Address—D. Andersen
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Shall We Sing Together #210?
One spirit with the Lord.
All blessed wondrous Word, What heavenly light? What power divine does that sweet Word afford? 210.
One Spirit.
Where?
Oh my God.
I would like to.
Make some remarks connected with the truth of the one body this afternoon.
And I trust that we might have it before us in such a way that it will be a help, especially to the young people.
One is exercised about this.
Because.
We see things happening around us and in our very midst to indicate.
That there must be a lack of knowledge of the truth of the one body, what it means to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the ground of the one body.
And although this is a large subject, I thought, I thought perhaps we might look at a few scriptures that would bring some things before us, and perhaps something especially of a practical nature because.
Truth in the abstract is all right, but I feel.
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That for myself and I'm sure.
Other of my brethren feel the same thing, that to put it forth in such a way that we might really get hold of it is another thing.
Perhaps we might know the truth in the abstract and really enjoy it, but I'm sure there are many who might have been exposed to the truth. They might have heard it, but perhaps it doesn't mean much to them, and I do hope that.
That by the guidance of the Spirit of God.
And as you bear me up in your prayers, that we might have something before us.
That would really be a help to us this afternoon.
Shall we look first of all in Ephesians chapter 4?
I'm going to read just 4 words.
In Ephesians chapter 4.
And verse 4.
There is one body.
Now, dear young people, I suppose most of you know that there is one body.
But perhaps.
You don't understand very much about the one body, the truth of the one body. But here a fact is stated. There is one body.
Now it doesn't say there are many bodies.
If you were to look around, and I'm sure you have in Christendom, you would get the impression that there are many bodies.
And outwardly so.
We do see many bodies of Christians, many circles of fellowship.
Many associations of believers, but the fact remains there is one body.
There were never two bodies. Three bodies, only one body.
Now this might be stated a little differently.
The body is 1, the body is 1, and I believe in this statement is contained. Also the truth that there's a unity here, the body is one that is when we're Speaking of the body.
As we'll see in another scripture we'll refer to momentarily.
The body is the church, and it's one. It's one. Not only is there one body, but it is one. It's a unity.
It's not a divided thing, but it is one.
And I believe we need to be impressed with this dear young people, that the church is 1. It's a unity. There's no division in it as far as God is concerned, the division that you see.
Is outwardly, and that which man has brought in it is certainly not what God has brought in. So we have brought before us what God does and what man does.
God forms one body, He forms one body. And that took place nearly 2000 years ago. But let's look at another verse here in Ephesians.
In chapter one.
In that.
Chapter In the last part of it especially you see what God has done for the Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks of his being raised from the dead and seated far above all principalities and powers, and so on. And then in verse 22 it says and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
The fullness of him that filleth All in all.
There.
We have the body mentioned again.
In verse 23 it speaks of his body, but it also says the church, which is his body. So here we find out that the body that the Apostle Paul speaks of here in Ephesians is the church, the church, the Church of God, and it has a head. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head.
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Now I'm glad that the Spirit of God has presented the church under the figure of a body.
And you can read about it in other scriptures. Perhaps we might refer to one later on in First Corinthians chapter 12.
But the Church is presented to us under the figure of a body, and every one of us is acquainted with a body. I'm Speaking of the human body. Each one of us has one, a human body with a head and members.
And so this is the figure that the Spirit of God uses in Scripture in Speaking of the Church, the Body, the body of Christ, the Church, which is His body.
We might turn back to Matthew Chapter 16.
And we'll find out something about the church there, which is the body of Christ.
I believe this is the first time.
That the Church is mentioned.
In Scripture, actually you don't find the Church as such.
As the Body of Christ mentioned in the Old Testament, you have types and shadows of it. It's true, but you don't get the truth of the church in the Old Testament and even though you might find in some of your Bibles.
When you're looking at the headings over the chapters, sometimes they're heading supplied by the editors of certain Bible and they put these things in and they're not part of the inspired word of God, but you will find expressions.
Saying that this is the church and this is speaking about the church and so on. Well, you don't find the truth of the church in the Old Testament. However, now that we know the truth of the church, we can go back into the Old Testament and we can find principles and helps and instruction from it. But here in this chapter, chapter 16 of Matthew.
In verse 15, the Lord asks his disciples a question.
He says. Whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter, as he does.
Has done on other occasions. He rises to the occasion and he answers.
He says Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. What a statement.
Now when Peter makes that statement, he really goes beyond what we have, like in the second Psalm. And how did he get it? Who revealed this to him? Well, the Lord says, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven.
Peter got a special revelation from the Father.
And then the Lord says, Thou art Peter, meaning a little stone.
Then he says, and upon this rock I will build my church, the revelation of the Father.
To us concerning his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
There is the rock. He is the foundation rock upon which the Church is built, the revelation that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, and of course, including also that He's our Savior, our Redeemer, and so on.
Here in this statement, the Lord says I will build my church. That means that the church hadn't been built yet.
Even though there's some that would refer to the church in the Old Testament.
And speak of Israel as a church and that the body of Christians now is just a continuation of that body in the Old Testament. It's not. So the church was still future here. The Lord says I will build my church. It wasn't built yet. The Lord hadn't begun to build. And notice he says my church, my church, the church doesn't belong to anyone here on this earth, doesn't belong to any man.
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Even though there are many that might refer to this congregation as my church and that body of Christians as my church.
The Lord says it's mine, my church. Remember, the church belongs to Christ. It's his body.
Now, you dear young people.
You who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
You have believed in him and received him, and you're saved. But the Scripture says having believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
And the moment you were sealed, you were united to the body of Christ. You were made a member of the body of Christ. You're part of that church that the Lord Jesus Christ is building.
If you're not saved this afternoon, you're not part of that church.
You may have made a profession.
Of being a Christian.
But are you really saved?
Have you really believed in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Have you confessed Jesus as Lord? And have you believed in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead?
Do you believe that the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was shed for you?
That you might have your sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus.
You know, if you've not had your sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ.
The Holy Spirit cannot come to dwell in your heart, and it cannot be said that you are saved. It cannot be said that you are a member of the Body of Christ, the Church.
Now we might look at another scripture, Matthew 18, because the Church is mentioned there as well.
In verse, it begins with verse 15, and it's in connection with a personal trespass.
One trespassing against another and there to get this thing settled between them and if it's not possible.
Even after bringing witnesses along to get the matter settled between the two. Then it says in verse 17, if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the church, the church.
The Church.
Is the body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their people. It's not a building.
You can refer to a church building. You can refer to a building where the church meets. That is where the children of God meet.
But to call a building a church is not scriptural.
The Church is made-up of human beings.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And one scripture in Acts.
Chapter 11, verse 22 brings before us that the church has ears. Well, who is it that has ears? The believers, The members of the body? Human beings who are saved and belong to that body. They're the ones who have the ears. So the church is made-up of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But in this case.
In Matthew 18.
We noticed that there's somebody in the midst.
Of these who were gathered together.
It says in verse 24 where two or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them, in the midst of whom this church, this group of believers.
And it says something about them in verse 18 and 19. It says whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This is Speaking of authority that's confided to this group that's called the Church.
And where do they get this authority? They get it from the fact that there's one in their midst.
The Lord Jesus Christ, that's where the authority is, and the Lord Jesus.
Then the body of believers themselves there's no authority, and without the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst, they have no authority.
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He is the authority. It's his name that stands for authority.
The name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Should symbolize to everyone of US authority, power.
You remember in the book of the Acts?
When there were healings done, miracles performed, it was done in the name of the Lord Jesus, because it's the name of power and authority.
And so if there's a matter that has to be settled in the assembly, it can be settled in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by his authority. Well, that makes the company of believers very careful what they do.
What decision they make, Because it has to be done in the name of the Lord. They must claim the name of the Lord His authority connected with it. And so it means that we have to be very, very careful. And if there's dependence upon the Lord, it's wonderful what the Lord can help us to do. Even though we're in a very, very weak condition, If we would just lean upon the Lord and cry to Him and trust Him, he will help us in making those decisions.
Whether they're happy decisions or sad decisions.
The Lord gives grace and strength for it all.
Now it speaks about prayer.
Too, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. There's power in prayer. Not only power for making decisions in the assembly, but there's power in prayer too. How wonderful to have the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst.
To guide us and help us and empower us in all that we do.
And seek to do for his honor and his glory.
While we could dwell more on this verse.
The 20th verse, but I want to go on to something else because before we know it the time is gone and.
We were mentioning.
In connection with what we have in Matthew 16 that the building of the church was future. So let's go over to Acts Chapter 2.
And we'll see there the beginning of the building.
Of the Church.
Acts Chapter 2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like us of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues.
As the Spirit gave them utterance.
This was a momentous occasion.
This was the day of Pentecost.
And.
It's remarkable thing that when you read in the book of Ezekiel, you'll read about other feasts, but not the feast of Pentecost. You'll read about other feasts to be fulfilled, but not this one. It was fulfilled here, and I believe that's what's meant when it says fully come. It was fulfilled. The day of Pentecost had come.
And the Lord began to build his church.
Now they have been told these disciples.
As we read in the first chapter.
Verse 4.
They had been told to wait for the promise of the Father, which the Lord said, You have heard of me. What was that promise? Was the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because he says, John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. So the Lord was Speaking of a baptism here, but it wasn't the baptism of water, it was the baptism.
Of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism with the Holy Ghost.
There is something else said in connection with.
With the Holy Spirit's coming in verse 8, ye shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me.
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So there are three things brought before us in connection with the coming of the Holy Ghost. The 1St is the baptism, the next is that they were to have power and they were to be enabled to witness for the Lord.
I believe in Christendom, generally speaking.
The real purpose, the primary purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit, has been lost sight of.
They're looking for the power, yes, and they're seeking to be unable to witness for the law, but the baptism.
They don't understand, it seems. I trust we understand it. I trust that we are able to lay hold upon this.
But we read a very simple statement in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He says by 1 spirit.
Are we all baptized into one body?
And it was this baptism that took place.
As we are reading of it in Chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost.
It says.
In verse 4.
They were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Well, there was a sign that he had come, that the Holy Spirit had come down to this earth.
And it was a sign that he had done the work that he had come to do to baptize all these believers into one body.
You notice it says in the first chapter there were about 120 that were gathered together there in the upper room.
And we take it that that was the company that was filled with the Holy Ghost.
It speaks of cloven tongues appearing to them.
And sitting upon each of them and it says that they were like as a fire.
Well, the cloven tongues would indicate that he gave the power to speak with other tongues.
But what about the fire?
Ah, that's that's the piercing character.
But the Holy Spirit brings with him, as it were. That is, the Spirit of God can speak the soul. He can speak and Pierce right into the very heart of human beings.
But here were these 120 or so on the day of Pentecost.
And while they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, all of a sudden come and a house.
Is filled where they're sitting.
What happened?
As we look at those 120 there in that upper room.
They are so many separate individuals independent one of another. They do have something in common. They're all believers and the word of God. They're all believers in God. They're all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They all have divine light.
That is what?
Is the common characteristics of them, but still they are not united together into one body.
There are so many separate individual believers independent one of another.
When the Holy Spirit, sent down from the Lord Jesus Christ above, comes down and indwells every one of them, what happened? All these believers are baptized into one body.
All united together into one body, which is called the Church, the Church of the Living God.
You have now something you didn't have before. You have a body of believers. It would never show with Israel. There were many believers among the Israelites, but it never could be said that they were one body in that sense that they were united together by the Holy Spirit. They were shepherd, individual believers, and they had life as believers, but not united together by the Holy Spirit.
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They had things in common, yes, but it's one thing to have some things in common and it's another thing to be united together.
Thinking again of the one body, the human body is united together into one unity.
All united together into one unit, there's a picture of what was formed on the day of Pentecost.
One body. And not only were they all united together.
They were also united to the Lord Jesus Christ to head up in heaven because that's where the Holy Spirit was sent from.
And so you had a body now with members and a head.
You get to picture young people a body.
We might use another illustration which has been used before.
We might have 120 beads in a dish.
And those beads are just rolling around in the dish.
They're not united together.
But they have something in common. We might say they're all pearls. They have that in common. They might be different sizes and they all have a hole in them they've been pierced through and there they are, rolling around in the dish.
They're independent deeds, independent pearls.
Now you take a needle and thread.
And you string the mall onto that thread.
And when you have all the 120 beads on the thread, you tie it and you hang it around your neck and you say now I have a necklace.
But you have something different from what you had before, when the beats were simply rolling around in the dish.
They were all independent one of another then, but not now. Now they're all united together by the one thread that goes through them all.
Short was with these believers. Before the Holy Spirit came, they were independent one of another. But as soon as the Holy Spirit came and indwelt them all, they were all united together into one body called the Church.
I believe we need.
To know this truth and to have this truth get hold of us.
And it's a wonderful thing for you young people to know.
That when you really believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him as your Savior, you're sealed by the Spirit of God.
And by that you're united to the body of Christ.
You're a member.
Of his body.
I believe here on the day of Pentecost.
There were only Jews that were united together.
And we find that as the gospel was preached, that it brought conviction to other Jews.
And there were there were others that believed and.
We find that the there were about 3000, so there was a good company there to begin with. But they were all one body, all united together into one body. But it was at that time what some might have said a Jewish body.
But was it God's mind to have only a Jewish body?
It was God's purpose that the gospel should go forth to everyone.
It was God's purpose to call out from among all nations of people for His name.
And these Jewish believers?
Many of them, perhaps.
All of them didn't really understand that the body.
Was going to have more than just Jews in it.
But if you'll turn over to the 8th chapter of Acts.
You find that there's a man by the name of Saul. He's leading a great persecution.
And the children of God are being persecuted and scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
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Except the apostles. They were not scattered. They stayed at Jerusalem, apparently.
Stephen had been stoned.
And it seemed that the stoning of Stephen just opened up a great persecution against the children of God. Of course, Stephen had laid a charge against the Jews, and they didn't like it, and it seemed to stir up their hatred more than ever.
But God has his way in all of these difficulties and trials, And when these disciples went everywhere, they went preaching the gospel.
And so we find in verse five that Philip went down to the city of Samaria.
And preach Christ unto them. Well, that was really something for Philip to do that because.
We find out from the 4th chapter of John's Gospel connection with the story of the.
Woman at the well met by the Lord that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. They were outside, they were not in, they were out.
And they couldn't be recognized by the Jews. They were looked upon as defiled outside all the promises and the covenants of Israel. They had no right to any of the things that belonged to the Jews.
But Philip goes down there and preaches Christ to them. And there was what he sometimes called revival. Down there, souls were saved.
And it says in verse.
Eight. There was great joy in that city.
Great joy because they heard the gospel, they believed it, and they were saved and they got the joy that accompanies salvation.
Now there were some believers in Samaria.
Were they to be recognized?
By the believers in Jerusalem.
There was real test coming now, all those who had believed in Jerusalem.
Were now members of the one body, the Church. What about these at Samaria?
Some might say, Well, what should we do about them? Shall we recognize them? They believe the same gospel that we have believed. What about them?
Well, as you go on down.
In the chapter.
We read that verse 14 when the apostles which were Jerusalem heard.
That Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.
Who, when they were come, come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost, now God, in his sovereignty.
Had not given those Samaritan believers the Holy Ghost.
As yet.
Oh, it's wonderful to see the sovereignty of God in connection with the building of the church, the formation of the church, and adding these other kinds of believers to the church.
No, they must not receive the Holy Spirit until there is some identification with the body already in Jerusalem.
And so the Holy Spirit wasn't falling upon them yet.
And then the apostles they sent down Peter and John.
And when Peter and John come down, they pray for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
So these believers in Samaria.
Receive the Holy Ghost when the Saints at Jerusalem show their hand of fellowship with them, show that they're identified with them. They lay their hands on, which is a sign of identification, and they say we acknowledge these as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they pray for them and they get the Holy Ghost.
Oh, how wise of God.
Why? If God had not ordered it this way, what would have happened?
If those Samaritans could have received the Holy Spirit and made members of the body.
Of Christ before there was this identification indicated by Jerusalem. Why?
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We can just imagine what would have happened. They would have said, well, we have a church at Jerusalem, the Jerusalem church, and we have and there's a church at Samaria, the Samaritan Church, and they wouldn't have felt any responsibility or obligation to go on in fellowship together.
You see how?
God was guarding this matter of keeping the unity of the Spirit right from the very beginning. Now they didn't have Pauls teaching to direct them in these matters. Pauls teaching comes out afterward like we have in Ephesians chapter 4, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. But this is actually what they were doing.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and God was guarding the Church from the very beginning.
That we might see how important it is that there is one body and to act like one body.
Now if you go over to the 10th chapter.
You have Gentiles brought in, and we see the same care that God has.
In connection with the Gentiles.
Here is a man by the name of Cornelius.
And it tells us about him. I'm reading from Acts chapter 10. In verse two it says he was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God all way.
Well, he had learned something about God.
And he was a devout man. He feared God.
Which I believe indicates that he was a believer in God. He had that which is needed.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and he had the beginning of it, and he was a praying man.
And.
God acknowledges this. It says in verse 4.
Thy prayers and thine arms are come up for memorial before God. This is what the Angel tells him.
His.
Prayer and his arms giving was recognized by God. It wasn't just something that he was doing to merit eternal life.
Oh, it was something that was part of him. He was a real believer.
And he feared God and he was praying. And his prayers didn't go just to the ceiling. They went further than that. Sometimes our prayers don't go very high, do they?
Well.
I trust that we might pray in the Spirit and that God will hear our prayers.
But God wanted to give this man the gospel. How is he going to do it?
Well, if you read the chapter, you find out how God does it. Wonderful. The way God works and Cornelius is told to send to Java.
To get to get help, and at the same time Peter is given a vision by the Lord that he might be ready to give the help.
You know, Peter was prejudice and when this sheet was seen descending down to the earth.
Earth verse 12. It says there were all manner 4 footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowl of the air.
And a voice said to Peter, Rise, kill and eat. Peter says not so, Lord, for I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean. But the voice said, what? God has cleansed that call not thou common? Well, of course it was clean. It came down from heaven, didn't it?
That would indicate that it was clean. It was fit for heaven, so it must be fit for Peter to eat. There wasn't anything defiling about that.
Now this was a lesson that Peter had to learn. This was a lesson, no doubt, that all Jewish believers had to learn because they looked upon Gentiles as defiled.
Well, they had been taught that in the Old Testament.
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But now a different dispensation had been.
Be gone and God was going to cleanse Gentiles.
And make them fit for this fellowship that had already been begun on the day of Pentecost.
So Peter and others with him, we find out that there were six that went along. You read that over in the 11Th chapter there were 6 presidents that went along with Peter. So there was a good representation of Jewish believers that went over there from Jerusalem.
And when they they came to the House of Cornelius immediately.
They they preached the gospel. To Cornelius, he needed the gospel. He hadn't heard the gospel, but he needed the gospel, that he might be saved, that he might receive the Holy Spirit and become part of the body of Christ. So Peter says, and we'll read from verse 43 to him, Give all the prophets witness that through his name, that is the name of Jesus, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
While Peter yet speaks these words.
The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. So the Holy Ghost came upon these in the House of Cornelius, these believers. But they must hear the gospel first. Oh, I believe if there's anyone in any part of the world that's really exercised. And he is doing what Cornelius was doing, fearing God, praying.
Being devoted to God, God will send such the gospel.
We had one young fellow down in the Congo that way. His name was Mushoki. He came to our mission station, he said. I've walked for two days to come to the mission station because I don't believe in the idolatry of my parents and the people of my village, he says. I don't believe it's right to bow down to those idols, but I believe there's a God up in heaven who made everything, and I want to believe in him. I want to trust in him, I want to honor him, I want to worship him.
Well, I believe God put it in his heart to come, and as soon as he came, we gave him the gospel and he believed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was saved. I believe God has these perhaps here and there in the world.
And if there are any, God will see to it that they're given the gospel.
Well, here were these six brethren and Peter, and they witnessed this.
They witnessed the Holy Ghost coming upon these Gentile believers.
This was something very strange to them. Oh, I'm sure they wondered, because it says here. And they of the circumcision, which believe were astonished as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Imagine it. No doubt they were saying. Imagine God giving the Holy Ghost to these Gentiles.
These dogs, these defiled people.
Well, it was. It was such a wonderful thing. It was so very evident to them. But God was doing that they couldn't gain safe because later on, when Paul is, Peter is recounting this to the to the brethren at Jerusalem. Some who wouldn't wouldn't accept that the Gentiles should be brought in. Peter says we just couldn't.
With standard.
In verse 15 of Chapter 11 he says, When I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, and as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the Word of the Lord. How that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost For as much then as God gave them the like gift, as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. What was I that I could withstand God? What Peter and those that were with him couldn't withstand God?
And when they heard these things, those others at Jerusalem, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life? Now it seems that they began to rejoice in it, that grace was going out to everybody.
The vine had crept over the wall that we read about.
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In the Old Testament, the vine of God's grace went over the wall, reaching out to the Gentiles, reaching out to everybody.
And so God, as Peter says, in another place.
Was calling out from among all nations a people for his name. Now why have we been going into these practical examples of what took place?
From the day of Pentecost on to show how God was brooding over hovering over the church in the beginning.
To make it very plain.
That they were all one body. Whether they were Jewish believers or Samaritan believers or Gentile believers, they were all one body.
And that God averted any possibility of there being three bodies, a body of Jews, a body of Samaritans, and a body of Gentiles.
Now man has come in today and he has made separate bodies.
How sad.
Does the body has been divided, and we speak of that as the outward aspect of the body. The church outwardly has been divided into many parts. But this was not God's thought at all, that the church should be divided into denominations and divisions and sets and parties and so on. No, it was not God's thought, because the body is one, there is one body.
Now we might go to Ephesians chapter 4 again.
And justice dwell forbid on our responsibility. We are members of one body, and to put it plainly and simply, God says now act like it, act like it. That's really what we have here in Ephesians chapter 4.
I, therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocations were with your call. Walk worthy of Our Calling is a heavenly calling. We've been united to the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory, and we're all members of that one body, and we're one body. What a calling we have. It's a heavenly calling.
But it's a calling in one body to as we have in Colossians.
With all lowliness.
And meekness with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Isn't this what they have to do in the beginning? Well, there had to be loneliness and meekness and long-suffering and forbearing to allow the Samaritans to be recognized as members of the one body, and also for the Gentiles to be recognized as members of the one body. And there were some that were not so lowly and meek and long-suffering us, and forbearing at Jerusalem as others might have been.
But the truth of God, and the fact of what God had done as stated by Peter, was so convincing that they had to recognize that they were also members of the one body.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. In the bond of peace are uniting bond of peace. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit. Now that word endeavour, I believe, is a word that brings before us.
Something like there has to be a trying to do it. It has to be a matter of exercise of our hearts to put this thing into practice that we are one body.
And it's left in such a way.
That word endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit.
That if there's not this endeavor, there's going to be failure.
And how much failure there's been in connection with keeping the unity of the spirit.
Now we can't do anything with keeping the unity of the body that's already formed. The one body has been formed from the day of Pentecost on, and if anyone gets saved at these meetings, you in turn too will be united to that body made a member of the body of Christ.
There's still one body.
But.
You have a responsibility from then on as soon as you're made a member of that body.
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To keep the unity of the spirit.
The Spirit of God.
Will not bring into fellowship.
Anything that's contrary to himself as the spirit of truth or the spirit of holiness.
Or the spirit of life?
The.
We receive souls into fellowship. Someone says I would like to be at the Lord's table. I would like to remember the Lord show his death. The Lord has made that request and I want to answer to his request.
Well, after a while after that one has been talked to, everything is clear to the assembly. He's received into fellowship. He's received into fellowship.
The Holy Spirit is the one who leads a soul to except Christ as Savior. A Holy Spirit is the one who leads the soul to take his place with the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst and to sit at His table to remember Him. It's the Holy Spirit that leads to this. If you're saved, the Holy Spirit has pointed you to Christ as your Savior. If you are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you're at the Lord's table.
I trust it was the Holy Spirit.
That led you there?
Now I recognize that it's possible for some to take their place at the Lord's table without knowing. Definitely the leading of the Spirit of God. Perhaps they do it because brother is there, mother is there, Father's there, sister is there, some friend is there.
The Spirit of God when he brings you to the Lord's table.
Will put before you the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will point out that the Lord Jesus Christ is there, that he is the center of gathering.
But where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he is in the midst. And if you're coming there as being led by the Spirit of God, you will see the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst. And you will also see that we're gathered on the ground of the one body, not a separate, independent individual.
Now I hear from time to time of some who leave the fellowship of Saints gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the ground of the one body, and they go elsewhere.
It seems that what is coming out in some cases is that they want an independent path. They want a larger path as they speak of it.
They have forgotten that as members of the Body of Christ, we have a responsibility one to another. We have a responsibility to the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is no such thing, as far as God is concerned, as independency in the body of Christ.
And that goes into many avenues.
Perhaps you feel that you want to do the work of the Lord.
You want to go serve the Lord in some capacity.
Perhaps the brethren speak to you and say, well, we feel that you're not.
Ready yet? For that we believe you ought to stay around in the assembly a while and learn some of the principles of God in the assembly and his ways in the assembly. This is what we have to tell young brother Edward over in Accra. He wanted to be in the Lord's work. We said we feel it would be better for you just to remain here in the assembly and learn God's ways in the assemblies and learn that the principles of God connected with the assembly and so on because the assembly.
The church where we're gathered together in assembly around the Lord Jesus Christ.
What better school is there? What better training place is there than that to prepare us for the work of the Lord? So, so the Brethren say we feel that you should just wait a while. Perhaps you're not disposed to wait a while and you strike out on your own independently.
This is not according to the truth of the one body. No, it's not according to the truth of the one body. And this might affect us in different ways.
But may the Lord help us?
To know that we're one body members, one of another, and of Christ the head in glory, and act like members of one body, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. Now we said that the Spirit will not lead you to any place that is not a place of holiness or a place according to the truth.
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Because he's the spirit of holiness and he's the spirit of truth.
And you can find many places today.
Where you might think it'd be nice to go, but always ponder this.
There's a holiness, there is the truth. There are they gathered on the ground of one body? Do they recognize the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst? Are they acting like members one of another if a person is put out of fellowship in one assembly?
Can you go over to the next one and be received there? Or does that other assembly say no, you're out over there and you don't come with a letter of combination?
Commendation. We can't receive you here.
If we adhere to this blessed fact that we're one body and seek grace from God to act upon it, it will save us from a lot of confusion. But as it was in the days of judges, so it is in this day. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And when we get into a state like that, confusion is going to come in among us. Oh, May God help us to put the Lord Jesus Christ 1St and remember.
That were members of his body. He is the head remembers one of another. And we're not to act independently of the Lord, nor of one another. All much more could be said. But I trust that these scriptures we've had before us and the few remarks made might be a help to us.