Murray McCandless teaches that while it is easy to find fault, true Christian fulfillment and fellowship come from faithfully following Christ and embracing His Word.
In this devotional sermon, Murray McCandless explores the contrast between finding fault and finding fulfillment in the Christian life. Drawing from passages in Mark, Luke, and Acts, he emphasizes the ease of criticism versus the blessing of faithful fellowship and obedience to Christ. McCandless encourages believers to cultivate patience, avoid unnecessary judgment, and embrace the true fellowship found in Christ-centered gatherings. His heartfelt message challenges listeners to reflect on their attitudes and deepen their commitment to the Lord and His people.
Full Transcript
Mark's Gospel chapter 7 please. Mark's Gospel chapter 7, Mark chapter 7 and verse 2. Mark 7 and verse 2. And when they, now I should read verse 1 ready for the context for sake of young believers. Then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from Jerusalem and when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say with unwashing hands, unwashing hands, they found fault.
They found fault. Luke please, chapter 22. Luke verse 8. And he sent Peter and John saying, go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat.
And they said unto him, where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the good man of the house, the master saith unto thee, where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished there.
Make ready. Now notice what it says in verse 13. And they went and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the Passover.
Verse 24 just while we're there. And there was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest. For every question you have where there is a corresponding there except for verse number 24.
There's no there for strife. Let me touch on that. Finally please turn over to the Acts.
The Acts chapter 28. Acts 28 and verse number 14. Acts 28 verse 14.
Luke is writing here. It's after the shipwreck. It's after the Viper and all the things that happened with the Apostle in the earlier part of the chapter.
It must have been quite a consolation because verse 14 he says, where we found brethren. That's sweet. Where we found brethren.
And we're desired to tarry with them seven days. So we went toward Rome. And from thence when the brethren heard of us they came to meet us as far as Epiphorum and the three taverns whom when Paul saw he thanked God and took courage.
I want to notice with you three things and really I have to confess to you I've never put these together before so if it comes a little disjointed you please forgive me okay. Three things that they found. Three things they found.
Generally speaking I think nobody disputes or argues the fact we find invariably what we're looking for. I see a man and he is courting a young girl and get married it's very obviously he has found what he's looking for in her. It's obviously.
In life generally speaking we find what we are looking for. I want to notice three things that were found here. First of all what we have here in Mark chapter 7 is they found fault.
That doesn't take a lot of energy or effort to find fault. When last did you find fault? Is that all you ever find? In all fairness. God bless them but there are some people and it doesn't matter what they can find fault.
What we have in with the disciples in Luke chapter 22 they found fulfillment. You know what they found? As he said unto them. They found what they were looking for.
They had instructions from the Lord to find this upper room and they find the man burying the picture of water and they were to follow him and so on. We'll come back to that but they found fulfillment. Now listen let's get it straight.
You as a genuine believer in Christ if you read your New Testament it isn't that you're gonna find fulfillment in the gospel hall but you will find fulfillment among those that gather solely to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and take no denominational tag on them at all because they have the Word of God to support it. I have been in the assembly fellowship for over 50 years and I'm not perfect. I really haven't found a perfect company.
If they are perfect when I arrive they weren't perfect anymore okay. I have never looked for anything else. How come? I haven't offers.
A man said to me not too long ago, did you not get offers? I said I've had offers. I had I don't think I'd tell this I wouldn't tell these too much because there's people that know them but the stone the rock church in Halifax called me up one time. Mr. McAdams got a motel for you.
Got a vehicle for you. We were wondering if you'd come down and would preach for a week for us in stone church. It's likely three times the size of any of our gospel halls.
Didn't go. How come I didn't go? Well I couldn't find what I was supporting being so what I would be supporting supported by the Word of God. Here are disciples and they found fulfillment.
You know what they found in Acts chapter 28? A myth after a shipwreck. After a viper coming out fasting on his hand and all the things going kind of against the Apostle Paul. You know what he found? He found fellowship.
Fellowship's a wonderful thing. A friendship's fine but there's nothing like fellowship. Now we have neighbors that I think Brother Shuck was referring to that the other day and I go on good with my neighbors.
Honestly I do for the most part okay. Sometimes you've had to have a little understanding but other than that we have. I had one neighbor he's a superintendent at the Potash Mine and Shirley was out in the yard and I was just hooking up a trailer and their lab came over.
Friendly little dog and I was patting the dog. They were calling the dog back. Shirley said to me, did they think you were going to steal the dog? No I said they were afraid I was gonna ask him if you saved.
I never I do not notice more why they're calling him back. I'm not gonna steal her dog but they were calling him back. He wasn't bothering me.
I was still hooking up my trailer. Now with Kevin I find some friendship. Go across the street to Mark he works in the mine too.
There's other people but that friendship only comes so far. You see we've only talked so far that as soon as I turn to Kevin or to Mark and say you're thinking about getting saved there's a big quietness. But you know when you meet fellow believers you know and that's the hard part.
I really commend those at a conference like this that go back and have to go out into the workplace per se where men are cursing and swearing and nobody gives this, nobody gives that. They want you to do this, they want you to work in that kind of environment. You know what I'm talking about.
Isn't it something you just kind of wish this fellowship that you could enjoy right here we just kind of continue on. Well that's what the Apostle found here in Acts chapter 28. He found brethren.
What a cheer. What a cheer it must have been. So just look at these with me this afternoon.
First of all the finding fault. It says when they were when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled that is to say unwashed hands they found fault. Really? Really? Were they that hard-pressed to find fault? Sometimes brethren and sisters we can find fault.
I have to plead guilty even though I may not let it out. I have to plead guilty, raise my hand under the guilt charge because sometimes it's far easier to find fault than it is to give a little praise and it can be over the silliest thing. Just because they don't do it your way and of course you know your way is the right way but to have that patience but at times I do not have and kind of bear with them and you want to find fault.
Imagine here's the disciples and they didn't wash their hands and it says that they found fault. See what made it so sad is as we read there Mark chapter 7 when they found fault. You know who they're really finding fault with? The Lord.
The Lord. It wasn't so much the disciples. They found fault with him and that's why he cautioned them as he spoke to them about those that would be critical of them and those that would cast them into prison.
They cast you out. Really. He says they have not rejected you.
They have rejected me. So as a believer and a young believer here today please cheer up. Do not be surprised when at your very best they're gonna find fault but you know what's the hardest to take? It's what it comes from your fellow brethren.
You expect it from that world out there. They will falsely accuse you. They'll make up stories that aren't even true.
That's one thing. The sadder thing is when it comes from this source. When they saw that some of his disciples eat bread.
Not all of them. Just some of them. Defiled.
That is to say unwashing hands. They found fault. I mean here was one who could walk upon the raging deep and they would find fault.
Here's one who could feed them with nothing. One who would come on a sorrowing widow that had lost her only means of support in the sun and they'll find fault. And a man they would heal because it was the Sabbath day they would find fault.
They didn't care about the Sabbath day. You know what they were doing? Put it off another day. It's the same in the world today.
Put it off another day. There are times and I wish I could recall those things. I think you know next time I'm going to speak to that man.
There's no next time. No next time. I've even gone back to that place whatever and I've asked him quite a buzz.
Oh sorry. You didn't hear? No. Now he died.
Oh. All it meant to them is he died. You know what it meant to me? I started to find fault with myself.
Because I had an opportunity that I didn't realize. That I didn't take up. But they would find fault with the Savior for that.
You know they found fault over a trifle. Okay. A failure of a few of his disciples to wash hands and they would find fault.
Something that literally had transgressed their own law. Their own law. It was a law they had made.
And you know very subconsciously we can make laws and put legal bindings on people that are not binding by the Word of God. And because they don't bow to that or accept that, very quickly we'll find fault. Now let's just slow this up a bit.
Let's just stop here. Let's just search our hearts. Maybe you didn't say it to anybody.
When last did you find fault? Oh no. This weekend? You're sitting in the car waiting for her to come. You thought, what's taking her all day? What are you going to help bring the kids out? You're ready to find fault.
When all you need is patience. It's a little bit like the man that was in the supermarket and he had this screaming kid. Couldn't have been a grandchild because they're all angels of course.
But he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid.
And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid.
And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid.
And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid.
And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid.
And he had a screaming kid. And he had a screaming kid. In a cart.
And he's pushing the kid along. The kid's just screaming. And the man's there and he says, it's okay Albert.
It's okay. It's all right Albert. Calm down Albert.
Kept going like this you know. And going along with the cart. And there was a lady watching him.
She said, that man's doing well. That kid was uncontrollable. In the cart he'd been thrashing all over the floor.
And she kept saying, he kept saying, calm down Albert. So she, she walked up to the man at the counter. He's going through the checkout.
She says, sir, I admire your patience with baby Albert. You did really well. Well he says, pardon me madam, but I'm Albert.
So sometimes you know, the one we've got to calm down is the one that we see when we look in the mirror. You know. Are we like that? You know, as soon as I say this, I'm going to get caught.
And I'm afraid to say it. But just to encourage you. If you haven't started, maybe you can now.
I've been married a few years. I've got two in their 40s. I've made mistakes in my life.
And made mistakes with my wife. Done things maybe I should have. And I should have consulted her on.
And I didn't. Okay. I had to go to her and say, I'm sorry.
I did. Made some mistakes. Wasn't one of the first ones was going to meetings just after we were married.
We were driving an old 40 con-line van. Some of you remember what they were like. Just a dust, rust bucket, swallyware.
Making our way along. I don't know what went on this morning. She was wearing a white skirt.
I remember that. And I remember in all my intelligence at 24 years of age or 23, I remember hitting the dash and said, well listen, for any sake, or whatever it was, I didn't raise my voice. But the dust came all down on her white skirt.
We're on our way to a meeting. And she's trying to get out. How is she going to explain that? That she rubbed it on the van getting out? Or she would tell the truth.
Well, Murray kind of got excited and hit the dash and this is the result. I made mistakes. I can say, and I think she would admit, there's one thing I've never done.
I hope I never have to do it. I should never have to do it. I've never raised my voice at my wife.
I haven't done it. Now, those who know her, know that she is a pretty easy going individual. And the Christians here in Vancouver and all over keep saying, you know, bring your wife.
You don't bring your wife. She's a very home person. But her daughters have her terrified.
Because they simply tell her, mom, the only reason these people want to see you is they want to see what kind of a woman actually lives with a man like that. So you can understand what she does. She's been to Iowa with me to a conference.
She doesn't travel a lot. It isn't that she minds flying. She doesn't.
But we all make mistakes. We can all find fault. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we made up our mind that we're going to actually check this from this conference.
That we're going to go from here. Now listen, there's times when you've got to speak plainly to somebody, be honest with somebody. Please, don't go and speak to everybody else.
Speak to them. But wouldn't it be something, wouldn't it be just a revival in our hearts if we could go from the conference here in Waukesha with this determined, so help me Lord, before it takes place, whether I've got to countercheck it in my mind or before it gets on my lips, no finding fault. They found fault.
Wouldn't you hate that as an epitaph on your headstone? He found fault. She found fault. Hey listen, I mean, I grew up on a, you've got to be careful what I'm saying as these are recorded, but, and there was a sister, God bless her, but she could find fault with everybody.
In the whole assembly, she only thought there were two that should be breaking bread. Two that should be in the assembly. At the time she wasn't in it.
She was in and out of it a couple of times. But it happened to be an uncle of mine, that's likely the quietest McCandless I know, and another lady by the name of Mabel Brooks and she was 98 pounds, she didn't say anything either. That's the only two she thought should be in the assembly.
The rest were out. No matter what you do, you could not please her. Okay? And sometimes we do have those.
And they're hard to work around. But I believe in my own heart, and I'm letting it speak to me, because I'm very, I'm quick. I'll have to tell you that.
Very quick to get back and fire something off. Very quick at times to find fault. They found fault.
You think of a governor like Pilate. Think of what's recorded of a man like him, with all the mistakes he made. And a fatal one.
What does he say? I find no fault in this man. Brothers and sisters, remember we are members of a body. Why not go from the Waukesha conference with just asking God to give us a little help.
And maybe being just a little less critical. And a little slower. At sizing situations up that we know nothing about.
Circumstances that we have never gone through. Things that happen. Mr. Steers has been down in Blue River, and I always remember a statement he made right off of a conference platform.
And Mr. Steers was an overseer in the Lansing Assembly in Toronto for a number of years. He said, you know, I had all the answers for the oversight until I was asked to be part of it. Then I didn't have any answers.
That's very true. Don't smite a shepherd with your tongue, or the sheep will be scattered. You be careful.
Don't smite a shepherd. Smite the shepherd, I'm applying it, and the sheep will be scattered. You smite a shepherd amongst God's people, you'll scatter the sheep.
Found fault. Secondly, let's go to those that found fulfillment. Let me just say before finding fault, you'll notice that it already has been referred to.
Our brother Eric was reading to us this morning from John, and relative to the ointment, and when you go down there to verse number 5 and 6, you remember they say, well why was not this sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? Not that they cared about the poor. What were they doing? They were finding fault. That's all.
It's just finding fault. This he said. Not that he cared for the poor.
That was Judas. But follow through in the Gospels. That spreads.
That spreads. And all the disciples are saying it. You start finding fault with some believer and somebody will jump on the bandwagon with you.
There's something in the flesh, something in the flesh that finds it such an easy ally to find fault. But coming here to, I'd like to speak of better findings. Okay? They found fulfillment.
Now, verse 13 we read these words. They went and found as he said unto them. That made all the difference.
What were they looking for? Well, they were not looking for a place that suited their needs, necessarily, although it did that. They weren't looking for a company that everybody agreed with what they said. But you know what they were looking for? What he had said unto them.
Why I am gathered where I am gathered, why you are gathered where you are gathered, must be because you have found it in the word of God. They found it as he had said unto them. Remember what it says in chapter 1 of John's Gospel.
Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did write. It wasn't just a man we thought this man looks like Jesus. No, he fit the pattern of the scriptures.
He fit the description given in the word of God. There's only one description for a local church given in the word of God, Matthew 18 and 20, where two or three are in heaven being gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew chapter 18 and verse number 20, where two or three, that's the principle.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, when you are gathered together, that is the practice. Okay? The principle and the practice. These people had found as he had said unto them.
That settled it. That settled it. You see, to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, taking on no other name, I mean, you know as well as I do from the Bible, there's only one name by which you can be saved.
It's the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 4 and 12, neither is there salvation in any other name, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There's one name in which you are saved.
There's one name, the authority of one name in which you are baptized. Okay? We are baptized in the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus. Baptized in accordance with the word of God in that name.
So if there's one way to be saved and if there's one way to be baptized, then are there more than one way to gather? No. No! Oh, you say, I thought you'd come to this to tell us that only the people here that meet in the Waukesha Gospel Hall are gathering the right way. I don't know Waukesha.
I don't know who all gathers in this city or in Milwaukee. I know a number of companies and have come to know them recently, only in recent years, in Wisconsin and Iowa and out these parts. I don't know them all.
But I have found people that gather according to the pattern given to us in the word of God. In other words, they are spiritually gathered. Spiritually gathered.
This is a spiritual company. Even though it is represented physically, it is a spiritual company. Our in heaven being gathered together.
The distinctiveness of assembly testimony. No place like it. I mean, and I agree with our brethren that said, somebody said about our worship meeting this morning, the breaking of bread, it was sweet.
My heaven must have, to receive the bounty of praise and thanksgiving that went with nobody directing that but the Spirit of God. No one said, okay, brother, you pray now. Okay, you pray here.
And then somebody stand up here. So when I'm the pastor, I got a few words, then so and so is going to give a song out. That didn't happen.
That did not happen. If anybody walked in those back doors and saw that gathered company this morning, they would not necessarily know who the full time preachers were that are here. They don't need to.
You know, more than that, they wouldn't even know who the elders of this assembly are. They don't need to know that either. Mind you, if they had some questions, they maybe would find out who the overseers are, because they would deal with those questions.
If they started to ask, well, wait a minute, I'm saved. I kind of want to break bread. Well, they would just very kindly, and they would kind, I know that I know these brethren here, no brethren in the other assemblies to show them for the Word of God.
You'd like to become part of this? Well, then from 1st Corinthians chapter 14, you come and observe it first. That's only in fairness to you. And see if like the man in 1st Corinthians chapter 14, you can report that God is among them of the truth, because if he isn't, you don't want to be here.
You want to come with your Bible and say, okay, what I see here, is this really fitting the pattern? Are these people scripturally gathered? I mean, we physically gather down in the dining room to have our meal. We're not necessarily spiritually gathered, but the local church, the local company right here in Waukesha that meet in this hall, and by the way, it is called a gospel hall because it's a hall where the gospel is preached. I'm sorry, I part company with some that aren't satisfied with that name, because usually when they want something different, like assembly Christians or whatever, there's other things they want, and they're a little different too.
I've been around long enough to witness that, right close to where I live. People that were saved in meetings we had, I'm not gonna go, there'd be a big sidetrack, I'm not going off that, that just didn't like the order of things. In fact, let me just say it.
A man that had gotten saved, sorry, he was saved already, his wife had gotten saved in the meeting, the daughter was going to come from Toronto, and he did not want the daughter to be interviewed to come into the Fellowship of the Assembly. He said, listen, I can tell you what you need to know, and I was really trying to help the brethren, and the assembly was very small in Sussex then. I said, he said, I can tell you what you need to know.
I said, well, I said, George, I said, the brethren would like to talk to Janice herself. If she is old enough, and she was, to be part of an assembly, she'd be able to meet with them. He said, what do they want to know? I said, all they want to know is what the early disciples want to know about the Apostle Paul, before he joined them.
Where have you been? What's happened in your life? That's all. She never ever came, and it was hard. It was hard.
George is a good fellow. He's an older man now. I remember I was leaving to go to the Sagas Conference, and the phone rang.
He said, Murray, we won't be coming back. I said, I'm sorry to hear that. It just hits you where it hurts, because he was a help.
He left, and pretty soon there was a company, and they called themselves Assembly Christians. He found somebody else that was discontent, and they gathered out there, and they were the best of buds. Everything together.
In two years, they couldn't stand the sight of each other. And the one man, George, right now, I don't know if he goes anywhere. Isn't that sad? Isn't that sad? That man used to worship God.
Used to be in the assembly, but there's what made the difference. People, they are spiritually gathered, but more than that, they are scripturally gathered, because they can go to the Word of God and support the way that they gather. And if we can't, and if we can't, we shouldn't be doing it.
Now, I do not meet with Christians that gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because it's, I think it's a good place, although it is, and because I think it's the best place, and I believe it is, but that's not why. Or it's the most convenient. I meet there for one reason.
Are you with me? It's the only place. It's the only place. I do not find anything else, brethren and sisters, supported by the Word of God as a New Testament church, as we have them given to us in the New Testament, except what we have based on Matthew 18 and 20.
So, we are spiritually gathered. We are scripturally gathered. We're sacrificially gathered.
I like Psalm 50 in this. Gather my saints together with me and those that have made a covenant by sacrifice. We're all linked with the same sacrifice.
It was the sacrifice of the Son of God Himself at Calvary. Everyone that's going to heaven, everyone that gathers to His name is linked with that sacrifice. They are sacrificially gathered.
You see, I would meet people, and I'm not questioning so much whether they're saved or not. Some among them would not be saved, wouldn't even profess to be saved. They're all mixed in together.
They're not sacrificially gathered. You see, I have a man, and I know him. He lives not too far from where I live.
And really, and I want to say it plainly, not critically, he's really, he is a musician. He could play any instrument that you put in his hand. More than that, you came along, he said, that's good to have you.
Do you have anything you can play? You say, well, I got a guitar. Oh, bring it along. We got three or more, but we'll work it in.
And you say, well, you know, I'm on the accordion. Bring your accordion. So he's not really a minister, he's a musician.
I went to a funeral in the place where they gather, and listen, there are some genuine believers there. I know them. I know a doctor in his life that go there that are saved people.
I went to a funeral there, and the man that was speaking at the funeral, he was a man who owned the store in the small town where we used to live, was a saved man. But he could hardly wedge, and it was a massive platform. There was drums, and there was everything on that platform.
There was a sound system second to none. I said to a young fellow that works with our boys that goes with his grandmother there, I said, did they ever tell you there you had to be saved to go to heaven? He said, they really don't have time, Mr. McCandless, to talk about that. Really? Really? See, that's what the early churches did.
That's what this church does here in Waukesha. And they're commencing a special series of gospel meetings to reach out. It's not the first time they've done this.
They do it every Sunday night to reach out with the gospel, because they find that in the Word of God. So they are spiritually gathered, they are sacrificially gathered, but you know something else? They're sacredly gathered. Sacredly gathered.
What do I mean when I say sacred? Well, there's something very sacred about what belongs to God. That's why there has to be among us reverence. That's why there is amongst us a dignity that is associated with his presence.
And we seek to honor that. We seek to uphold it by our dress, by our deportment, by our language, because we're conscious of the fact that we are sacredly gathered. Now, when the early disciples found that place, you know, it satisfied all their desires.
They didn't have to look any further. They're quite satisfied. And I can say, not just because I preach the gospel and move amongst those that gather to the name of the Lord Jesus, but I'm very happy.
I haven't looked for anywhere else. I really haven't. You say, have you had times when you've been discouraged? Yeah, yeah, maybe.
It didn't last too long. But I can honestly say, what I have found, I have found it in the Word of God. That is satisfying, and that's where you'll find it.
Listen, let's get it straight. If it came to a sales job, I'm talking you into becoming part of this local church. I feel as capable as anybody is doing it.
I can do it, because I've been involved in sales. So has Mr. Schutt. But you know how long you would be there? Until a better salesman came along.
Then you're gone. We're not trying to sell you. Is that clear? We're not trying to sell you on the idea of the assembly.
We're speaking to you the Word of God. It may be a tremendous encouragement for you. Those that seek to, I'm speaking to some here today.
You come from a very little company. Just before I left home, I met with them in Madison, Maine. I think there were seven of us that broke bread, and I included my wife, Shirley, and myself.
Seven. You know something? They were happy. Oh, they'd love to have more.
They'd love to see more. There were days when there was more. Some have moved away, whatever.
But it satisfied their desires. Their souls were fed, and so on. But very quickly, coming to Acts chapter 28.
After all that had taken place, you'd have to read chapter 27. I love it. Verse 14.
Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days, so we went toward Rome. Stay seven days. Imagine that.
That's how thoroughly he was to find the company that he had. He decided, this is where we could stay. But wait a minute.
I like what the Apostle says in 2 Timothy chapter 1. He says, the Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. That's when he was in prison. That's what he says.
He says, but when he was in Rome, he sought me out diligently. He doesn't say that. He says, he sought me out very diligently and found me.
And found me. Here's somebody traveling. Here's a man in prison.
Here's a man that you may not necessarily want to be identified with. Paul says, this man here? My, this is gold stock. This is blue chip stuff.
He just did not say, well, you know, if I bump into him, I'm going to bump into a fellow in prison. Can you identify yourself with him? Yes. Why? Because he's one of ours.
He's one of the brethren. And what a joy that must have been to the heart of the Apostle to have a man like that in his experience that sought him out diligently. Sometimes, you know, I don't be too hard.
I don't know where you go on your vacations or where you don't go, but sometimes I know believers that go away and they'd be my own relatives and they need a good spank and be honest with you. But anyhow, they go on vacations, you know, they're hoping don't bump into any Christians. Yeah.
Well, it's only our two weeks off. You want to go to meeting every night. Oh, you poor soul.
And then you wonder why something happens in the vacation. The sun never shines. You're promised it in that country.
No wonder. Really? Kind of flying under the radar. And of all things, you see one of the believers in the mall and you go, oh, no.
Now I got to go to a meeting. Oh, I'm in town. Oh, poor soul.
That terrible must kill you. Not at all. That's that's not the spirit of this man.
Oh, God, give us. But I'll tell you something, brothers and sisters, we got them or we wouldn't be here today. We've got brethren that will seek out diligently, maybe not even well, not even even healthy and strong because they will seek them out.
Here's a man that found fellowship, found fellowship with someone in prison, with someone that had the whole of them. Not everybody was identifying themselves with the apostle at this time. Just as our brother Brandon was speaking yesterday.
Not everybody wanted to be identified with David. That was risky business. It was risky business.
Hey, it wasn't like today. Oh, you're with him. You'll throw you into.
There's always that risk. I says he sought me out and I just enjoyed that just recently, very diligently. God help us all of us today as we move amongst God's people.
It's rewarding. Maybe some old saint that hasn't had a visit for whatever days and you've sought them out diligently and you've gone there just to see them. Yes.
Yes. So what are we going to find when we leave this conference? What you're looking for? What are you looking for, brother? Want to find some fault? You'll find it. You like don't have to stumble out of this, out of here, this auditorium.
You'll find fault. You can find fault before the last hymn is given out, if you want to. Or do you want to find fulfillment? Fulfillment.
He filleth every glad heart. Find fulfillment isn't just finding the gathering center, but it's finding fulfillment in Christ. And then the ultimate of that will be the result of that, should I say, will be to find fellowship.
It was to say concerning those believers already read to us at this conference, they continued steadfastly the apostles doctrine, the fellowship, breaking bread and in prayers.
Sermon Outline
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I. Finding Fault
- Pharisees found fault with disciples over washing hands
- Finding fault is easy but often misguided
- Fault-finding often reflects rejection of the Lord
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II. Finding Fulfillment
- Disciples found fulfillment preparing the Passover as Jesus instructed
- Fulfillment comes from following Christ's Word, not human traditions
- True Christian gathering is based on the name of Jesus and Scripture
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III. Finding Fellowship
- Paul found fellowship even after hardships and shipwreck
- Fellowship among believers is a source of encouragement and strength
- Christian fellowship contrasts with worldly relationships
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IV. Practical Application
- Avoid quick criticism and be patient with others
- Seek to support and encourage rather than find fault
- Commit to faithful fellowship and following Christ's instructions
Key Quotes
“Generally speaking we find what we are looking for.” — Murray McCandless
“They found fault with him and that's why he cautioned them as he spoke to them about those that would be critical of them.” — Murray McCandless
“Don't smite a shepherd with your tongue, or the sheep will be scattered.” — Murray McCandless
Application Points
- Practice patience and self-examination before criticizing others.
- Seek fulfillment by faithfully following Christ’s instructions and gathering with believers.
- Value and nurture genuine Christian fellowship as a source of encouragement.
