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Asians 4 first four.
Could I suggest that we read until the end of the 16th verse as it completes the sentence and gives an application of what we have before these chapter 4 and verse four. There is one body.
And one spirit, even as you are called, and one Pope, and you are calling 1 Lord, 1 faith, one baptism.
One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.
But under everyone of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he said, When he has set it up on high, he left captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
The descendant is the same author that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
And he gave some apostles and some prophets, some are graduates and some pastors and teachers.
For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, so we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.
Unto a perfect man, under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried upon with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of man, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive.
Speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things which is ahead. Even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplier, according to the effect you were working in the measure of every part make an increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love. A brother Christ just requested that those who take part would speak up because having a little.
System it's not functioning exactly as it should. So as always that take part would please speak up as much as possible.
In the fourth verse, in the fifth verse, and then the sixth verse, we get three circles. Starts out with a small circle.
Goes on to a wider circle and then to the very widest circle.
The 1St circle in the fourth verse there is one body and one spirit. Even as we are called in one hope of His calling, there is what is vital.
Each in that circle is the true believer.
A member of the body of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, with one hope before them in the next circle.
5th Verse 1 Lord 1 Faith one baptism. There is a circle of profession. So as we well know, all who are baptized are not all true believers, those who are saved and baptized.
Our believers, but those who are, who have submitted to the right of baptism without conversion or in that circle.
And then there is a still wider circle.
One God and father of all their God has looked at in the sense that He is supreme over every human being.
In all the world, it takes in every individual the world over one God and Father of of all, who is above all and through all. And then he returns to the 1St circle in you all.
So we get those circles. I was looking at the circles here. Here we have a small circle and we have a much wider circle. And then if we had a still wider circle, we'd get the thought in these three buses.
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I suppose you have the same thing in chapter 5 of Revelation, don't we?
The inner cycles, then the angels, then the people on earth, and then the whole universe.
It is very blessed to notice that while it says one God, which is true, but then in Christianity we have the Trinity revealed and that's what we have on this world. In verse six we have one God the Father.
In verse three we have the Holy Spirit and in verse five we have the Lord Jesus. Affinity is mentioned here, isn't it? There is one God, absolutely, but then in Christianity we have revealed that this in one God we have three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. What we have in Revelation though, is a little bit different. What is brought before us here is the circle in which the testimony of Christianity is rendered.
Now that is, there is that which is real.
There is Thou, which is profession, but the gospel is to all mankind, for only in the sixth verse it only refers to the human race. That is, God is not spoken of as the father of animals. He is the source of life to animals.
Man is the offspring of God. God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And so these three circles are mentioned here because he follows on to show that testimony which is rendered in the world. Those who are saved are to be instructed and encouraged, but the evangelist goes out. In the sphere of his work is the whole world.
Going into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Saw that He is bringing this before us here before showing the fact that Christ gone up on high as we have in the second chapter. The middle wall of partition is broken down. The gospel goes out now to all, but the purpose of ministry is not only that soul should be saved, but as we see that they might grow up under Him in all things.
As we have also in Timothy, who will have all men to be saved.
And to come to the knowledge of the truth, I want a blessed thing. It is when those who are saved are brought on to see the full results of that victory that was won at the cross, the full blessing that is ours because of that work. For in Ephesians we are seen as blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ. Wouldn't it be good to say something as to those circles in Revelation, Brother Murphy?
Well, in the 5th chapter of Revelation we have the four and 20 elders who represent the redeemed, and that is of course all the New Testament Saints. All who share in the heavenly blessing will sing redemption song. Thou art worthy, for thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. And then we have the angels not occupying the same near place to the throne.
But they don't join in the singing, but they sing of the worthiness of his cry, of Christ, and of his power.
But the whole of creation shares in the result of what Christ has accomplished, as we have in the eighth of Romans. The whole creation now groans and travels in pain together until now. But what are they waiting for? Well, it tells us that they wait for the manifestation of the sons of God. And when?
The Lord Jesus has His rightful place. The whole of creation will benefit be brought into blessing as the result.
Now what has been accomplished at the cross, and then what is brought about through the Lord Jesus, the one who takes His rightful place as the center of it all? Or perhaps we're all acquainted with the 4th of Revelation gives us Christ rights as Creator. Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. The 5th chapter gives us His rights as Redeemer. He has.
Bought the field, and He has redeemed the people to himself. Then the chapters that follow show us how through judgment He takes that place that is His until all is brought in. And when all is brought in subjection under him, then it tells us that He delivers up the Kingdom to the Father. The 1St man brought in all the ruin. The 2nd man sets everything right.
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Without it, glory to God.
Associates with himself are redeemed people and that seed of blessing which is brought in will be for all eternity. I was thinking, since that especially requested, that the ministry might be at the level of the young people.
That in speaking about, there is one body and one spirit, that we should understand just what is referred to here.
One body, one spirit. Now in the end of the first chapter there's no question about the meaning of the body, for it says there and have a 22nd verse and have put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.
For its souls that the body.
Is the church, and in speaking about the church has the body of Christ, we get very helpful on important instruction.
In the 10th chapter of First Corinthians, No, it's it's not the the 1St chapter, but.
12Th chapter. Thank you brother. 12Th chapter of First Corinthians.
And the 12Th verse, all the 11Th verse, but all things worketh that one and self safe spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ.
Or by 1 spirit are we all baptized?
Into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.
Seeing that the body is the church, we're clearly taught in this way how we get into the Church of golf by 1 Spirit. Are we all baptized into one body?
Now the baptism has taken place.
When the Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost, he baptized all that were present there into one body.
Now that the body is formed by the coming of the Spirit, those who are saved are admitted into that circle that's formed by the Spirit of God, so that any poor Sinner who comes to Christ lost and guilty and accepts.
The Lord Jesus as a personal Savior.
He immediately becomes a member of the body of Christ. Now as well. To see that the body is not an organization. The thought of the church as an organization.
So permeated Christendom that many can think of it in no other way than it's a church organization.
Well, an organization is something that's formed by man and in connection with human affairs is very important and necessary, for if a school is run, it must be organized or I couldn't function.
When you think of the church, beloved, such a precious subject. It's not an organization, it's an Organism that is, it's a body, and we got into that body by the Holy Spirit. As soon as we're saved, new crisis, our Savior.
And now when we consider what is so popular in Christendom, speaking about joining a church.
Well, where do we find in the Word of God anything about joining the church? You'll not find it. In fact, the word joining doesn't have a very, very happy thought. The prodigal joined himself to a citizen of the far country. There you get some joining.
So we didn't join the body of Christ, we were brought into it by the Spirit when we were saved.
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And now being in that body, suppose they had one has accepted Christ. And he looks around and he sees a company of so-called Christians that where perhaps they have a fundamental creature and and he would like to be with those Christians. And he goes and joins that organization. What has he done?
He has joined something the Spirit of God has nothing to do with. Now isn't that solemn, brother and we are speaking about?
Ones the conduct and behavior and as associating with with that which is a contradiction of the truth of the one body. When I was a young man, I used to occasionally drop into.
Sectarian meeting until an older brother said this to me, he said. Do you realize that when you go into a hand to a church?
So-called that you're going into a place where the Holy Spirit is denied. That is, they have a man put in the place of the Holy Spirit. Well, you know, after that brother spoke to me in that way, I've never gone into a into a sectarian meeting from that day to this.
Because it struck me so forcibly to go to a place where God the Holy Spirit has denied His place was too serious a matter for me to have anything to do with. Well, I just say that as to my own experience. Doesn't the language of scripture connect connection there that the Lord added to the church, such as should be saved?
We get it in two two places in Acts chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2 and verse 41. Then they they gladly received his word, were baptized.
And the same day they were added unto them about 3000 souls, and the last sentence of that same chapter. And the Lord added to the Church daily, such as should be saved.
It's far different from joining us. The Lord who's at it.
16th verse of our chapter says from whom the whole body fitly joined together. There is a joining, but it's not by man, it's what the Holy Spirit has done. Yes, it's very important to see that the fourth verse is really the action of the Spirit of God. There is one body, and by 1 spirit we are all baptized into one body.
And unless we get clear in connection with this truth, we will not understand what is our responsibility and connection with giving expression to this. We must first of all know what God has done.
I can't act as a Christian until I see what God has done to me, a Christian that is to save me through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. And this is all his work. He does the work in the soul. He gives new life. The precious blood of Christ cleanses away sin. Why? I'm fitted for the presence of God, but it's all through the work of Christ.
And all responsibility flows from where God placed me in His grace.
Now this is also true as to the body of Christ. It's by the indwelling of the Spirit of God that one is united to every other believer in Christ and to Christ the head in glory. Now the responsibility comes in. How can we give expression to this in a collective way? Well, in First Corinthians 10 it says.
Are we being many are one bread, one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
So when one sees what it is to be a member of the body of Christ, then there is a scriptural way to give expression to it. And that is, as our brother has remarked, not to become a member of some organization that men have formed, but to meet as members of the body of Christ in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And this is the way that we give expression to it.
Saw that perhaps we could say a scripturally gathered people don't join.
They don't join the body of Christ by coming among us. We receive them because the Lord Himself is already made them members of His body by the Spirit, and we simply receive them as it says in Romans chapter 14. Receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
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And we may with one mind and one mouth, glorify God, that is, we meet together in this way as members of the body of Christ. And to be God's assembly it must express this truth. And the truth of God must be the ground of its existence. And this is very important for us to realize, because when one is exercised, he first of all sees what God has done in making.
Member of the body of Christ, then he seeks through the Scripture to find what is the way that he can meet according to the word of God to give expression to this glorious truth. So I believe it's most important because there's so much in Christmas. You get saved, you join something.
Well, it's not that when you're saved, you are joined to the Lord. He that is joined to the Lord is 1 Spirit. Now, it's our privilege to seek to give expression to this, and I believe that's involved in this third verse where it says endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
We're not endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. If we join some organization that in practice that divides the Church of God. We must, if we would endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit, be gathered then according to the spirits, work as members of the body of Christ.
And then isn't this lovely in the last of the verse? I think it's most touching that the Spirit of God brings this before us because he could have simply said there is one body and one spirit. But he says even as you are called in one hope of your calling, if man has failed in the expression of this and all, how much failure there has been. And as we remarked yesterday, we're part of that common failure.
Yet there is such a thing as a path that is, according to the word, amid the rule I'm. Yet we gladly look on to this blessed time.
What is the hope of Our Calling all brethren, we look forward not to just seeing a company like this gathered together, but to seeing the whole company the church presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. What a moment that will be when the Lord Jesus gives the shout.
And as it says, our gathering together unto him, not one member of the body will be missing there. And this is the hope that we have before us. But there is a path while we wait that time.
I'm sure others have had the same experience. Perhaps you've met a man on the train reading his Bible and you know, sit down by him and almost instantly you'll find he's a child of God.
And you begin to talk about Christ, and immediately our hearts are knit together.
And you soon find we have the same hope. There may be much darkness, there may be little apprehension of the Lord coming in the air, but still there is that hope of being in heaven with Christ and with the redeemed. I only had one occasion in my life to find a man reading his Bible that wasn't real. Some man crossed the aisle reading his Bible.
That man does not look like a Christian. So I went and talked to him and I found in a few minutes he was immortal. He wasn't a Christian at all. So whenever there's a real Christian, almost instantly his face lights up when you mention the Lord Jesus and you find you have the same hope. I was glad a moment ago you used the expression.
Secular establishment or leading to that thought.
Because.
We find today that there are many things that would meet outside the ornamentation of Christendom, and yet the thing that must be looked for is are they actually looking for the leading of the Spirit or is some other individual just taken up to that which borders on the truth and is drawing innocent souls in? I believe that this is something that's good instruction for us today. We meet many companies who are meeting in homes.
And yet by prayerful consideration of those things that go on, we find that the secular establishment has just been brought into the home and it's bringing in souls that might otherwise really seek out the truth. And so it must be that leading of the one Spirit as as you brought before us, brethren, and I speak particularly for young folks that are looking for something that's different, trying to search and to find.
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Well, just because it doesn't meet with all of the grandeur of that which we call the Established Church.
Don't be deceived by it. There must be still a seeking of the Spirit of God and A and a yielding to the Word of God in order to be directed in the right way.
In our fourth verse it says there is one body and one spirit. Why does it say 1 spirit? Why does it say one body and one savior?
You tell Brother Barry. Well, I I don't have to know. I just asked the question. The only thought I have is that.
The the work of the Spirit is what is before us now, after a person has come to know the Lord, a Savior, and it's by that Spirit's work that the body is formed. That's the only thought I have, but I would like to be cleared on that.
And others might be helped. Well, I believe that's what it is. It says by 1 Spirit we are all baptized into one body, so that it's the work of the Spirit of God in this world to gather out a bride for Christ. And when he has completed that work, and the bride will be brought home and presented like the servant who went to get a bride for Isaac. Then he returned and the bride is presented to Isaac a picture of Christ.
And saw the Spirit of God is in this world, gathering out a bride for Christ. And by 1 Spirit we are all baptized into one body. Perhaps we should say a little bit about this being baptized by the Spirit, because there's a great deal of confusion about this in Christendom.
And as our brother briefly remarked on the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit was the formation of the body of Christ on earth. And if you read in the first chapter of Acts, you will see that the Lord, before he went away, told him that this would take place. He shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence. And so the Spirit of God came down on the day of Pentecost. And you'll.
That whenever it speaks of the baptism of the Spirit, it never speaks of it in an individual way, but always in the collective sense. It was by the baptism of the Holy Spirit that the Church of God was formed. Also. Another thing that is very perplexing in these days is the question of tongues about if we see what was taking place. I believe we can see how very significant this was too.
If you read in First Corinthians 14 it says.
Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. We know that many who are taken up with the tongues are looking for it as a sign to themselves that they have the Holy Spirit. But the scripture makes it clear that it was not assigned to those that believe, but to those that believe not. That is when the Lord Jesus.
Preached, he said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
He told the disciples going out into the way of the Gentiles and into any cities of the Samaritans, and are not, but going rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. But something wonderful happened on the day of Pentecost. The middle wall of partition was about to be broken down.
And God was going to show and did show that now there would be a reaching out beyond that nation. That sign was given as a particular thing to that people. You read there in First Corinthians 14, he mentions the Old Testament prophecy with men of other tongues and other lips. Will I speak to this people? And yet for all that, they will not hear. So he showed that He was going to reach out beyond Israel.
And bring him from the nations. And the blessing of the Gentile is clearly seen when the gift of tongues was given. And we see this brought before us in the Acts, when we see the beginning on earth of the blessed and wonderful fact that.
The body of Christ was not to be of that nation, only about Jew and Gentile were to be brought into one body. Babel was reversed.
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Gift of tongues was given. Well, some say, why doesn't the Scripture particularly tell us that it would not continue? Well, brother, and I think there's a very simple answer to that. The Lord never put the hope of His return beyond the lifetime of any believers.
And they were to look for the Lord's coming in their lifetime. And if the Spirit of God had told them that the gift of tongues was not going to carry into the next generation, why, how could they have looked for the hope of the Lords return in their generation?
But if we see the significance of it and the purpose for which it is given, and we can easily see the reason for the introduction that the the message was accompanied by signs to show what God was going to do and those who profess to have the gift of tongues today, I think two things are significant. First of all, it's not in connection with the.
What we have in scripture.
For the languages that were spoken were languages that were known and spoken in the world.
The people of Jerusalem were people from every nation under heaven, and they heard in their own tongue wherein they were born.
The wonderful works of God, that's not the way the gift of tongues is used today. There is no group that is able to gather a company together and speak to them in their own language without learning that language. And the second thing is that.
Those companies that profess to have the gift of tongues are all associated with false doctrine, and you find that if you must get this gift as they speak of it, you have to forsake the path of the truth and how important it is that we should walk in the truth. In Deuteronomy 13, the people were told that if a prophet showed a sign or wonder and even if the.
Came to pass. The important thing for them was, was the person who was showing this sign trying to lead them away from the Lord, away from the path of obedience. If they recognize this, then they wouldn't accept the prophet, even the Lord assigner wonder came to pass. So for us brethren, the important thing is not to be occupied with that side of things.
Rather for us to be concerned as to walking in the path of obedience to the Word. And if we find that these things are going on, we don't have to investigate them. We just walk in the path of obedience to the Word of God and we'll find it's a safe and happy path where the truth of God can be maintained, where the Lord Jesus can have his glory.
Well, let me just mention this because there's a great deal of confusion about this and Christendom and many dear children of God who are looking for some display of power.
When they're, when they depart from the path of obedience to find it, there's no telling how far they can go down that road. Satan has power, and if we depart from the path of obedience, how are we going to know whether it's the power of God or the power of Satan?
By the word of thy lips have I kept me from the paths of the Destroyer.
And we get the next circle 1 Lord, 1 faith, one baptism.
But perhaps before we consider that circle, we should have word as a brother requested before the meeting.
That something might be said that would be practical, he said. For the young people. But sometimes the the old people need exhortation and.
To be warned as much as the young believers need to be warned past a walking consistently according to the truth that we're considering.
It was mentioned yesterday that we have the church looked at as a body, for everything is vital and Christ is the builder. And then we have the church looked at as the house and looked at as a house. Timothy has told that thou mightest know how thou ordest to be behave thyself.
In the House of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and grounder support of the truth. Well, it's in the house that we get disciplined. We don't discipline the members of our body. I don't punish my hand for something.
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My hand has done that shouldn't have done. But we do discipline the numbers of our family, of the household. So looked at us, the house. There is discipline in the House of God, and there is behavior in the House of God. Think of a man who had walked so well as Timothy had walked.
In fellowship with the Apostle Paul being his.
Companion and service. And yet Paul was leaving him for a while and he doesn't say, well, Timothy will go on. I don't have to be concerned about him. He has been so faithful all these years. No, we can never trust ourselves, Beloved, let's remember that we've got the old nature, and if the old nature is allowed to have its way.
It's going to lead us in a sad into a sad course.
So Timothy needed this exhortation. He wasn't one of the teenagers. He was a man of maturity. They're not as old, of course, as Paul and Barnabas or or Silas, but he was a faithful man. But he needed this education so he might us know how thou orders to behave thyself.
Well, well then. We've had some wonderful truths now to the church and are being united together by the Spirit of God.
And then our brother here was brought before us. How we express that truth in the breaking of bread. We gather around one loop which presses the whole body of Christ, and we gather on the ground of the.
Of the of the truth of Christ, the Center gathered in his name.
When our brethren and young people and old people as well as young people, and it makes no difference if you are the oldest in this company, there is still a danger for us. As Brother Eric Smith tells about an old brother that prayed every day that he might not die a wicked old man, so he felt that he was just as liable to have a dismal fall at the end of the pathway.
As it was at the beginning of the pathway. Well, let's think of that how we ought to behave ourselves. Now that one thing very important to remember and that is that one gathered to the Lords name is gathered in a very special way and to go out.
Without any consideration of all the seriousness of one's act. And break bread somewhere else.
And say of some sectarian place virtually that one has put himself out of fellowship in the meeting because he's identified himself with a sectarian table. Really, let's all be warned of the danger of going out and disregarding.
Our privilege has been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus alone. That's just of course, one warning as to our behavior and then of course, if we're going on in worldly ways, see one is out in worldly company and.
Hasn't judged himself for it or he's going to worldly amusements.
We can't now all have a slip and a fall, but when we have thoroughly judged and humbled ourselves for our failure, then there is happy restoration. But to go on and disregard the seriousness of taking a worldly course and then sitting down in the Lord's presence, they bring upon us the the.
The government of God as you get in the 1St 11Th chapter, First Corinthians.
Also, before we go on, I think it may be well to speak of the oneness and speaks. There are the one body I believe that's very important as it's been brought out. Sometimes we say, well, how can it be just one? Well, God, the one I believe represents.
Supremacy, exclusiveness. There is one body. And so sometimes we hear the question, well, how do I know?
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That I'm in the place where that expression to the one body is given.
Well, God in his grace has brought us, we believe, to that place. It may be that I've been raised, born into and raised in a Christian family that are associated in seeking to give expression to that one body of Christ. Well, that's the wonderful grace of God.
Some of us have not had that privilege and the Lord, you might say, has had to drag us along the path and bring us to Himself. But how glorious and how faithful he is. But there is one body. And I remember a conversation of some years ago and I overheard our brother AC Brown speaking, and there was a young man, he was speaking along the same line. Well, how, how is do I know that this is one body? How do you know?
And Brother Brown very patiently sought to bring it before him. He says, no. He said, I can't believe it. He says, you people say that you're the one body of Christ. Oh, Brother Brown says, wait a minute now, just a minute. He says, who says that we're one, bud? He says, you say that there's only one body, and you give expression to it. He says now he says, let's take it, Let's take it rightly. You say that we say there is one body. He says, yes. He says, well, we don't say that.
He says God says it and so he turned to Ephesians 4 and showed him that God says there is one body Now he says, beloved brother, he says we just seek to give expression to it to be found on that ground of that one body and the brother as being led by that one spirit. We're thankful to say today is not only gathered to the Lord's name, but his family and he's leading others to the true center also, but all how important.
To realize it's not words of our own, but it's the words of the Lord that says there is one body. And how important for us then is responsible to this blessed truth to be giving expression to it not only in the breaking of bread, but as our brother has brought before us and a faithful pathway avoiding those things which would mar not our testimony, but would bring dishonor. That's really the thought.
Bring dishonor to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to that expression.
Of the one body and it is not a sin, not a sect, is it? No one time person said there's enough confusion here without you starting up something new. Well, we're not starting up something new. We're getting back to the old, aren't we? Getting back to what was in the beginning and what God has always honored. So it's not a sect constructive to look up in a good dictionary the meaning of that word sect and you'll see that.
Gathered to the Lord's name does not fit into that definition of sex. In Genesis chapter 49, we have a verse that perhaps will help us to realize that the Spirit of God only leads to one person and to Him alone.
In Genesis chapter 49 verse 10, it says the chapter shall not depart from Judah, not a lawgiver from between his feet, until sorrow shall come.
Then unto him shall be the obedience. I understand that's a proper translation of the people. And then in Psalm 25 and verse 12. But for those that are exercised, how shall I know the place? Well, I believe that we have a very precious verse in Psalm 25 and verse 12.
It says that what man is he, that spirit of the Lord?
Him shall he teach.
In the way that He should go, He's a positive promise. Well, we have an illustration of how the Lord corrects to the place where he meets with his own and those two disciples that the Lord told to go and carry the Passover.
They were not content with just being told to go. They said, Lord, where will thou that we prepare?
Then the Lord gave full instruction. They were to go into the city, and they would meet a man bearing a pitcher of water, to follow him into the house where he entered in. And so where there is an honest inquiry like from those two disciples.
If there is indifference, if it's there's no exercise about it, if one hasn't the glory of the Lord and has no desire to to really honor him in connection with that which he loved and gave himself forth. Remember the Lord loved the church and gave himself for it.
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Well, if there's no desire to honor him in connection with that which is his body.
Well, then there's the disciples could have gone on, selected a place they felt was the place, but no, that wasn't in their hearts. So they said werewolf thou, and then they get instruction. And I suppose you'd say that the picture is a poor human vessel. It isn't important to us, to the picture.
So the Lord may use any of his own.
To guide but the importance of the areas that it's a pitcher of water. Water is a type of the Holy Spirit so one letter of the Spirit guides and directs to the place where the Lord meets with his own so we can't just.
Put it down and in a formal way and say, well, no, you just go by this and you.
You will find that you are with those that are really meeting on the right ground, but where there is real exercise and a true desire to honor and please Christ. You know He will not disappoint you. He'll not tell you there is a place, and then when you look for the place, there isn't that place. The Lord will never deceive and disappoint His own.
In any way like that there is a place.
And if there is the devotion to Christ and the desire to honor and to please him, we can be sure the Lord will lead and guide by the Spirit. I like the.
The further expression that the Spirit of God brings out in connection with that brother very it says, And they went and found as he had said unto them.
Very lovely, isn't it? It was what he had said and they went and they found it. They weren't deceived. God's word is true, isn't it? As it's been said, if there is such a place, God has told us there is such a place. There is a place where he has chosen to place His name. God is faithful.
I think that we have the same thing in the first chapter of John John the Baptist. He makes these two disciples.
Throwing away his eyes for him from himself to the Lord Jesus, when he says, Behold the Lamb of God and the next verse that says that. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
And Jesus turned and said unto them, Why seek ye? And they say, Master.
Where dwellers thou? And he said unto them, Come and seek.
Come and see. Very blessed listening. Oh what a precious savior we have. We have the spirit of a God. The divine person can never make any mistake. Never.
But the only thing we need to fulfill Psalm 25 verse 12. What man is he that feared the Lord him? Shall he guide in the way that he should go? What about the one is simple? I believe that the one that is simple, they're the one that they are left much easier than the one that they have knowledge. Would you say so, brother, you'd say that's true that the Spirit of God always.
Guides by the Word of God. If it's according to the Word, then it's according to the Spirit of God.
Or you never would teach us what is contrary to the word of God. I know they have a cousin that's in a group that went off in divisions, he says. I think all these groups that are breaking bread, one is gathered as much to the Lords name as another.
I said to him, I said, suppose that here are two meetings. You go to Oak Park, you'll find there are two halls very much alike, and well, I suppose there's only a block between them. Then I asked him. I said, Dad, you tell me that the Spirit of God leads some of the children of God to this meeting, and some of the children of God to this other meeting.
I said if he does then he is contradicting his own word.
For one, the subject of division arose for the for the apostle says is Christ divided. Think the word awesome thing that is to consider dividing Christ. So it shows that there must be a divine center.
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And there is not a center of division. Now we have the instruction in the Word, and then there needs to be the state of soul to discover it. Then there is something else that seems to speak to our conscience in First Corinthians 14, First Corinthians 14, and verse 24.
But if all prophecy and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. I think this is a lovely side of it too. That is, we have the word of God to direct us, and if.
Willing He will direct us, but doesn't this exercise us to brethren? If a stranger comes in, do they feel the Lords presence? And if we are really going on with the Lord as we should, acknowledging Christ as the center and in submission to the leading of the Spirit of God?
And walking in ways that are pleasing to him, one who comes in will not only know by the testimony of the Word, but he will actually have a sense that he is in the Lord's presence. And it seems to me this speaks to our hearts for how often it may be true that we have the truth and seek to walk in a tube. But unless there is that going on together.
In the love of Christ and seeking His glory.
Why, a stranger coming in may have to say, Well, the truth is there, but I don't see the practical display of it. And this is very searching. This ought to speak to each of our hearts that we might be going on in such a way.
Not a stranger coming in would feel the Lord's presence. Isn't it true also that as we enjoy, at least I hope we do, the truth of the one Body, and speak as we have spoken? That it should make us very, very, very thankful for the very wonderful grace and faithfulness of the Lord that has preserved the wonderful privilege of being thus gathered where He is in the midst?
By supposed to, we can, and maybe we should guard against a narrowness that might touch our poor hearts and forget that the scripture says we, being many, are one loaf.
So that as we find ourselves privileged to sit down on a Lord's Day.
Enjoying the fact that by His grace we are gathered around the person and under the precious name of our Lord Divas, we see those emblems on the table which speak to us of Himself, and yet we see in that lobe also that which reminds us of the fact that we are members of His body, together with every other member of that body.
And I think this should be very, very precious to us, and should enlarge our affection, should it not, to realize that there is that which is so very, very dear to the heart of the Lord Jesus. He gave Himself for it. We bought a grace of God, our members of His body as such. We meet together in this way.
But we remember that there are other members also of that body, and our love and our affection should.
Embrace them. I remember hearing of an incident that took place some years ago at Rideau Ferry.
There's been a testimony there for many years and also not far off are a couple of churches, as folks call them, and on this particular occasion there was a very.
Dear believer in the Lord Jesus, who was the minister of one of these churches?
And on Monday morning one of the dear brothers from the Assembly at Rio Ferry was walking along the Country Rd. and he met this minister whose name was Mr. Meek and he addressed to me said Brother Meek, how are you this morning? I was so happy to see you at the meeting yesterday morning.
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And Brother Meek said, But I was in my pulpit preaching my Sunday sermon. And he simply smiled and repeated the statement. Brother Meek, I was so happy to see you at the meeting yesterday morning.
Well, he said, I tell you I was in my hope and preaching my sermon. And he smiled again and said, Brother, I was so glad to see you at the meeting yesterday morning. He said, you'll have to explain yourself. I don't know what you're talking about. Well, he said, brother, me.
On the table yesterday morning there was a loaf. It represented to us not only the body of our Lord Jesus Christ given in death, but it represented also the happy reality that every believer is a member of the body of Christ, and that first we being many, are one loaf made me think of you, brother Meek and as I looked at the loaf.
Saw you there and was happy to see you there. Well, the dear man just hung his head had no answer. I hope he felt the edge of it. And, old brethren, how thankful we should be for the very wonderful privilege of being gathered to a.
Person to a person. I think of the scripture that says Judas also knew the place and his rather church seemed to read those words. Is it not? We cannot be where the Lord is in the midst unless we respond to the guidance of the Spirit of God through His Word. And this does direct us to a place where we can enjoy this reality.
But I'm sure there are.
Safeguards in the word that would cause our poor hearts to realize that we need to be taken up with the wonder of his person. I just like to ask you the question brother Albertson. Suppose that man you speak up presented himself as completing next Thursday morning and said I'd like to remember the Lord with you. How would that be took that and how would they act on that? Well, I believe that in as much as he.
A member of the body of Christ. His place is there. The privilege is open to him. But if he has, shall I say, defiled himself by association with that which is unscriptural.
The Word of God would have to give us faithfulness in reminding Him of this. I believe that as a member of the body of Christ, he is entitled to be gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus. He is entitled and privileged to remember the Lord Jesus in debt. But if he is defiled and this would mean a number of other scripture references.
Perhaps just one that we might turn to in Haggai chapter 2.
Agai chapter verse 11.
Said the Lord of hosts, asked now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
And the priests answered and said no. Then said Haggai, Now notice this, If scrum that is unclean by a dead body, touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priest answered and said, It shall be unclean. Now there was such a thing in Israel as a true Israelite.
Unable to partake of the Passover because of personal defilement or because of contact with defile. He wasn't refused because he was not in Israelite.
But he was refused because of defilement or contact with it. And I believe we do have to be very careful that the liberty or the refusal of it in remembering the Lord is not based upon the fact that this individual is not, I'm almost afraid to say it, not a member of this group.
The only reason why we could refuse is because this member of the body of Christ.
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As constituted himself unclean by reason of defilement is that yes, there was a case in Des Moines I was told of.
There's a minister of a church in Boston. I think it was a fundamental church. so-called, began to visit his sister.
The dear man will go off, and dear Christian, and he asked to remember the Lord.
Well, the brethren tell here is a simple Christian. He wanted to he wanted to remember the Lord in his death, so he broke bread with him when he left. They said no, there's a little meeting in fellowship with this meeting in Boston. You go and look them up so that he went on return later he came back to Des Moines he never.
Shown any fellowship with the poor little meeting at Boston.
But he came with a full, fully expecting that he could break bread in the morning. They said no, brother, we told you there was a little meeting. You could have fellowship. That's in fellowship with this meeting. You disregarded that little meeting and went to a sect of men, and we can't let you break bread now.
Well, I think there is that about. It is fun, comes in simplicity.
Desire to remember the Lord. He puts himself under the discipline of the assembly, and the assembly exercise its discipline in refusing him fellowship because he had disregarded the truth of the one body. Well, that's just one example. We can't say that we never received from those.
Who are not formally gathered with us, who have been received and are regularly breaking bread. But we do have to be careful as to what they continue with. And I suppose in these days where there's so much modernism that if one came in from a thorough modernist church, we'd have to consider almost I would feel that they were defiled by being connected with.
Modernist system. Would you feel that, Brother Gordon? Isn't there also such a thing as laying hands suddenly on no man? You may not know if the person is defiled. Would you say a word on that?
Well, I suppose that what we see around us in Christendom today is so contaminated with false teaching and the denial of the full inspiration of the Word of God and questions raised as to the virgin birth of Christ.
Then it becomes us to be that much more careful, always remembering At the same time that we do meet, Dear brethren, we do meet to remember the Lord as members of His body. And if a member of that body presents himself or herself to remember the Lord, we must always remember that they are a member of the body of Christ, and thereby entitled.
To that privilege unless such defilement prohibited. But with the conditions that exist around us today, I'm sure that scripture is very needful brother and the more even fundamental system so-called are filled with that which is false and questionable that much more it becomes us to be very very careful. Furthermore, I think it might be well.
I do hope I will be corrected and warned if what I'm saying leave any wrong impression or is in itself wrong. I believe that we should be very, very careful in this regard, that we should be honest with such and let them know that by breaking bread they are taking a position that is outside of and thereby condemning.
The very thing that they may until then have seen no wrong in, and if they realize that this is a place gathered around the person of the Lord Jesus outside the camp of man's arrangements.
It's a very serious thing for them to break bread in such a situation.
I hope others will caution and correct if these leave wrong impressions.
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Treasurer correctly too was that supporting which one time happens in Hamilton A couple came in after the meeting was started and sat down at the front. The one part of the told the brother across the aisle passed the bread round the other way, which way would have gone around everybody anyway, but it would miss them without giving them offense by passing passing to this order than that she couldn't very well tell him to get up and get out of the meeting is on.
That right or wrong?
We're getting back now to our fifth verse of the chapter. One Lord, 1 faith, one baptism.
Now.
In the profession of Christianity, of course, there's only the Lord. Jesus is recognized as the one that we have to do. If we're Christians, we own.
That name, that he is Lord.
But it doesn't can fly necessarily that that one is born again. For many shall say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And he'll say, I never knew you. So one can outwardly make a profession.
And yet if not be hailed and then faith used as it is in this place isn't the saving faith that one has that believes to the saving of the soul, but it's it's faith as a doctrine. There's only one doctrine in Christianity that.
That there has been a man that's been in this world and he's lived and died that on the cross. Well, that's that's believed and.
All Christian profession and then one baptism. Of course, that shows how wide the profession is because multitudes are baptized that are not born again. And it's a sad thing, especially in the north, northern states in Canada, that you ask a person if you save, why he doesn't know what you mean.
Why? He says. I've always been a Christian. I was baptized for a Christian and I was confirmed. He doesn't know what it means at all to be really safe.
In the South, where more gospel has been preached, you'll usually find.
Something of an understanding that you're either saved or lost again, because I can say this for the Southern Baptist, although they're slipping at one time, they did preach their the necessity of salvation through the work of Christ and there were either those that were saved or were those that were lost.
Because when it says one face here it's just simply the Christian faith in contrast with, say, the Muhammadan faith. So what is introduced into that sphere by baptism, As it says in Galatians 3, As many of you as have been baptized under Christ have put on Christ.
It doesn't mean that one actually puts on Christ in baptism. If that were so, salvation would be by baptism, but the name of Christ is placed upon them. But is often said when one is baptized. If we just printed Christ on a card and hammered around their neck, it would help to understand what baptism really is. It brings them into the sphere on earth where they bear the name of Christ. This is a great responsibility and that is what.
Before us, and the message that was preached here from the platform last night, perhaps preached to those who were in that sphere of profession, but reminding them that that wasn't enough. They needed to personally have Christ as their savior. And so it's very important that we see that there is such a thing and God owns that on earth as a sphere.
Who are in a special place of privilege You turn over to Romans. You'll see this.
Romans Chapter 11, Romans 11, and verse 17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree, were graft in among them, and with them. For take us to the root and hotness of the olive tree. Boast not against the branches, but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
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Thou will say them the branches were broken off that I might be grabbed in.
Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them, which fell severity but toward the goodness, if thou continue in His goodness otherwise.
Thou also shall be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graft in, or God is able to graft them in.
Israel occupied a special place of privilege and favor, but when they rejected their Messiah nationally, they lost that place. The Gentile has been brought into this place of privilege and favor, and now if he doesn't continue in the goodness of God, he's going to lose that place that he occupies now in the favor of God.
And when it speaks of faith, it speaks of it in the broad sense here as we have it in our chapter.
And you say, well, if a person has faith, isn't he saved? Well, it must be living faith. It tells us in the end of the second of John. Many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which he did, but Jesus did not commit Himself unto them. He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. We find also in the 8th chapter of Acts a man who believed and was.
But he only had it in his head, and Peter had to say to him, Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Well, I mentioned this to show that the Scripture gives us to see that there is such a thing as being in a position of privilege and favor without light.
And so Israel had that place. The Christian world that occupies that place, now about many are only in the place by profession, and unless they have personally received the Lord Jesus as their Savior, they're still lost souls.
We cannot deny that they're in a place of privilege and that the name of Christ has been called upon them.