The People of God 03 What Shall I Do W-Christ — James K. Boswell

The morning, then evening, what say you Christ? Night not been a meeting last night, I've got zero of us, not having a meeting Monday night. I don't know why they give you a holiday on Monday, but I think you all need it, don't you?

That's rather strange, so I'm going to continue the theme but what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? We talked about the three active realms of our personality. What think you Christ touches our mind?

What say you Christ touches our feet? What shall I now do with Jesus touches our action on our heart? Now, let me tell you, the question is found in Matthew chapter 27 what shall I say to Jesus which is called Christ?

Putting Christ First in Every Area of Life

May I just say three things to you straight away before we go further in our meditation? First of all then, claim him first. Claim him first. Remember it says in Colossians chapter 1 verse number 18 that in all things he might have deeds preeminent.

The word really is that in all things he might be claimed first. Now, isn't that precious? I think that we all have received the Lord Jesus as a Lord, and as our savior. That is, we owe him as our savior, believing that he died for us upon the cross who gave us, that he shed his precious blood and his paintings from every steel sling.

He has satisfied the claims of the holy God, he has vindicated his role, and God has proved that by praising his name to that offering and raising his son from out among the dead. So, having now given Christ a place in our heart, behold I, and we opened our heart door, the Lord Jesus came into our heart, and what does the bible say?

What does the verse of hymns say rather? What a wonderful change in my life has he wrought since Jesus came into my heart. Now, it is not enough just to give him a place in my heart, not even a prominent place.

Often in a convention like this, wonderful congenial circumstances, we give a prominent place, or even the Lord may be given a prominent place. Oh beloved, he was deeply eminent place, and isn't he worthy of that?

Yes, 10 ,000 times 10 ,000. He alone is the worthy one. So, may we be willing this morning to place him there. Now, he must come before the wife, he must come before the husband, he must come before the children, he must come before my home, he must come before my job, he must come before the almighty daughter, he must come before my garden, before my tv, before my radio, before my automobile, before my dog, before my sweetheart.

He must be lost. Now, please don't go away and say why? Tim Barton came all the way from London to tell us I've not to love my wife, I'm not to love my husband, nor my children, nor to have a knife, or to have a tv, not at all.

All I meant, and the lesson he added to, are quite legitimate in your life, and in my life. They must all be subservient to Christ. May I repeat? They must be all subservient to Christ. He must be placed first.

He must have deeply eminent. What shall I know of you, Matthew, which is called Christ? Will you, from your very heart, say with all sincerity, O gracious Lord Jesus, how lovely thou art! Come and abide in rule in my heart.

Break every pattern. Thy faith, let me see, they now shall ever be precious to me. Not only must we place him first, but we must also publish his faith, publish his faith. Now, once that he is Lord in your life, and in my life, and that very often comes as a crisis in the believer's life, where it's evil in your heart, but there's a moment comes in your life, and in my life, when we allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to sanctify Christ Lord in every compartment and department of his life of ours.

He's Lord over my time, talents, and treasure. Lord over spirit and body. He's Lord over all, blessed forevermore. Never let before your heart go out and publish his faith. He said to the moniarch, remember, drudging claims of these demons, go on and tell the great thing the Lord has done for thee.

Psalm 110, verse number two, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. My prayer is not to go on talking about philosophy, hearing ideas about Christ. We've got to go out and minister Christ my lips and my life, and when he's Lord in your life, and in my life, then it will not be difficult.

Your life and my life will be an outshining of the indwelling Christ, and we shall publish his faith. The sometimes saying that grand will him go and tell of Jesus. What a wonderful thing we have, haven't we?

What a wonderful Lord he goes and speaks to men and women, and to share him with others. I think this is treacherous, but time will allow me to develop that. First of all, please publish his faith, and lastly portraying his faith, portraying his faith.

Portraying Christ Through a Transformed Life

Our brother this morning, Lord at one exact phrase, that as we behold the glory of the Lord through the holy scripture, we might be transformed, changed, transfigured into his own image. Your life and my life would indeed portray the lovely faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's my prayer, and I know it's your prayer.

May his beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost wind, and may we forget the channel, see only him, not I, in every look and in every action. We must portray this. He's very good to do that day by day. This necessity is getting along with him.

We must be in communion with him, and I think we are changed by beholding. Remember it says in 2 Corinthians 3 verse number 18, verse 17 says, where the spirit is lost there is liberty, and as we continue beholding in the mirror the letter of God's word, so are we changed from glory to glory into the same image, and Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 verse number 11, the life of Jesus might be made manifest, revealed through our love of flesh.

Again, I repeat, it's not much what I say, it's what I am that does it come. It's not eloquence or bliss. The prince of the love light lives in the power of the holy ghost that's going to bring more fruit for God's glory.

How often should you listen to a prince with just as clear a scriptural design, beautifully constructed, perfect in the soliloquy, yet to unmove. Do you know why? There has not been that anointing of the holy ghost.

Your servant preached any day. The sermon is my sprain I ever witnessed. It's led by my little mother, way back beyond sedation and glory, and I'm here because that mother prays. I thank God for a praying mother who lives what she prays, and I repeat with all my heart, today's eloquence lives in the power of the holy spirit.

Remember these, because they're precious to me, and I want them to become precious to you. I'm not talking down to you. Knowledge pours from vessel to vessel. I trust grace being poured from my heart to your heart this morning, in the energy of the spirit itself.

We place him first. We publish his faith. An agent, a new bandit, and his wife. They had been invited up for ministry on the west coast, and then did a very wise thing. They arranged for them to have a bedroom on that beautiful prairie, looking at the wonderful scenery going through the rocky mountains.

The evangelist in his bedroom, standing, praying, writing, preparing his heart for the ministry on the west coast. He got up from his knees, and left his book, and went up just at the bedroom door, just in the corridor, to watch all the lovely scenery, and get a little break away from his study.

He became aware of somebody standing beside him. He looked down, and he saw a little girl. This evangelist, a very wonderful girl. He said to her, hello, how old are you? She said, I'm seven. Jesus? He picked her up, called her, and said, no darling, I'm not Jesus.

He's a man. What's the difference with other men on this train? I thought you must be Jesus. Oh, the impression made upon those seven years old minds, portraying the beauty. After the preaching in Simcoe, that particular night, in fact, I got to the back for a wedding there, on Saturday, God willing, but as we stopped there for my watch, and I said, look we must go.

We've still got about 25 miles to go. We're going to be late for the meeting, which is terribly slow. I mean, we've had a very nice meal, and I said, I'll just sell the cash here that we've had, and then go on.

We got to the desk. He said, I said, sir, the girl hasn't come with a cheque. I said, that's quite all right, because your meal's been paid for. What do you mean? I said, yes, your meal's been paid for.

And I said, sir, I haven't paid the meal. He said, no, but it's an unwritten law here. Those whom you recognize as Christians have a free meal. I said, sir, you intrigue me. How did you recognize that?

He said, by your wife's demeanor, by her deportions, by her mannerism, and by her hair, and your bold body defects. The sad thing about that story is this. I've never felt free to go back to the freshers, even though I'm a Scot, and there's the whole thing.

I want to get this deep down your heart my brain. We must portray in the eyes of all the love of my heart. It's not lived in the inner. Now, with all that before you, I think of a verse now, number 36, and Peter, on that wonderful day, said to God, I say, let all the house here know assuredly that God made the same Jesus which he hath taken, and with wicked hands crucified, and slain, both law and Christ.

Verse 36 of chapter 10 now says, and again Peter is fired by this verse says, He is Lord of all. He declares man's estimation of the cross of good, and crown of thorns, of each perceptor, and they clothe him in mockery, and they set him at naught.

The Exaltation of Jesus as Lord of All

Yet, still, he brings a crown of pure gold upon his kingly brow. He'll give the royal sector and the authority to wield that sector, and might train the world to splendor and royalty adored by the adorable Lord Jesus.

And all heaven bows toward him this morning, and they worship on their door, and we cry, look, ye saints, the sight is glorious. See the man of sorrows now, from the Christ be turned victorious every day, till the angels bow, and become the mighty, and they turn around.

His lordship is plainly declared. Now, open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2, his lordship is the only plainly declared, as in these two scriptures on the ax, that here in Philippians chapter 2, we find his lordship is richly deserved.

We're going to read for everything from verse number five. Keep before you these words, Lord, Philippians chapter 2, verse five, this might be a deal which is owed to in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, the very substance, the very essence of God, thou didst not robbery, be unequality with God, thou didst not some day grant after, reach out after, being unequality with God, as the first Adam did.

There was never a time when he was not God. The nearest time will not be God. He is co-eternal, and co-equal with the Father, in perfection and in power. John 1 verse 1, in the beginning was the word in determining, and the word was with God, his personality, and the word was God, his teaching, and this morning we cry, God manifest his inherent, and heaven's beloved one to thee.

Verse number seven, reputation, he never made himself of no character, and that's quite a difference. Little me while he got a choice in the first place, and he chose the table. Little me while he got a choice of place, choice of mother, and he chose Mary.

He made himself of no reputation in his death. Crucify between two married beggars, and now there's something more here, will you? And took upon him the form of a servant. Please look at verse six. Though seeing the form of God, now verse seven, took upon him the form of a servant, all that caused his standing great, about adorable Lord Jesus, this one was God, a very God.

To take upon him the form of a bond-servant, a bond-slave, to do the menial task, to get the lowest service made, among you is one servant. I came not to be a minister, I was to be a doctor, a minister, and to give my life for ransom at all.

He that is chief among you, let him be your servant. I know how he exemplified that, while here on earth, let me go, and was made in the likeness of man. Speaking reverently, the Lord Jesus would never need anything.

By his own voluntary will, and by his own set action, he became. He became, by verse number eight, and not as these two men, the first Adam, one, the other, the third, and the whole of it, as in Adam, in the first Adam, unto the curse, in the blessing, in death, in bondage, in liberty, in condemnation, in justification, in separation, in acceptance.

Christ as the Last Adam and the Source of Salvation

Now, may I ask you, loving lady, where are you? And, the first Adam, unless you came from a monkey, and I'm sure you didn't, the apostles were looking for that. Oh yes, we are the descendants, like as in Adam, of the new birth.

We are now in Christ the last Adam, alive under God, no more under the curse, he bore the curse, we might have the blessing. He changed his death, we might have life. My friend, if in the darkness, that we might know life, in new bondage, that we might know liberty, in new hate, we might know love, in new condemnation, we might know justification, in new sanctation, we might know acceptance.

Aren't you glad you know him? Amen? Aren't you glad you're in Christ? Some more, it says now, I'm being found in passion as man. Remember, it says in Hebrew, chapter 2, verse number 14, for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, you could not help inform the very beautiful person you are, I could help inform just as I am it by the natural course of events.

But, they posit that he himself likewise could mark a different world altogether. We are partakers by the natural course of events, but Christ, by his own son's will, took part of flesh and blood. Then, through death, he might destroy him with the power of death, and deliver him to the feet of death, for the lifetime that is upon him.

Yes, he loved him, what a wonderful thing time would allow. So, the father, shall we, says here now, and he came for beating up on to death. Now, notice there, he did not become beaten to death as an enemy, oh no, he was all teased into the will of the father which made death, and he and his boys dared ever play.

He came, my friend, to beat on to death, up on to death, even the cruel, loathsome, despicable death that death would have caused. Now, we shall be saved by his blood. Now, we shall be shedding his blood, a complete forgiveness, and brought back to God in the Lord's flesh.

Now, I must say this one, my friend, is just those seven steps in downward in humiliation. His condescending grace, our brethren pray this morning, ye know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.

We'll be able tonight to pardon the debt of the poverty in which he did go, then in this morning be able to measure the immense riches of the loan to him, and we're sharing them with him this morning, because we're co-heirs, joint heirs together with him.

But, now please notice, one of Paul's fifty-five verses, notice it says, wherefore God, I want you to notice, a principle running right through scripture. If we humble ourselves, we shall be exalted, but if we exalt ourselves, we shall be humbled.

Now, here the Lord of life and glory, he says he humbled himself, wherefore God has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. The word highly only comes twice in Christ's appearance, once regarding his birth, and now regarding his glorious exaltation.

The word is a super-name, my friends, it's a passive. Oh, my friend, this morning the Father became now rich, but humbled himself as I do. He said the other evening, he went soaring gliding through the great uncharted coast, that rain-borne circle froze, and my friends, there we see him this morning crowned with glory and with honor.

But, just see what the scripture says, because it's more than I can say to you, wherefore God has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, and notice it now, that in the name, not merely at the name, but in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, things celestial, things of earth, things terrestrial, and things on the earth, things infernal.

There's level on every tongue should convey that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Beloved, Lord God, the greatest Lord, Saint, the Savior, and the greatest Lord, was he also Mephist, Pharaon, shall be assembled in great excitement, great white gold.

They shall see the man of the Father, still bearing the spark of Calvary's passion, in his hands Jesus' sign. They shall see him, the knee shall bow to him, and the tongue will confess that he is Lord, the glory of God the Father, but their acknowledgement of this will seal the truth.

They shall acknowledge my strength, my hostility, and declare that God is righteous and just. Keep that before you, and turn to Colossians 1, and we'll just read it there. Verse number 20. If you've got time, when you get down to your own room, read from verse 12.

Early verse number 19 says that in all things he might have, he must, he will, that he be eminent, that these that follow him should all fullness dwell, and having this, he should applaud his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself.

By him I say, will there be things in earth, or things in heaven? Beloved, beloved, there's something missing. In Philippians chapter 2, things in earth, things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth.

No under the earth here. Regarding my strength, his sovereignty, and acknowledging he is Lord and glory of God, all things celestial, terrestrial, or internal, will declare his worthiness. But when it comes to reconciliation, there's no reconciliation with hell, and I know the teaching abroad today, because the rest of all things, even the devil himself will be saved.

Praise this, there's no reconciliation with hell. Do you get that? All in heaven, all on earth, we're willing to bow the knee now, acknowledge him Lord, reconcile with God through the death of his son.

May I ask you, lovingly, before I go to another point, are you willing this morning, in your spirit as a Christian, to bow your will and say Lord God worthy, Lord supreme, in every compartment and department of my life?

Lord you have bought me to possess me, and I call this Lord come in. Romans chapter 14, Romans 14 verse number 9. His lordship is plainly declared, richly deserved, and now here, Romans 9 verse 14, reads like this.

Chapter 14 verse 9, chapter 14 verse 9, even the best men will make mistakes. Verse number 9, Christ will die, would you say, plainly desired, richly deserved, plainly declared, plainly desired. He desires by praying to the Lord, he died, he rose, he revives, that he might be more.

Christ Must Be Received as Sovereign Lord

Am I this morning going to rob him of the fruit of his passion? Am I going to own him as my saviour, and not a sovereign? Is it going to be a defiant allegiance in my heart? Democracy has gone to the wall, dictatorship has taken its place, defiance everywhere, every niggard has growth, every demon has death, one that bothers no real rest, nor peace, nor joy, nor truth of the world, desire for prayer, is because there is a defiant allegiance this morning.

Will your heart and my heart pray right now? The dearest idol and worship in my because not play along the finest morning. Is that not a prayer of that dear brother's heart? Thanks be to the Lord, this birth may be allowed to take over in your life and my life, and receive ideal and privilege, reveal the life of Jesus Christ.

It's so nice to listen to ministry, have our ears tickled, nice messages, beautifully my friend, but listen, we've got to do something about this. What are you going to do? Are you going to love the spiritual before him, Lord, in your life this morning?

See the arraignment of arrival? What shall I know of you, Jesus, as a Christian? There's a God's neighbour in Rome, a little white girl, his son's name is Garibaldi, black-hearted all over the place, an incident in history, Garibaldi, he saw a man standing in the street corner, something chiming, maybe starvation, maybe death.

One man, they ran, and they went up. Lord, it's a treat. Garibaldi was very elated, praised as the great liberator and the great emancipator. He is a wonderful saviour. They'll praise too long, or too long for Garibaldi.

Some say to them, why do they put upon the cross the reign of sovereign? Isn't he worthy to reign sovereign? They were divided about that. They were willing to own him as saviour, but not as sovereign.

He was a wonderful deliverance, but not. What did they give him, by the way? They banished him to the Isle of Capri. Now, in all this, they were willing, but not as sovereign. Are you listening carefully?

If he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. You will not answer the chief Christ's saviour, you'll receive him as Lord. If thou shalt have faith among Jesus as Lord, believe on the Lord. He is a chief event, and he believes in the truth.

My friends, depend upon Romans, John, 10, 28. We're on the way to hell. What is said from the present statement, Lord, I am forever about the power which will be delivered from that day by day. As it doth deliver from sin thoroughly, now let it deliver from sin power.

One day it's coming to deliver from sin. Standard among us today. That's why there's a low moral and the most spiritual standard among us today. Because we've got an objective teaching, not another try subjectively to a lie.

Fear of hell is coming through God's presence. He said, because I am, let him not let me I be. In classical, let me live a holy life. Because I am right, let me live a righteous life. Let us be what we are.

The Call to Mortify Idols and Self

The victory in India, at the temple door, many of those here, the Nazi people, they're saying, destroy us, destroy us, but please, please don't touch our garments. Don't touch our garments. They said, looking through the temple door, with the power I saw great before I sat here.

He passed me through the group, came through the door, men of all following him. He is here to say, I would rather be known as the destroyer of idols than the bearer of idols. You can actually hit that statue.

There is a receptacle, it is hollow. The waitress gives you all the james, the jewels, the precious pearls, the money, trying to see that God has ceased. When that man hit that statue, he broke and shivering all around him.

All the thumbs of wealth dropped in his face. Had he spared the idols, he'd have missed them well. There is a man who often stands between me and my glory. His name is self. My carnal self stands between me and my glory.

Oh, mortified, mortified. Is it the God of robbing you of spiritual nourishment, spiritual power? Thou art enough, my mind and heart are filled. Perfect my eyes, O Holy Lord, and strongly desire to divide.

I behold the robbing of the fruit of his passion. To have once gathered together, serving meetings in Kingston, morning came for me, every morning we'd go out swimming together in a private swimming pool.

And I never forget him. He said, Jim, we never lose our evangelistic fervor, do we? No matter how old we get, no matter how we develop as Bible teachers, always let evangelism cross. So what you're getting at, I know that you're like myself, you always preach for a decision, don't you?

I said, yes, and beloved, O beloved, I am preaching for a decision right here this morning. I wanted to do something as a Christian. I am preaching the gospel as a Christian. Are you willing to let go this morning?

The very thing you're thinking of now, is the very thing that's coming between you and the Lord. That very thing, that very person, were me, Lord Jesus. They over, always make me a loyal subject to thee in everything.

The Final Appeal to Crown Jesus Lord

My last day, because I see my son, oh my God, Luke 19. Luke 19. I'll just give it to you. In fact, there are two verses here, and I'm going to close. Luke 19, and verse number 14. Here's where I got mixed up with Romans 9, and then verse 14 a moment ago.

19, 14 there. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man. The rain fell on us. His lordship is heartlessly disputed. Now, it's possible for you this morning, as a Christian, to be heartlessly disputing.

He's right to bring his Lord in your life. Look at verse 27. World 2. He comes to enemies. Those might enemies reign over them. Bring it up. They will be in the Father's house. If I won the grave. I don't believe for one moment every Christian is going to reign with Christ.

By God's grace, and by God's grace alone. And you can't live for the world, only for itself, and think you're going to share with them in that coming day. David, all those who profess to be following David, with only 400 men, will prostitute him.

Identify those who would himself with him in their rejection. He's angry. When David came to the road, who reigned with David? Those who are willing to identify themselves with him in his rejection. Christ will be the Lord in your life.

Seek him first. All these others. I wish I were just starting now to finish it. But here's an illustration. It happened when we were on the Detroit, during the coronation of our beautiful young queen.

You don't mind me saying that, do you? I thought that, I asked my husband if I may have one of his radios in my bedroom. He said, yes. He booked for the Sunday, but he's going to pick you up if you want to, you know.

All I want is your radio. Six o 'clock I put the radio on, and I heard Oxford film, cultured boys, artists, category, repeating John 3, 16. For God so loved the world. It was beautiful. As I sat there in that bedroom, my mind was transformed into that of London, England.

I saw the Lord of Goods coming up from Buckingham Palace, going along in the mall. I saw in my mind all those powerful, powerful, powerful people there lining the mall. I saw all the fancy, or the glitter, or the glamour, or the glory, and all the pageantry, and all the wonderful colour, and all the wonderful precision of that wonderful station.

I had all the shouting, all the yelling. And I saw the court going round by Trafalgar Square, passing James right on to that greatest political building, Westminster Abbey. I saw the royal legal figure, leaving that coach, going through the doors of that greatest political building, packed with the capacity of celebrities and dignitaries from all over the world.

As that young slim girl walked down that long, wide aisle, every eye was focused upon her. The minute came, I'll never forget. And again, I heard the Archbishop saying to dressed peers, Gentlemen, I present to you Her Royal Highness Elizabeth.

Are you now ready to see her homage? And with one heart, and with one voice, they cried, Beyond the glory, every eye focused upon him, still bearing the mark of Calvary's passion. And with one heart, and with one voice, they shall cry, Bring forth the royal knight.

Lord of all, where's the old man we've gone a-ta? Heavy me. And the spirit is saying to your heart, with my heart this morning, Are you now ready to crown him Lord of all? Will you answer that sweet word with the Lord for yourself?

And then we're going to sing very softly. Have thine own way, Lord, my dear. Sail till all shall see. Cry quietly once more the closing prayer. I know it's coming from your heart. Have thine own way, Lord, my dear.

Wail with thy spirit, till all shall see. Cry still, believing in me. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, it will be glory both now and forevermore. The meeting is finished. I don't think it is. I think it's going to go on this morning, don't you?

I believe you're going to get away into your own cabin, into your own room, and do business with God. I believe transparency will take place this morning of eternal value. Be God's praise and glory. If tonight, today, you've entered into the joy of this, probably years ago, you know what I'm talking of.

Some of you do. But some right here this morning, whom I know, over 70 years of age, that was the entry day. They spent in the wilderness, wandering around, joy and the glory. There's the day. We call it the end.