- age in In history. history. And time that passes us by every second and carries us on. Is in God's mind supremely important. Because it is now in time, in history. That the progress that is necessary if the body of Christ is going to be complete, has to be made. And therefore, let us begin with that first paragraph in chapter four tonight and consider this matter of the body of Christ. We shall notice, if we give heed to the passage, that it is very much concerned with the unity of the body. In fact, it is concerned with, uh, two unities connected with the body. In the early verses, it is connect- it is concerned with the unity of the body that already exists. There is one body. It already exists. And here what we've got to do is to maintain the unity of the spirit. It already exists. We are to maintain it. And then, as we come to the end of that paragraph, Paul speaks of another unity. This time it is not a unity that already exists. It is a unity that is set before us as a goal way out in the future. Verse, um, thirteen tells us of that unity, till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. And we haven't attained it yet. It stands as an ideal, as a goal, and we press towards that mark. And here the necessity is that we will, uh, resist all tendencies that would stop us arriving at that goal. And indeed, it is on that part, uh, that second unity that the apostle spends most of his time in this particular paragraph. For you will now notice that in this paragraph, Paul is concerned particularly with the opposition that exists and works against the purpose of God. In the final paragraph in Movement one, when Paul had been considering the purpose of God in creation, he turned finally in chapter two verses one to ten to considering the opposition against God's purpose, and how God majestically has triumphed over that opposition. Opposition consisting not only of our human rebellion, but of the very power of the god of this world. Now, in the finals, in the final paragraph of this second movement, Paul recurs to this theme of the opposition. God has a plan and a purpose within time to have a dwelling place. God has a goal at the end that the body of Christ be complete. It is exceedingly important that within this present time we make progress. But we are to know that there are great and powerful forces that day by day and hour by hour work against that purpose and seek to stop the attainment of that goal. We must be aware of it. And we need to be aware of the glorious provision that God has made for the overcoming of that opposition. So that we may take advantage of that provision, and in spite of the opposition, grow and contribute to the final, uh, uh, state and perfection of that body of Christ. Of course, when we come, believe it or not, we hope to come to it tonight, to the end of the third movement, we shall find Paul there again recurring to this theme of the opposition and the great provision God has made for For overcoming overcoming. it. So then, let us briefly look at this paragraph, and first of all, the body and the unity that exists. There is one body and one spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling. That is the fact. The danger is that there being one body, we shall allow ourselves to behave, if we're not careful, as if there were two or three. Which is a curious thing to do when you think about it, but then better Christians than us have fallen into the trap. I repeat, it is the fact that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one body, one spirit. That is a fact. You don't have to engineer it, it is the fact. The danger in this connection is, I repeat, that some of us, uh, perhaps all of us on times, will be tempted sometimes with the best of motives to behave as if there were two or three bodies. And what we have to do, by God's grace, is to resist the temptation and maintain the oneness of the spirit in the bond of peace. What it will take, says Paul, is in, he says it in verse two, it'll take a tremendous, uh, load of lowliness and meekness and long suffering for bearing one another in love. That's what it'll take. Do you see, to share a secret with you that I have discovered, sometimes, uh, believe it or not, Christians are difficult to get on with. You have an analysis of an epistle. Well, that's obviously the right analysis. That foolish brother who comes to the Bible reading won't agree with your analysis. He's very suspect. Probably not on the right lines at all. The temperature gets up a bit. You have a favorite topic. Prophecy, isn't it? I can tell you of another brother who doesn't quite hold your prophetic views. Who say he's, he's suspect to start with. And what's more, when he preaches, he very rarely preaches on prophecy. It's all about the Holy Spirit. Oh, can't be any good. You'd go anywhere to hear the first one, wouldn't you? Who talks about prophecy. You can go anywhere to hear the second. Oh, they of Corinth were worse than that. They were starting to form cliques round, we remember, around various Christian preachers and teachers. I of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas. Massively, Paul was able to nip it in the bud. And he nipped it in the bud with some very straight and almost sarcastic questions. Tell me, he says, is Christ divided then? Are there two lords? We say, no, no, two lords, there's only one Lord. Well, then why do you behave as if there were two or three? Tell me, he says, you baptize under Paul, by any chance? You say, no, no, no, I know, I know, I know, I wasn't baptizing Paul. Good job for you, because there is only one baptism. What are you doing then? Behaving as though you were baptized to Paul and the other lot were baptized to Peter. Won't do, will it? Making two where God has only made one. It can, uh, happen at more serious levels, you know. There's that famous occasion recorded in Galatians, where at a certain conference Paul had to rebuke Peter. No pleasant task, but it had to be done. Why so? Because Peter did a something at that Christian conference that, had he been allowed to get away with it, might have split the very gospel itself. He'd been eating with the Gentile believers, you know, at the conferences. Then one day he withdrew, pretended it was his stomach or something. Well, I know conference bread can be bad stuff, but it wasn't that at all. So he was dissimulating, says, uh, Paul. Because some brethren had come down from Jerusalem, you see. They're a bit strict up in Jerusalem, and Peter was wondering what would happen to him when he got back in Jerusalem if he wasn't careful, so he withdrew from eating with Gentiles. You say, what's the matter then? The very, the very gospel was at stake. Are there two gospels? One for Jew and one for Gentile. Are there two kinds of salvation that Jews being saved are a super duper lot of the saved, and Gentiles being saved will just about save a very questionable kind of a salvation? Two salvation? No, you say that Mister Preacher be serious too. I am serious. You say that Peter had real difficulties. I should think he did. Dealing with Gentiles, because their social habits were terrible. They wouldn't wash before meals, some of them. He didn't always keep the Sabbath. And And Peter. Peter would have found it very difficult putting up with the way some Gentile converts behaved. Because he did have a conscience about certain Old Testament laws and rules and regulations. Ah yes, but Paul says to Peter, wait a minute, Peter, oh boy! You must face what is basic and fundamental. Are there or are there not two ways of being saved? Are there two bodies of Christ, one for Gentiles and one for Jews? Well, if they are not, if there's only one body, if there's only one gospel, if there's only one salvation, Peter, you'll have to acknowledge it, even to the point of coming and eating your cabbage with these Gentile con- converts at the table. And you'll have to learn to distinguish between things that are absolutely fundamental to the faith and things that are, as the theologians term them, indifferent thing. Hard to do sometimes, isn't it? It raises all sorts of questions of where do you draw the line? The truth to tell, sometimes we draw it in funny places, don't we? I have known of very sincere Christians who felt that they oughtn't to use leavened bread at the Lord's Supper. So he split off from other Christians. Well, is that a fundamental of the faith? So here we shall have to learn a lot of forbearance one with another, and putting up with each other, as you so admirably put up with me. And maintain it by God's good grace. Now look here, there is only one body. As far as in me is God helping me, I am going to live to give expression to that truth. Oh, God help me. I sing it sometimes. We would remember. We are one with every saint that loves thy name. God help us to mean it and act on it. But then there is this other unity. This unity that is not a fact yet. This unity that is set before us as a goal, for the body of Christ is not yet complete, is on the move, is on the growth, and is aiming at this unity that we attain to the unity of the faith, that is all believe the same thing, and to the knowledge of the Son of God. Till we grow up and wonderful expression, come to commensurability with the very head in heaven. And to me, mention of it sort of brings an awe on your spirit, doesn't it? When I think of him who is the head and all his grace and all his wonder, and I am, am I a part in that body that has to grow up to a maturity that is commensurable with him? I say, good, you've got a long way to go yet, my boy. That is the goal. We may as well now face it straight away, that there are great forces constantly at work. By hook or by crook to stop that growth. And defeat that purpose. Verse, uh, fourteen and particularly speaks of them. It talks about every wind of doctrine and the slight of men in craftiness after the wiles of error. Men who do not accept the authority of the head in heaven. Why they should bother themselves with theology after that, I don't know, but they do. Their ultimate aim is to have more freedom. But the Bible calls it wandering error. And the great danger is that dear believers' remaining children in the faith will be tossed all over the place. And instead of making progress, won't make progress. You know, this is a very real matter. Progress in the Christian life can be upheld, and that for all sorts of reasons. The writer to the Hebrews reminds them that he would like to talk to them about Melchizedek, but then he says, I'm sorry, I can't much. Why not? Well, you've been converted some years, he says, and actually, considering the years you've been converted, you ought to be able to understand these things. But you wouldn't, not even if I told you, so I won't tell you. Why couldn't they understand them? Were they terribly deep? No? Not all that deep. They weren't the very milk of the word. Of course they weren't. More like a moderate sized beef steak. Why couldn't the dear believers take it in? Who says a preacher's fault? He should have explained it more. Should have been more practical. No, it wasn't on this time. It is often is, but it wasn't on this occasion the preacher's fault. No, these diphodes had got converted, and had they gone on growing through the milk of the word up to the cornflakes, up to the mashed potatoes, and there on to the beef steaks, all would have been well, but they didn't. They wandered about for some years and didn't take their, the necessity to grow in the faith very seriously. Well, you say that, never mind, now, now, now, now, now, now let's start up again. Ah, but you've forgotten. If you do that kind of thing, says the writer, you not only remain babes, but your very faculty of understanding becomes blunted. You become dull of hearing. It is a tragic fact. You can get a convert not long converted. Ah, but though he doesn't understand the great deep things of God, he has a will to learn, and it is amazing what a young convert can learn even of the deeper things of God. You'll find me a man in his forties that since he was fifty has not bothered to know more than the fact that he is saved and going to heaven, and hasn't attempted to grow in his faith. It'll be a horse of work to teach him. The very faculty of understanding has become blunted. That is a very real thing. Oh, my brother, don't be deceived, if I may say so in all kindness, by the idea that all believers are going to be in heaven, so it doesn't matter how you've lived here, whether you have progressed in the faith or not, when you go to heaven, God will wave a wand and you shall all be all the same. Won't be so. Ah! But here we're thinking not of the believer's own neglect, we're thinking of the believer as a child, young in the faith and wavery like a child, and we're thinking of these false teachers. What provision has the Lord made for you? In the middle verses of our paragraph, Paul turns to describe the provision, and how delightful it is, isn't he? Paul, and I speak not respect- disrespectfully of inspiration and the Holy Spirit, but Paul got the idea from reading Psalm sixty eight, didn't he? Well, Psalm sixty eight is the Psalm he quotes in this chapter four. You see, Paul had been thinking of the dwelling place of God in the believer. And reading his Psalm sixty eight one morning, or was it an afternoon, he came across this topic in Psalm sixty eight in verse sixteen, in verse seventeen, in verse eighteen, of the dwelling place of God. The Lord has desired it for his abode. The Lord will dwell in it forever, in Sinai, in the sanctuary, that the Lord might go- God might dwell with them. I can see Paul in his study, or was it as he was traveling, lighting upon Psalm sixty eight, rubbing it heavily. Here it comes again. This, uh, this revelation that God has given to me about the purpose of God to form a dwelling place in the spirit. Well, yes, it wasn't explicitly said maybe in the Old Testament, but look at that hint about it in Psalm Sixty eight, The Lord and his dwelling. Ah, yes, that's God's purpose. And then his eye was caught by a very interesting verse. Chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them, as in Sinai in the sanctuary. Thou hast ascended on high. Thou hast led thy captivity, captives. Thou hast received gifts among men, yea, among the rebellious also. Which set Paul to thinking. Colorful language, isn't it? Whatever does it mean? Whatever has it got to do with God's dwelling place? Well, the first problem, as you see, is to make sense of the term when it says, thou hast ascended on. But how could that be true? At least, how could it be true? God. The one whom we call God the Father, how could he ascend anywhere? He was the transcendent Lord. Couldn't imagine God ever going any higher. Whomever he was. What can it mean then when the Psalm says, thou hast ascended on high? Well, if God were ever going to ascend, it must mean first that he would first, uh, descend. Ha, fearful, I see it. Messianic, you know. Yes, of course. Why, the very Psalm that talks about God ascending, of course, what is it but that he first descended? Ah, that begins to fit, of course. Now, for the purpose of this great dwelling place amongst men, God, the second person of the Trinity, first descended. And came to his earthly dwelling place, the temple of Jerusalem, found in it a den of robbers and thieves, perverting the very truth of God. Finally, he was obliged to walk out of it and say, your house is left to you, desolate. And they put him on a tree. And even as he hung there, they mocked him, saying, he said, you know, he would destroy our temple and raise it again in three days. Noted. But he descended, and then he rose, and he ascended on high, and he led captivity captive and took gifts, so the Psalm says, from men. And Ephesians, quoting it, chooses to rephrase it thus, ascending, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. You say, how do you work that bit out? Why did Paul change it? Well, let's think a minute. It's not so difficult as the theologians make out. Um, for Paul is thinking here, is he not, of that same military metaphor as he uses in two Corinthians in chapter two. He is likening our Lord to a great conqueror, like old Barak in the Old Testament, only infinitely more so. Barak, who turned the tables on his enemies and led captivity captive. And the people that once held Barak and co captive turned on from Barak, led them captive. He is thinking then of our Lord as a mighty military conqueror who has conquered his foes and has ascended in triumph and received the tribute of his conquerors. And you say, who might that be? Who might they be? Demons? No, not in this context. Paul tells us, doesn't he, in two Corinthians two what he's thinking of when he uses that metaphor. For there he says, God be praised, who everywhere leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus. Paul is thinking of the captives as men and women, for that matter. Men and women like himself, who once were the dire enemies of Jesus Christ. And Christ has conquered them. And he leads us in triumph, says Paul. Using the delightful image. You know, that was the habit of the Romans in particular in Paul's day, the great military generals amongst the Romans. You've heard of their antics. They used to come from time to time to England. Mercifully for you, they didn't come here either. But you weren't beaten up by the Romans, were you? We were. They came to England in their ships, you know, Caesar and one or two more, Griffin and Tom. And we put our beastie Anglo-Saxons right on the front row, be here in chat with a few clubs. We thought we'd deal with these Romans. And then we hadn't seen Romans. Poor innocent Englishmen. They ran circles round us, they knocked us over, they beat us black and blue. They not only conquered us, but our big beefy giants, they got and took them and put them in chains and carted them off to Rome. Then the victorious Roman emperor, he staged what was called a triumph and stood in a mighty great triumphal chariot with all these soldiers and processed down the streets of Rome to the capital, and all the crowds came out to gape at their wonderful generals, you see. And in this procession he put the beefy Englishman, in chains, of course. And when the local Romans saw these Englishmen, they said, oh, what that? Gorilla or something? No, it's an Englishman. Wow, the brawn and the beef and the hairs on the chest and all that. And you know, as the people looked at those Englishmen, they said, wow, just to think we've got a general like that. Who could conquer savages like that and bring England to the tribute of Rome. Paul has done with me, says, uh, that's what Christ has done with me, says Paul. I once was his fiercest enemy. It wasn't drawing them stuff with me, you know. I determined to stamp out the name of Jesus. And as for these nasty little Nazarenes that met in conventicles in the holes of the earth and various other places, we couldn't stick them. In the name of the high priest, I went to imprison them and make them blaspheme. Nasty little Nazarenes. With their notions that Jesus is God. What happened? Oh, the great conqueror beat him. Brought Saul of Tarsus to his knees as a captive of Jesus Christ. Wherever I go, says Paul, and not my cleverness that is advertised, it's the wonder of the great general. Who defeated me and brought me to my knees, made a captive of me. A willing captive, I might add, he says. And then, you know, oh, what a magnificent man, what a magnificent savior he is. I never get over it, says Paul. I, who was his chief enemy, no sooner had he converted me than risking everything and daring to count me faithful and loyal to me, he put me into his service. Gave me to the body of Christ to be an apostle. Yes. He that ascended first descended. Now has ascended again. And see his triumphs? Oh, think of them in your mind. You've known a few giants, haven't you? Not Englishmen now, I, I, I, I mean spiritual giants. Phew, they were some tough boys, some of them, before they got converted, weren't they? Wherever I go, says Paul, and not my cleverness that is advertised, it's the wonder of the great general who defeated me and brought me to my knees, made a captive of me. A willing captive, I might add, he says. And then, you know, oh, what a magnificent man. What a magnificent savior he is. I never get over it, says Paul. I, who was his chief enemy, no sooner had he converted me than risking everything and daring to count me faithful and loyal to me, he put me into his service. Gave me to the body of Christ. To be an apostle. Yes, he that ascended first descended. Now has ascended again. And see his triumphs. Oh, think of them in your mind. You've known a few giants, haven't you? Not Englishmen, now, I, I, I, I mean spiritual giants. Oh, they were some tough boys, some of them, before they got converted, weren't they? Some tough physically and some tough intellectually. They'd have been brilliant men, some of them in their own sphere, wouldn't they? Very powerful men even before they met Christ, and all the wonder of Christ. He took them captive, you know. And all their lives were handed over in tribute to him. He received gifts from men. They laid all their gifts at his feet. And the risen Christ, risen Christ took them and gave them to his church. Kind of sets your hearts to dance, doesn't it? To think of the wealth that Christ has expended on the likes of you and me. Tuckney hate me folks like we are, not you, but I'm talking about myself. What a poor. Oh, I never should have got near him in academic circles. Christ won me and gave me and you and the church at last, at large. Paul with his magnificent brain, inspired by God's Holy Spirit, and gave us this epistle amongst others. Nor did it stop with the apostles like Paul and Peter and company, but evangelists and pastors and teachers, right down to this very present day. Magnificent men and women, that God has saved and Christ has subdued, and he's given them to the likes of me. Before building up of the body. That the risen head now through these gifts might fill everything. For if it is so that the body of Christ has to progress and grow, then our Lord is not leaving it to any will of the wisp chance. As the ascended hand in heaven, he's ascended that he might fill. Magnificent warrior in the fight as he is, he has his men now. Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, whom he has given and whom he uses. And he uses them to perfect all the rest of us, to get us converted to start with, and then to perfect us. So we in turn begin to do our particular job for the perfecting of the saints to their work of serving. That's why the gifts are given, aren't they? They're not given so the rest of us can put our feet up on the mantle shelf and say, thank the Lord, you know, I've got servants of the Lord waiting on me, Paul, Peter, Matthew, the elders in my church, the evangelists, so I can afford just to sit here and put my feet up and let them do the work. No, no, sir. They're given to us that they might, uh, perfect us so that we begin to do our job of work. And thereby the body begin to grow by that which every joint supplies. We must be both realist and practical. Every joint in the body, you know, doesn't happen to be an apostle. We all have to grow. Some have more potential than others, don't they? No good my getting into my little head that I'm going to grow as big as Paul. Though, truth to tell, I used to think of such things in my youth. Oh, ooh, I hoped and prayed I was going to be evangelist like Jim Hutchinson or something, like, like, like, like Mike Withley. I was going to be such stupidity. I've learned better since, it's all right. I've learned better since than then. That was never within my potential. My difficulty is developing the potential I have got. The temptation is to let it, some of it lie undeveloped. My little opinion, you may care to dispute it. My little opinion is that the Lord's people have got far more potential than they think, nonetheless. Some, because they're not preachers or so, think they ain't got no potential. That's a lack of imagination, isn't it? What vast potential of different kinds there is. The work of the Lord in many a country wilts because evangelists and missionaries are obliged not only to do their own work, but a lot of other things for which they don't have the particular potential, but other folks sitting at home do. But it just hadn't occurred to the folks sitting at home that they could be part of a missionary team. Or that their engineering qualifications, their professional qualifications, could be part of the work for developing the body of Christ. Thus it is. I think now for a moment of the opposition. It's false doctrine here, isn't it? I said at the beginning that I agreed with those that said this paragraph was about practical things. I still agree. But you see, what I wouldn't agree with is that doctrine isn't practical. Give us something practical, they say. Well, I know what they mean. But my dear good brother, there isn't one comma in the whole of the Bible that isn't practical. God has not written one semicolon that isn't aimed at saving your soul, my good brother. Don't let's hear you talk about some parts of the Bible as though God had made a mistake in writing them, and they weren't really practical. He's written the book because in the great battle of life, we need to know it. Where will your daughter be? You've taught her to be oh so polite and to say please and thank you for at table, haven't you, and to say our prayers at night and to be kind to widows and orphans, that's delightful. Where will she be in six years from now, still kind and polite, if in her school, if in her college, they've snuffed out her faith and she doesn't believe scripture anymore? Why? Why? Well, because... they who had the responsibility to teach her thought she needed simple things, and they gave her little simple things. And when she went out into the world, they gave her big things. Real things, physics and cookery and goodness knows what else, and nursing. And she came to the conclusion that the little things she got in church were sort of fairy stories for kids. And the real things were her professional and trade interests. Oh, it's a battle, you know. Let us wait upon the risen head and upon those gifts he has given us in his holy word, and see to it that each, as each is able to help the other, learning from them and through them from Christ, that each grows and ceases to be just a child that can easily get puffed over by wind of wrong doctrine. Who is he that ascended, save he that descended? Ah, but nowadays, uh, some of the theologians write books, don't they, titled such things as The Myth of God Incarnate, and they deny the ascension, the i- i- incarnation. They deny the ascension. And they pose as theologians, and they break the believers' loyalty to the Lord Jesus. We need to know how to fight. Fight for the spiritual lives of our young people and their loyalty for the Lord. And in our exalted Lord, we have sufficient answer to bring us through. But it isn't a game. The learning of God's word and the learning of the faith is a battle. You won't learn God's word as a hobby.