The resources of the Lord's people

… This is a recording of an address given by Mr. Herbert Nunn at Ramsgate on Good Friday, April the 12th, 1963. His subject, the resources of the Lord's people. Ezekiel chapter 40 and the first verse. In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the seventh same day the hand of the Lord was upon me and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain by which was as the frame of a city on the south. And he brought me thither and behold there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed and he stood in the gate. And the man said unto me, son of man, behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought hither. Now the forty-seventh chapter. The first verse. Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward. For the forefront of the house stood toward the east and the waters came down from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward. And behold there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward he measured a thousand cubits and he brought me through the waters. The waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters, the waters were to the knees Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand and it was a river that I could not pass over for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. A little farther down the chapter, the twelfth verse. And by the river upon the bank thereof on this side and on that side shall grow all trees for meat whose leaves shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine. May the Lord bless to us those readings of his word. We had a wonderful subject before us this afternoon, didn't we? To be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I suppose as we've gathered ourselves together here tonight most of us, if not all of us, are followers of him to a certain extent. I do trust that if there's anybody here tonight that hasn't followed Jesus, that doesn't really belong to him at this moment I do trust you'll realise that in the chapter that we read this afternoon that John the Baptist firstly said to those disciples Behold the Lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world. See, he attracted them firstly to one that must be their saviour before he stationed himself and said Behold the Son of God. Look at him, look at the Lamb of God there, be attracted to him. And I'm going to say there'll be no attraction to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ until we've had to go to him as saviour. When I say had to go, until it's been necessary that we've felt that we are such a sinner in our sins and that we are in such a predicament that we're going fast to hell that we need him as a saviour. And there we see him, the one that will take away our sin. Then we can look upon him in adoration, we can admire that blessed person and we can continue from that day forward to be followers of him. And it was a wonderful thing to think of the fact that each one of us that are here can, as we leave our meetings tonight, go back to our own gatherings and in that gathering and in the world be a follower of him. But have you thought during the time that has intervened from that reading this afternoon what failures we are as followers. Now if you haven't, I have with regard to myself. Perhaps you haven't, but I have with regard to myself. What a failure I am as a follower. And perhaps you've felt it as well. And as we look around in the church today, there is failure, isn't there? We see weakness in the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see weakness in those that gather to the name of the Lord. We see the giving up of the testimony. We see the lack of blessing. And we might feel as Gideon of old and say, well where are his miracles? Where are his miracles? There was a time our fathers told us about when we were a people, a flourishing, a striving people, a wonderful people, but now look at us. And we in our turn might as well look back to Pentecostal days and say, well where is the power today? When we think of those first followers that followed the Lord so closely and walked for him in such a wonderful way, where are those days? Where are those people that follow in that way? I'm going to say just at this moment, the one that we're following, he has not altered in any way. And the resources that we have at our disposal, they haven't altered either. And so I feel that just at this moment that we each and all should be exercised concerning our following the Lord Jesus Christ and exercise our hearts, our minds, and exercise our assemblies and say, well why is it that there's weakness as we find it today? Why is it that there's the giving up? Why is it that there's the lack of blessing? Now I'm not going to say for a moment that the Lord is going to bring back Pentecostal days, he won't. He never fully restores a broken testimony, but he does restore it to an extent. He does give revival to an extent. And I feel that if we were more exercised concerning this then the Lord would. He would bring that revival among his people and we would be those that follow the Lord closely and in following him closely we'd happily gather together as the people of the Lord and we'd be a pair out in the world as well. And that's why I read these scriptures to you tonight. I read firstly in the 40th chapter of Ezekiel and I read as well in the 47th, but I can't begin at the 47th chapter. I must begin at the 40th chapter where we read that Ezekiel was there and the hand of the Lord was upon him. And if you look through that difficult book, well I saw the faces of our brethren this afternoon when somebody quoted Ezekiel and it looked as though well they didn't know much about this book and I'm going to say nor don't I. But this man Ezekiel that writes concerning his prophecies in this book, when we look, when we read concerning the many things that he did we shall find that often he says and the hand of the Lord was upon me. The hand of the Lord. He even starts I think in the third verse of the first chapter to say the hand of the Lord's on me. That's where we have to start with the hand of the Lord. That's where we start because the hand of the Lord is the hand that subdues us. The hand that's upon us so that we have subdued our wills, our minds to that which he would desire of us and then after that if the hand of the Lord is upon us we're in a position and a condition to be led and guided by him. So often our own wills are apparent, aren't they? And it is not the hand of the Lord that's upon us but if we're going here tonight to receive anything from the Lord that hand must be apparent among us first. It must be that as we begin to listen to the word that is going to be spoken, the man that's speaking you must lose sight of and you must submit your wills to the one that may speak through him tonight, the power of the Spirit of God. Otherwise we might just as well open that door and everyone go now to our own homes unless we submit our wills to the Lord. The hand of the Lord is upon me. What was that hand for? To lead him and to then show him another man that he would bring into his presence and this man had a line and a reed and as this man bringing the line and the reed in his presence spoke to him he says, now I want you to fully notice what I show you, I want you to look at what I show you, I want you to consider what I'm going to show you because I'm going to show you so many things and as we read through Ezekiel the man with a measuring line showed him so many things I want you to look, I want you to consider and as well I want you to open your ear and listen. And we might just have got as far as that. It might be that as we've come together so many times we've opened our eyes and we've considered what we've heard and we've opened our ears and we've listened to what has been said but he says as well and I want you to set your heart on what you see and what you hear. That's something different. I'm going to say something that I won't make any apology for but I think is very true with regard to the ministry of Christ today. I feel that so often as we gather together at meetings like this it is more spiritual entertainment than it is listening and taking in and setting our hearts on what we hear. So often as we go from our gatherings I've been guilty of the fact myself I've gone out from the meeting, I've heard the word and I've said yes we've had a very good meeting tonight it's been spiritual entertainment and off we've gone and we've forgotten everything that has been said. We've enjoyed the meeting, yes we've enjoyed it and that's just as far as it's gone. But that should not be so and if we are going to read the word of God tonight and see what our resources are it must be that it must have an effect on our lives after we leave this gathering tonight because he says here for to this intent hast thou been brought here. As we've gathered here tonight we haven't gathered just for our entertainment just for our enjoyment because we are the people of the Lord we've gathered because God's got something to tell us and we've to listen and if we don't listen it's going to be very very sad in that day when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, isn't it? When we think there of the fact that we might have listened to the word of the Lord we might have been strengthened because we had before us the resources that were at our disposal but we just didn't take notice of those resources and therefore it brings us into a very solemn position tonight to open our eyes and consider to open our ears and as well to set to heart the things that we hear tonight and let's just do that. Now we turn to the 47th chapter and as we turn to the 47th chapter there's the man as well who says I want you to set your heart on what you see you've been brought here and now you watch what's going to happen. The man brought him and there he brought him to the door of the house the God's house the door of the sanctuary the last verse that we read spoke of the fact that that house was the sanctuary of God and there coming out on the east side from under the foundation of the house there were waters waters now in the eastern country the water is very very important, isn't it? and I feel that they realise the importance of it more than we do here because of the lack of the water in those places but where in the eastern country there's a stream you may bank, as we generally say, upon it that there's growth there the stream runs through and haven't we read that on either side there were those trees that were growing but where there's no stream there's desert and I feel that as before the Lord tonight those waters that flowed from under the foundation of the sanctuary of God those waters speak to us of the resources that we can enter into and can make our own if we'll only let them be our own you see the result, don't you? there will be growth and on the other hand if those resources are not taken there will be death in their souls but where were these waters coming from? as we look at the house the house that was spoken there as the sanctuary of the Lord there we see the waters come from the east side of the foundation of the house and they're flowing out from under that very throne of God and I'm going to say at the beginning maybe there's somebody come here this afternoon that needs a word of comfort that's where your resources come from are you downhearted? do you feel weakness in yourself? do you feel that you can't carry on as a Christian down here? do you feel that this afternoon as we were speaking concerning being followers do you feel that you haven't the resources to follow as you'd like to? they're there they flow from the throne of God is there a greater power than is witnessed here as Ezekiel looks at those waters coming out from the east side of the foundation of the house of the Lord are there greater powers than that? can't we think of the time when the Apostle Paul could say concerning that power I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me don't we read of the time in the Acts of the Apostles when by that power it said these men are turning the world upside down but that power there it was coming the waters were flowing from under the foundation of the house of the Lord they were flowing eastward I think we ought to stop there a moment because I feel that there are so many people that are converted that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ that have seen him as their saviour but they've never really known a new day in their life these waters flowed out eastward and if you're going to appreciate those waters at all it's going to be really a new day to you eastward I mention because I feel that the east speaks of a new day and really it is a new day when we begin to know something about the resources for us that come from God they came out but coming from the throne of God how can they come to us? how can it be that from the throne of God we can in any way enter into these resources we can know that there's power there but how are they coming to us? they come down on the south side of the altar see they come down on the south side of the altar when we think of the altar and when God thinks of the altar not any time can God think of the altar without thinking of his blessed son who there died upon the cross of Calvary who suffered for our sins the unjust to bring us to God and when we think of the waters flowing down on the south side of the altar that's our side I feel the south side of the altar is our side south speaks of grace doesn't it and how we think of the south wind that blows softly how it speaks of the wondrous love and the wondrous grace of the Lord Jesus yes, what does the north side speak of? I don't like to put names and tabs on these various things but I always think that the north side speaks of exaltation and I think that there are two scriptures if you want to know I can't find them at the moment but I'd soon find them for you after the meeting there are scriptures that give us to believe that the north is the side of exaltation see on one side of the altar on the one hand the waters flow down to us by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ can't we see that the other side of the altar that God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name God raised out our Lord Jesus Christ from among the dead and set him at his own right hand and gave him glory but in the doing of that we, I was going to say he as Elijah cast his mantle as he went up he didn't quite do that did he but you remember that when Elijah and Elisha were together on that last walk going out of the land because Elijah hadn't been accepted by the people in the land the Lord Jesus Christ, you know he walked out of the land because he wasn't accepted he walked out from Jerusalem going out to Bethany he was not accepted when Elijah went out going out and going over Jordan now young Elisha said I'd like that double portion I'd like the son's portion I want power to live down here when you're gone how can I have it unless you give me that power and he says if they shall see me when I'm taken up they shall have it but not otherwise they go over Jordan and as they continue to talk there we see the chariot of God comes down he's taken by a whirlwind into heaven and he casts his mantle and young Elijah goes with the mantle in his hand taking up that power that's given him and going forth in the power of that mantle the Lord Jesus Christ after going to the cross of Calvary and there dying for our sins was raised by the glory of the Father and is now exalted at his right hand and has sent down that power sent that power down it comes through the cross and we must if we are to receive that power to any extent in our lives we must see that when Jesus died that I died with him and realise that in his death and in his death alone can that power be manifested in this life and we must be raised with him in that newness of life and we can go forward with that power when we think of that power that's at our disposal tonight it's a wonderful power isn't it and yet I don't think we've considered it in its entirety I don't think that we really could but I want you for a moment to follow this man with the measuring line and see him measure he measures a thousand cubits he measures two thousand cubits and he measures three thousand cubits and at last at four thousand cubits from the water flowing out from the foundation there's now a great river that cannot be crossed the waters are so wide a power, a great power a river that cannot be crossed where had those waters come from? where had they come from? they'd all come from God those waters had come from the throne of God God was the originator of those waters were there any tributaries running in to help and to fill that river, that stream? there were none at all it was a power that alone came from God now there's a point I think that we ought to speak here tonight about when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ we know that we have the Spirit of God every believer has the Spirit of God and we know that by that power we can do things for him in our lives and there's no greater power but when we begin to feel our feet as believers on the Lord Jesus Christ we begin to feel that we can help the Spirit of God and we use so many gadgets and so many other things so that in this 20th century we are quite as up to date with our gadgets as people in the world and we haven't got the power of the Spirit at all it's a sad thing, isn't it? and yet it's a true thing when the Spirit of God began to work fastly in the church it was the only power that they had he was the only power that they had he was the only power that they needed and they went forth as a testimony to the Lord they were followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the resources at their disposal they went forth they went forward but is there the going forward today? has it been that with all the and I'm going to use the word again all the gadgets that we use to prop up the Spirit of God has it been that they've made any difference in the blessing? I feel that they've been a hindrance to the blessing of the people of God and to the blessing of the people of the world as well let's remember always that the Spirit of God is adequate for all the needs of the believer he can walk and follow in that power he can work and he can speak and he can only work and speak in that power alone now this man with a measuring line had brought him right the way through those four thousand cubits I suppose that was just over a mile you know it's a very tricky problem to say what the cubit is if I told you this evening it was one foot six inches long somebody would come up after the meeting and tell me no it's not it's one foot nine but if I said it was one foot nine somebody else would come and say no it's one foot six but you see if it was one foot six take it a short measure that's about two thousand yards isn't it and that being the length of the river had measured the length for the four thousand cubits and now the man with the measuring line he said have you seen this he said no you come back with me and straightway we see this man Ezekiel going back with the man with the measuring line to the brink of the river there the river had flowed it had come from the presence of the Lord and as it had flowed and as there was the continual source of supply for the size of the banks there we see that there had been a growth that had sprung up on either side of the river there were trees on both sides of the river see there had been growth there had been growth what was it through by the continual flow of the river there had been the growth encouraged to the banks of the river those trees had begun to grow and there they were now on both sides of the river and I'm going to say immediately we begin to draw from our resources there'll be growth in their lives you know it does encourage me I'm getting old now and as I look back onto the young men that used to be in my Bible class in Sunday school I can see some that are really growing really growing and I feel that with regard to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ it ought to be seen that there's growth in their lives if they're drawing from the source continually drawing from the source from their resources there'll be the growth in their lives there must be and here we see that there were trees on either side trees with fruit trees for meat trees whose leaves didn't fade and I'm going to stop there a moment it wasn't that the waters had encouraged the growth on the one side of the river and there was no growth on the other side of the river no there was a balanced growth a balanced growth and I'm inclined to think and I have thought concerning this scripture before of that word that Peter says but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ now Mark there's one thing that we're very very apt to do and that is firstly to grow in knowledge and it's a very very dangerous thing to grow in knowledge therefore Peter begins by saying grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because if we have that balanced growth and if it's firstly in grace there'll certainly be a wonderful balance between our grace and our knowledge won't there if it but be that the knowledge is set into a corner that the grace is set into a corner and the knowledge is the uppermost we shall find that we are very very unbalanced yes, firstly then we see that there was a balanced growth and then the prophet Ezekiel says with regard to the growth of these trees that their leaves didn't wither you know, I'm a gardener and I don't think that there's anything that really hits me in the eye terrible expression is it, isn't it more than a tree that has withered leaves withered leaves it's sad to see a tree that there should have been fresh but now the leaves are all withered no, a beautiful growth and when I say that word beautiful with regard to believers I think that it ought to be true of every believer that there's that beautiful growth isn't it the psalmist that says concerning himself let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us isn't it that there should be that beauty in our lives isn't it that we read in Hosea 14 I will be as the dew to Israel to beautify him not alone to refresh him not alone that he might have the power of the spirit with him but that he might be beautified I'll be as the dew unto Israel that beautiful growth I know that it's one thing to grow in the things of the Lord but I think very often you know we grow very harshly and very unbeautiful in what we say to other people and in the way that we treat other people that do not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ wasn't it wonderful wasn't it spoken of this afternoon in the reading that with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ when he was here he showed his grace in his miracles to everyone it wasn't to those that might be more favorable to him in their lives but to everyone and shouldn't it be that the beauty of the Lord our God being upon us shouldn't it be that that beauty is seen by others fruitful growth as well coming down this morning in the train I saw some of your orchards some of those wonderful Kentish orchards and I saw a man going round and I will say he was very late doing it he'd got a pair of sackclothes in his hand and he was clipping here and there why? he's expecting something from those trees there's something that he doesn't want on the trees there's growth that he doesn't want but there's one thing that he's looking forward to on those trees later on and that is fruit isn't it that the fruit is the thing that the owner delights in in the tree isn't it that the tree as it's planted in that place it's expected of the owner that it bears fruit and here was fruitful growth trees for meat yes so often as we gather together to read the word of the Lord so often as we gather together to a meeting such as we are gathered together tonight we feel that we've come for a portion for ourselves and off we go and we go home and we want to dwell and dwell and dwell upon that which we have received of the Lord but that's not the full meaning of the ministry of the word of God for our souls it must be that as the word of God is ministered to us that it's trees for meat meat so that we may have something that we've gained from the Lord gained by this growth gained by being in these resources so that we might have something for other people as well and the leaves were going to be for medicine the leaves were going to be for bruises I see in the margin of my Bible and how I feel that as we gather together and as we continue to grow in the word of the Lord it should be that those things that we receive of the Lord should be for medicine there's so many broken hearts to be bound up in this day there's so many people that need a comfort and that they need a cheer and how are they going to have comfort and cheer unless they receive it from the word of God through his servant yes the leaves to be for medicine now I think it's time that we measured up ourselves concerning this stream, this river and when we look at this river tonight I'm going to say that with regard to each one of us just where are we with regard to this stream you remember at the beginning of my speaking concerning this river tonight I mentioned that the man measured a thousand cubits two thousand cubits, three thousand cubits four thousand cubits he measured those measurements and I feel that as we come into the presence of the Lord tonight there's something in the four of those measurements that ought to speak to us he measures firstly and it says and he brought me through I wonder why it says that I feel that as this servant was before Ezekiel at this moment I feel that it was something he wanted to show him he brought him through the waters and as he brought him to ankle depth it was only by his power by his bringing through to that position that he was able to be found there I wonder whether we are ankle deep in our resources now I know that somebody might say to me tonight here you know I've been on the road fifty years but I don't think for a moment that God is so over anxious and so over interested in how long we've been upon the road but it is how deep are we in now if there's a young believer here tonight who says Mr. Nunn I'm ankle deep in this water I'll say praise the Lord for that you're in the stream and be led along because there's one there certainly as we see here that there was one who said he brought me through there's one to bring you through into deeper waters you're ankle deep in the water your feet are in the right place your feet are in the resources and you can go forward in those resources but if there's an older one here tonight that says well I'm ankle deep in those resources I'm going to say I just know where you are at this moment with regard to the things of the Lord ankle deep in the resources those resources that there are waters to swim in and you're ankle deep what does it mean? it means that there's too much man showing it means that just your ankles are covered you're saved, you've got the Spirit of God but you're not interested in the prayer meeting you're not interested in the Bible reading are you? and you're not interested in taking your Bible into your little room and reading you're just the same as you used to be before you came to the Lord you're ankle deep in the water showing too much man how sad that there's so many believers on the Lord Jesus Christ tonight that are just ankle deep in the water but there the man with the measuring line is there with his hand outstretched willing to take you forward and bring you through are you willing to go any farther? or will you say just at this junction no Lord I'm far enough I know that I'm going to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory I'm safe from that terrible judgment so it doesn't matter won't you go any farther for him? how far he went for us when he went to the cross of Calvary when he went when the scripture says on two occasions and Jesus went a little farther and in going a little farther he went into that garden of Gethsemane he suffered there sweating as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground he went a little farther he bore that cross he bore the suffering of that cross for you and you don't want to go any farther? and there's the man with the measuring line and he's ready and willing to bring you through yes and if only you'll be willing to be brought through let's measure again as the man measures again he measures those thousand cubits and there there are waters to the knees now the knees and the water are together he's a man on his knees he's a man that's beginning to receive power because he's up to his knees in the resources the knees that speak of dependence and the waters are together they meet dependence and the resources meet together haven't you seen in the bible haven't you read in the old testament and as well in the new of the so many men that found their power and found their resources because they were men that would go into the presence of the lord on their knees think for a moment of that wonderful man Hezekiah what were his resources? was it that great army that he had in the land of Israel? it wasn't was it the armour that he would wear? the armour that he boasted about in the last year of his life? no it wasn't what was it then? it was the very fact that that man could humble himself wearing his sackcloth and go into the presence of the lord prostrate himself and lay all his trouble out before the lord a man whose knees and the resources met and he was a power he went out of the presence of the lord with that wonderful power are we up to our knees in our resources? if we are up to our knees don't let's stop there it's a wonderful starting place to be found there going through ankles, knees and yet the man measures again and brings me through there the man still is willing to bring through and you might say yes I have become one that prays to the lord I have become one who feels the necessity of the prayer meeting I have become one who god is using to an extent and I think I'll stop here no but god is not content with this and we should not be content but you say how is ever is it possible that I can go any farther forward than I've got to this moment it is possible and the lord wants you and every believer on the lord Jesus Christ to be a power down here for him and there he's waiting and it says concerning him yes he's willing to bring through and he brought me through Ezekiel was brought through even to the waters that were to the loins the seat of strength a wonderful thing to think that we can have that power the power that god really meant this man Ezekiel and as well ourselves to have meant us to be men of strength think of the beginning of our meeting when we spoke of the fact that we are in a position of weakness and yet god desires that we should be men of strength how are we going to be perfectly men of strength for him as the man waiting again waiting and willing to bring us forward again and as again Ezekiel is led forward into the waters it says now that he had gone a thousand more cubits he was in waters to swim in waters that could not be crossed over but waters to swim in and I suppose then I don't suppose the dear brother ever thought of such a thing as that but I suppose then if Ezekiel had had his bathing costume and gone into that water there would only have been one thing that would have been showing and that would have been his head himself entirely covered not now every part of the person showing but the ankles but his body covered and his head shown and isn't that the true position of power in this world showing the head giving the lord Jesus Christ the head the right position and as the apostle Paul could say in his day keeping under our body dear friend perhaps they've been stumbling remarks to bring before you tonight but it is with regard to your comfort tonight it is as well with regard to correcting if we have gone astray with regard to our resources and feel that we can help the spirit of God in any way let's remember that the only power we have is there it comes from the throne of God and let's remember that we've come into a day when so many people are lazy with regard to the service of the lord let it be a challenge for ourselves tonight there's the power at our disposal and by that power we can do the service of the lord by that power we can walk for him down here and we're going to take on the challenge tonight …